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PSE wowed the Out of doors Life bow overview staff earlier this yr with its carbon Mach 30 DS and it earned the 2024 Editor’s Alternative crown.
However nearly as good as that bow is, the 2025 providing is even higher.
The brand new PSE Mach 33 DS has all the identical options, but it surely additionally handles nicer, shoots a bit higher, and — surprisingly — it weighs almost the identical. The one space the place it falls behind its shorter brother is arrow velocity.
The Mach 33 DS is the right bow for bowhunters who picked up the Mach 30 DS this yr and thought, “Man, I want it was slightly longer.”
- Weight: 3.68 kilos (measured)
- Axle to Axle: 33 inches
- Draw Size: 25.5 to 31 inches
- Draw size is adjustable in 0.5-inch increments utilizing the rotating mod
- Brace Top: 6.625 inches
- Velocity Ranking: 335 fps
- Examined velocity with 470-grain arrow: 286 fps (30-inch draw and 70-pound bow)
- Examined velocity with 350-grain arrow: 328 fps (30-inch draw and 70-pound bow)
- EC2 Cam
- Let Off: 80, 85, and 90 %
- Dynamic brace top
- Lifeless Frequency Carbon
- Made within the USA
- Value: $1,899
Weight
PSE carbon bows have lengthy been among the many lightest in the marketplace, and the Mach 33 DS has a listed weight of three.6 kilos. When you examine PSE’s web site, that’s the very same weight because the Mach 30 DS, which is 3 inches shorter.
I weighed each bows myself and located the Mach 33 DS to be 1.4 ounces heavier. For perspective, three quarters weigh 1.5 ounces, so we’re speaking minimal weight distinction. How can a bow that’s 33 inches lengthy principally weigh the identical as one which’s 30 inches lengthy? I requested PSE’s CEO, Lonnie Workman, that very query, and he mentioned it has to do with the best way the carbon is about for the riser, however he additionally mentioned he and his staff had been stunned by the load as nicely.
One of many the explanation why bowhunters select longer bows is that they discover them extra secure, particularly at distance. One of many causes they select shorter bows is for the load financial savings for lugging a bow up and down mountains. So right here is the uncommon occasion the place you’ll be able to select the longer bow and never have to fret about additional weight.
Cam
The EC2 is a cam PSE has been utilizing for a few years. I’ve shot all of the PSE flagships and every with the EC2 has been highly effective, environment friendly, and straightforward to attract. On the axles, the Mach 33 DS makes use of the EZ 220 spacer system, which is a pleasure to work with.
Basically, the spacer system employs units of plastic spacers of various thicknesses. By altering units, or swapping spacers, you’ll be able to modify the cam place left or proper as you tune the bow, whereas sustaining a constant distance between the limbs.
The spacers are linked to the axles by horseshoe ends, in order that they merely snap on and off utilizing the tool included in the spacer kit. You don’t have to drag the axle to alter them out, which is a large time and stress saver.
Lifeless Frequency Carbon
The carbon riser is manufactured from a proprietary materials PSE calls Lifeless Frequency Carbon. It’s ultralight and tremendous quiet on the shot, each by way of noise and vibration. Carbon doesn’t actually vibrate, so the vibration folks speak about with carbon bows is definitely hand shock, which is the thump you’re feeling when the string is launched. With this bow, that thump is minimal.
Most producers of carbon bows get their risers from abroad. Not PSE. These risers are made at PSE’s plant in Arizona.
Accent Mounting
For accent mounting, the Mach 33 DS provides almost each choice. For mounting a sight, there are the usual threaded holes on the facet of the riser in addition to a Picatinny rail on the entrance. For mounting a relaxation, there’s the usual Berger gap on the shelf, a dovetail on the again that accepts integrate-style rests, and the threaded holes drilled into the dovetail that permit for mounting Hamskea’s model of the combine relaxation.
There are threaded holes on the facet of the riser for mounting a quiver, and the cable arm has cutouts to simply accept PSE’s proprietary quiver.
There are two stabilizer bushings on the entrance of the bow. One is within the typical location instantly under the grip, and the opposite is decrease, simply above the limb pocket. In that bushing, the bow comes with a Killshok dampener, which soaks up a few of the vibration as quickly because it comes off the limbs. For various stability, you’ll be able to transfer the Killshok up and transfer your stabilizer to the decrease gap, or take away it altogether and easily run a stabilizer in both bushing.
Full Draw Stability
One thing constructed into each PSE flagship searching bow nowadays — together with the Mach 33 DS — is a not-too-well-understood characteristic referred to as “full draw stability.” PSE talks about it a bit, however I don’t assume they speak about it sufficient to let bowhunters know what it’s and the way it’s serving to them.
The way in which the bow’s limbs flex and the cams roll over make it more durable for the consumer to torque the bow. In essence, the bow’s dynamic brace top will get larger.
We all know brace top is the space between the throat of the grip and the bowstring. The larger the brace top, the extra forgiving the bow. To measure the dynamic brace top — brace top at full draw — you place the bow on a draw board, crank again the string after which run a size of string straight from string observe to string observe in every of the cams. The string imitates the place of the bowstring when the bow is at relaxation.
The space between the grip’s throat and the string operating straight between the cams is the dynamic brace top. On the Mach 33 DS, that distance is slightly below 8 inches, as in comparison with the resting brace top of 6 5/8 inches. On different, non-PSE, bows the limbs and cams flex inward and so the dynamic brace top usually is shorter than the resting brace top. The Mathews Raise 29.5, for instance, has a brace top of 6 inches, and a dynamic brace top of 5.25 inches.
Once more, it is a characteristic that bowhunters appear to have hassle comprehending, but it surely’s why PSE bows with full draw stability really feel so strong at full draw, as in comparison with different bows.
Testing the PSE Mach 33 DS
I shot a PSE Mach 33 DS that was despatched to me for testing indoors and outside to get a way for its accuracy. However first, I set it to 30 inches, with a 70-pound draw weight. With the bow at these settings, I shot a 350-grain arrow over a Garmin Xero C1 chronograph to measure arrow velocity. My bow shot that arrow at 328 fps. That’s 7 fps slower than the ranking, however right here’s one thing to find out about bows and velocity scores.
First, I wasn’t taking pictures the bow PSE used to acquire its scores. Generally one bow is just a bit bit sooner than one other on the identical settings. Second, my bow had a peep sight and D-loop put in. Something you place within the center third of a bowstring reduces arrow velocity. So the 7 fps distinction between the arrow velocity I received and the 335 fps spec for the Mach 33 DS actually isn’t far off. To present you a way of the way it shoots with a searching weight arrow, I shot it with my UV 1K arrows, which weigh 470 grains and it produced 283 fps.
For testing the skills of the Mach 33 DS, I had the great fortune of spending a number of weeks behind the bow I shot. My time with that bow prompted me to do one thing I don’t usually do with searching bows. Attempt to shoot an ideal 300 Vegas spherical.
A Vegas spherical entails taking pictures 30 arrows at a bull’s-eye goal from 20 yards. An ideal 300 means each arrow should hit the 10-ring, which is in regards to the measurement of a silver greenback at 1.56 inches in diameter. It is a widespread spherical shot by indoor goal archers utilizing indoor goal bows, fats arrows, magnified scopes and on and on. It’s not one which I sometimes shoot with a searching bow set at 70 kilos, bearing a searching sight, searching stabilizer, and thin searching arrows.
A 300 spherical requires precision archery. Bowhunting rigs sometimes aren’t used for that. However in taking pictures the Mach 33 DS, I felt like a 300 was attainable.
The draw — even at 70 kilos — is buttery easy and it feels extra prefer it’s 60 kilos. Even with only a 10-inch entrance stabilizer carrying solely 4 ounces of weight on the top, the bow holds extremely nonetheless — nearly like a goal rig.
And so I hit the vary on a number of events taking pictures the Vegas goal face. I by no means did get that excellent 300, however I did handle a pair 295s and one 296. The latter means my arrows in that spherical hit the ten ring 26 occasions and the 9 ring 4 occasions. Once more, this was with my UV 1K searching arrows and never fatter “liner cutter” arrows. No less than two of my 4 9s had been simply outdoors the ten ring, and might need lower that line if I’d been taking pictures fatter arrows.
So why is that this related for bowhunting? It is a bow that I used to be in a position to shoot with constant, precision accuracy. That’s simply as essential for bowhunting as it’s for goal archery. All 30 of my arrows hit inside the 3 1/8-inch-diameter, yellow 9-10-ring space on the Vegas goal face at 20 yards. That’s infinitely smaller than the very important space on a deer and simply equal to 30 coronary heart pictures.
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PSE Mach 33 DS vs 30 DS
The nearer a bow’s axle-to-axle measurement is to your draw size, the steeper the string angle will get and the extra doubtless it’s for the bow to really feel unsteady at full draw — prefer it needs to tip facet to facet. And that may spell hassle when taking pictures targets past 50 yards.
Now one of many causes the Mach 30 DS received the Editor’s Alternative title for 2024 is as a result of it didn’t really feel like that. It felt strong at full draw, which shocked the three of us on the take a look at staff. It shouldn’t have shot in addition to it did, particularly at distance.
Nonetheless, you don’t at all times know one thing’s lacking if it doesn’t exist. The Mach 33 DS didn’t exist final yr. This yr it does. As regular because the Mach 30 DS feels to me at full draw, the Mach 33 DS feels even steadier. Once I shot each bows facet by facet, I may inform the Mach 33 DS sat just a bit bit extra nonetheless.
Bowhunters who’ve the Mach 30 DS actually don’t must commerce them in for the Mach 33 DS. However I’m positive there are of us on the market like Western hunters or Whole Archery Problem lovers, who love taking pictures lengthy vary and balked on the Mach 30 DS due to its relative brief size. Properly now it’s protected to drag the set off.
That doesn’t imply the Mach 33 DS is for everybody. When you have a shorter draw size, prioritize velocity, or must make a shot in cramped blinds, the Mach 30 DS is the higher choice. Additionally not everybody wants a bow that’s extremely secure for lengthy distance taking pictures.
Last Ideas
So if the Mach 33 DS is even higher than final yr’s bow, which was OL‘s finest bow of 2024, it ought to be a shoe-in for the crown this yr, proper? Not essentially. Whereas the Mach 33 DS is a complete dream to shoot, it’s merely an extended model of final yr’s bow. There’s nothing new about it moreover the size and the larger brace top. If different bows launched this fall shoot rather well and have new expertise, they’re prone to have the benefit over the PSE Mach 33 DS.
However that doesn’t imply it’s not an incredible bow. It’s. And also you received’t be sorry if the Mach 33 DS is the one you resolve to take residence on your subsequent searching journey.