Compound Bow Comparator

The Mathews Lift 29.5 is the bow that launched Mathews' lightweight sub-$1,500 do-everything platform, and it earns the spot by doing something aluminum bows were not supposed to do: come in at 3.99 pounds while shooting a genuine 329 to 330 fps with a 350-grain arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds, and staying one of the quietest bows on the market at a measured 95 decibels. At a $1,329 launch MSRP it undercuts the carbon rigs it out-weighs, and the SwitchWeight-X cam covers 55 to 80 pounds and a 24.5-to-30-inch draw without a press, so it fits a wide range of hunters from short-draw shooters up to full 80-pound setups. The draw is stiff-but-smooth into a firm wall and a short valley that keeps you honest, and the shot is snappy and dead in the hand, with only the faintest liveliness on the short chassis that a little rear weight settles. The honest asterisk is limb durability: a portion of early 2024 units, mostly on the 80-pound mod, cracked RPD limbs, and Mathews answered with an indefinite, transferable pass-down warranty that replaces the full limb set even on used bows in about a week and reports the issue resolved on current production - so a quick limb check on any used purchase is the whole of the buyer's homework. In my experience it is the kind of bow you stop fighting after a session and simply trust to be light, quiet, and fast on a long day afield. An excellent bow for the all-day mobile hunter and the short-draw shooter who wants a true flagship in the lightest package, and particularly strong strapped to a pack in steep country. Buyers who want a longer, steadier hold for mixed hunting and 3D should look at the Mathews Lift 33, and those chasing maximum speed and lock-in tuning should weigh the Bowtech SR350. Read full review...

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...

At a $1,299 launch MSRP, the Bowtech SR350 is a flagship-tier hunting bow that delivers genuine 350-class speed without the punishing draw that usually comes with it - 342 fps with a light arrow in Performance, 300 fps with a real hunting shaft, and a dead-in-hand 96.9 dB shot that belies the velocity. Its two best tricks are the FlipDisc, which turns one bow into a smooth 85% hunter or a faster speed rig with a flip of a module, and DeadLock, which lets you tune the cams square with an Allen key at your own bench. In my experience the combination is what makes it stick: a fast bow you can actually live with and actually tune yourself is rarer than the spec sheet suggests. The narrow Clutch grip and the late Performance-mode hump are real characteristics to know going in, but both have easy answers - feel the grip first, and shoot Comfort mode or back the weight down if you want all-day ease. It is an excellent bow for the do-it-yourself hunter who wants top-end speed and a forgiving 33-inch platform in the same package, and it is particularly strong for the shorter-draw shooter that most speed bows leave out. Buyers who would trade a few fps for a more forgiving brace height should also look at the PSE EVO NXT 33, and those who prioritize the quietest possible shot should consider the Mathews V3X 33. Read full review...

• Sub-4-pound aluminum flagship - 3.99 lb bare, lighter than many carbon bows, without the carbon price
• Class-leading Mathews silence and a snappy, low-decay shot - multiple owners call it one of the quietest bows they have shot
• Genuinely fast for a compact rig - real chronograph readings of 329-330 fps with a 350-grain arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds
• SwitchWeight-X modules cover 55 to 80 pounds and 24.5 to 30 inches of draw in fine steps, all set without a press
• Long skeletonized riser holds steady and points like a longer bow, opening it to short-draw hunters down to 24.5 inches

• 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%

• Press-free DeadLock tuning - a turn of an Allen key drives each cam left or right to chase out a paper tear, no bow press needed
• FlipDisc gives two bows in one - flip the module to a smooth 85% hunting draw or a faster Performance draw on the same chassis
• Real-world speed lands close to the 350 IBO rating - 342 fps with a 350-grain arrow in Performance, 300 fps with a 400-grain hunting shaft
• Dead in the hand for a speed bow - repositioned Orbit dampeners pull noise and vibration down to a level most flagships envy
• Clutch grip is thin, flat-backed and modular, with an alignment channel that makes hand placement repeatable shot to shot

• Some early 2024 units cracked an RPD limb, usually on the 80-pound mod - no recall, but Mathews' transferable pass-down warranty replaces the full limb set even on used bows and says it is resolved on current production; check the limbs on any used buy
• The short 29.5-inch chassis is a touch livelier in the hand than the longer Lift 33 - shooters chasing the absolute deadest hold may prefer the 33 or a small amount of rear stabilizer weight

• 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

• In Performance mode the draw builds a noticeable hump rolling into the valley - shooters who want all-day smoothness can flip to Comfort or drop a few pounds of peak weight
• The Clutch grip is narrow - most owners like it, but bigger-handed shooters used to a fuller grip may want to feel it first; the modular angles and aftermarket grips solve it