Made in Sparta WI! While I didn't choose the same as you, I love the process you went through. I did a similar thing last year (albeit not purchasing all 5!) and went with the Prime. Awesome videos my man!
What will you be doing with the other 4 bows? I called it, the VXR for you. You had me going with that "phone call" though. Great review. Good luck this year! Take care. Love from NH.
I am in the same boat I wanted to buy the VXR but I remember the peep twist that cost me a shot opportunity at an elk. So I went with primeI can’t justify an extra $150ish on new strings just to fix a problem that shouldn’t exist
I know you’re going to cringe when you read this but you should do one of these reviews each year. It really is good information and I feel like the studied opinion of a regular guy with no affiliation is incredibly difficult to find and therefore valuable
Hey, that's the bow I bought. For years I have shot mid-level bows (Hoyt Charger and Bear Approach), but this year I wanted to try out a "flagship bow." I looked around for a while and found a shop that carried a lot of the big names. I tried out the Hoyt RX4 and RX3, Prime, and the Bowtech as well as both models of the VRX. Even though I spent a long time shooting all of them, I think I knew the VRX 31.5 was going to be the winner after round 1. I am pretty sure that will be my bow for years. I always enjoy your videos, great content.
These videos could have been about pretty much anything and would have been enjoyable to watch. But, your review and analysis of these bows just made them all the better and enjoyable to watch. Thanks for taking the time and putting for the effort to make such a detailed and informed review!
An excellent and thorough review series man. You really 'nocked' it outta the park. (I got jokes) I knew you were gonna go either Mathews or Prime a long ways back, but you kept me interested in understanding why. That's impressive. I've also known for a while that I want one of those two bows myself. I just haven't figured out which one quite yet. Thanks Brandon. Keep it up man!
Your cinematography, writing, sense of humor (nice ad close to the end for skippers), and complete breakdown/walk through of why you picked which one that won "by that much" is phenomenal. I absolutely enjoyed both videos and learned quite a bit. Even though I have had a bow since 06 I am not a veteran archery hunter by no means and sadly have not taken any animals with it. I still am thinking of upgrading to a newer bow (from my 06 PSE Fire Flite 33) as I mentioned in your previous video. My draw length is 29 and I only pull 60 lbs, plus I am cross eye dominate left handed bow shooter. The last part makes it difficult to find the right bow at the right price. So watching these two videos has helped me know more of what I should be looking for even though I am not going to buy 5 bows. Thank you for doing this and good luck this year with all those amazing sounding hunts that you mentioned at the end of this video.
Purchasd my vxr around August and fell in love with it. Great and amazing shooting bow. Loved your video and the amount of detail and hardwork you put in! Subscribing to your channel. Keep up the great footage!
You did a super job going through this process. I say this because you started the process with a open, unbiased mind not knowing which bow would win. That’s impressive especially since you were the sole sponsor. With that said, I may not feel the same way next year if Sitka comes out with a bow! You have taken a liken to Sitka... 😅😂🤣
What a wonderful review packed full of some good information with your honest opinion! I am thinking about getting back into archery as it has been about 38 years since I have shot a compound bow. The great news is that bow technology has come some far that it is unbelievable from many years ago. Sounds like each bow has something for everyone based on one's own personal preference which is solely subjective to that individual. Excited to go shoot these new bows with an open mind for what fits for me! Awesome review that helped me get re-acqainted with the world of archery. Thanks Brandon........
I did something similar a couple of years ago when I settled on the Mathews Halon 32. I shot a lot of arrows out of eight different bows at dealers though, not at home... Came down to four things for me: 1)How it felt in my hand when I picked the bows up initially 2) How it felt and how steady it held at full draw 3) If I bounced off of the back wall or just settled in and 4) Ultimately how it grouped ( @ 20 yards only).
Wow man, HATS OFF TO YOU SIR 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼, im a hoyt man through and through but i have spoke with MANY ppl/archers and no one has ever really made me even raise an eyebrow at another manufacturer...... this was more info i have ever seen anyone produce or TAKE A THE DEVOTED time do it right!!! Thank you very much for such great content, after i use my Hoyt this 2020 season..... u have convinced me that 2021 may have be a the year a mathews meets my hand...
Been a Hoyt shooter for the last 15 years. Shot the VRX 31.5 side by side with the Ventum 33 and bought the VRX. As much as I wanted to stay with Hoyt because of loyalty, the Mathews just felt better overall. Thanks for the great and thorough review. Spot on.
I enjoyed your comparison testing of this equipment, especially the drawings. I shoot a longbow, so my experience with compounds is scant, but most of this goes to physics. You mentioned in the draw test that a couple of the bows seemed to feel better on the draw, and they may have had to be drawn slightly farther before getting into real weight. This makes perfect sense to me. If the actual length of the draw is around 20 inches (~"draw length"- brace height), the most compromised position your shoulder will see is around 8-10 inches into that draw. If the force-draw curve of these two bows lets you get another inch or two back from where the other bows are when you get into significant weight, you have a decent mechanical advantage because of your shoulder position. Essentially, your back is pulling on a shortening lever. That's going to feel better to most of us, although it might result in lower performance as well.
Excellent series of videos! I appreciate the effort you obviously put into the presentation and cinematography and the detail work that went into the reviews (especially the part to "test" out the customer service of each company... hat tip to Elite for being willing to work with purchasers like that). I'd be interested in seeing a similar series of reviews for entry-level or mid-range bows sometime (I already picked a Bear Cruzer G2 as my first bow, but next year I'm probably going to step up to at least a mid-range bow if not a flagship), but I understand that the amount of work you put into this series might be too time consuming to do similar for multiple tiers of bows. Great work and I hope a silver or gold UA-cam button is in your channel's future! (You've earned my subscription)
I’m not new to hunting but I am new to bow hunting and this will be my first season to bow hunt white tail in west Texas. I’m fortunate I own a hunting ranch but I am doing a lot of research on bows. I have been on the fence but after the watching your video Im set on the VXR 31.5. Thankyou for you time and investment into making this video. Happy hunting.
Great Review, that's close to the same result that I came up with, shooting every known bow out there. Except with all the bows I shot, it ended up being almost a Tie between VXR31.5, Traverse and Hoyt Axius Ultra. I shot all 3 awesome and they all felt great to me. I flipped a coin and took on consideration technology (Switch weight goes with my, HHA kingpin that has a removable drum for quick draw weight changes) VXR31.5 is what I shoot. Hope it treats you great and good luck with your upcoming hunts. It's hard to find honest reviews that are not sponsored in some way!!
It's been fun to do the videos. I'm glad people in general think the info is helpful. I'm shooting the traverse vs the vxr right now and im glad I have both! I don't know that I'll be able to choose.
Having just gotten into archery this year, I shot a lot of bows and chose the VXR as well. Loved the vid, not just because it confirms everything I also thought about the various bows I shot and the one I chose, but also because of the format, style and information you provided. Well done! Please keep the content coming!
I appreciate your description of the Mathews’ draw. I have the Tactic and it draws just as you described - must be a Mathews’ thing. I like to ease it over the hump, slide down to the valley, and checkin to the back wall to ready my resistance release. It’s a very delicate process, and as rewarding as a straight shot. Great content!
VERY WELL DONE VIDEO Brandon!! You put a lot of time and thought into this plus the video/audio is very good. Now to the bows...I own two VXR 28's and last week I just purchased the 31.5. I was a little apprehensive at first because I am a 26.5' draw length and "most" bows at their shortest DL available have pretty poor draw cycle and/or valley. I found this the case last year when I tried the Traverse set at 26.5". This was not the case with the VXR 31.5...I actually prefer the draw cycle ever so slightly over my 28's. You are spot on with how the 31.5 holds...it's a rock!! The people that say they want a longer ata for hunting and that the 31.5 is not long enough...obviously have not shot this bow. With that length of a riser that 31.5 holds like a target bow! It's too bad you can only get 85% and 80% mods for this system because someone honestly could have a great target bow with 75% mods...it holds THAT good!! Plus your "drawing" of the draw cycle was EXACT. I have owned at least one flagship bow from Mathews over the past 15+ years and the both VXR's are at the top of my list of the best. Once again, great job!
Another fantastic video Brandon! Thanks for going through all the hard work. Im headed to my bow shop on Wednesday and am going to pick up the vxr. Thanks again!
Mathews are hard to beat. I am considering a Prime for my next bow. Your video definitely helped me out with the that. Can’t wait to see what bows you choose next year! I’m hoping that you find a sleeper in the mix.
I really enjoyed the journey. Your time, effort, and hard work is very much appreciated. It’s been a real pleasure! Thank you! It would be interesting to me to know how many followers did you have before and after the series.
Someone else said they couldn't see how many subscribers I have. You can't see it? I'll have to look in the settings. Anyway, thanks for coming along. You've always had insightful comments.
Great review. I also have a 2020 VXR 31.5 and absolutely love it. It is super smooth, quiet, dead in the hand, and just plain sexy. I got on the Mathews train when I was looking for a new bow in 2019 after bending a cam on my Bear while shooting at a local 3D course. With my longer draw length (31 inches) I ended up with a 2019 Traverse. I wanted to turn that into a dedicated target bow, and have another dedicated hunting bow so that I wouldn't have to swap sights or re-sight for different uses or different arrow setups. Enter the VXR. I am running it at 31" with 73 pounds of DW with 85% let-off. I am using a Mathews 6" stabilizer, the QAD Integrate rest, and an IQ 5 pin sight. My arrows are Gold Tip Hunter XT 300's with the bare shafts cut to 29" , using factory inserts, nocks, and vanes. I am trying a couple of different broadheads this year. I usually use 100 grain NAP Thunderheads, but opted for 125 grain Thunderheads this year to add a little overall weight and improve FOC slightly. They have a total weight of 445 grains with about 12.6% FOC. The Thunderheads 125's are awesome, but did require a couple of adjustments, so I figured I would also try some 125 grain Grim Reaper 1-3/4" Razortip mechanicals just to see if they fly a bit better. So far they do fly nice, and seem ok overall, but I always question the reliability of mechanicals. I will see how they do for a few more weeks, since the season has already begun in Kentucky. If I don't care for them, it will be back to the trusty Thunderheads. Prime is another brand that I really want to shoot. I have heard a ton of positive stuff about them, and really think they are a contender for me as well.
What a great review thank you. Before I bought my helix I shot the VXR. The one thing that stood out was it felt so nice at the back wall. I never thought it would help with accuracy until you mentioned it. I endrd up buying the helix only because I was able to draw with it smoother than the vxr. For some reason I had trouble pulling that cable on the vxr. Watta great review thanks
Subbed due to your arrow video(s)! Not gonna lie, I shoot an old 2004 HOYT Ultra Sport that I picked up at a yard sale. I'm a lefty but learned to shoo it right handed. Hopefully I'll upgrade one day. Awesome videos man!
Nicely done. Worth the wait. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into it. Without a doubt, going through all those tests with 5 bows, plus the school of nock, you’ve honed your shooting skills over the last several months. Has to be a good feeling. Looking forward to more great content. I do have one question.....whatcha shooting in 2021? Lol, we all know every one of those manufacturers will be releasing “the best bow we have ever made” for the 2021 season. Will it be rinse and repeat - a new test of 2021 bows? Or will you stick with the VXR? On second thought, don’t tell us. We will stayed tuned.....
That's the crappy thing about it taking me a half a year to decide is I've already wasted half a year!!!! Haha, it's been really fun and I've learned a lot about what I want to keep working on. Thanks for watching. More to come!
You are by far the coolest dude I've encountered on UA-cam that does reviews on bows man really enjoyed watching.....and yes Matthews is in my hands this year as well 31.5 is truly hard to beat ..keep up the awesome vids I will surely watch
Just wanted to say thanks for the videos. You ask a lot of the same questions that I have. I am trying to figure out what is most important to me and what I want in a bow this year. I am looking at the 34 ATA Elite Remedy, V3 31, and the Prime Nexus 4. sorting out what likes of each is more important to me is hard. I wish the V3 was more adjustable, and I wish I could do like you with full set ups of each and see how each shoots out to 100 yards. Thanks again keep up the great work and I look forward to your future videos.
I gotta admit, I love the humor you put into your videos, you had me rolling, and no I didn't skip ahead but I thought that was a nice touch. As I watched I couldn't help but think it was a Mathews win but you kept throwing me with the prime references. All in all, great series of Vid's, I hope you keep it up. I would love to see you do some tips or testing of some different stuff with bows, like a send in your question or whatever to have tested by you, that would be cool. But hey, like I said, great videos, and keep us laughing. Good luck.
Great Video !!! i own a BT RPM and bought a used 09' Monster 6 last year .... not wanting to drink the " Kool Aid" of Matthews is the reason I bought the RPM back in 2015, what a mistake..... the 11 year old Monster is a much more stable platform and my groups are incredibly smaller which proves it. i consider myself a seasoned archer , i shot for my high School and have shooting a bow since i was 10 . It's just a better handling piece of equipment. Bow techs are great but it just doesn't shoot well for me. I'll be ready for a VXR in the next couple of weeks. Thanks Again
lol!! love you vids!! down to earth and honest. i actually ended up on buying the Hoyt Axius Ultra. BUUUUUT am actually going to get the VXR 28 also. keep the vids coming, i look to your vids for info in the future and always good for a laugh! thank you!!
I must admit, at first when I started watching your vids, I thought you were just a rich guy with time on his hands. Now after watching many of them, I can see that you really only care about knowledge, admitting your mistakes, and being open with all you do, and do not know. It would seem you care more about the journey than anything, which is rare these days. I am wanting to get into bow hunting, so I'm looking at reviews constantly. The bottom line is that most all the top bows are good, you just have to go pull each one until you do find one that suits you. I did want you to do a PSE, but I watched that vid also lol. Well done bro. Are you making all your arrows ?
I'll be getting into arrows next. I've got some new shafts in the mail. The cool thing about where I'm at right now is, I can be honest about what I'm doing. I've got thick skin, so I can ignore haters. I just want to learn how to do all of this better. Thanks for watching
@@brandonmcdonald6121 we live in a world that expects only 100% success as a norm, but in reality we learn much more from our mistakes. The only huge mistake you continue to make is your hunting expeditions, unless I'm just not seeing those vids. In most of the ones I have watched, you were unsuccessful in a kill. Which you always state you were kind of unprepared. I feel as if your channel should be called "journey of the bow". This captures more of what your actually doing. Your not pushing any products with "this is the greatest bow/arrow in history/look at my huge elk" . It's more about finding deficiencies in your self and how you are finding equipment that works well for you. I sub'd today.
Good points and great info. Im at a 28.5 draw and it changed the dynamics for me on the bows. Bowtech ended up having a slightly smoother draw for me in the end. But my final list was Prime, Elite, Mathews, PSE, and Bowtech. Directly in that order, and in my 70lb 28.5 draw it turned the bowtech into my double bow situation. Performance shoots like the Mathews 28 did for me but still loved the Mathews 28!(did not care for the 31 sadly)Bowtech was not as fast but its not a slow bow either! PSE NXT and carbon M1 shot fantastic and my draw was equally as smooth as the Bowtech in comfort. Revolt itself had a rough wall for me, revolt X was just smoother in every way! Good luck on all your hunts keep up the videos can’t wait to see what else you come up with!
Brandon Mcdonald honestly it can go many ways at different draws! Everyone is different but hands down this year PSE suprised me with some very high quality offerings! As always looking forward to your Mathews hunting setup!!!
You are my only subscription on UA-cam. Aside from my brother but that was charity. Nice work brother. You sound like you’re in Learning & Development, but we don’t make that kind of coin🤷🏻♂️😂 appreciate the time you take doing this.
Awesome video. One note on sound. Db’s aren’t linear the way people might think. A 3 dB change will either double the sound or cut the sound half, compared to a normal linear scale that people might be used to, like in watts. So the Prime at 67db, is twice as loud as the VXR and Bowtech that came at 64db.
Brandon Mcdonald I’m an engineer, I’ll save you my long winded nerd out text lol, but UA-cam has a bunch of great videos on how power is measured in Watts and how it compares to Dbs.
Thanks for all the info in the bows I've recently bought the vxr28 and it is the best bow I've ever had and I've shot hoyt for years videos are awesome keep it up and btw any chance to join you on a elk hunt at all ill pay for my whole trip just need where and when been looking for someone to go with and teach me a few things . Greatly appreciate you feed back 🙏. God bless
I would love to hear your comparison on the Traverse versus the VXR 31.5? I see where a lot of people like the Traverse better. Also, I really liked how you showed the true string angle at full draw. I have always wanted someone to do that. It would be interesting to see where the Traverse measures in at. I shoot the Black 5 for hunting and competition. I have a 30.5" draw length and that one just seemed to fit me best of the new bows, but it was basically a coin flip with the VXR. Great videos. Thanks for sharing.
It's in the works. I've got more time in July than I do this month so I'll have more videos next month. I'm really curious about the traverse vs vxr as well. I've got the traverse down to 65lbs and the vxr up to 75 so it might take some creativity to actually compare.
Aatje21 amazing!! I went in store and bought it at a Mathews retailer because Mathews has barely opened back up after the shutdown so they are behind on orders but 10/10!
What a damn good review. I'll be honest. I dont really do compounds anymore, but, wow I really like how you presented this video. I really wish somebody in traditional community would do this kind of review. And no I'm not that guy. But who knows maybe I will. Thank you for the inspiration. Have a good safe hunting season. Again awesome video series. Totally subscribed.
Brutal but well deserved punishment for those who skipped ahead. Really enjoyed the whole review, both parts are very well done. Thanks for taking the time to share! God bless
Great video, very well put together. Went with the vxr myself.. always shot really well with Bear but I traded er in this year lol I'm anxious to see what they come out with for the 2021 models!!
Just a snippet about customer service regarding bowtech. I was given an old bowtech patriot when I was 17 by a random hunter. Few years later the limb ended up splitting. So I bring it to our shop and bowtech ended up sending new limbs for free. Now I don’t know what exactly the shop said to make that happen but still thought that was cool. Now I’m onto my second bowtech, the RealmX. Going into my second hunting season with it, already had the limbs replaced. Bottom on split about two months ago. So we’ll see how this season goes but I will very much take this video and all the info you’ve provided into consideration come January. Thanks for taking the time inform us peasants!
I knew it. I love my vertix. Mathews made 4 bows this past year that are awesome. I noticed that you weren't rockin the new engage limb legs . Gotta get a set , there freakn sweet!
@@brandonmcdonald6121 I ordered one from my local shop. (Which took forever to get. ) But scheels actually had a bunch in stock. If you're looking for one I can get one and have it shipped to you. I love mine . I hate using limb legs and having the bottom cam setting in the dirt. They even work with a side bar. My side bar is at an angle and it works awesome.
Awesome video! Have you made a video on bow stabilization? I realize it’s a bit different for everyone, but I’m currently looking at figuring out my front/rear stabilizer set up on my VXR 31.5” and would love some guidance. Would love to hear which set up you arrived at for the VXR. Thanks for the great work!
I have a Traverse and a Vertix. After your reviews I will be Buying a Prime Black 33. Just knowing how suprisingly sweet it is and strings for life. Thanks for all the legwork. PS both my bows are all Black too.
So im just looking at my first mathews coming from elite, what did you do if anything regarding the factory strings, great video by the way , appreciate your efforts
Great review! Before I was between the Axius Ultra and VXR and VXR seems like the way. What was the optimal weight and type of stabilizer you found to be able to hold on your target so well with the VXR? Thank you!
Just seeing this, but great 2-video series. Thank you for doing this! Question though, since you picked the Mathews, did you end up replacing the string? And if so, what did you replace it with? And sorry if you answered this already on someone else’s post. Didn’t have time to read them all. Lol.
I knew it! TBH I am of the same option that the Mathews and prime are the best bows this year. Or at least my favorite. I'm not getting a new bow this year because I have a vertix and don't think it's really worth getting a vxr 28. Great video Brandon!
Great work! I think we’ve been waiting for the conclusion of this journey and while I wasn’t shocked at the final choice, I was expecting it to be the Prime. I’m guessing that back wall was the deciding factor? I’m glad you recognized the situation where speed matters. As someone with a sub 27” draw who shoots 60#, speed and cam efficiency carry a lot more weight for me than it would someone in the 28”+ 70# range. One critique I have is with the decision making behind your Hoyt. Based on previous video and this one I feel price was a huge deciding factor as well as the already expected Carbon caveats/quirks. It’s as if the Hoyt came into the competition with an unrecoverable, prior knowledge handicap being that it’s Carbon. I would have been interested where the price point comparable to to the rest Axius would have landed. That said I used to be an avid Hoyt shooter, owning some variation of every carbon bow annually dating back to the 2011 Matrix. Unfortunately my annual Hoyt purchase ended with the RX-1 as with the dropping of the #1 cam affected the efficiency when they compensated its loss by changing the #2 cam range. That and the Carbon weight advantage has all but disappeared leaving behind the negatives that you mentioned and only it’s cold day grip temp being it’s major standout feature. So now I shoot Mathews....but ahh not the VXR. One thing I did not like about the Vertix was it’s draw cycle. Even though it’ was still basically a CC cam, I don’t like what that switch weight system did to the draw cycle, which you described perfectly. So I’ll keep slinging sticks out of a TX-5 and Traverse and for once enjoy money saved this year.
The rx4 is a tough one. I just realized really early on that it wasn't going to give me any better results than any of the other bows. If it would have held and grouped better for me, I would have been working to say "it's expensive but I like it the best". I'm excited to see what Hoyt does in the future.
Thanks for watching! I've had a blast going through this process.
Made in Sparta WI! While I didn't choose the same as you, I love the process you went through. I did a similar thing last year (albeit not purchasing all 5!) and went with the Prime. Awesome videos my man!
What will you be doing with the other 4 bows? I called it, the VXR for you. You had me going with that "phone call" though. Great review. Good luck this year! Take care. Love from NH.
Awesome! Can’t wait to see you review Black 5 haha.
I am in the same boat I wanted to buy the VXR but I remember the peep twist that cost me a shot opportunity at an elk. So I went with primeI can’t justify an extra $150ish on new strings just to fix a problem that shouldn’t exist
Great Vid can’t wait for the next ones to come out
I really appreciate the time you put into this review and overall look at the 2020 bows. Very in depth and well thought out!
Thanks very much for saying so. I had a blast doing it.
I know you’re going to cringe when you read this but you should do one of these reviews each year. It really is good information and I feel like the studied opinion of a regular guy with no affiliation is incredibly difficult to find and therefore valuable
*Brandon's wallet disliked this post*
First time watching this channel. This was one of the best UA-cam reviews of any product I’ve ever seen. Well done!
Hey, that's the bow I bought. For years I have shot mid-level bows (Hoyt Charger and Bear Approach), but this year I wanted to try out a "flagship bow." I looked around for a while and found a shop that carried a lot of the big names. I tried out the Hoyt RX4 and RX3, Prime, and the Bowtech as well as both models of the VRX. Even though I spent a long time shooting all of them, I think I knew the VRX 31.5 was going to be the winner after round 1. I am pretty sure that will be my bow for years. I always enjoy your videos, great content.
These videos could have been about pretty much anything and would have been enjoyable to watch. But, your review and analysis of these bows just made them all the better and enjoyable to watch. Thanks for taking the time and putting for the effort to make such a detailed and informed review!
An excellent and thorough review series man. You really 'nocked' it outta the park. (I got jokes)
I knew you were gonna go either Mathews or Prime a long ways back, but you kept me interested in understanding why. That's impressive. I've also known for a while that I want one of those two bows myself. I just haven't figured out which one quite yet. Thanks Brandon. Keep it up man!
Thanks for watching..it was a fun journey. I'd be glad to have either bow. Prime or vxr were so close it was nuts...
Your cinematography, writing, sense of humor (nice ad close to the end for skippers), and complete breakdown/walk through of why you picked which one that won "by that much" is phenomenal. I absolutely enjoyed both videos and learned quite a bit. Even though I have had a bow since 06 I am not a veteran archery hunter by no means and sadly have not taken any animals with it. I still am thinking of upgrading to a newer bow (from my 06 PSE Fire Flite 33) as I mentioned in your previous video. My draw length is 29 and I only pull 60 lbs, plus I am cross eye dominate left handed bow shooter. The last part makes it difficult to find the right bow at the right price. So watching these two videos has helped me know more of what I should be looking for even though I am not going to buy 5 bows. Thank you for doing this and good luck this year with all those amazing sounding hunts that you mentioned at the end of this video.
What an awesome series. Your video editing is top notch and it truly makes your reviews stand out above the rest
Thanks very much. I'm still learning, but it's been rewarding.
Purchasd my vxr around August and fell in love with it. Great and amazing shooting bow.
Loved your video and the amount of detail and hardwork you put in!
Subscribing to your channel. Keep up the great footage!
Thanks for the sub!
You did a super job going through this process. I say this because you started the process with a open, unbiased mind not knowing which bow would win. That’s impressive especially since you were the sole sponsor. With that said, I may not feel the same way next year if Sitka comes out with a bow! You have taken a liken to Sitka... 😅😂🤣
What a wonderful review packed full of some good information with your honest opinion! I am thinking about getting back into archery as it has been about 38 years since I have shot a compound bow. The great news is that bow technology has come some far that it is unbelievable from many years ago. Sounds like each bow has something for everyone based on one's own personal preference which is solely subjective to that individual. Excited to go shoot these new bows with an open mind for what fits for me! Awesome review that helped me get re-acqainted with the world of archery. Thanks Brandon........
It's going to blow your mind the difference in how things feel. I'm kind of jealous.
I did something similar a couple of years ago when I settled on the Mathews Halon 32. I shot a lot of arrows out of eight different bows at dealers though, not at home... Came down to four things for me: 1)How it felt in my hand when I picked the bows up initially 2) How it felt and how steady it held at full draw 3) If I bounced off of the back wall or just settled in and 4) Ultimately how it grouped ( @ 20 yards only).
Pretty close to the same for me, I just got to get all the stabilizers worked out and get back to 120 some days.
Wow man, HATS OFF TO YOU SIR 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼, im a hoyt man through and through but i have spoke with MANY ppl/archers and no one has ever really made me even raise an eyebrow at another manufacturer...... this was more info i have ever seen anyone produce or TAKE A THE DEVOTED time do it right!!! Thank you very much for such great content, after i use my Hoyt this 2020 season..... u have convinced me that 2021 may have be a the year a mathews meets my hand...
At least give them all a good once over. It's worth trying them all out! Thanks for watching. I had fun making this one.
Been a Hoyt shooter for the last 15 years. Shot the VRX 31.5 side by side with the Ventum 33 and bought the VRX. As much as I wanted to stay with Hoyt because of loyalty, the Mathews just felt better overall. Thanks for the great and thorough review. Spot on.
I enjoyed your comparison testing of this equipment, especially the drawings. I shoot a longbow, so my experience with compounds is scant, but most of this goes to physics. You mentioned in the draw test that a couple of the bows seemed to feel better on the draw, and they may have had to be drawn slightly farther before getting into real weight. This makes perfect sense to me. If the actual length of the draw is around 20 inches (~"draw length"- brace height), the most compromised position your shoulder will see is around 8-10 inches into that draw. If the force-draw curve of these two bows lets you get another inch or two back from where the other bows are when you get into significant weight, you have a decent mechanical advantage because of your shoulder position. Essentially, your back is pulling on a shortening lever. That's going to feel better to most of us, although it might result in lower performance as well.
Why couldn't you have somehow written this before I shot the video so I could sum it up like this!
Excellent series of videos! I appreciate the effort you obviously put into the presentation and cinematography and the detail work that went into the reviews (especially the part to "test" out the customer service of each company... hat tip to Elite for being willing to work with purchasers like that). I'd be interested in seeing a similar series of reviews for entry-level or mid-range bows sometime (I already picked a Bear Cruzer G2 as my first bow, but next year I'm probably going to step up to at least a mid-range bow if not a flagship), but I understand that the amount of work you put into this series might be too time consuming to do similar for multiple tiers of bows.
Great work and I hope a silver or gold UA-cam button is in your channel's future! (You've earned my subscription)
I’m not new to hunting but I am new to bow hunting and this will be my first season to bow hunt white tail in west Texas. I’m fortunate I own a hunting ranch but I am doing a lot of research on bows. I have been on the fence but after the watching your video Im set on the VXR 31.5. Thankyou for you time and investment into making this video. Happy hunting.
Glad I could help! I've got family in Colorado city and Snyder. Let me know if you want some help getting rid of those pesky 200" white tail!
Great Review, that's close to the same result that I came up with, shooting every known bow out there.
Except with all the bows I shot, it ended up being almost a Tie between VXR31.5, Traverse and Hoyt Axius Ultra. I shot all 3 awesome and they all felt great to me. I flipped a coin and took on consideration technology (Switch weight goes with my, HHA kingpin that has a removable drum for quick draw weight changes) VXR31.5 is what I shoot. Hope it treats you great and good luck with your upcoming hunts. It's hard to find honest reviews that are not sponsored in some way!!
It's been fun to do the videos. I'm glad people in general think the info is helpful. I'm shooting the traverse vs the vxr right now and im glad I have both! I don't know that I'll be able to choose.
This is my favorite bow review video ever. You have set a new standard. Subscribed!
Best comparison video in my opinion hands down. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated.
Having just gotten into archery this year, I shot a lot of bows and chose the VXR as well. Loved the vid, not just because it confirms everything I also thought about the various bows I shot and the one I chose, but also because of the format, style and information you provided. Well done! Please keep the content coming!
Thanks for watching. Biggest thing for you is to just get the reps in as much as you can. It's easy to let the bow sit...
Great job. I really enjoyed this - thank you. Also: i also loved your previous work as guitarist for Rage Against the Machine.
Haha! I get that on occasion. That's funny.
I appreciate your description of the Mathews’ draw. I have the Tactic and it draws just as you described - must be a Mathews’ thing. I like to ease it over the hump, slide down to the valley, and checkin to the back wall to ready my resistance release. It’s a very delicate process, and as rewarding as a straight shot. Great content!
If you slow draw you can feel it so much better, like you're describing. I tend to get lazy and yank it back!
Love your style man! Keep up the great content the detail and testing methodology is the best I have seen! Love my vxr28! Cheers!
Thanks for the amazing detail in each review, now it's time to hit the archery shop and see which feels right for me. Will also be subscribing
Get something good!
Thanks for all your time you put in on these videos. Great honest reviews that are no biased due to sponsors are hard to find.
VERY WELL DONE VIDEO Brandon!! You put a lot of time and thought into this plus the video/audio is very good. Now to the bows...I own two VXR 28's and last week I just purchased the 31.5. I was a little apprehensive at first because I am a 26.5' draw length and "most" bows at their shortest DL available have pretty poor draw cycle and/or valley. I found this the case last year when I tried the Traverse set at 26.5". This was not the case with the VXR 31.5...I actually prefer the draw cycle ever so slightly over my 28's. You are spot on with how the 31.5 holds...it's a rock!! The people that say they want a longer ata for hunting and that the 31.5 is not long enough...obviously have not shot this bow. With that length of a riser that 31.5 holds like a target bow! It's too bad you can only get 85% and 80% mods for this system because someone honestly could have a great target bow with 75% mods...it holds THAT good!! Plus your "drawing" of the draw cycle was EXACT. I have owned at least one flagship bow from Mathews over the past 15+ years and the both VXR's are at the top of my list of the best. Once again, great job!
It's crazy what draw length does to the experience. Glad you are able to enjoy the vxr as well. Thanks for watching
Very awesome videos. Thanks for doing what many of us want to but can’t afford!!!
Hey Brandon,
Never apologize for the length of your videos. Keep'm coming. Also good choice with the Mathews :). My VXR holds on target sooooo well
Totally agree about the hold. Thanks for watching!
Great video series, keep them coming. Your production quality and content are great, I hope your channel blows up!
Thanks man!
Another fantastic video Brandon! Thanks for going through all the hard work. Im headed to my bow shop on Wednesday and am going to pick up the vxr. Thanks again!
It's a great bow. You won't be disappointed
Mathews are hard to beat. I am considering a Prime for my next bow. Your video definitely helped me out with the that. Can’t wait to see what bows you choose next year! I’m hoping that you find a sleeper in the mix.
Next year... Yikes. Took me half a damn year to figure this year out! Thanks for watching
I really enjoyed the journey. Your time, effort, and hard work is very much appreciated. It’s been a real pleasure! Thank you! It would be interesting to me to know how many followers did you have before and after the series.
Someone else said they couldn't see how many subscribers I have. You can't see it? I'll have to look in the settings.
Anyway, thanks for coming along. You've always had insightful comments.
Great review. I also have a 2020 VXR 31.5 and absolutely love it. It is super smooth, quiet, dead in the hand, and just plain sexy.
I got on the Mathews train when I was looking for a new bow in 2019 after bending a cam on my Bear while shooting at a local 3D course. With my longer draw length (31 inches) I ended up with a 2019 Traverse. I wanted to turn that into a dedicated target bow, and have another dedicated hunting bow so that I wouldn't have to swap sights or re-sight for different uses or different arrow setups.
Enter the VXR. I am running it at 31" with 73 pounds of DW with 85% let-off. I am using a Mathews 6" stabilizer, the QAD Integrate rest, and an IQ 5 pin sight.
My arrows are Gold Tip Hunter XT 300's with the bare shafts cut to 29" , using factory inserts, nocks, and vanes. I am trying a couple of different broadheads this year. I usually use 100 grain NAP Thunderheads, but opted for 125 grain Thunderheads this year to add a little overall weight and improve FOC slightly. They have a total weight of 445 grains with about 12.6% FOC. The Thunderheads 125's are awesome, but did require a couple of adjustments, so I figured I would also try some 125 grain Grim Reaper 1-3/4" Razortip mechanicals just to see if they fly a bit better. So far they do fly nice, and seem ok overall, but I always question the reliability of mechanicals. I will see how they do for a few more weeks, since the season has already begun in Kentucky. If I don't care for them, it will be back to the trusty Thunderheads.
Prime is another brand that I really want to shoot. I have heard a ton of positive stuff about them, and really think they are a contender for me as well.
Good comment I think people like seeing what other setups look like.
Love your content. Awesome quality, editing & information. Keep up the good work! 👍🏼
Thanks very much for watching
Your review is very in depth and your editing is awesome! Thank you for all your hard work🙏
Thanks for watching
one of your videos you shot very well with Traverse. If you should choose one which will it be VXR or Traverse?
GREAT vids!!
Get both! I have a Traverse and looooovvveee it. But I may add a VXR for myself for xmas.
I'm going to do a shoot off between the two. Stay tuned. Honestly they're both kick-ass bows
Thank you for the entertaining insight to the 5 bows. Great information and you made it fun to watch
Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it.
U did great bud! I finally got to watch it all and I can definitely appreciate the subjectivity and objectivity of your analysis!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching
What a great review thank you. Before I bought my helix I shot the VXR. The one thing that stood out was it felt so nice at the back wall. I never thought it would help with accuracy until you mentioned it. I endrd up buying the helix only because I was able to draw with it smoother than the vxr. For some reason I had trouble pulling that cable on the vxr. Watta great review thanks
Glad you found your bow. At the end of the day that's all that matters
Subbed due to your arrow video(s)! Not gonna lie, I shoot an old 2004 HOYT Ultra Sport that I picked up at a yard sale. I'm a lefty but learned to shoo it right handed. Hopefully I'll upgrade one day. Awesome videos man!
Nicely done. Worth the wait. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into it. Without a doubt, going through all those tests with 5 bows, plus the school of nock, you’ve honed your shooting skills over the last several months. Has to be a good feeling. Looking forward to more great content. I do have one question.....whatcha shooting in 2021? Lol, we all know every one of those manufacturers will be releasing “the best bow we have ever made” for the 2021 season. Will it be rinse and repeat - a new test of 2021 bows? Or will you stick with the VXR? On second thought, don’t tell us. We will stayed tuned.....
That's the crappy thing about it taking me a half a year to decide is I've already wasted half a year!!!! Haha, it's been really fun and I've learned a lot about what I want to keep working on. Thanks for watching. More to come!
Thank you for taking the time to do this review.
Awesome videos!
Looking forward to more of your upcoming videos.
On to arrows and broadheads next. Gonna be a long summer of testing
Thank for all the time and work put in!! Team Mathews!! I love my VXR!! Great video man thank you! 👊🏻🇺🇸
Thanks for watching
You did a great job Brandon. I’ve enjoyed your creative process! Keep up the good work!
That was a fun one to make. Thanks for watching
I just play around with bows basically but I really enjoy your videos. You are literally a man of “many hats” haha
Dang, that's a good video and a great review. You more than earned my sub.
Thanks for the compliment!
You are by far the coolest dude I've encountered on UA-cam that does reviews on bows man really enjoyed watching.....and yes Matthews is in my hands this year as well 31.5 is truly hard to beat ..keep up the awesome vids I will surely watch
Just wanted to say thanks for the videos. You ask a lot of the same questions that I have. I am trying to figure out what is most important to me and what I want in a bow this year. I am looking at the 34 ATA Elite Remedy, V3 31, and the Prime Nexus 4. sorting out what likes of each is more important to me is hard. I wish the V3 was more adjustable, and I wish I could do like you with full set ups of each and see how each shoots out to 100 yards. Thanks again keep up the great work and I look forward to your future videos.
opps my name is Larry sent from wrong account, lol
I gotta admit, I love the humor you put into your videos, you had me rolling, and no I didn't skip ahead but I thought that was a nice touch. As I watched I couldn't help but think it was a Mathews win but you kept throwing me with the prime references. All in all, great series of Vid's, I hope you keep it up. I would love to see you do some tips or testing of some different stuff with bows, like a send in your question or whatever to have tested by you, that would be cool. But hey, like I said, great videos, and keep us laughing. Good luck.
Great Video !!! i own a BT RPM and bought a used 09' Monster 6 last year .... not wanting to drink the " Kool Aid" of Matthews is the reason I bought the RPM back in 2015, what a mistake..... the 11 year old Monster is a much more stable platform and my groups are incredibly smaller which proves it. i consider myself a seasoned archer , i shot for my high School and have shooting a bow since i was 10 . It's just a better handling piece of equipment. Bow techs are great but it just doesn't shoot well for me. I'll be ready for a VXR in the next couple of weeks. Thanks Again
I'll be interested to see what you think after shooting "older" bows.
Thank you for the review I appreciate all the work that went in to this. Can't wait to watch the next project whatever that might be.
Arrows and broadheads coming up! Thanks for watching
lol!! love you vids!! down to earth and honest. i actually ended up on buying the Hoyt Axius Ultra. BUUUUUT am actually going to get the VXR 28 also. keep the vids coming, i look to your vids for info in the future and always good for a laugh! thank you!!
Thanks for laying it all out there and documenting everything. I can appreciate someone who doesn’t try to be anything except what they are!
That's all I got! Just me
I must admit, at first when I started watching your vids, I thought you were just a rich guy with time on his hands. Now after watching many of them, I can see that you really only care about knowledge, admitting your mistakes, and being open with all you do, and do not know. It would seem you care more about the journey than anything, which is rare these days. I am wanting to get into bow hunting, so I'm looking at reviews constantly. The bottom line is that most all the top bows are good, you just have to go pull each one until you do find one that suits you. I did want you to do a PSE, but I watched that vid also lol. Well done bro. Are you making all your arrows ?
I'll be getting into arrows next. I've got some new shafts in the mail. The cool thing about where I'm at right now is, I can be honest about what I'm doing. I've got thick skin, so I can ignore haters. I just want to learn how to do all of this better. Thanks for watching
@@brandonmcdonald6121 we live in a world that expects only 100% success as a norm, but in reality we learn much more from our mistakes. The only huge mistake you continue to make is your hunting expeditions, unless I'm just not seeing those vids. In most of the ones I have watched, you were unsuccessful in a kill. Which you always state you were kind of unprepared.
I feel as if your channel should be called "journey of the bow". This captures more of what your actually doing. Your not pushing any products with "this is the greatest bow/arrow in history/look at my huge elk" . It's more about finding deficiencies in your self and how you are finding equipment that works well for you. I sub'd today.
He is just a rich guy. What he lacks in knowledge he bull shits his way through.
Good points and great info. Im at a 28.5 draw and it changed the dynamics for me on the bows. Bowtech ended up having a slightly smoother draw for me in the end. But my final list was Prime, Elite, Mathews, PSE, and Bowtech. Directly in that order, and in my 70lb 28.5 draw it turned the bowtech into my double bow situation. Performance shoots like the Mathews 28 did for me but still loved the Mathews 28!(did not care for the 31 sadly)Bowtech was not as fast but its not a slow bow either! PSE NXT and carbon M1 shot fantastic and my draw was equally as smooth as the Bowtech in comfort. Revolt itself had a rough wall for me, revolt X was just smoother in every way! Good luck on all your hunts keep up the videos can’t wait to see what else you come up with!
I think that's good feedback. It's amazing what draw length changes. I'm jealous of the dude's with 27" draw. Everything's butter!
Brandon Mcdonald honestly it can go many ways at different draws! Everyone is different but hands down this year PSE suprised me with some very high quality offerings! As always looking forward to your Mathews hunting setup!!!
You are my only subscription on UA-cam. Aside from my brother but that was charity. Nice work brother. You sound like you’re in Learning & Development, but we don’t make that kind of coin🤷🏻♂️😂 appreciate the time you take doing this.
Just gotta say, I love your videos man. Don't know what it is about 'em....Good luck shooting an elk this year!
Thanks for the journey buddy, I am impressed your wife was so rad about the whole thing!
She is. She was totally on board with what I wanted to do.
Awesome video. One note on sound. Db’s aren’t linear the way people might think. A 3 dB change will either double the sound or cut the sound half, compared to a normal linear scale that people might be used to, like in watts. So the Prime at 67db, is twice as loud as the VXR and Bowtech that came at 64db.
Interesting. I want to get a meter and understand this more.
Brandon Mcdonald I’m an engineer, I’ll save you my long winded nerd out text lol, but UA-cam has a bunch of great videos on how power is measured in Watts and how it compares to Dbs.
Thanks for all the info in the bows I've recently bought the vxr28 and it is the best bow I've ever had and I've shot hoyt for years videos are awesome keep it up and btw any chance to join you on a elk hunt at all ill pay for my whole trip just need where and when been looking for someone to go with and teach me a few things . Greatly appreciate you feed back 🙏.
God bless
I would love to hear your comparison on the Traverse versus the VXR 31.5? I see where a lot of people like the Traverse better. Also, I really liked how you showed the true string angle at full draw. I have always wanted someone to do that. It would be interesting to see where the Traverse measures in at.
I shoot the Black 5 for hunting and competition. I have a 30.5" draw length and that one just seemed to fit me best of the new bows, but it was basically a coin flip with the VXR.
Great videos. Thanks for sharing.
It's in the works. I've got more time in July than I do this month so I'll have more videos next month. I'm really curious about the traverse vs vxr as well. I've got the traverse down to 65lbs and the vxr up to 75 so it might take some creativity to actually compare.
Really love this video review series! Thank you for putting in the work as I am sure this took a very long time.
It was fun. It did take a long time, but it was worth it
Cool video. I went with the vxr this year as well. Absolutely love it!!
Good choice! Thanks for watching
Literally bought my VXR yesterday 😆super happy with my purchase also amazing videos man keep it up!!!!!!
Good choice! Thanks for watching
Ah man, did you receive it already?
My order was on the 19th of last month, still havent received it.
How's it feeling so far? Cant wait to get mine
Aatje21 amazing!! I went in store and bought it at a Mathews retailer because Mathews has barely opened back up after the shutdown so they are behind on orders but 10/10!
What a damn good review. I'll be honest. I dont really do compounds anymore, but, wow I really like how you presented this video. I really wish somebody in traditional community would do this kind of review. And no I'm not that guy. But who knows maybe I will. Thank you for the inspiration. Have a good safe hunting season. Again awesome video series. Totally subscribed.
Thanks for watching!
Great video...enjoyed the information you provided...thanks for all the hard work!
Thanks for watching
Thanks for putting the time and work. Great content. Keep up the good work.!!
Had a blast. Thanks for watching.
Brandon Mcdonald you are a home town boy, I gotta support you. Continue to rock.
Brutal but well deserved punishment for those who skipped ahead. Really enjoyed the whole review, both parts are very well done. Thanks for taking the time to share! God bless
Hahaha! I should have left it up for 30 seconds! Thanks for watching
Thank you for putting in the time and effort to produce such good content.
Awesome stuff Mac! And my favorite bow won in the end too. 👍
It's a good one!
Great video, very well put together. Went with the vxr myself.. always shot really well with Bear but I traded er in this year lol I'm anxious to see what they come out with for the 2021 models!!
Just a snippet about customer service regarding bowtech. I was given an old bowtech patriot when I was 17 by a random hunter. Few years later the limb ended up splitting. So I bring it to our shop and bowtech ended up sending new limbs for free. Now I don’t know what exactly the shop said to make that happen but still thought that was cool. Now I’m onto my second bowtech, the RealmX. Going into my second hunting season with it, already had the limbs replaced. Bottom on split about two months ago. So we’ll see how this season goes but I will very much take this video and all the info you’ve provided into consideration come January. Thanks for taking the time inform us peasants!
Haha, well us peasants have to stick together.
Well done shipmate, I bought my VXR after shooting everything else except the Hoyt. I enjoyed your videos before I knew you served.
Love our service people, but I wasn't one of them.
Aint nothing better than an Elite back wall and Valley for hunting. But thankful we have so many different bows and its not one size fits all!
Totally agree. We are lucky the level of competition is where it is now. I really liked the Elite, was very impressed.
I knew it. I love my vertix. Mathews made 4 bows this past year that are awesome. I noticed that you weren't rockin the new engage limb legs . Gotta get a set , there freakn sweet!
I can't find them anywhere! I asked my shop to call me when they get a set in. I'm tired of hauling around a stand
@@brandonmcdonald6121 I ordered one from my local shop. (Which took forever to get. ) But scheels actually had a bunch in stock. If you're looking for one I can get one and have it shipped to you. I love mine . I hate using limb legs and having the bottom cam setting in the dirt. They even work with a side bar. My side bar is at an angle and it works awesome.
Awesome video! Have you made a video on bow stabilization? I realize it’s a bit different for everyone, but I’m currently looking at figuring out my front/rear stabilizer set up on my VXR 31.5” and would love some guidance. Would love to hear which set up you arrived at for the VXR. Thanks for the great work!
Literally working on it now. It's linked to the last video I did with the cutter stabilizer giveaway
I have a Traverse and a Vertix. After your reviews I will be Buying a Prime Black 33. Just knowing how suprisingly sweet it is and strings for life. Thanks for all the legwork. PS both my bows are all Black too.
You won't be disappointed. It's great
So im just looking at my first mathews coming from elite, what did you do if anything regarding the factory strings, great video by the way , appreciate your efforts
Great videos!! Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Thanks for watching
Best bow review ever done! Next years lineup should be Prime Black 5 PSE EVO NXT 35 Xpidition DLX and possibly a Mathews TRX36
I actually thought longer bows would be fun. Great idea!
Love it. Great video and thanks for the laughs.
Had fun with that series
Thats what you get! Lmao love it. Great video! Just got the vxr and couldn't be happier.
Haha!!
Legit, i own a Halon 6 which I love so much. I’ve shot the VXR and Kure and would have to say the VXR is the legitness
"legitness" I like it!
Awesome Video! I appreciate all the detail you went into!
Thank for watching
Great review! Before I was between the Axius Ultra and VXR and VXR seems like the way. What was the optimal weight and type of stabilizer you found to be able to hold on your target so well with the VXR? Thank you!
Your videos are inspired and such a great watch, keep it up you legend
Thanks for watching
Just seeing this, but great 2-video series. Thank you for doing this! Question though, since you picked the Mathews, did you end up replacing the string? And if so, what did you replace it with? And sorry if you answered this already on someone else’s post. Didn’t have time to read them all. Lol.
I knew it! TBH I am of the same option that the Mathews and prime are the best bows this year. Or at least my favorite. I'm not getting a new bow this year because I have a vertix and don't think it's really worth getting a vxr 28. Great video Brandon!
I just love the new technology... I try to stop buying a new bow each year but it's so fun to see the fruits of what the engineers can come up with.
Wicked production quality! Love the content!
Thank for watching!
String angle at draw is NEVER talked about and it should be a bow review staple. Nice work!
Agreed. "Axle to axle" just sounds badass!
Great honest review. I appreciate all your work and attention to details.
Thanks for watching.
Great work! I think we’ve been waiting for the conclusion of this journey and while I wasn’t shocked at the final choice, I was expecting it to be the Prime. I’m guessing that back wall was the deciding factor?
I’m glad you recognized the situation where speed matters. As someone with a sub 27” draw who shoots 60#, speed and cam efficiency carry a lot more weight for me than it would someone in the 28”+ 70# range.
One critique I have is with the decision making behind your Hoyt. Based on previous video and this one I feel price was a huge deciding factor as well as the already expected Carbon caveats/quirks. It’s as if the Hoyt came into the competition with an unrecoverable, prior knowledge handicap being that it’s Carbon. I would have been interested where the price point comparable to to the rest Axius would have landed.
That said I used to be an avid Hoyt shooter, owning some variation of every carbon bow annually dating back to the 2011 Matrix. Unfortunately my annual Hoyt purchase ended with the RX-1 as with the dropping of the #1 cam affected the efficiency when they compensated its loss by changing the #2 cam range. That and the Carbon weight advantage has all but disappeared leaving behind the negatives that you mentioned and only it’s cold day grip temp being it’s major standout feature.
So now I shoot Mathews....but ahh not the VXR. One thing I did not like about the Vertix was it’s draw cycle. Even though it’ was still basically a CC cam, I don’t like what that switch weight system did to the draw cycle, which you described perfectly. So I’ll keep slinging sticks out of a TX-5 and Traverse and for once enjoy money saved this year.
The rx4 is a tough one. I just realized really early on that it wasn't going to give me any better results than any of the other bows. If it would have held and grouped better for me, I would have been working to say "it's expensive but I like it the best". I'm excited to see what Hoyt does in the future.
I honestly thought you were going with the prime 5 but hey good video and appreciate your time for doin it, thx for all the info.
It was a close one...
Great video! Looking forward to your thoughts on the black 5. Currently deciding between it and VXR or Traverse for my first flagship bow.
That's a powerhouse threesome right there. I've been shooting my traverse set to 65lbs the last couple of days. It's great...
I bought a Mathews VXR the other day as my first bow.... EVER! DIdn't really know how praised it was until videos like this!
It's sweet... Hope you enjoy it!
Great job dude. Great bow. But I am a Prime guy. And "Prime Strings Matter". I wish I own both also. Good luck with your season
The primes a badass bow. I wouldn't have been sad to keep it.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 i shot the VXR and i think you made a great choice.
Well done
Extremely well done! Excellent video/editing quality
Thanks very much