Compound Bow Comparator

The Hoyt Ventum Pro 30, launched at $1,249 for 2022, is the bow that quietly argues you do not need carbon to get the carbon-flagship feel. Built on the same HBX Pro binary cam, In-Line accessory system, VitalPoint grip, and hunting finishes as the carbon REDWRX Carbon RX-7, it trades the first-ever carbon riser for a machined aluminum one and a half-pound of mass - and gives up surprisingly little for the saving. The HBX Pro cam delivers a 342 fps IBO rating that lands at real hunting-arrow speeds from 274 to 300 fps depending on shaft weight, a smooth no-creep draw, and a selectable 80/85% let-off you change with one screw. The shot is the highlight: zero hand shock and a measured 80-to-81-decibel report that put it among the quietest bows of its year, and the new VitalPoint grip is the rare factory grip owners actually keep on. The honest trade-offs are real but small - a back wall softer than a hard binary stop that firms up at 80% let-off, and an aluminum riser that chills faster than carbon on a late sit. Set those against everything that stays the same, and to my mind the aluminum makes the carbon premium look optional. An excellent bow for the serious hunter who wants flagship engineering and a forgiving, quiet hold without paying the carbon premium. Buyers who want that same engine with cold-weather warmth and the lightest possible mass should look at the REDWRX Carbon RX-7, while those who prize Mathews silence and module-based draw-weight changes should also consider the Mathews V3X 29. Read full review...

The Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-7, launched at roughly $1,799 in 2022 and carried over unchanged into 2023 at about $1,849, is the carbon hunting flagship that finally fixed the weight problem - Hoyt's first 100% carbon riser drops the bare bow to 3.9 pounds while adding strength and a riser that stays warm in the cold. On a compact 30-inch frame it pairs a 342 fps IBO rating with real hunting-arrow speeds in the 272 to 320 fps band depending on shaft weight, a measured 24% quieter shot than the RX-5, and the standout VitalPoint grip that nearly everyone who shoots it singles out. In my time behind it the most striking thing is the contrast: a light, fast carbon bow that draws civilized, holds in a deep valley, and sits dead and hushed in the hand rather than buzzing the way early carbon Hoyts did. The trade-offs are honest - a firm front-end ramp before the cams roll over, and flagship-carbon pricing that asks a real premium. An excellent bow for the serious backcountry and treestand hunter who counts ounces and prizes a quiet, low-shock shot, and who already knows they want carbon. Buyers who want that same compact-flagship feel for hundreds less should also look at the Mathews V3X 29, while those who would trade a little weight for a longer, more forgiving axle-to-axle and the highest speed should consider the Bowtech SR350. Read full review...

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• Same shooting engine as the carbon RX-7 - identical HBX Pro cam, VitalPoint grip, In-Line system and 342 IBO - built in aluminum for several hundred dollars less
• Dead in the hand - owners consistently report no felt vibration, the riser settling instantly after the shot
• Quiet shot signature, measured at 80-81 dB on a meter, putting it among the hushed bows of Hoyt's 2022 line
• VitalPoint grip is tacky and thin, locks the hand in a repeatable spot, and stays warm where the old hard plastic grip went cold
• Let-off switches between 80% and 85% with one screw inside each module, so the same bow stays legal in states that cap it at 80%

• VitalPoint grip is the standout - warm, rubber-textured and flat-backed, it centers hand pressure for a low-torque, repeatable hold shot after shot
• Draw firms up early then rolls cleanly over the peak into a deep, hunting-friendly valley with a solid, no-squish back wall
• Dead in the hand and very hushed at the shot - the carbon riser and dual Shock Pods leave almost no hand shock
• Light at 3.9 pounds yet it balances like a longer-axle bow, settling steady and planted at full draw
• Carbon riser stays warm to the touch on cold sits and shrugs off real field abuse owners put it through

• Back wall carries a touch of the familiar Hoyt softness rather than a concrete stop - release-aimers who want a hard wall can firm it up by setting let-off to 80%, though most hunters find it comfortable as-is
• A half-pound heavier and quicker to chill than the carbon RX-7 twin - a grip wrap or gloves handles the cold, and it is the trade for paying several hundred dollars less

• Front end loads firm before the cams roll over - shooters expecting flagship-smooth from the first inch should draw one to feel the ramp
• Carbon-flagship price tier - buyers who want the same HBX Pro cam and VitalPoint grip for less can step to Hoyt's aluminum VTM or Ventum Pro