Compound Bow Comparator

Launched for the 2021 model year at a $1,199 launch MSRP and carried through 2022 and 2023 - the only Solution to see three model years - the SD is Bowtech's answer for the short-draw archer who refuses to settle for a downsized bow. It packs full 50, 60, and 70-pound hunting weights into a compact 3.9-pound chassis built around a 23.5 to 28.5-inch draw, and its aggressive short-draw cam pulls a genuine 280 fps out of a hunting arrow, quicker than a short draw usually allows. It keeps the entire DeadLock toolkit - Allen-key tuning with no press and a FlipDisc that trades a little smoothness for speed - and it shoots dead in the hand and quiet even at 70 pounds. Having shot bows that chase short-draw speed, what stays with me is how composed the SD stays on release when so many of its rivals buzz to pay for the velocity. It is an excellent bow for the short-draw hunter - the shorter-statured adult, the woman who wants full hunting weight, the teenager grown into a 26-inch draw - who wants a real flagship rather than a concession. Long-draw adults past 29 inches should look at the standard Solution or the Solution SS instead, and short-draw shooters cross-shopping other brands should also weigh the Mathews V3X 29 and the Hoyt Ventum Pro 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 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...

• A real full-power flagship for short-draw archers - 50, 60, and 70-pound peaks built around a 23.5 to 28.5-inch draw, not a downsized youth or women's platform
• The aggressive short-draw cam pulls surprising speed from a short stroke - a hunting arrow runs about 280 fps, faster than the short draw would lead you to expect
• Dead in the hand and genuinely quiet even at 70 pounds, so a short-draw hunter gives up nothing on shot manners
• Full DeadLock cam tuning corrects a left or right tear with an Allen key on the line, no bow press
• Forgiving 7-inch brace and a light 3.9-pound mass make it easy to hold steady and easy to carry all day

• 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

• 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%

• The short-draw cam is smooth to the back, then drops hard into the valley over the last quarter-inch - that aggressive transition makes the speed, so a shooter used to a gradual valley should try it first; the FlipDisc Comfort mode softens it
• The 23.5 to 28.5-inch draw range is a hard fit ceiling - an average-to-long-draw adult past about 29 inches belongs on the standard Solution or the Solution SS instead

• 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

• 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