Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Extreme is worth understanding on its own terms: a single-cam hunting bow, fast for its generation at 325-333 fps IBO, whose VFT name points to a limb technology for a smoother shot rather than to any cam or let-off spec. Across its life - the 2001-2002 Extreme Solo, the short-draw variant, and the 2003-2004 Extreme VFT that carried a $649 launch MSRP - the story stayed the same: speed and simplicity, an idler-wheel single cam that tunes at the factory and holds it, with 65-80% let-off and modular draw length to fit the shooter. In my experience that combination is exactly why so many Extremes are still in service as backups and loaners two decades later; there is very little on them to fail and very little to fiddle with. The honest limitations are minor and fixable - a touch of residual hand shock a stabilizer erases, and camo that can wear with hard use. This is an excellent bow for the hunter who values flat-shooting speed and low-maintenance single-cam simplicity, particularly inside 40 yards from a treestand. Buyers who rank a silent, forgiving shot above outright speed should also look at the Mathews Switchback, and those who want the widest draw-weight range and a hybrid-cam feel 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...

• Fast for its generation - a single-cam hunting bow rated 325-333 fps IBO when most single cams of the era sat in the 305-318 band
• VFT limbs settle the shot - owners describe a smoother, lower-vibration release than the conventional limbs of the day
• Single-cam simplicity - factory-tuned out of the box with an idler wheel up top, so there is no cam timing to synchronize and little to maintain
• Broad, tool-simple tuning - 65-80% let-off set by the draw post and 1-inch-per-module draw-length changes across the 25-30 inch range

• 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

• Some owners note a touch of hand shock the VFT limbs do not fully erase - a good stabilizer settles it, and it is mild for a bow of this vintage
• Some owners report the camo coating wearing at high-contact spots with hard field use - a solid/target color, or a later dip or wrap, sidesteps it

• 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