Compound Bow Comparator

The Alpha AX-3 33 is Hoyt's crowd-pleaser length for 2026, a fast, rigid, dead-in-the-hand aluminum hunting flagship whose headline is not a spec but a workflow: XTS tuning you finish at home, corrected for both left-right and up-down tears, locked so it does not drift shot to shot. At a $1,599 launch MSRP it is the premium choice in its class, and the premium buys real speed (around 333 fps at 70lb/30"/350gr, 278 to 279 fps at a realistic 65lb/29"/450gr hunting setup), a stiff torque-free platform, and Hoyt's resale strength. Drawing it, the cycle is full and firm rather than buttery, but it settles fast and rewards a shooter who stays into the back wall, and the shot itself is as quiet and steady as anything I have pulled this year. It fits the longer-draw whitetail and western hunter in the 27 to 31 inch window who values a stable 33-inch platform and the freedom to tune without a pro shop. An excellent bow for the self-sufficient hunter who wants speed and at-home tunability in one package, and is particularly strong for the longer-draw shooter who prizes a forgiving axle length. Buyers prioritizing a quieter, lower-priced shot should also look at the Mathews Phase4 33, and those wanting the most forgiving long-brace geometry should also look at the PSE Mach 34. Read full review...

The Phase4 33 launched at $1,299 as the long, steady, forgiving half of Mathews' 2023 flagship line - a hunting bow with a target bow's riser. Its defining number is not speed but sound: 92.9 dB on a meter and a shot so dead in the hand it barely registers, courtesy of the eight-limb Resistance Phase Damping limb design that stops vibration before it reaches you. Around that sits a 33-inch frame that holds a pin rock-steady, a forgiving 6.5-inch brace, and honest chronograph numbers - 320 fps at 350 grains dropping to 283 fps with heavier hunting arrows - that trail the compact Phase4 29 by only a step. Add SwitchWeight's one-bow-fits-all module system and a cam that tunes almost without argument, and you have a genuine hunting, 3D, and target crossover. In my experience the calm sight picture on that long riser is what wins you over - the pin parks and stays. It is an excellent bow for the longer-draw hunter and 3D shooter who values a steady hold and a silent shot, particularly strong when a calm pin matters more than a compact frame. Buyers who want a shorter, more maneuverable bow should also look at the Mathews Phase4 29; those shopping the same long-axle platform for less should look at the PSE EVO NXT 33. Read full review...

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• Press-free XTS tuning corrects left-right and up-down nock tears at home, and owners reach a bullet hole in two shots straight out of the box
• Real-world speed holds close to the 340 fps IBO claim, with 70lb/30"/350gr chronographing around 333 fps
• Dead in the hand with almost no torque, one of the quietest and steadiest shots owners have measured this year
• Rock-solid back wall and a full, no-hump draw that stays smooth even set into the 80-plus-pound range
• Long 33-5/16" axle-to-axle plus deep In-Line accessory integration make it a stable, tight-to-riser hunting platform

• Measured 92.9 dB at the shot - the eight-limb RPD design makes it the quietest Mathews of its era
• Long 33-inch axle-to-axle on a target-length riser holds rock-steady at full draw
• Forgiving 6.5-inch brace height smooths out form errors for hunting and 3D alike
• SwitchWeight modules set peak weight and let-off, so one bow spans 60-75 lb without new limbs
• Tunes fast and predictably - many owners dial it in without touching the top-hat shims

• At 4.75 lbs the bridged aluminum riser runs heavier than a carbon flagship, so weight-conscious western hunters may want to shoot it before committing
• The full, stiff draw cycle rewards staying engaged on the back wall, and shooters coming off a buttery entry-level cam should pull one in person first

• The rubber Engage grip divides owners - those who dislike it can pop it off for flat side plates or an aftermarket grip
• The 27-inch draw-length floor rules it out for shorter-draw shooters, who fit the Phase4 29 better