Compound Bow Comparator

The 2026 PSE Sicario 35 is the forgiving half of the Sicario story - the bow that takes the carbon line's light weight and new FDS cam and wraps them in a longer, calmer, more aimable package. At $2,099 launch MSRP it sits a hundred dollars above the standard Sicario, and the premium buys a meaningfully easier bow to shoot well: a draw that is substantially smoother than its short-brace sibling, a flatter string angle, a more forgiving 85 percent hold for long sits, and a draw length that finally reaches the 31.5-inch mark long-draw hunters need. It gives up only about 18 to 20 fps of real-world speed to the 33 - still landing at 285 to 286 fps with a hunting-weight arrow - and keeps the same featherweight 3.9-pound carbon chassis and quiet, low-feedback shot. What stays with me is how much more relaxed it feels to aim than a bow this fast has any right to. An excellent bow for the Western and treestand hunter who wants carbon-light weight, real speed, and a forgiving hold, and the right Sicario for taller, long-draw shooters. Buyers chasing maximum velocity in the most compact frame should look at the shorter, faster Sicario, while those who want the steadiest possible hold should also consider the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra. Read full review...

The Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5 Ultra, launched in 2021 at roughly $1,699, is the long-axle, maximum-forgiveness build of Hoyt's 2021 carbon platform - and the bow that quietly outshot its own spec sheet. Its 334 fps IBO was the slowest of the year's flagships on paper, yet it chronographed 328 fps and tied for the fastest bow in a multi-bow test, with real hunting-arrow speeds running 267 to 299 fps depending on shaft weight. On a 34-inch frame with a 7-inch brace it draws as smoothly as anything Hoyt built that season, holds with a steadiness that flatters a shaky release, and finishes dead in the hand and quiet - and the carbon riser stays warm through a freezing sit. The honest trade-offs are weight, around 5.2 pounds loaded before you strip it back to the 4.6-pound spec, and a top-of-market price. In my time behind the platform the lasting impression is the hold: at full draw the long riser plants the pin in a way a compact bow simply cannot. An excellent bow for the longer-draw and Western open-country hunter who prizes forgiveness, a steady hold, and cold-weather carbon. Buyers who want that same carbon platform compact and lighter should look at the standard Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-5, while those who would trade carbon for a forgiving, dead-quiet aluminum flagship at a lower price should consider the PSE EVO NXT 33. Read full review...

The 2020 PSE EVO NXT has limited bells and whistles, and is in no way flashy. To many shooters, the lack of marketability and increased buzz around the release of a flagship bow may be a turnoff. However, for shooters basing their decision to purchase based on how a bow feels and shoots, the PSE EVO NXT 33 has a great shot of being very popular. The speeds are not fast, but they are honest real world performance, and that may be better for some shooters. The7-inch brace height is less popular on a hunting bow in 2020, but the added forgiveness may be a feature shooters want to have in their new hunting bow. The longer riser, and more laid back limbs do a phenomenal job of canceling noise and making the bow as vibration free as possible. It would be great to see some more popular finish options as well, but there are a fair amount of choices, and what PSE does offer looks nice. The Evolve cam system is a true piece of engineering genius, and the adjustability passed on to shooters is amazing. The NXT 33 platform has so many options for shooters to add personalized touches to, each setup could have a different feel. For those willing to look past missing flash, the PSE EVO NXT 33 is an outstanding hunting bow with potential to be a multipurpose bow for 3D shooting as well. For a competitive flagship price of $1099, the NXT 33 should be a very popular model for 2020. Read full review...

• Substantially smoother and less aggressive on the draw than the 33-inch Sicario - the longer riser and FDS cam pull with no mid-draw hump and an easy let-down
• Still genuinely fast - real-world chronograph readings of 285-286 fps with a 435-grain arrow at 70 lb, only about 18-20 fps behind its short-brace sibling
• Same 3.9-pound Dead Frequency Carbon chassis - a 35-inch hunting rig this light is rare, and it carries and holds all day without fatigue
• The 35-inch axle-to-axle and 5.875-inch brace give a flatter string angle and a more forgiving hold, with less arm-slap risk under bulky cold-weather clothing
• Quiet, low-feedback shot for a carbon bow - owners describe it as dead in the hand with little post-shot buzz

• Smoothest draw of Hoyt's 2021 hunting line - a long, linear pull that rolls off into the valley with no hard dump
• Holds wildly steady at full draw - the 34-inch axle-to-axle and 7-inch brace settle the pin for the longer-draw hunter who wants forgiveness
• Dead in the hand and quiet at the shot - owners report less post-shot feedback than they have felt from any other carbon bow
• Chronographs faster than its modest 334 IBO suggests - 328 fps with a 350-grain arrow, tied for fastest in a multi-bow field test
• Carbon riser stays warm to the touch on freezing late-season sits, where an aluminum riser goes ice-cold against bare fingers

• A longer riser, and more laid back limbs improve upon an already popular Evolve and Evoke Series bow
• Forgiveness and extreme shootability seem to be the engineering focus
• Bow outperforms the ATA/IBO speed rating of 322-314 feet per second

• Some owners note a slight post-shot jump - the bow wants to kick out of the hand a touch - which a modest front stabilizer settles for steady aim
• Fine cam-lean tuning relies on the EZ.220 snap-spacer kit (about $100, sold separately) and a bow press - only relevant if you tune your own gear

• Heavy for a carbon bow out of the box at around 5.2 pounds loaded - strips back to the 4.6-pound spec by pulling the add-on dampeners, and ounce-counters can step to the lighter compact RX-5
• Top-of-market carbon-flagship pricing - shooters who want the same HBX cam, draw range and shot feel for several hundred less can move to Hoyt's aluminum Ventum 33

• Low performance rating appears slower than comparable models from previous years
• Would still like to see more finish options from PSE
• Nothing very flashy about the EVO NXT 33