Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Carbon One launched at $1,799 as the brand's 2023 flagship, and it made a specific promise: a carbon bow that finally feels like a quiet, damped aluminum one. It delivers on that - the hand-laid carbon riser and Orbit Dampeners give it a dead, planted shot at around 94.6 decibels, it is rated 335 fps IBO and chronographs in the low 300s with a real hunting arrow, and its DeadLock cam makes it one of the easiest premium bows to tune without a press. The FlipDisc gives it a smooth Comfort draw or a faster Performance setting, and the compact 30-inch frame handles anywhere from a treestand to a 3D range. The one honest trade-off is mass: at 4.5 pounds it is heavy for a carbon bow, and the buyer who chose carbon specifically to save weight should reconcile that first. What stays with me is how completely the shot feel answers the objection - this is a carbon bow bought for how it shoots, not for how little it weighs. It is an excellent bow for the hunter who wants a compact, dead-quiet, effortlessly tunable flagship, particularly strong from a treestand or a 3D range. Buyers who want the lowest-vibration carbon option should also look at the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-7, and those who want a steadier long-range hold on the same platform can consider the 33-inch Bowtech Carbon One X. 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...

The Phase4 29 launched at $1,199 as the more accessible, compact half of Mathews' 2023 flagship line - the everyman's flagship, $100 under its longer sibling. What that money buys is the quietest, deadest-in-hand shot Mathews had built to that point, wrapped in a maneuverable 29-inch frame that reads 296 fps with a 443-grain hunting arrow at 70 pounds. The eight-limb Resistance Phase Damping system is the real advance here: it does not chase speed headlines, it chases silence, and it delivers. Add the SwitchWeight module's one-bow-fits-all adjustability, Bridge-Lock stabilizer integration, and a draw cycle that stays true to Mathews' smooth signature, and you have a hunting bow that does almost everything well. In my experience the stillness at the shot is what stays with you - it changes how relaxed you can be at full draw. It is an excellent bow for the treestand and ground-blind hunter who prizes a silent shot and a compact frame, and it is particularly strong in tight cover where handling beats horsepower. Buyers who want more axle length and a steadier target-style hold should also look at the Mathews Phase4 33; those chasing outright speed should look at the Bowtech SR350. Read full review...

• Smoothest draw of its class - Comfort mode pulls glass-smooth at 87% let-off, and it built a reputation as the smoothest-drawing bow of its year
• Best-in-class press-free tuning - DeadLock squares the cam with an Allen wrench and no bow press, which owners call a genuine game-changer
• Dead in the hand for a carbon bow - the hand-laid carbon riser and twin Orbit Dampeners make it feel closer to an aluminum bow than a thumpy carbon one
• A compact 30-inch bow that holds like a longer one - the slim Clutch grip resists torque and it aims above its axle length

• 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

• Eight-limb RPD design kills vibration at the source - the shot is muted and dead in the hand
• SwitchWeight modules set peak weight and let-off, so one bow covers 60-75 lb without new limbs
• Smooth, consistent draw that rolls over the peak into a firm, defined back wall
• Compact 29-inch axle-to-axle balances and holds steady in a treestand or ground blind
• Tunes quickly and predictably - the centered roller guard keeps cam load even

• Heavy for a carbon bow at 4.5 lb - about a pound more than carbon buyers expect, from the aluminum Dual Lock pockets; shooters going carbon to save weight should shoulder one first, though it still handles like a flagship
• No factory limb or string dampeners despite the premium price - some owners note a touch more shot vibration than the very quietest flagships; an inexpensive set of aftermarket dampeners closes the gap

• 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

• The rubber Engage grip is polarizing - owners who dislike it can pop it off for flat side plates or an aftermarket grip
• Draw length and weight changes need a module swap and a bow press, so dial in your spec at the shop before you commit