Compound Bow Comparator

The Mathews ARC 30 is the 2026 refinement of a hunting platform Mathews has tuned for three model years - the same 6-inch brace, 3.99-pound mass, and up-to-348 fps IBO that the 29.5-inch Lift and Lift X carried before it, now on a 30-inch axle-to-axle frame. What is new is the SWX-2 cam with perimeter weight technology, the riser-integrated Silent Connect System, integrated rear stabilizer mounts, a lighter redesigned limb cup, and the optional SWX-Z Comfort mod for shooters who want a smoother draw. Chronograph testing confirms 328 fps with a 350-grain arrow at 30 inches and 70 pounds, 298 to 300 fps with a 440-grain hunting arrow, and a consistent loss of seven and a half fps per inch of draw as it drops to 28 inches. Independent decibel readings of 94.7 dB with the standard mod and 92.7 dB with the Comfort mod confirm the quiet shot, and what I keep coming back to is how dead the bow sits in the hand for an aluminum hunter under four pounds. The launch MSRP of $1,459 places it firmly in the flagship tier, and the one trade worth weighing is the shallow valley - this bow wants to be shot aggressively, and a shooter who likes to relax into a deep valley should plan on the Comfort mod. An excellent bow for the dedicated whitetail and elk hunter, particularly strong in treestand and ground-blind setups where a silent shot and a compact axle-to-axle both matter. Buyers prioritizing a forgiving brace and a lower price should also look at the Bowtech Solution LS; buyers set on a carbon riser and the widest let-off range should also look at the PSE Mach 30 DS. Read full review...

Launched for the 2025 model year at a $1,299 launch MSRP and carried unchanged into 2026, the Solution LS is Bowtech's answer for the hunter who wants real flagship tuning without flagship extras. It keeps the parts that matter for accuracy - the full DeadLock cam system you adjust with a wrench on the line, the FlipDisc that moves the bow from a smooth Comfort draw to a faster Performance setting, the Dual Lock pockets that hold that tune through a season - and drops the IMS rails, GripLock grip, and CenterMass hardware that push the Proven 34 higher. In a compact 30-inch chassis with a 6.375-inch brace and a generous 24.5-inch minimum draw, it shoots in the mid-270s fps at a typical hunting setup, quiet and easy to live with. Having shot it in Comfort mode, what stays with me is how little it asks of the shooter - smooth to draw, simple to tune, comfortable to shoot all day. An excellent bow for the treestand and saddle hunter who values do-it-yourself tunability and an all-day-comfortable draw over raw speed or a rail-mounted feature set. Buyers who want the longest axle and every premium mounting option should look at the Bowtech Proven 34, while those who want flagship build for the lowest price should also consider the Bowtech Ascend. Read full review...

The Mach 30 DS is the bow that pulled PSE level in the carbon-flagship fight, and it did it from an unusual angle - not by out-speeding the field but by being among the lightest carbon bows on the market, at 3.6 pounds, with a shot signature shooters rank dead-even with or ahead of Hoyt for quiet and vibration. For 2026 the new FDS cam closes the last gap, lifting the rating to 348 fps and adding effective brace height while keeping the smooth draw and immovable back wall that defined the platform, all at a $1,799 launch MSRP that sits under the comparable Hoyt carbon. Real-world hunting velocity is genuinely there - the outgoing EC2 cam already put a 425-grain shaft past 300 fps at a 30-inch draw, and the FDS cam is rated quicker still. The trade-offs are honest and small: a short brace that asks for clean form, and a featherweight mass that likes a touch of stabilizer weight to plant the shot. It is an excellent bow for the backcountry and mobile hunter who wants carbon's light carry and cold-weather warmth in a compact 30-inch frame, and it is particularly strong as a heavy-poundage elk setup that never feels heavy to pack. Buyers who want the same platform with more built-in forgiveness at distance should look at the longer Mach 33 DS or Mach 35 DS; those who don't specifically need carbon should weigh the Mathews Phase4 29 and keep the difference. Read full review...

• Second-generation SWX-2 cam adds perimeter weight to hold velocity once a sight, rest, peep, and stabilizer are mounted - chronograph testing reads 328 fps at 30 inches and 70 pounds with a 350-grain arrow
• Silent Connect anchor, V-bar port, and rear stabilizer mounts are machined into the riser rather than bolted on, removing three of the brackets a Lift X build required and the rattle points that come with them
• Dead in the hand at the shot - shooters running it beside the Lift X note clearly less post-shot vibration despite a string carrying no monkey-tail dampeners
• Quiet shot signature - independent decibel testing recorded 94.7 dB with the standard mod and 92.7 dB with the smoother Comfort Z mod
• Optional SWX-Z Comfort mod softens the draw curve for shooters who prefer feel over the last few fps, and retrofits to existing Lift and Lift X bows

• Full DeadLock cam tuning corrects a left or right tear with an Allen key on the shooting line, no bow press - the complete flagship system, not a stripped-down version
• FlipDisc switches between a smooth Comfort draw and a faster Performance setting without swapping a single part
• Genuinely smooth draw and a dead, quiet shot in Comfort mode - the kind of bow you can shoot all afternoon without fatigue
• Draw weight winds up and down unusually smoothly at the limb bolts - among the easiest weight changes in this class
• Carries the flagship tuning hardware - DeadLock cams, Dual Lock pockets, FlipDisc, Orbit dampener - at a mid-tier price

• One of the lightest carbon hunting bows on the market at 3.6 pounds - you feel it the moment you pick it up, and again on hour six of a backcountry pack-in
• Dead in the hand - quiet shot with minimal vibration, closer to a heavier flagship than a sub-4-pound bow has any right to be
• Smooth draw cycle into a rock-solid back wall you cannot flex, with adjustable let-off to tune the valley
• Carbon riser holds a neutral temperature - warm to the touch on a frozen morning, no metal bite through bare fingers
• Tunes without a press for the everyday jobs - half-inch draw changes and let-off swaps at the module, cam lean via the EZ.220 snap spacers

• Shallower valley than the prior Lift X - the bow wants an aggressive, engaged shot and creeps forward if you relax at full draw; shooters who prefer a deep valley can fit the SWX-Z Comfort mod to soften the cycle
• Draw weight starts at a 55-pound floor - lighter-draw archers and youth shooters in transition are better served by the Lift platform, which drops to 45 pounds

• Drops the up-line mounting and grip hardware of the Proven 34 - no IMS dovetail, no Picatinny rail, no GripLock angle adjustment - though hunters running a standard sight and rest rarely miss them; step up to the Proven 34 if you want them
• Tuned for comfort over raw speed - a light 350-grain arrow runs about 312 fps at 70 pounds, but a typical 450-grain hunting arrow settles into the mid-270s, so a shooter chasing maximum velocity may prefer a speed-first platform

• The compact 30-inch frame and short brace favor maneuverability and hunting ranges - shooters who live past 50 yards or want a target-length bow's forgiveness can move up to the longer Mach 33 DS or Mach 35 DS on the same platform
• At 3.6 pounds the bow can jump slightly at the shot for shooters used to a planted, heavier feel - a front stabilizer with a little mass settles it right down