Compound Bow Comparator

The Mathews Tactic is the value entry into the brand done right: at $849 launch MSRP it revives the beloved Chill platform and dresses it in flagship trickle-down - the Zero-Tolerance axle, the Top Hat tuning system, and wider limbs - instead of cutting corners to hit a price. It lists 335 fps and delivers a genuine 322 fps at a real 29-inch, 70-pound, 350-grain setup, so the speed is honest hunting speed, not marketing. It shoots quiet and dead in the hand, holds soft at 80% let-off for the long wait, and at 4.24 pounds stays light on a treestand or a walk-in. The unusually wide 23-to-30-inch draw range is its quiet superpower, turning it into a bow a household can share or a shooter can grow into. In my experience the tune-ability is what sells it - a bow at this price that dials in and stays put is rarer than a fast one. An excellent choice for the whitetail hunter who wants Mathews' grip, tuning, and resale without flagship spending, and particularly strong as a share-it-across-the-family hunting bow. Buyers cross-shopping the same money at Hoyt should also look at the Hoyt Nitrux, and those prioritizing the lowest possible outlay should weigh the PSE Stinger MAX. Read full review...

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 land in the 270s to low 300s - plenty for whitetails and respectable for Western game inside sensible ranges. What I keep coming back to is the shooting feel: a genuinely smooth draw, a deep valley you can settle into, and a firm wall, wrapped in a quiet shot once you feed it a heavier arrow. The minor hand shock on a bare bow is the one thing to set up around, and a light stabilizer handles it. It is an excellent bow for the hunter who wants Hoyt's flagship hand-feel and build without the carbon-flagship price, particularly strong as a do-it-all whitetail and Western hunting rig across a wide draw-weight range. Buyers who want the lowest possible entry price should look at the Hoyt Powermax, and those prioritizing raw speed and tuning adjustability should look at the Bear Divergent EKO. Read full review...

For a fully set up bow, with a package price of $449, it is really hard to beat a rig like the Stinger Max. Although entry level models are often geared toward a younger shooter, PSE was conscious in making the Stinger Max available to all ages and shooter sizes. Almost anyone in the bow market can be set up to fit in the 30-inch axle-to-axle rig, and the single cam draw force curve is amazing for those just getting started in the world of archery. The Stinger Max shoots well, but when considering the value, the Stinger Max really shines. PSE also did a great job giving the bow enough finish options to meet the entire range of potential buyers offering patterns for anyone and any purpose. Anyone interested in getting started in archery with a frill less bow, at a great price, needs to seriously consider the PSE Stinger Max. It may be one of the best values in the compound bow market for 2020. Read full review...

• Quiet, dead-in-the-hand shot signature that undercuts the usual expectation for a sub-$900 bow
• Smooth draw that rolls into a settled valley, easy to hold at 80% let-off
• Real hunting speed that backs the number up - 322 fps at a 29-inch, 70-pound, 350-grain setup
• Flagship tuning tech trickled down: Top Hat cam shims and the Zero-Tolerance axle make it press-friendly and honest to bare-shaft
• Unusually wide 23-30 inch draw-length range covers short-draw shooters and tall adults on one bow

• Flagship hardware at a value price - the X-Act grip, torque-killing roller guard and StealthShot string stop come straight off Hoyt's REDWRX and Hyperforce flagships
• Smooth Nitrux cam that drops into a deep, relaxing valley and stops against a rock-solid limb-driven back wall - easy to settle and hold on target
• Draw length adjusts from 24 to 30 inches across two cam sizes with hex keys alone, no bow press required
• Quiet for its class - an upgraded string suppressor plus limb and pocket dampers take it whisper-quiet with 425-grain and heavier arrows
• Flagship-grade build with aluminum limb pockets and 12-inch deflection-matched Quadflex limbs, not the plastic pockets typical of mid-priced bows

• A redesign of a popular model from previous years
• 2 limb options cover a draw weight range of 22-70-pounds
• Has an accessory package
• Decent starter bow for any shooter

• Draw-length changes are made by swapping the module rather than rotating one, so pick the right mod at purchase - a dealer presses it in minutes
• Set next to a $1,100+ flagship, some shooters notice a faint residual hand buzz and a slightly less muted sound; a stabilizer with a damper closes most of the gap and on its own the bow stays quiet

• Some bare-bow hand shock and a slight jump in the handle at the shot - shooters coming off a flagship-quiet bow may notice it, though a light front-and-rear stabilizer or 425-grain arrows settles it down
• A do-it-all value hunter rather than a speed special - with hunting-weight arrows real-world speed runs in the 270s to low 300s against the 333 figure, so shooters chasing headline numbers may want a dedicated speed bow

• Does not have any flagship model technology
• Not the best accessories in the package