Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech CP28 is a compact hunting bow that solves the short-bow problem instead of just accepting it. At a $1,199 launch MSRP it delivers the full Bowtech toolkit in the shortest DeadLock frame the brand makes: press-free cam tuning on the shooting line, a FlipDisc that swaps between a smooth 87% Comfort draw and an 85% Performance setting worth several more fps, and an aluminum riser that brings the shot to a quiet 96.4 dB with no hand shock. The oversized cam is the difference-maker - it keeps a 28-inch bow pinch-free and smooth-drawing where lesser short bows get cramped and harsh, and real chronograph runs hold above 260 fps even with heavy 500-grain hunting arrows. What sold me on it is the intent: this is a bow with a clear job, and it does that job - close, quiet, tight-quarters hunting - better than a general-purpose bow ever could. It is an excellent choice for the ground-blind, saddle, and still-hunter who shoots from cramped positions and wants a maneuverable, easy-tuning, dead-quiet compact. Buyers who want the quietest premium feel should also look at the Mathews V3X 29, and those who prioritize speed and a slightly longer hold should look at the Hoyt Ventum 30. Read full review...

The Mathews V3X 29 is the compact half of the 2022 V3X platform, and it fixes the one thing that divided shooters on its predecessor: the draw. At $1,199 launch MSRP it lands in the heart of the flagship class and earns the spot with a real 326 fps at 30 inches, one of the quietest shots on the market at around 93 decibels, and a smoother, more usable Crosscentric cycle than the old V3 27 ever offered. 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 draw still turns over into a firm, rock-solid wall, which pull-through shooters will love and softer-pull shooters can tune down with the 80% module, and the long riser's slightly top-heavy feel settles with a touch of rear weight. In my experience it is the kind of bow you stop fighting after a session and simply trust to be quiet, fast, and repeatable. An excellent bow for the mobile hunter who works tight timber, treestands, and steep western country, and a strong pick for shorter-draw shooters thanks to its 25.5-inch floor. Buyers who want a longer, steadier hold for mixed hunting and 3D should also look at its sibling the Mathews V3X 33, and those chasing maximum speed should weigh the Bowtech SR350. Read full review...

The Hoyt Ventum 30, launched at $1,199 for 2021, is the bow that quietly argues you do not need carbon to get the carbon-flagship feel. Built on the same all-new HBX binary cam, In-Line accessory system, XACT grip, and hunting finishes as the carbon REDWRX Carbon RX-5, it trades the hollow-carbon riser for a beefed-up aluminum one and two-tenths of a pound - and gives up surprisingly little for the saving. The HBX cam delivers the firm, defined back wall earlier Hoyts lacked, a 342 fps IBO rating that lands at real hunting-arrow speeds in the 265-to-286 fps band for 430-to-455 grain shafts, and a selectable 80/85% let-off you change with one screw. The detail owners keep circling back to is the one that defies expectation: shot against its own carbon twin, the aluminum Ventum settled at least as dead in the hand, and more than one shooter preferred it. The honest trade-offs are real but small - a touch more mass than the carbon bow, and an aluminum riser that goes cold faster on a late-season sit, both easy to live with. 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-5, while those who prize Mathews silence in a more compact frame should also consider the Mathews VXR 28. Read full review...

• The most compact bow in Bowtech's DeadLock line - 28 inches axle-to-axle and 33.5 inches cam-to-cam clear the tightest blind windows and ground setups
• An oversized cam opens the string angle back up on the short riser, so there's no nock-pinch even for shooters near the long end of the draw range
• Press-free DeadLock tuning walks the cam left or right with an Allen key on the shooting line, and it stays put all season
• Quiet shot with no hand shock - 96.4 dB and dead at the release, even shot bare without a stabilizer
• Smooth, easy draw into a solid, repeatable back wall that holds you honest for the shot

• One of the quietest hunting bows on the market at around 93 decibels, and stone dead in the hand after the shot
• Smoother, more usable draw than the short V3 it replaces - Mathews clearly answered the complaints about the old 27-inch cycle
• Bridge-Lock sight and LowPro quiver bury the accessories into the center of the riser, cleaning up the balance and killing side-bracket weight
• Genuinely fast for a compact rig - real chronograph readings of 326 fps with a mid-weight arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds
• Stay Afield System lets you swap a peep, string, or cables in the backcountry without a bow press

• Settles to less hand shock than its own carbon twin the RX-5 - owners who shot both came away surprised, since aluminum usually buzzes more than carbon, not less
• Smooth draw that builds and rolls into the wall without a hard dump or the old Hoyt habit of creeping forward at full draw
• Genuinely solid, defined back wall from the all-new HBX binary cam - it stops where you pull to and stays there
• Quiet shot signature - owners rank it among the quietest bows of Hoyt's 2021 line, dead in the hand right after release
• Let-off switches between 80% and 85% with one screw on each cam, so the same bow stays legal in Western states that cap it at 80%

• On a bow this short you can feel a hair more post-shot buzz than on Bowtech's longer models - it's a brief, damped flicker rather than hand shock, and moving the Orbit weights or adding a stabilizer settles it
• The cable-stop back wall is firm and consistent but softer-edged than a limb-stop wall - precision shooters used to a dead stop may want to try it first, and flipping the FlipDisc to Performance stiffens the hold

• The Crosscentric still builds firm and turns over into a defined valley with a hard cable-stop wall - shooters who want a softer pull can drop to the 80% module or a couple pounds off peak
• The long riser gives the bow a slightly top-heavy feel in hand - a rear stabilizer or low riser weight settles it, and the tucked-in LowPro quiver helps

• A touch heavier than the carbon RX-5 twin at 4.6 pounds - backcountry hunters counting ounces on long packs may prefer carbon, though on a treestand hold the extra mass steadies the bow
• Bare aluminum riser chills faster than the carbon RX-5 on late-season sits - a grip wrap or gloves handles it, and it is the trade for paying several hundred dollars less