Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Patriot matters because it is where Vertical Force Technology started, the platform that first turned Bowtech's cancel-the-recoil idea into a production hunting bow, and two decades on it still shoots soft in the hand for exactly that reason. From 2002 to 2005 it delivered IBO speeds from 312 up to 333 fps in single-cam trim and up to the 340 fps band as a Dually, with real chronograph numbers landing within about one percent of the claims, catalog pricing of $649 to $719 for the single cam and $749 for the Dually, and a compact 33.75-inch, 4-pound-1-ounce package. What I keep coming back to is the split personality: the single-cam InfinityCam is the quiet, smooth, forgiving version most owners loved, while the Dually is the fast, aggressive, short-valley version that rewards a shooter with settled form. An excellent used bow for the whitetail hunter who values a soft-shooting, recoil-cancelling feel and does not need modern conveniences, particularly in single-cam trim on a treestand. Buyers who rank an ultra-smooth draw above all else should also look at the Mathews Switchback, and speed-first shooters who want a firmer modern cam feel should weigh 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...

• Vertical Force Technology limbs cancel most hand shock and recoil, so the shot settles into the hand rather than kicking against it
• Single-cam InfinityCam version runs genuinely quiet and vibration-free once set up, rated among the calmest bows of its day
• Real-world chronograph speed lands within about one percent of the advertised IBO number, so the marketing speed is close to what you actually get
• Firm, no-creep back wall and repeatable accuracy, with owners stacking arrows at 20 yards and one taking an IBO class win

• 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

• Short, narrow valley makes the higher-let-off and twin-cam setups feel touchy to hold at full draw; running the InfinityCam at its 80% let-off setting, or choosing the single cam over the Dually, softens the hold
• The twin-cam Dually needs accessory tuning to reach its quietest, repositioning the VibraBlocks and adding limb dampeners; the single-cam version is calmer straight out of the box
• Front-loaded, aggressive draw on the Dually takes some getting used to; shooters who want a smoother pull should pick the single-cam InfinityCam VFT

• 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