Compound Bow Comparator

The Mach 35 DS is the specialist of PSE's carbon line - the longest, the most forgiving, and the only one that fits a 32.5-inch draw, built on a 35-inch USA-made Dead Frequency Carbon chassis that weighs a genuinely surprising 3.9 pounds. It is honest about the trade it makes: at a 326 IBO rating it is the slowest of the three Mach DS bows, and for 2026 the new FDS cam sharpens the draw and let-off rather than the speed. What you get for that trade is a bow that holds like a target rig, draws smooth at full hunting weight, and shoots quiet and dead in the hand, all at a $1,999 launch MSRP. In my experience it is the rare bow that solves a real problem instead of chasing a spec - the long-draw archer and the 3D-shooting hunter have been underserved for years, and this is built precisely for them. It is an excellent bow for the target-and-hunting crossover shooter and the tall, long-draw hunter, particularly strong on open-country and Western hunts and on the 3D course. Buyers who need to maneuver in tight cover should look at the compact Mach 30 DS, and those who want the same long-draw carbon geometry from another brand should weigh the Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-7 Ultra. Read full review...

The Hoyt REDWRX Carbon RX-7 Ultra, launched at roughly $1,899 in 2022 and carried over unchanged into 2023, is the long-axle answer in Hoyt's carbon line - the same first-ever 100% carbon riser as the standard RX-7, stretched to a 34-inch frame with a 7-inch brace for the hunter who prizes forgiveness and a steady hold over the most compact package. On that long chassis it pairs a 334 fps IBO rating with real hunting-arrow speeds in the 295 to 315 fps band, a measured 24% quieter shot than the RX-5, and the VitalPoint grip nearly everyone who shoots it singles out. The most striking thing behind it is the generational flip: where older long Hoyts buzzed, this Ultra sits dead and hushed in the hand, drawing the smoothest of any bow many owners pulled that year and holding planted at full draw like a target rig. The trade-offs are honest - a slight back-wall sponge, the slowest IBO in Hoyt's lineup, and a carbon-flagship price - and each has its answer, from running heavier draw weight to choosing the compact standard model. An excellent bow for the taller-draw, open-country hunter who holds long and counts ounces, and who already knows they want carbon. Buyers who want that same carbon engine in a faster, more compact frame should look at the REDWRX Carbon RX-7, while those who want a long, forgiving flagship for hundreds less should consider the Mathews V3X 33. Read full review...

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...

• Fits long-draw shooters the rest of the line leaves out - the module reaches a true 32.5 inches, so 31- and 32-inch-draw archers finally get a light carbon bow that fits
• The steadiest, most forgiving bow in the DS family - 35 inches of axle-to-axle and a 7-inch brace make it a genuine target and 3D tack driver that still hunts
• Remarkably light for a 35-inch carbon at a measured 3.9 pounds - a lot of bow that carries like a much smaller one
• Smooth draw with no harsh spots in the force curve, and it holds steady on the pin at full hunting weight
• USA-made Dead Frequency Carbon riser - stiff, temperature-neutral, quiet, and dead in the hand at the shot

• VitalPoint grip is the standout - flat-backed and warm, it gives the hand latitude instead of forcing one position, for a repeatable low-torque hold
• Smoothest draw of Hoyt's 2022 line - it loads without aggression, rolls through with no real hump, and settles into a forgiving valley that lets up just enough
• Dead in the hand and very quiet - owners note the Ultra finally sheds the hand shock older long-axle Hoyts carried, shooting as hushed as the Mathews flagships
• Lightest 34-inch carbon rig at 4.3 pounds - rigged out it runs about half a pound under the Mathews, and the carbon riser stays warm to bare fingers at altitude
• Long 34-inch axle-to-axle and 7-inch brace hold dead-steady at distance, and the 27 to 32-inch draw range fits the taller-draw hunter the compact RX-7 leaves out

• 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

• All 35 inches of it are a lot of bow in a tight ground blind or thick timber - hunters who need to maneuver in close quarters are better served by the compact 30 DS on the same platform
• The light 3.9-pound frame likes some help staying planted in wind, which is why target shooters run it with a front bar and side rod - a stabilizer setup steadies it and suits the way most owners shoot it anyway

• Back wall carries a slight sponge with a faint recovery at the very tail - mild and most owners stay engaged through it, but flagship limb-stop-wall shooters may want to draw one first
• Carbon-flagship price tier and the slowest IBO of Hoyt's 2022 line - running an 80-pound build recovers speed, and buyers who want the same cam and grip for less can step to the compact RX-7 or Hoyt's aluminum VTM

• 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