Compound Bow Comparator

The Old Glory is BowTech's forgiving mid-2000s crossover - a long-riser, big-brace bow that shoots 3D and field on the weekend and hunts in the fall, built around the Equalizer Binary Cam and, in its 2006 form, a modular Speed/Smooth mod system that lets one bow lean either way. It is not a speed flagship: IBO speed tops out at 316 fps and a real 70-pound, 29-inch setup runs around 318, respectable but never the headline. The headline is the draw and the shot - owners two model years running call it the smoothest bow they had ever pulled, quiet on the draw, quiet at the release, and dead in the hand with no felt recoil. In my experience that combination of a long valley and a still shot is exactly what turns a good target shooter into a consistent one, and it is why these bows are still on the firing line two decades later. Without a cleanly documented launch MSRP, the Old Glory is a used-market buy today, and a clean one at a fair price is a lot of forgiving bow for the money. An excellent choice for the crossover archer who wants a single quiet, forgiving bow for both 3D and hunting, and particularly strong for a developing shooter building form. Buyers who prioritize the most compact, refined hunting shot should also look at the Mathews Switchback XT, while those who want a long, stable riser in the Hoyt idiom should look at the Hoyt Trykon XL. 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...

The Hoyt Trykon XL is the base Trykon built for reach and stability - a 36-inch axle-to-axle frame, 7.5-inch brace, and draw length out to 32 inches, riding the same proven Zephyr Cam & 1/2 hybrid and XT500 limbs as its shorter sibling. Its rated 314 fps IBO gives up just two feet-per-second to the standard bow, a price no hunter will feel in exchange for a steadier hold and more sight radius. Hoyt never published a mass weight or an MSRP for this model, so the honest frame is a used-market find, and a rare one - the XL lasted a single 2006 model year before disappearing from the catalog, its role later filled by the 2008 Katera XL. On a tuned example the module let-off choice and the long, planted frame add up to a forgiving, versatile shooter; in my experience the extra length and mass reward the archer who lets the pin float and breaks the shot clean. Buy a used one with an eye on the strings, and budget for a fresh set - a quick, cheap step that turns a fifteen-year-old bow into a quiet, honest hunting and crossover rig. An excellent bow for the long-draw hunter who wants a steady, forgiving hold from a treestand and a comfortable crossover for casual 3D, particularly strong when a dead-still aim matters more than the last few feet-per-second. Buyers prioritizing the quietest single-cam shot should also look at the Mathews Switchback XT, and those who want the most speed and the firmest wall should weigh the Bowtech Allegiance. Read full review...

• Genuinely smooth draw - owners repeatedly call it the smoothest bow they had ever pulled, even at 70-plus pounds
• Very quiet on the draw and at the shot, a trait owners single out across both model years
• Sits dead in the hand with no felt recoil, so the sight stays put through the shot
• Big brace height and long axle-to-axle make it forgiving of form, easy to shoot well for a developing archer
• The 2006 modular cam lets one bow bias toward speed or toward a softer draw with a mod swap

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

• Long 36-inch axle-to-axle frame holds steady on target and forgives small form errors - reach that suits taller shooters and open-country hunters
• Draw length runs out to 32 inches, so long-draw archers get a real fit instead of maxing out a shorter riser
• Module-selectable let-off of 65 or 80 percent lets one bow serve a firm-wall target shooter or a hunter who wants to hold longer on an animal
• XT500 limbs carry the full 40-to-80-pound draw-weight span, covering everything from a lighter target draw to a heavy elk setup
• Older Hoyt hybrid that responds well to a fresh string set and a couple of damping accessories - a cheap path to a quiet, tuned shooter today

• Some owners note a softer back wall and less aggressive let-off feel than a modern bow - shooters stepping off a current flagship limb-stop wall may want to draw one first
• With the 2006 smooth mods the valley is long with no pronounced dump - a shooter who wants a defined valley to settle into can fit the speed mods instead

• non-adjustable eccentric system

• This is a heavier bow than the compact hunters that followed it - treestand and spot-and-stalk hunters who count ounces may want to shoulder one first, though many owners find the extra mass steadies the aim
• Single-year 2006 model sold used only now - buyers should have the strings and cables inspected and likely replaced, since a 2006 bow is well past original string life