Throughout my life I have learned a very valuable lesson when it comes to buying something, and that is BUY ONCE CRY ONCE!  When it comes to archery, I do not believe one bow is better than the other. I believe the bow you choose is the best bow on the market for you. Whether it’s how it feels in your hand, the appearance, or simply coming down to what fits your budget. My very first bow was an old PSE Beast 4x4. It wasn’t the best bow on the market, but to me it was. After shooting that bow for several years, I jumped on the Hoyt bandwagon by purchasing a Hoyt Rampage XT (awesome bow by the way). I shot the Rampage XT for 9 years up until I was recently blessed with a Hoyt Carbon RX-3 Turbo. It was a very tight race between the Hoyt Carbon RX-3 Turbo, the Mathews Triax and the Mathews Vertix (which are both also excellent bows and have come a long way). What it ultimately came down to in making my decision was how it felt in my hand.

 In this review I’m going to talk a little about my experience with the Hoyt RX-3 Carbon Turbo. I will be discussing the specs of the bow, and the Pros and Cons I have experienced while shooting the Carbon RX-3 Turbo.

The RX-3 series is Hoyt’s 2019 carbon bow lineup. The RX-3 comes in 3 variants (Carbon RX-3, Carbon RX-3 Turbo, and the Carbon RX-3 Ultra), as well as 11 different hunting patterns and 6 different target colors. Below are the factory specs as listed on Hoyt’s website.   

Carbon RX-3 Turbo Specs: ($1,749.00 MSRP)

• 31” Axle to Axle

• 6” Brace Height

• 350 FPS (ATA)

• 4.0 LBS

• ZT Turbo Pro Cam

• Draw Lengths: 26-28”, 28-30”

• Draw Weights: 30-40 LBS, 40-50 LBS, 50-60 LBS, 55-65 LBS, 60-70 LBS

Now that we have the basic specs of the bow out of the way, lets dig a little deeper into the bow itself and talk about what makes the Carbon RX-3 the bow it is…

RISER:

The riser is made up of mostly carbon. The carbon portions consist of 50 individual carbon components that are hand laid into one single lightweight riser. The carbon riser was designed for ultimate accuracy and dead silence during each shot. 

Upon my initial inspection and compared to previous bows I have shot, I could not believe the difference in weight. Even compared to the Mathews Vertix and Triax, there is a noticeable difference. Another thing I noticed with this year’s model is the positioning of the hand grip.  Hoyt has positioned the grip lower on the riser. Hoyt also widened the riser below the grip to help with balancing. The balance of this bow while in my hand is unlike any other. Even when placed side by side with the 2019 Mathews line, you can tell a difference in the balancing. However, that’s not to say Mathews doesn’t produce a good product. In my opinion they have come a very long way. But Hoyt definitely did their homework this year.   

CAM:

Hoyt has come out with a new cam system this year for their 2019 models. It’s called the ZT Pro Cam (ZT meaning Zero – Torque) and the ZT Pro Turbo Cam.  According to Hoyt, the new cam creates a balanced side – to – side load with their patent pending Split – Cable System. What this does is eliminate the need for a flexible cable guard, reduces cable – induced torque, and lateral nock travel. This results in dead – center accuracy. The ZT Pro Cam is faster and smoother than its predecessor and is Hoyt’s highest let – off cam.  The ZT Pro Turbo Cam is the fastest cam Hoyt has in their lineup, and is exclusive to the RX-3 Turbo.

Coming from the Hoyt Rampage XT, I could tell a noticeable difference in the cam system.  The new ZT Pro cam has a smooth draw cycle from the start of the cycle clear into your valley. Now with the ZT Pro Turbo Cam system the draw is a little stiffer than the regular ZT Pro Cam clear into the valley. This is common with all speed bows in general. Once into the valley, you can certainly tell a difference in the let – off. Hoyt offers either 80% or 85% let – off.  

Grip System:

New for this year is Hoyt’s new patent pending Adjustable Grip System. This gives the shooter the ability to move the grip laterally, making both left and right adjustments. What does that mean for the end user? It allows the end user the ability to have ultimate tuning. It allows for the grip to be adjusted to your hand. Everyone has different hand shapes and pressure points. This allows for a better tune which makes the bow feel more comfortable in your hand.  

A couple other things that Hoyt has changed around this year on the RX-3 is the addition of shock pods. This allows the bow to feel dead in your hand and cuts down on vibration.  Hoyt also came out with the all new Stealthshot string suspension system. The system is designed to cut down on noise and vibration as well as improve accuracy by providing crisper, cleaner release of the arrow from the string for a more forgiving shot.  

I could tell a major difference in vibration and noise reduction compared to my Rampage XT. In my opinion, Hoyt has really done their homework and listened to what customers had to say. The overall feel and comfort along with the weight makes this bow fun to shoot. The only downfall I really have about it is the price tag. This technology doesn’t come cheap. With the MSRP being almost $800 dollars more than the new 2019 Mathews, it could push some people away.  

Overall, I am very happy with this bow and it will only get better the more I shoot. My overall impression after my first shots left me speechless. If someone were to ask me if I would recommend this bow, I would without a doubt tell them YES!

-Anthony Sidari, Fall Obsession Field Staff