Compound Bow Comparator

The Mathews LX is a classic worth understanding on its own terms: a 2003-2004 SoloCam that now trades used for $100 to $325, built on a long 35-inch machined riser with a perimeter-weighted single cam rated 315-317 IBO. Its lasting appeal is not speed - it is the combination that first-rate single cams do best, a genuinely smooth draw over a defined valley and a hold that sits still enough to shoot targets with. Parallel limbs, Harmonic Damping, and a slim low-torque grip make it composed and easy to shoot well, and the single-cam design keeps it about as simple to own and tune as a bow gets. What I keep coming back to with the LX is how forgiving it feels for the money - it flatters a developing release the way few used bows in its price bracket do. It is an excellent bow for the archer who values a smooth draw, a steady hold, and single-cam simplicity - particularly strong for 3D, target, and moderate-range whitetail hunting on a budget. Buyers who prioritize modern speed, a compact treestand length, or built-in string suppression should also look at the Hoyt Trykon for high-brace hunting forgiveness or the Bowtech Allegiance for binary-cam speed. 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 Bowtech Allegiance is a high quality all around bow with an easily adjustable shooting style. Each Allegiance bow is available in smooth or fast modules to deliver extremely smooth draw cycle or faster speeds. In addition, the let-off can be adjusted easily from 65% to 80%. No bow press is required to change the draw length or adjust the let-off. When it comes to shootability, the bow has a smooth draw cycle and is pretty quiet on the shot even with the speed modules. Ideal for hunting, the Allegiance can also be used successfully for 3D shooting and indoor competitions. Read full review...

• Among the smoothest single-cam draws Mathews ever built - owners rank the LX at the top of the SoloCam era for draw feel
• Long 35-inch axle-to-axle with a settled, on-target hold that keeps owners shooting it on the 3D range two decades later
• Single-cam design with nothing to sync - quick to set up and easy to keep in tune season after season
• Selectable 80% or 65% let-off through the cam module lets the shooter dial hold weight to preference

• 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

• Easily adjustable shooting style: fast or smooth modules + adjustable let-off
• Very solid back wall
• Quiet bow for the speeds it generates
• Modular-adjustable eccentric system (except 2005 version)
• Draw length can be adjusted easily without using a bow press (except 2005 version)
• Great hunting bow also suitable for 3D shooting

• Modest speed by modern standards at 315-317 IBO - shooters chasing today's fps will feel the era, though that is the price of the smooth, forgiving draw
• No factory string suppression as it shipped - a string stop and a fresh set of strings quiet the era-typical shot, both inexpensive add-ons

• 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

• Draw length specific eccentric system in 2005 (2006-2008 versions are adjustable)
• The grip on the 2005-2006 modifications could be a bit narrower