Compound Bow Comparator

At a launch MSRP of 1,299 dollars in 2023, the SS34 was priced as a flagship, and it spends that money on comfort rather than chasing the chronograph. The published 331 fps IBO becomes about 315 fps of real-world speed on the comfort disc and climbs into the low 320s on performance, but speed was never the point - the point is a 34-inch bow that draws like glass, holds like it is bolted to the target, and goes dead-quiet on the shot. DeadLock tuning makes it one of the simplest bows to get shooting straight, the FlipDisc lets you decide between an all-day smooth pull and a little more speed without spending another dollar, and the wide finish range lets you dress it for any terrain. What I keep coming back to is the silence after the release: you genuinely do not know you have made the shot, and that stillness is what turns a good hold into a good hit. It is an excellent bow for the whitetail or 3D shooter who prizes a quiet, rock-steady shot and one-and-done tuning over top-end speed, and it is forgiving enough to make a mid-level shooter look better than they are. Buyers who want a few more feet per second should also look at the Mathews V3X 33, and those wanting the widest draw-weight range should weigh the Hoyt Ventum Pro 33 - but for pure smooth, quiet, tune-it-once shooting, the SS34 is hard to walk away from. Read full review...

The Mathews V3X 33 is the steady, forgiving half of the 2022 V3X platform - a 33-inch flagship that holds like a target bow, shoots like a hunting bow, and whispers like nothing else in its class. At $1,299 launch MSRP it sits squarely in the flagship field and earns its place with a dead-solid hold, a real 301 fps with a 400-grain arrow, and a 94-decibel shot that won a professional sound test outright. The Crosscentric draw rolls over more gently than the shorter V3X 29's thanks to the added length and brace, ending against a rock-hard wall that pull-through shooters will love. What sets it apart from the competition is the integrated accessory system - the Bridge-Lock riser that hides a dovetail sight through its center, the LowPro quiver that tucks in tight, and the Stay Afield System that lets you rescue a broken string miles from the truck. The beyond-parallel limbs leave the riser dead, and the long chassis does the aiming work so the pin simply wanders less - in my experience it is the kind of bow that quietly makes you a better shot. An excellent bow for the accuracy-minded hunter who shoots open country and a little 3D and wants forgiveness, silence, and a centered kit in one rig. Buyers who need a more compact, faster-handling bow for tight timber and treestands should also look at its shorter sibling the Mathews V3X 29, and those wanting maximum brace-height forgiveness at a lower price should consider the PSE EVO NXT 33. Read full review...

The Hoyt Ventum Pro 33, launched at $1,349 for 2022, is the aim-first aluminum hunter - the long, forgiving member of the Ventum Pro platform for shooters who want a dead-steady hold without paying for carbon. Built on the same HBX Pro binary cam, In-Line accessory system, and VitalPoint grip as the carbon REDWRX Carbon RX-7 Ultra, it stretches the platform onto a 33-inch frame with a taller 6 3/8-inch brace, and gives up only carbon's warmth and a third of a pound for several hundred dollars of saving. Its draw cycle is the highlight: owners shooting Hoyt's whole 2022 range rank it with the RX-7 Ultra's class-best draw, building and rolling over with no hump, and the 334 fps IBO lands at a real 296 fps with a hunting arrow at 71 pounds - flat enough for the longer shots this bow is built to take. The long axle-to-axle holds the pin rock-steady, especially once a stabilizer bar is on it, and the VitalPoint grip is the rare factory grip owners keep, gripping even in heat and humidity. The honest trade-offs are small and fixable - a touch of back-wall softness and imperfect bare-bow balance that a stabilizer and 80% let-off resolve, and an aluminum riser that chills faster than carbon on a late sit. Set up with a stabilizer the way it is meant to be shot, it gave me the steady, unhurried hold that is the whole reason to reach for a long bow. An excellent bow for the long-draw archer and the open-country hunter who values a steady aim and a silky draw over the last few feet per second. Buyers who want more speed and lock-in tuning should also look at the Bowtech SR350, while those who prize maximum forgiveness and the longest draw range for less should consider the PSE EVO NXT 33. Read full review...

• Genuinely smooth draw cycle - the cam rolls over peak weight with no hump and settles into a valley you can sit on almost weightlessly
• Dead in the hand and very quiet - the Orbit dampeners leave almost no hand shock and a shot signature owners rank among the quietest in its class
• Rock-steady aim off the long 34-inch riser - the pin settles quickly and stays put, holding steady even in stiff wind
• DeadLock cams make lateral tuning simple - slide the cam along the axle and lock it, no bow press needed for the horizontal move
• FlipDisc lets you pick your draw - comfort for an all-day smooth pull or performance for about 10 fps more, at no extra cost

• Won a professional decibel-meter sound test and reads near 94 decibels - about as quiet and dead-in-hand as a hunting bow gets
• Exceptionally forgiving, dead-steady hold - the 33-inch riser and 6.5-inch brace let the pin float and settle like a target bow
• Smoother draw than the shorter V3X 29, thanks to the added length and brace height rolling the cam over more gently
• Bridge-Lock sight and LowPro quiver pull the accessories into the center of the riser, cleaning up balance and clearing side brackets
• Stay Afield System lets you replace a peep, string, or cables in the backcountry without a bow press

• One of the smoothest draw cycles in Hoyt's 2022 line - owners rate it right alongside the carbon RX-7 Ultra's class-best draw, building and rolling over with no hard hump
• The long 33-inch axle-to-axle holds rock-steady on target, the aim-focused choice for the longer shot, and settles even more solidly with a back bar
• Same HBX Pro engine, In-Line accessory system and VitalPoint grip as the carbon RX-7 Ultra, built in aluminum for several hundred dollars less
• VitalPoint grip is high-tack and repeatable - owners report it stays planted even in heat and humidity, the rare factory grip they leave on
• Reaches a 31-inch draw across the full 40-to-80-pound range, fitting longer-draw and bigger-framed hunters a compact bow caps out before

• Not the fastest bow in its flagship tier - in comfort mode it trails some 33-inch rivals by roughly 8 fps; flipping to the performance disc reclaims about 10 fps if you want it
• Some owners report the SS34 wearing through cable servings early - worth having a shop check the servings, serve them heavier, or fit quality aftermarket strings

• The long riser gives the bow a slightly top-heavy feel some owners notice - a rear stabilizer or low riser weight balances it, and the tucked-in LowPro quiver helps
• The 27-inch draw floor and longer, heavier chassis leave out shorter-draw archers and tight-quarters treestand hunters - that shooter is better matched to the compact V3X 29

• Shot bare, the long riser carries a touch of back-wall softness and does not balance perfectly in the hand - a stabilizer and back bar (standard kit for an aim-focused bow) settle it rock-solid, and 80% let-off firms the wall
• Heavier and quicker to chill than the carbon RX-7 Ultra twin - a grip wrap or gloves handles the cold, and it is the trade for paying several hundred dollars less