Compound Bow Reviews

The Bottom Line:PSE is celebrating their 50th year in the archery industry, and the EVO NXT platform does not disappoint. The NXT 31 is the shortest of the EVO NXT lineup with a 30.5-inch axle-to-axle measurement, and also has the fastest speed rating out of the group as well. It is worth mentioning the slow speed rating... read full review

The Bottom Line:The PSE Centrix SD partnership with S3DA is an awesome collaboration. For PSE to offer a fairly affordable target model geared towards younger shooters really speaks to their commitment to grow the sport of archery. Anything companies can do to promote the sport to younger shooters is great for the... read full review

The Bottom Line:Target archery is shrinking in popularity in the US, and some argue the price to get started is more than people are interested in spending. The $699 price tag for the Centrix LD is an awesome way for shooters to get started in the world of target archery, without breaking the bank. Perhaps as shooters... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Bandit NXT is an awesome shooting bow, which may turn some people off being called a high-end youth model. Aside from the bow being smaller framed, and peaking at a draw length of 26-inches and a draw weight of 50-pounds, nothing about the Bandit NXT is typical of a youth bow. The cams are amazingly... read full review

The Bottom Line:PSE has done an outstanding job with the Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1 for 2020, by improving every single cricritiquetic shooters of the previous Carbon Air Stealth model had. The Mach 1 is such an awesome shooting bow, it may be the best model in all 2020. The laid back limbs make a huge difference in... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Hoyt Fireshot is one of the few youth bows engineered to be kept rather than outgrown, and that single intent defines it. From 2017 through 2020 it served as Hoyt's grow-with-them junior compound, replacing the Ruckus and bringing real Hoyt engineering - the VersaFlex Cam & 1/2 system, the TEC Lite... read full review

The Bottom Line:The 2019 Hoyt Nitrux, at its $849 launch MSRP, did something value bows usually can't: it delivered flagship grip, flagship cable management and flagship-grade limb pockets in an aluminum hunting bow most shooters could actually afford. The headline IBO is 333 fps, but the honest hunting-arrow numbers... read full review

The Bottom Line:The RX-4 Ultra is the third installment of the REDWRK branding from Hoyt, and it is arguably the best carbon model Hoyt has ever produced. The changes to the cam system, although somewhat minor, have really made a better shooting experience with a smoother draw, firmer back wall, and quieter shot. The... read full review

The Bottom Line:The RX-4 Turbo is a great shooting bow. It has a maneuverable frame with a compact 31-inch axle-to-axle measurement, and an ATA rated 350 feet per second gives shooters a lot of options for arrow weight and kinetic energy versus raw speed for each to choose what makes the most sense for them. For shooters... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Alpha series is an awesome offering from Hoyt in 2020, and the carbon RX-4 Alpha bow is worth a test shot. This RX-4 Alpha is the most compact hunting bow Hoyt has ever produced, and it came about with input from customers and shop owners from across the country with whitetail hunting in mind. For... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Invicta platform is an awesome target bow specifically designed for the most serious archers on the planet. Everything about the bow and the re-engineering was done to provide target shooters the most stable and forgiving platform possible. The SVX cam is a tournament favorite for Hoyt pro staffers... read full review

The Bottom Line:Hoyt has really hit a homeroom for shooters wanting a 40-inch axle-to-axle target bow. Everything about this, and the redesigned components was done to create the best, most accurate shooting platform possible. However, the price is borderline offensive with a bare bow price of $1899. To be fair, many... read full review

The Bottom Line:An MSRP of $1899 is a ton of money to spend on any compound bow, regardless of the style of archery or brand. The Hoyt Invicta 37 SVX is expensive, and for some shooters may be really hard to justify. For others, having a Hoyt target bow designed to put shooters in the best possible position to win tournaments... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Hoyt Helix Turbo, launched at $1,249 MSRP in 2020 and carried over unchanged through 2021, is the aluminum speed bow Hoyt built for the experienced hunter who wants flagship velocity without the carbon price. At 350 fps IBO on a compact 31-inch chassis with a sub-six-inch brace, it delivers real-world... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Axius Ultra is a sweet shooting hunting bow for 2020. This model has a newly designed ZTR cam system, an integrated mount for the popular QAD Integrate rest, and a wide range of draw length and weight adjustment to fit almost any interested shooter on the market for a new hunting bow. The Axius Ultra... read full review

The Bottom Line:The Axius Alpha is the most compact hunting bow ever designed by Hoyt, and it marks off a large number of wants for those on the market for a short hunting bow. There is a fair amount of performance with an ATA speed rating of 342 feet per second. The 4.3-pound bare bow weight is also fairly lightweight... read full review

The Bottom Line:For diehard Bear Archery shooters, there has not been an option for a dedicated target or 3D bow. Bear has focused their energy on creating a huge variety of compound hunting bows of varying specifications and price points to have one of the most well rounded lineups in all of archery. The Revival aims... read full review