Compound Bow Comparator

The BowTech Stalker is a value-tier single-cam hunter from 2001 through 2003 that earns its keep on two things owners agree on: it is deadly accurate and it is genuinely light, at 2.9 pounds bare with a long, forgiving 33-inch-class riser. It rates a modest 298 to 306 fps IBO by design, and in the field it pushes a heavy hunting arrow right around 251 fps - plenty for whitetail, hogs, and black bear from a stand or blind. Its broad 27-to-32-inch draw range makes it one of the few forgiving hunting bows of its era that fits a taller, long-draw archer, and BowTech offered it in a left-hand build as well. The honest trade is at the shot: it is not as dead-in-hand as the flagship Patriot or Liberty, though a few minutes moving the vibration modules down brings it most of the way there. In my experience a light, simple, repeatable bow like this is an easy one to shoot well, which is exactly what its owners keep reporting. It is an excellent used-market pick for the hunter who prizes a steady, accurate, easy-carrying single-cam and does not need flagship speed or a dead-quiet factory shot. Buyers who want the most compact finished rig should look at the BowTech TomKat, and those who want the steadiest long-riser hold should look at the Mathews Classic. Read full review...

The BowTech TomKat is the value package bow of the brand's Binary Cam era, and its trick was putting a flagship-grade cam under a budget riser and shipping it ready to hunt. For roughly $550 in the mid-2000s you got the complete rig - rest, sight, peep, quiver, sling and Hush Kit - around a compact 313/4-inch chassis with a tall 81/2-inch brace, a self-correcting Binary Cam with a speed-or-smooth module choice, and 65-80 percent adjustable let-off. Real-world speed with a hunting arrow lands near 280 fps, the shot is quiet and low in hand shock straight from the factory, and the whole package is light and easy to carry on a stand or a 3D course. What I keep coming back to is how much finished bow this was for the money - the accessories were basic and the valley is short, but the bow underneath them was the real thing. It is an excellent choice for the budget-minded or first-time hunter who wants a complete, dependable rig in one box, and it remains a smart used-market buy for a compact treestand or 3D setup. Buyers who want a longer, steadier, lighter bow should also look at the Mathews Classic, and those who want the widest adjustment range and a little more speed should also look at the Hoyt Trykon. Read full review...

The Mathews Classic is the forgiving, low-maintenance single-cam hunter of the mid-2000s Mathews line, and time has been kind to what it set out to do. Launched at $589 MSRP and built unchanged from 2004 through 2007, it pairs a long 36-inch axle-to-axle and a tall 7-inch brace with a 3.6-pound carry weight and a MaxCam that rates 310 fps IBO - moderate speed traded, on purpose, for a bow that holds still and stays in tune. Its two quieting technologies, Harmonic Dampers and String Suppressors, and its comfortable wood grip round out a shot that is calm and undemanding. What I keep coming back to with a bow like this is how little it asks of you: no cam timing to chase, no twitchy short-brace behavior to fight, just a steady pin and a quiet shot. It is an excellent choice for the whitetail hunter who walks in far and sits long, and for the developing archer who wants a forgiving platform to build form on, particularly strong as a dependable, tune-and-forget treestand rig. Buyers prioritizing a more compact, higher-brace package should also look at the Bowtech Tomkat, and those wanting more speed and a wider adjustment range should also look at the Hoyt Trykon. Read full review...

• Deadly accurate - owners rank its accuracy right with, and on a good day above, BowTech's flagship Patriot of the same era
• Light to carry and quick to point at 2.9 lb bare, a weight owners single out for easy all-day hauling in the stand
• Respectable real-world speed for a value single-cam - around 251 fps clocked with heavy 412-grain hunting arrows

• Complete ready-to-hunt package - Hostage rest, fiber-optic sight, peep, quiver, sling and Hush Kit all in the box, the only BowTech sold this way
• Runs the same Binary Cam System as BowTech's flagships, with a solid, repeatable back wall that holds its timing
• Quiet, low-recoil shot straight from the factory Hush Kit - many owners shoot it well with no added stabilizer
• Compact 313/4-inch axle-to-axle with a tall 81/2-inch brace makes it easy to pack and steady to aim, a favorite for 3D
• Fast enough for real hunting - hunting-weight arrows fly around 280 fps, flat enough for typical whitetail ranges

• Single-cam SoloCam design (MaxCam) with no dual-cam timing to synchronize - simpler to tune and consistent shot to shot over the long haul
• Light 3.6-lb mass on a full 36-inch frame that carries easily through all-day hunts and long treestand sits
• Forgiving to hold - the tall 7-inch brace paired with the long 36-inch axle-to-axle steadies the pin for shooters still grooving their form
• Built around two quieting technologies, Harmonic Dampers and String Suppressors, aimed squarely at a calm, low-noise shot

• Not as dead-in-hand as BowTech's flagship Patriot or Liberty - some owners note bottom-end recoil and slightly top-heavy balance, which moving the vibration modules down or adding dampeners quiets noticeably

• Entry-grade factory rest and sight - owners often swap both for better aftermarket parts, a cheap and common upgrade, since the bow itself is the value
• Tall brace and short axle-to-axle keep the speed but give a short valley - shooters wanting the era's most forgiving BowTech should look to a longer-riser model

• The MaxCam sets draw length by cam/module rather than a rotating on-the-fly module - a shooter who changes draw length often should confirm their exact length up front, since a change means a cam or module swap
• As a 2004-2007 model it is a used-market buy today - worth a fresh set of strings and cables and a quick pro-shop once-over before hunting it