Compound Bow Comparator

The Alpha AX-3 33 LD is Hoyt's long-draw answer for 2026, a fast, rigid, dead-in-the-hand aluminum hunting flagship built around one job: fitting the tall archer who draws to 33 inches. Its headline is a combination other flagships cannot match, a genuine 33-inch draw, the family's highest 355 fps IBO rating, and the press-free XTS tuning system that corrects both left-right and up-down tears and locks so it does not drift shot to shot. At a $1,599 launch MSRP it is the premium choice in its class, priced identically to the standard AX-3 33, so the long-draw cam costs a buyer nothing extra beyond the reach itself. Drawing it long, the cycle is full and firm rather than buttery, but it settles fast, holds in a forgiving 85-percent valley, and rewards a shooter who stays into the back wall, while the open string angle of the long axle makes it genuinely easy to anchor. Hoyt does not publish a hunting-weight speed number for the LD, but the platform's efficiency shows in real data, a 33.75-inch, 86-pound build pushing a 450-grain arrow to 321 fps, so the reach comes with real energy rather than a soft top end. It fits the six-foot-plus whitetail and western hunter who has always shopped around a draw-length ceiling and wants a stable, self-tunable flagship that finally fits. An excellent bow for the long-draw hunter who needs true 33-inch reach in a fast, rigid package, and is particularly strong for the tall shooter who has outgrown every other flagship's draw range. Buyers inside a 31-inch draw who prioritize 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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• Reaches a true 33-inch draw through the larger XL cam, giving tall shooters a real flagship fit where most rival hunting bows stop near 31 to 32 inches
• 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
• Higher 355 fps IBO than the standard AX-3 33, and the long-draw cam draws easier than its poundage suggests even pushed to 86 pounds
• Dead in the hand with almost no torque, and the long 33-1/4" axle plus generous string angle make it steady and easy to anchor at long draw
• Rock-solid, no-sponge back wall with a forgiving 85-percent valley that lets a hunter relax on a held shot without the bow running away

• 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 4.85 lbs the bridged aluminum riser runs heavier than a carbon flagship, so a hunter counting ounces on a long backcountry pack may want to shoot it before committing
• The full, efficient draw rewards staying engaged on the back wall, and shooters coming off a soft 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