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
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!
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.
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).
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.
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........
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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 RU-vid button is in your channel's future! (You've earned my subscription)
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!
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 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 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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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...
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... 😅😂🤣
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.
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.
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 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 as always! Wondering since you shot both if you could share your personal thoughts on the Prime Black Versus Mathews Traverse? -As always thank you for your Videos!
Awesome video Brandon! Very well done with explanations even a non engineer can follow. I just got a VXR 31.5 myself and I’m getting it dialed. Switched from Hoyt to Mathews this year and so far it’s a sweet shooting bow. 2 questions for you. Did you leave stock grip on and did you order aftermarket strings?
I have to say, I’ve so enjoyed watching this series, Brandon. Your wit & candor kept me engaged in the the minutiae of details that otherwise fall into the background hum in other comparo videos. Great job, thanks for sharing. I happened to also buy a VXR 31.5 back in December, what length front & back bars did you end up deciding worked the best?
Glad you liked the videos. Thanks for watching. I'm doing stabilizers right now. Im super heavy right now but I'll go smaller and lighter for elk and then heavy again for white tail. Probably 12-15" out front with a 10" back bar. Generally I'm 3-1 weight ratio with the heavy out back.
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!
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!
Honestly they were really only to tiers for me. I wish I would’ve bought a BowTech this year though… I shot the solution at the shop and really really liked it
You are by far the coolest dude I've encountered on RU-vid 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
Hey Brandon, I really appreciate the detail that you went through for this review. I decided about a month ago that I want to start bow hunting but seeing how I have no experience or anyone to guide me, the internet has become my source for information. The question I have for you is, as someone who doesn't know very much about bows, never shot a bow (besides that one time at 5th grade camp about 22 years ago), and never owned a bow, do you have any advice on how I should go about finding a bow that would be right for me during these weird COVID-19 times?
Find a shop that's close to you, call and ask if they have any used bows for sale. Get the best rig you can that's less than 5 years old. Here's why, odds are it's going to end up in your closet. It's a sad fact that most of us don't shoot forever and you want something that you can sell again and extract some value out of. Shoot for a year and if you love it, youll have a way way better idea of what you want next year.
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!
Soooo.... As always when I'm thinking of starting something new, I come to RU-vid for expert opinions... Awesome series you're running here... My question is, as a complete noob in the archery world (I'll be bow hunting), da heck do I do about finding what I like in all these almost too many options in customizing a bow that will essentially be my only bow.... Ever... Draw weight, draw length, axle to axle, yada this, yada that... I mean it is absolutely overwhelming at this point what all the factors coming together would mean... Beyond going to a range and shooting a limited inventory at a too short distance, any advice? Is there a bow build for dummies that explains to the layman what all the terms you used are, and all the parts of the bow and what they are meant to do?
Very nice bud. Absolutely the best production on the tube. Would have loved to see the whole two part series with the black 5 but they’re all great bows. How did you like the VAPs?? If you ever want to an Australian Hunting adventure, let me know and we can take that VXR and try to arrow the ghost of the forest... 🙌🏽S A M B A R D E E R 🙌🏽
Australias on my list! I'd love to come down that way. I do like the vaps. now that I'm finished picking the bow I'm going to really dig in on arrows. Honestly arrows can be more complicated...
Great video! I'm new to archery and it's challenging to keep up with the constant stream of information. What are the broadheads at the 5 minute mark at the corners of the target? Do you use them for all the game you hunt?
@@brandonmcdonald6121 Thanks for replying back. I'm so new that I'm trying as much as I can because I have no frame of reference. It's really weird to be thrust in the middle of all of these arguments and not having a dog in any fight. I'm from one discussion to another going, "That sounds reasonable. I'll give that a try. " But there are so many things to try that I'm wondering if I'll get to it all. I will say this: bowhunting seems to have a great community. I'm glad you're here. Thanks again. I'll look into them.
You are my only subscription on RU-vid. 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.
Another great video. As others have said, I kinda expected the VXR to be the winner. It wasn't as predictable as a Hallmark movie, but close. BTW, I found the grip on mine to have a bit of torque (maybe me). Side plates have helped. Are you planning on utilizing the engage grip, or switching out?
Excellent reviews of them, I like each piece covered. My question is,what are you going to do with the bows in the end? Sell them, donate them, giveaways?
Donating then to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. I'll make a video of it this week. I thought I'd have time at the end of this video but it was getting too long
@@brandonmcdonald6121 very nice of you to do that for them. An elk hunt has been my dream hunt for almost 30 years now. Gotta do it soon, as I am almost to the half century mark.
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!
that's a great review - very likely the most comprehensive review of these flagship bows today so thanks for all your effort and time spent. Seems for me - as someone with a draw length of 31.5" - the VXR has only a small (exactly a 0.5") downside, hence my question for you: how does it compares to your Traverse?
Did you measure on a draw board and adjust the draw lengths so they were exactly the same? If not and they were different, this would have a huge effect on how well they aimed.
They were as close as I could get them between d loop variation, cable twisting and mod adjustments. I was worried about one being 74lbs and one being 68lbs more than them being off by 1/4" though
Love these videos! What camera do you use to film with? My neighbor just got the VXR the other day and he has a Vertix. The VXR is so much lighter than the vertix and has an amazing hold. It is so steady in the hand as well. We shot it bare bow with a wisker to just try it out and things to settle in. It had the best cycle out of that and an Hoyt Carbon RX another friend had. They all shoot amazing compared to my old single cam bear adjustable bow. I watched your 7 shortcuts and it has helped a lot. Just starting a series of my journey into archery and excited to see what you do with you VXR!!!
Nice! Welcome to the sport. It's easy to get started but hard to get great (I'm still working on that second part). I shoot with a canon eos R. The key is lighting, which one still working on. Use a cell phone a great lights and you'll be Mike's ahead of most people
Brandon Mcdonald I currently have a canon t7 don’t have the best lights made some with some white light bulbs. Still working but thank you for the insight! Gonna try do a video of trying your card game!
2nd time watching , great vid favorite part is the call at the end about the Black 5. I think the review was more balanced having the the 3 in their but I think the 5 for long draw length guy's is a beast I'm curious what you think? Keep up the great work. Prime Black 5 Black riser, Yoti limbs 80lb, 31 dl 510 grain 250 spine x impact 307 fps-"shooting bullets" 580 grain 200 spine spartans 292 fps-"like wise"
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!!
Just wondering what setup did you use sight/rest. Were they all setup the same or you used same rest and the sight on all of them (that would take to long to dial in)...let me know and great work, love your videos. maybe you can make one on your bow setup also:) Cheers from Montreal Canada:)
I had 4 QAD rests and one trophy taker from bows throughout the years. So I was able to outfit all of them. Get them all setup like a shop would with levels in a vise etc then paper tune then a little bare shaft/ walk back group tune. Things get pretty obvious when you get out to 100. Little clicks go a long way to tighten things up.
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 RU-vid has a bunch of great videos on how power is measured in Watts and how it compares to Dbs.
I seriously thought about switching this year from the hoyt. But....I may go away from the carbon next year and go back to aluminum. I tried the carbon defiant when I found one on sale and I love it, but its kind of inconsistent. I like the axius line, any chance you may do a review on one? Or did you and I missed it.? Lol. Glad you found one that works for you man. Can't wait to see the future vids with it!
I shot one at the shop but it had so much vibration, I didn't even want to take one home. I should go back and see if it's timed right. If you've got what you like no need to change it up. I just like seeing new technology.
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.
You went through the ringer on this one. Good info. Bows are like golf clubs. You really need to go through them before deciding on them. I recently bought a new bow and did this exactly. I really wish you would’ve been able to pick up the PSE Evo NXT. You would have gone with it. I did and I’m a Hoyt guy. Lol
I appreciate the time and effort you invested into putting this together! I just have one question, where is PSE? Is there a reason you didn’t test them?
Check out my "no PSE" video... It was basically an issue with the shop. I'm pissed about it. I tried one out but had to drive an hour and a half. Really liked it.
I personally couldn't stand all of the after shot vibration and hand shock that I could feel in the grip of the Evoke 31 that I tried when I got my Mathews Traverse in early 2019. And now that I also have a 2020 VXR, it isn't even a close contest for PSE. In PSE's defense, they are slowing all of their bows down this year to make them more stealthy and focusing more on shootability and comfort over speed. This is likely due to the addition of John Dudley to their team. In my opinion, the biggest and only real advantage they had over Mathews, Prime, or Elite in the past was speed. They were louder, had more vibration, and you had to worry about them exploding some years ago, hence the monikers Pull, Shoot, Explode and Piece of Shit Equipment. Now that they are shooting significantly slower, and the other brands are shooting as fast or faster, and companies like Prime and Mathews have already been focused on comfort and stealth for a long time, there is no real reason for me to personally consider a PSE. Of course, this is just my personal opinion. PSE makes a good bow and all, but they just don't feel good in the hand to me in. My buddy is a diehard PSE guy and wont even do any research on other brands, or god forbid, go shoot one and give it a fair shake. It is PSE of nothing. To each their own and all, but until PSE comes up with some kind of some big time advantage over Mathews and Prime, whether it be in the form of stealth, comfort, shootability, or some kind of other design improvement that screams "buy me", I have no reason to give them a second look. So far, the only improvements I have seen is the rubber grip, which I think won't feel right for a lot of guys after years of the "TorqueLess grip". Of course you can remove the rubber, and I believe the TorqueLess is underneath. They put the little drilled and tapped holes in the riser for the stick type bow legs, where Mathews has the Engage Limb Legs that lock into the limb pocket and keep your cam off the ground. The stick type PSE ones still leave your cam in the dirt. PSE did put the holes in the yoke splitters for tying in a limb driven rest, which you could do yourself with Mathews if you wanted to with a drill and a small drill bit. This isn't just to bash PSE. I also passed on the Bowtech Realm and an Obsession FX 6 when I switched to Mathews as well. I liked the Obsession. It had great speed and had decently low vibration (not quite as good as Mathews), but the draw cycle was very aggressive. I felt the same way about the Bowtech, and didn't fully trust their brass cam weight system, the comfort and sport mode mod system, or their flexing cable guide and things like that. I never even gave Hoyt a thought because of how loud and expensive they are, and a lot of guys are having issues with the carbon cracking on them.
Chris bee did a shootoff between the two and I think the 28 won for him that day. He's a shorter draw length than I am. I think it's probably going to come down to preference. I tend to like longer bows so the 31.5 vxr was as short as I wanted to go. I'm hoping next year will be a 34-inch vxr
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
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!
Great video! Entertaining as always. Not that it matters but why did you test the rx4 over the rx4 ultra or axius ultra? Not that it would changed your person opinion.
I shot the axios at the shop but it vibrated so badly I shot it for a while and timed the vibration. I should have asked the technician to put it on a draw board and check the cam timing. Next time I go back to a Hoyt dealer I will definitely shoot one again.
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!!
I did for the actual shot tests. They might have been different in the videos but I was trying to make it apples to apples. The Bowtech was accurate. No issues there, I just didn't like the way it held after the shot. Congrats on the elk! Got me one too a few days ago.
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
