Mathews DXT

If someone is looking to get into bowhunting but isn't sure what type of bow he/she wants, it's tough to beat a Mathews. Last year's Drenalin is fast, smooth, easy to set up and tune, lightweight and quiet. It featured a new limb material called SE3 that allowed the company to make thinner, lighter limbs that are just as resilient as older Mathews bows, but lighter. For 2008, Mathews introduces the DXT. It features SE4 limb material that is lighter yet. Lighter limbs, combined with the miniscule 29-inch axle-to-axle length, has rendered the bow's weight 3.75 pounds. It must be noted that some people do not like light bows for the same reason some do not prefer light rifles-they can be hard to hold steady. But bow shots are typically under 30 yards, and tight treestands and awkward shooting positions are the norm; I like a small, light bow.

The DXT has a 7-inch brace height. (Basically, a longer brace height-the distance between the resting string and the grip-such as this does not allow the arrow to stay on the string for a relatively long amount of time after it is released, thereby reducing the chance that a faulty follow-through can affect the shot.) Like past Mathews bows, the DXT is ultra-smooth with its Roller-Guard cable system and single, perimeter-weighted cam. Ten shots through a chronograph averaged 260.83 fps. Considering this particular bow's draw weight of 60 pounds, with a 26.5-inch draw shooting a 349-grain arrow (not nearly the 70-pound, 30-inch IBO standard), this is really fast. It is butter-smooth and displayed almost no recoil, therefore making it accurate. As a bonus, Mathews' line of accessories, like its innovative, detachable Arrow Web T-series quiver and Convertible HD II rest, fit and function flawlessly, making your choices for accessories simple.

Type: single-cam compound bow
Riser: machined aluminum
Draw Weights: 50, 60, 70 lbs. 
Draw Length: 25"-31"
Brace Height: 7.875" 
Let-Off: 80%
Advertised IBO Speed: 301-305 fps.
Overall Weight: 3.9 lbs
Axle-to-Axle Length: 33"
MSRP: $429