Compound Bow Comparator

The Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra, launched in 2021 at roughly $1,699, is the long-axle, maximum-forgiveness build of Hoyt's 2021 carbon platform - and the bow that quietly outshot its own spec sheet. Its 334 fps IBO was the slowest of the year's flagships on paper, yet it chronographed 328 fps and tied for the fastest bow in a multi-bow test, with real hunting-arrow speeds running 267 to 299 fps depending on shaft weight. On a 34-inch frame with a 7-inch brace it draws as smoothly as anything Hoyt built that season, holds with a steadiness that flatters a shaky release, and finishes dead in the hand and quiet - and the carbon riser stays warm through a freezing sit. The honest trade-offs are weight, around 5.2 pounds loaded before you strip it back to the 4.6-pound spec, and a top-of-market price. In my time behind the platform the lasting impression is the hold: at full draw the long riser plants the pin in a way a compact bow simply cannot. An excellent bow for the longer-draw and Western open-country hunter who prizes forgiveness, a steady hold, and cold-weather carbon. Buyers who want that same carbon platform compact and lighter should look at the standard Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5, while those who would trade carbon for a forgiving, dead-quiet aluminum flagship at a lower price should consider the PSE EVO NXT 33. Read full review...

The Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5, launched at $1,699 for 2021, was the year Hoyt stopped refining the REDWRX formula and rebuilt its engine. The all-new HBX Cam - a Tri-Track binary that finally retired the old split-yoke layout - gave this compact 30-inch carbon hunter the one thing earlier RedWRX bows lacked: a solid, defined back wall that owners who had shot every carbon Hoyt since the Defiant rate as the bow's standout trait. Around it sits a 342 fps IBO rating that translates to real hunting-arrow speeds in the 270-to-302 fps band for 440-to-508 grain shafts, a selectable 80/85% let-off you change with one screw, a hollow-carbon riser that stays warm in a December stand, and the In-Line sight, Integrate rest, and included Short Stop stabilizer the RX-4 never had. The honest trade-offs are a 4.4-pound mass that is light but not the featherweight some expect from carbon, and a shot that is quiet rather than silent - both tamed by the included damping and stabilizer. Studying how owners describe it, the through-line is that wall: this is a carbon bow you settle into and hold, not one you fight. An excellent bow for the serious backcountry and treestand hunter who wants a compact carbon rig with a forgiving hold and already knows carbon is the goal. Buyers who want that same engine in a longer, steadier-aiming frame should look at the REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra, while those who would trade carbon for renowned silence and a lower price should also consider the Mathews VXR 28. Read full review...

The 2020 PSE EVO NXT has limited bells and whistles, and is in no way flashy. To many shooters, the lack of marketability and increased buzz around the release of a flagship bow may be a turnoff. However, for shooters basing their decision to purchase based on how a bow feels and shoots, the PSE EVO NXT 33 has a great shot of being very popular. The speeds are not fast, but they are honest real world performance, and that may be better for some shooters. The7-inch brace height is less popular on a hunting bow in 2020, but the added forgiveness may be a feature shooters want to have in their new hunting bow. The longer riser, and more laid back limbs do a phenomenal job of canceling noise and making the bow as vibration free as possible. It would be great to see some more popular finish options as well, but there are a fair amount of choices, and what PSE does offer looks nice. The Evolve cam system is a true piece of engineering genius, and the adjustability passed on to shooters is amazing. The NXT 33 platform has so many options for shooters to add personalized touches to, each setup could have a different feel. For those willing to look past missing flash, the PSE EVO NXT 33 is an outstanding hunting bow with potential to be a multipurpose bow for 3D shooting as well. For a competitive flagship price of $1099, the NXT 33 should be a very popular model for 2020. Read full review...

• Smoothest draw of Hoyt's 2021 hunting line - a long, linear pull that rolls off into the valley with no hard dump
• Holds wildly steady at full draw - the 34-inch axle-to-axle and 7-inch brace settle the pin for the longer-draw hunter who wants forgiveness
• Dead in the hand and quiet at the shot - owners report less post-shot feedback than they have felt from any other carbon bow
• Chronographs faster than its modest 334 IBO suggests - 328 fps with a 350-grain arrow, tied for fastest in a multi-bow field test
• Carbon riser stays warm to the touch on freezing late-season sits, where an aluminum riser goes ice-cold against bare fingers

• Genuinely solid, defined back wall - the standout upgrade over earlier RedWRX bows, with no give whether you set the cam to 80% or 85% let-off
• Smooth draw that builds and rolls into the wall without a hump or a hard dump, so you can pull straight back on a cold, still treestand
• Let-off switches between 80% and 85% with one screw on each cam - no module swap, and the 80% drop keeps the bow legal in Western states that cap it there
• Noticeably less hand vibration than earlier carbon Hoyts - the shot settles fast to a single thump instead of a lingering buzz
• REDWRX XACT grip fills the hand and resists torque - the bare bow stands upright on its own and holds steady at full draw

• A longer riser, and more laid back limbs improve upon an already popular Evolve and Evoke Series bow
• Forgiveness and extreme shootability seem to be the engineering focus
• Bow outperforms the ATA/IBO speed rating of 322-314 feet per second

• Heavy for a carbon bow out of the box at around 5.2 pounds loaded - strips back to the 4.6-pound spec by pulling the add-on dampeners, and ounce-counters can step to the lighter compact RX-5
• Top-of-market carbon-flagship pricing - shooters who want the same HBX cam, draw range and shot feel for several hundred less can move to Hoyt's aluminum Ventum 33

• Some owners note the RX-5 is fairly quiet rather than silent for a carbon flagship - the included Short Stop stabilizer and added dampers tame most of what remains, worth shooting one in person if silence is the top priority
• Carbon-flagship price tier - buyers who want the same HBX cam, XACT grip and shooting feel for less can step to Hoyt's aluminum Ventum 30

• Low performance rating appears slower than comparable models from previous years
• Would still like to see more finish options from PSE
• Nothing very flashy about the EVO NXT 33