Compound Bow Comparator

The BowTech Tribute is the mid-2000s hunting bow that tried to be fast and smooth at once, and it largely succeeded - a compact 31 1/2-inch bow rating 320 to 328 fps on its Speed module while shooting quiet and virtually shock-free through Vertical Force Technology and a built-in Hush Kit. Real hunting-weight arrows land in the high 260s to high 280s fps, brisk for a bow this calm, and the Binary Cam's purchase-time choice of a Speed or Ultra-smooth module lets one owner set it up for velocity and the next for a butter-soft pull. What owners keep coming back to, two model years and two decades on, is the draw and the shot - easy to pull even at 70 pounds, a solid back wall, and a stillness in the hand that keeps the sight on the deer. In my experience that quiet, no-flinch shot is worth more to a treestand hunter than a headline fps number, and the Tribute delivers it without asking you to give up the speed. Reported around $749 at launch and refined for 2007, it is a used-market buy now, and a clean, freshly-strung one is a lot of quiet, quick hunting bow for the money - with a military dedication and a TAPS donation behind the name that most bows can't claim. An excellent choice for the treestand or ground-blind hunter who wants speed without noise or hand shock, and particularly strong for a developing hunter who needs a forgiving bow that still performs. Buyers who prioritize the quietest, most refined shot above all should also look at the Mathews Switchback XT, while those who want Hoyt's hybrid-cam feel and a little more axle-to-axle should look at the Hoyt Trykon. 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...

The Mathews Switchback XT is a superior quality bow from the Mathews Switchback series. This is a very quiet, compact, and forgiving bow. When it comes to shootability this rig is even smoother than the original legendary Switchback. A short 31" axle-to-axle length makes it the ideal bow for both tree stand hunting and blind hunting. Read full review...

• Genuinely smooth, easy draw with a strong let-off - owners pull it comfortably even maxed out at 70 pounds
• Dead quiet with virtually no hand shock, thanks to the beyond-parallel limbs and a built-in Hush Kit that replaces aftermarket dampeners
• Fast for how smoothly it draws - a 320 to 328 fps Speed-mod rating, and owners find it noticeably quicker than comparable single-cam bows
• One bow with two personalities - a purchase-time choice of a Speed module or an Ultra-smooth module biases it toward velocity or a softer pull
• Forgiving, all-season hunter - long-term owners have taken mule deer, whitetail, turkey and more and still hunt it two decades on

• 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

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

• The module sets the character - the Speed module pulls a touch harder for its velocity, so a shooter who wants the softest possible draw should spec or swap in the Ultra-smooth module
• A used-market-only bow now, discontinued after 2007 - budget fresh strings and cables and a shop tune, and confirm which module it carries, before hunting season

• 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

• non-adjustable eccentric system