Compound Bow Comparator

At a $1,299 launch MSRP, the Bowtech Revolt XL is one of the few hunting bows that treats a 32- or 33-inch draw as a design target rather than an afterthought. Its 358 fps IBO is measured at a 33-inch draw, and the real-world numbers are honest, from the low-340s at that long draw down to the low-300s at a more typical 30-inch setup, with the FlipDisc on hand to trade a little draw comfort for speed. The DeadLock cam tunes to a bullet hole in about five arrows with nothing but a hex key, the draw is among the easiest of any 33-inch bow to pull, and the wide DeadLock Pocket keeps a stretched anchor planted and forgiving. What I keep coming back to is the string angle: at a true long draw it is the most relaxed anchor I have found on a bow this size, which is exactly what its buyer has been missing. It is an excellent bow for the tall, long-draw hunter who wants real speed and a smooth, forgiving fit for the Western backcountry or the whitetail treestand. Buyers who want the quietest, most forgiving shot at the same price and shoot under a 31.5-inch draw should also look at the Mathews V3X 33, while those wanting a longer carbon speed platform can step up to the PSE Mach 34. Read full review...

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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...

• Purpose-built for long draws: a 27.5-to-33-inch range on a 33-inch chassis gives the most relaxed string angle in its class, so tall and long-armed archers finally anchor instead of over-stretching
• DeadLock tuning locks point-of-impact with an Allen wrench and no bow press, and dials a bullet-hole paper tear in about five arrows
• Among the lightest-pulling 33-inch bows to draw, with a clean rollover and a firm back wall that holds well even at the long end of the range
• FlipDisc lets you flip between a smooth comfort setting and a faster performance setting for about 7-9 fps more, with no module swap
• Genuinely fast where a long-draw archer actually shoots: 358 fps IBO at a 33-inch draw, with real chronograph numbers in the low-340s at 33 inches with a 350-grain arrow

• 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

• Speed drops with heavy arrows in comfort mode (a 450-500 grain shaft runs about 268-254 fps at 29 inches, 70 pounds), so heavy-setup hunters should chronograph theirs and flip the FlipDisc to performance to reclaim speed
• Some owners notice a little bare-bow hand buzz on the shot; it dissipates quickly, and the two included Orbit dampers plus any stabilizer settle it, with recoil all but gone once the bow is fully rigged

• 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