Compound Bow Comparator

The BowTech PBR Limited Edition is the odd one out in the 2005 FreedomCam lineup - not a different bow but a dressed-up one, built to mark BowTech's Professional Bull Riders sponsorship and sold as 1,000 numbered, Tony Mendes-signed collectibles at an $849 SRP when it launched. Strip away the Mossy Oak Obsession finish, the PBR star idler, the engraved pockets, the carbon-look limbs, and the black-and-red strings, and what is left is a genuinely good 2005 hunter: a long 34-inch chassis, a smooth FreedomCam twin-cam draw, a firm post wall, let-off adjustable from 65 to 80 percent, and the quickest speed of its FreedomCam siblings at 297 to 305 fps. It asks for the occasional timing check a modern binary-cam shooter has to relearn, and its real value today lives as much in its serial number and signature as in its shooting - most of these are kept, not carried. What I keep coming back to is how little the FreedomCam draw fights back and how still the long riser holds, the two things that make this collectible a legitimate shooter if its owner ever decides to carry it. An excellent piece for the BowTech or PBR collector who wants a numbered, signed artifact of the mid-2000s. Buyers who want the same FreedomCam shooting for less should look at the Bowtech Liberty VFT, while those who want the smoothest, quietest premium single-cam of the era should look at the Mathews Switchback. Read full review...

The BowTech Liberty VFT is a mid-2000s hunter that has aged into a genuinely appealing used and backup rig: a long 33-1/4-inch chassis, a quiet VFT limb shot, a smooth FreedomCam draw, let-off adjustable from 65 to 80 percent, and a target-color option that lets one bow hunt and shoot 3D, all sold for $729 across its 2004-2005 run. It is a twin-cam bow, so it asks for the occasional timing check a modern binary-cam shooter has to relearn, and its low-300s speed and period ergonomics are modest by today's standards - but speed was never why owners kept this one. What I keep coming back to is how easily it draws and how still it holds, the two things that made shooters call it one of the smoothest and most forgiving bows BowTech built, and the two things that still make a two-decade-old example worth carrying. An excellent affordable choice for the used-market hunter or the shooter who wants a single smooth, forgiving bow for both the treestand and the 3D range. Buyers who want the smoothest, quietest premium single-cam of the era should look at the Mathews Switchback, while those wanting the widest adjustment range should look at the Hoyt Trykon. Read full review...

The Mathews Switchback entered the market in 2005 and continues to be one of the best smooth bows ever since. Many hunters strongly agree this bow is one of the smoothest bows available on the market. With the very low levels of vibration and noise, the Switchback is smooth and fast at the same time. Having received a lot of extra positive reviews and comments from archers throughout the world, this legendary bow has been the most popular and most selling Mathews rig for a long time. Read full review...

• A genuine numbered collectible - one of only 1,000 bows, each sequentially numbered and personally signed by pro bull rider Tony Mendes, in Mossy Oak Obsession with a PBR star idler wheel and engraved limb pockets
• Smooth, easy-pulling FreedomCam draw with a firm post wall - the same modular twin cam FreedomCam owners of the era rank among BowTech's easiest-drawing hunters
• Let-off sets anywhere from 65 to 80 percent right at the draw post - a relaxed hold or a tight valley with no module to swap
• Long 34-inch axle-to-axle, the longest of the 2005 FreedomCam hunters, steadies the hold and flatters a deliberate shooter

• Owners rate it among the smoothest bows BowTech ever built - the FreedomCam rolls over the peak so easily it feels lighter than its speed suggests
• Quiet, vibration-free shot from the VFT limb design - the bow settles fast into the hand with little post-shot hand shock
• Forgiving and accurate for a fast bow, helped by a long 33-1/4-inch axle-to-axle that steadies the hold and flatters a developing shooter
• Let-off adjusts anywhere from 65 to 80 percent right at the draw post, so you can dial a relaxed or a tight hold without swapping a single module

• smooth and fast single cam bow
• low noise and vibration
• great value for money

• FreedomCam is a twin cam that rewards periodic timing checks - a bit of upkeep a modern binary-cam shooter has to relearn, handled by a bow press or a quick shop visit
• A numbered, autographed bow tends to be kept and valued as a collectible more than shot - a buyer who just wants a 2005 FreedomCam hunter to hunt with can get the near-identical Liberty VFT for less

• FreedomCam is a twin-cam system that rewards periodic timing checks - a bit of upkeep a modern binary-cam shooter has to relearn, handled by a bow press or a quick shop visit
• Low-300s speed and mid-2000s ergonomics feel modest next to current bows - best approached as an affordable used or backup rig rather than a modern speed-chaser's flagship

• non-adjustable eccentric system