Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Justice VFT is a mid-2000s hunting bow that has aged into a genuinely useful budget and backup rig: a forgiving 8-inch brace, a lively low-300s shot, VFT adjustable let-off from 65 to 80 percent, and a light 3.75-pound mass, all sold for around $639 in its 2004-2005 run. It is a twin-cam FreedomCam bow, so it asks for the occasional timing check that a modern binary-cam shooter has to relearn, and its speed and ergonomics are modest by today's standards - but that was never the point. What I keep coming back to is how easy this bow is to shoot well, which is exactly what makes a two-decade-old example worth carrying: the tall brace and firm wall flatter a developing hunter the same way they did in 2005. An excellent affordable entry or backup bow for the whitetail hunter or the new archer who values forgiveness and adjustability over chasing speed, particularly strong as a treestand-friendly, easy-shooting rig. Buyers who want the smoothest premium single-cam of the era should look at the Mathews Switchback, while those wanting a bit more speed and reach should look at the Hoyt Trykon. Read full review...

The Mathews Switchback entered the market in 2005 and continues to be one of the best smooth bows ever since. Many hunters strongly agree this bow is one of the smoothest bows available on the market. With the very low levels of vibration and noise, the Switchback is smooth and fast at the same time. Having received a lot of extra positive reviews and comments from archers throughout the world, this legendary bow has been the most popular and most selling Mathews rig for a long time. Read full review...

The Hoyt Trykon was Hoyt's mid-2000s flagship-tier hunting bow - the model that modernized the line around the hybrid Zephyr Cam & 1/2 - and today it is one of the best-reasoned used buys on the market for a hunter who wants real Hoyt engineering without a new-bow budget. The core numbers hold up: a 316 fps IBO from the Zephyr cam, a forgiving 33 inch axle-to-axle and 7 inch brace, XT500 limbs on a machined riser, a wide 40-80 lb and 25-31 inch fit range, and buyer-selectable 65% or 80% let-off. Real-world speed lands where the setup dictates - a tuned example chronographed 297 fps with a 338 grain arrow at a modest 65 lb, 28.5 inch setup - and the accuracy is treestand-lethal out to 40 yards with nothing exotic bolted on. Hoyt never published a mass weight or a launch price for the Trykon, and the honest characterization is a bow that runs heavier and livelier at the shot than a modern rig - both of which an experienced owner turns to advantage, the mass for a steadier hold and the liveliness dispatched by a low-cost string and damping kit. In my experience the Trykon converts skeptics the moment they shoot a tuned one: the Zephyr draw is the whole appeal, and it still holds up. This is an excellent bow for the value-minded whitetail hunter who wants a stable, forgiving, genuinely fast used chassis and does not mind a tune and a damping kit to bring it current, particularly strong from a treestand where its mass and geometry pay off. Buyers who rank absolute silence and single-cam simplicity first should also look at the Mathews Switchback, and those chasing the most raw speed of the era should weigh the Bowtech Allegiance. Read full review...

• Forgiving 8-inch brace height, one of the tallest of its era, makes it an easy bow to shoot accurately
• Fast and quiet for its day, with the lively, hard-hitting shot BowTech built its early reputation on
• VFT adjustable let-off lets you dial the hold anywhere from 65 to 80 percent without swapping parts
• Light 3.75-pound mass is easy to carry all day and steady to hold on a long sit
• Backed by BowTech's original-owner Lifetime Warranty, and every bow was hand-shot and chronographed at the factory

• smooth and fast single cam bow
• low noise and vibration
• great value for money

• The hybrid Zephyr Cam & 1/2 draws with a rounded, forgiving pull that made the Trykon Hoyt's smooth-but-fast hunting choice of the mid-2000s
• Buyer-selectable 65% or 80% let-off by module lets a shooter set the hold to match either speed-tuned or long-stand-comfort priorities
• Machined riser and XT500 limbs give the platform a stiff, durable chassis that owners still hunt hard with 15-plus years on
• Wide 25-31 inch draw and 40-80 lb range make one used chassis fit almost any adult hunter without a proprietary module hunt
• Responds strongly to a modern string set and a damping kit - a low-cost path to a quiet, dead-in-hand shot on a used bow

• FreedomCam is a twin-cam system that rewards periodic timing checks - shooters used to modern set-and-forget binary cams should keep it in tune with a press or a shop
• A low-300s fps IBO and mid-2000s ergonomics feel modest next to today's bows - best seen as an affordable used or backup rig, not a speed-chaser's flagship

• non-adjustable eccentric system

• Runs heavier in the hand than a modern hunting bow - many owners actually prefer that mass for a steadier hold on aim, but shooters counting ounces for long mobile hunts may want to weigh it in person first
• Stock 2006-07 damping is dated - an aftermarket string-silencer and limb-dampener kit takes the vibration and noise out and is the first upgrade most owners make
• Draw-length changes are a bow-press job on the Z-module string set, not a tool-free rotating module - dial in your exact draw at a shop before the season