Testing the Most Expensive Hunting Bow on the Market

Hoyt has been within the carbon compound recreation because the Carbon Matrix hit the market in 2010. Since then, they’ve been making adjustments and enhancements yearly, and, for 2025, they’ve arguably put their finest foot ahead. The 2025 RX-9 Extremely is the nicest-shooting, most correct carbon Hoyt bow I’ve ever shot. The 33.5-inch bow is gentle, holds on track like a dream, delivers arrows precisely the place the pin settles, and has just about no aftershock — a uncommon high quality in a carbon bow.

However brace yourselves. Whereas the RX-9 Extremely provides the most recent and best from Hoyt in know-how and efficiency, it comes with a hefty price ticket of $2,149. That value makes it the most costly looking bow available on the market. That can assist you resolve if the RX-9 is price shopping for, I broke down its new options, shot it at 60 yards, chronographed it, and evaluated its capturing expertise.

• Weight: 4.3 kilos (measured)
• Axle to Axle: 33.5 inches
• Draw Size:  26 to 31 inches
• Draw size is adjustable in ¼-inch increments, primarily based on 5 rotating mods
• Brace Top: 6 3/8 inches
• Pace Score: 340 fps
• Examined pace with 350-grain arrow: 336 fps (30-inch draw and 70-pound bow)
• HBX Gen 4 Cam
• Let-Off: 75, 80, and 85 p.c
• Value: $2,149

Cam

The all-new HBX Gen 4 cam powers the Hoyt RX-9 Extremely. That is Hoyt’s first-ever, four-track cam, which suggests there are tracks on every cam for the bowstring, the cable, and every leg of the cut up yoke. Within the compound bow world, the four-track cam is taken into account extraordinarily steady, which is why so many bows now function it together with PSE, Darton, and Elite, to call just a few. Mathews employs their very own variation of the 4 observe, as effectively.

It’s anticipated that four-track cams aren’t liable to leaning. When the cam stays vertical, the entire bow tends to be extra steady as hundreds on cables and the cam keep extra constant by means of the draw cycle.

For tuning, Hoyt employs a spacer system that requires eradicating the axle to vary spacers of various thicknesses, permitting the cam to shift left or proper. Hoyt expects that with the change to four-track cams, nevertheless, fewer folks ought to want the spacers for tuning, since cam lean is all however eradicated. Certainly, I used to be capable of tune my RX-9 to perfection merely with minor relaxation changes.

Draw Size Adjustment 

Previously, Hoyt was well-known for having as many as three cams to cowl completely different components of the full draw size spectrum for a given bow. That system labored for sustaining effectivity, but it surely wasn’t the best system for archery professional outlets, since bows with sure cams have been restricted to their respective draw size ranges. The HBX Gen 4 cam is uniform throughout all draw lengths, whereas Hoyt employs 5 completely different modules to permit for draw size adjustments from 26 to 31 inches for the RX-9 Extremely.

Every module permits for some draw-length tweaking, so you possibly can actually dial within the size to really feel the way in which you need. The No. 4 module that I used, for instance, has 4 positions to permit for the draw size to be set at 30, 29.75, 29.5, or 29.25 inches. These 0.25-inch refinements could make a bow maintain steadier for an archer.

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Let-Off

Additionally on the module, Hoyt permits the archer to modify between 75, 80, and 85 p.c let-off. Additional, the module finish, which Hoyt calls the “foot,” could be swapped between the 2 cams in order that the foot contacts the cable at full draw in numerous positions to create a unique really feel on the again wall. The ft produce what Hoyt calls an “further arduous” cease of their common positions. Certainly, it feels very very similar to a limb cease, though the foot contacts a cable at full draw. Transfer the highest foot to the underside and vice versa, and the foot place adjustments, so the ft produce a “arduous” cease. It’s a stable wall, but it surely’s a bit softer than the “further arduous.” Some archers desire that of their shot course of.

Riser and Limbs 

The riser for the RX-9 Extremely appears to be like almost similar to the riser for the RX-8, various solely on the high and backside. The struts that hook up with the limb pocket are narrower than they’re on the RX-8. That’s to accommodate the brand new limb pocket that captures the brand new TXL limbs. Hoyt tweaked the geometry the place the pockets meet the riser to realize higher effectivity and efficiency. I’m guessing that’s one of many elements that make photographs from the RX-9 Extremely really feel so lifeless. 

The brand new TXL limbs are shorter than final 12 months’s limbs, making the bow extra compact and enabling quicker arrow speeds.

Sooner Speeds

The RX-9 Extremely’s pace score is 8 fps greater than the RX-8 Extremely. That’s on the business customary 30-inch draw size, 70-pound draw weight, capturing a 350-grain arrow. At a number of the shorter draw lengths, Hoyt stories higher pace positive factors from the RX-9 Extremely over the RX-8 Extremely. At 29 inches, for instance, Hoyt says the RX-9 shoots arrows 19 fps quicker than this 12 months’s bow. Firm officers credit score the brand new limbs, new cam, and tweaked riser geometry for the pace positive factors.

Accent Mounting 

For accent mounting, Hoyt almost covers the gamut of choices accessible as we speak. There’s a Picatinny rail on the entrance of the bow for mounting a sight. Picatinny-mounted sights are typically lighter and fewer cumbersome than conventional sights, and so they get rid of any a part of the sight extending to the skin of the riser. In fact, you possibly can connect a sight with customary 10-24 screws as effectively.  

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On the shelf, there’s a Berger gap for bolting on a conventional arrow relaxation. And there’s a dovetail that permits for mounting any IMS suitable relaxation. IMS stands for “built-in mounting system,” which is what’s merely generally known as an “integrate style” relaxation. The one function the RX-9 Extremely lacks is the pair of threaded holes within the dovetail for mounting any of the Hamskea COR rests. That’s Hamskea’s proprietary connection system that permits the corporate to supply a relaxation that’s very very similar to the IMS rests, however with out having to pay to make use of the Combine dovetail patent.

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Dampener and Stabilizer Mounting 

The RX-9 Extremely comes with a Quick Cease 2.0 dampener/stabilizer. This can be a new, extra slender model of the Quick Cease Hoyt started including to its bows a pair years in the past. It largely assaults vibration generated on the shot, but it surely does include two one-ounce weights — you possibly can add extra — so as to add weight under the deal with for stabilization. Hoyt provides a low stabilizer mount, simply above the decrease limb pocket, the place the riser extends farther out towards the goal than the usual stabilizer bushing below the grip. Mounted in that decrease bushing, the Quick Cease 2.0 acts kind of like an 8-inch stabilizer would in the usual mounting place. So that you get the advantages of an 8-inch stabilizer with only a fraction of the burden and size.

Bow Stand 

Instantly below the decrease stabilizer bushing is a smaller bushing that’s supposed for the locking bolt used when the Hoyt Go Stix is connected. The Go Stix is a bow stand that may be bolted to the bow so you possibly can set your bow down and it’ll stand upright. Since no a part of the Go Stix touches the limbs, you possibly can even shoot with it connected with none adversarial results. The Go Stix is bought individually.

Quiver Mounting 

For quivers, Hoyt has distinctive mounting factors on the riser for its personal one- and two-piece quivers. Different producers make quivers that match Hoyt’s mounting factors as effectively. And, in fact, if in case you have a sight that attaches to the facet of the bow, you possibly can mount a quiver there.

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Testing the Hoyt RX-9 Extremely 

I borrowed a Hoyt RX-9 Extremely from Lancaster Archery Provide for my check. The draw weight was set at 70 kilos, and the No. 4 module was set to a 30-inch draw. 

The primary a part of the check was organising the bow so as to add the remaining, peep sight, and sight. For stabilization, I merely stored the Shot Cease 2.0 simply to see how the bow shot with solely that on it. The construct course of went easily, after which it was time to verify the cam timing. A half twist within the cable connected to the underside cam put the cams in excellent synchronization.

Subsequent up was paper tuning. For that, and for my capturing on the vary, I used 300-spine Victory RIP TKO arrows, tipped with 100-grain factors. My first shot by means of paper yielded a slight nock-low tear. I dropped the remaining down twice, and my third shot produced an ideal bullet gap.

Subsequent was the pace check. Hoyt lists the RX-9 Extremely’s pace score at as much as 340 ft per second. As talked about, Archery Trade Association specifications name for the pace to be rated primarily based on the 70-pound draw weight with a 30-inch draw size. Arrow pace is then measured utilizing a 350-grain arrow. I matched all these specs, and my Garmin Xero C1 Pro Chronograph recorded an arrow pace of 336 fps for my bow.

No, that’s not fairly 340 fps. However in my expertise, getting 336 fps out of a bow rated at 340 fps is fairly good as of late. Additionally, my bowstring had a peep and a D-loop on it. Something you placed on the middle third of the bowstring will cut back arrow pace. The peep and D-loop simply may have accounted for the 4 fps distinction between the pace I recorded and Hoyt’s marketed score.

Out of curiosity, I additionally shot my 440-grain Victory RIP TKO over the Garmin to see how briskly it flew out of the RX-9 Extremely. That arrow clocked in at 304.8 fps.

This bow is constructed with Western hunters and different long-range archery lovers in thoughts. Sixty yards is the farthest bale on the archery vary on the membership I belong to, so I spent my time there with the RX-9 Extremely. Right here’s what I discovered. First, the arrow flight was flawless. With vibrant pink fletchings on my arrows, I can see once they wiggle after leaving the bow. They didn’t wiggle popping out of the RX-9 Extremely. They seemed like lasers heading down vary.

They usually discovered their mark with constant ease. I’m not a professional archer and I do know my capabilities. I really feel assured that I can hit what I’m aiming at, however my type could be inconsistent. That’s once I get fliers. I’ve been capturing lengthy sufficient, nevertheless, to name my fliers the second they go away the bow.

I get pissed off with some bows once I really feel like I made an ideal shot, however the arrow doesn’t hit the place I assumed it ought to hit. That wasn’t a difficulty with the RX-9 Extremely. The arrows went the place I anticipated them. And what impressed me most — what makes me say that is the very best Hoyt carbon bow I’ve ever shot — is that I didn’t need to work arduous to be constantly correct. 

If the bow fired when my pin was close to the 3-inch dot, the arrow hit the dot. Once I got here to anchor and settled my pin on the dot, it stayed on it or comparatively near it with out a lot effort on my half. With some bows, it’s a battle to maintain the pin on my aiming level at 60 yards. I’ve to work arduous to maintain it the place I would like it. Taking pictures the RX-9 Extremely was not like that.

I’ll say the draw cycle is stout. That’s, this isn’t a bow the place the 70-pound draw felt like 60. It felt like 70 kilos. However so long as I stored transferring by means of the draw cycle, the string got here again and the cams rolled over easily. Once I slowed down the draw midway by means of, the bow tried to get my shoulders to break down towards each other.

Relating to bows and arrow pace, a favourite saying of mine is “pace ain’t free.” Bows able to speeds within the 340-fps vary aren’t going to be the smoothest to attract. That doesn’t imply they have to be harsh or have trash draw cycles. It simply means they’re not going to be the bows that really feel lighter than the draw weight. The draw cycle has to have some beef to it to get these arrows transferring. Some bows on the high of the pace chain do certainly have harsh draw cycles. However the RX-9 Extremely isn’t considered one of them. Simply hold your draw transferring, and the string will come again superb.

The place the RX-9’s draw cycle shines is at full draw. When you get the string again, it sits properly in opposition to the wall. This isn’t one of many bows that doesn’t allow you to loosen up at full draw. The valley between the cam rollover and the wall is deep sufficient you can settle in and purpose.

The post-shot really feel is the place the RX-9 Extremely will get an A+. Carbon bows traditionally have a thump on the shot. By way of the years, bow producers have been lowering the quantity of thump the archer feels. I’ll admit it’s to the purpose now the place the thump of as we speak’s carbon bows is principally irrelevant. It doesn’t have an effect on the shot, nor does it have an effect on the shooter anticipating the shot.

Once you shoot a bow that has minimal, if any, thump or vibration on the shot, nevertheless, you discover it. I’ve been capturing Hoyt carbon bows for years. The primary time I launched the string on the RX-9 Extremely, I stated, “Whoa,” out loud. The shortage of thump was noticeable. Once more, I wasn’t apprehensive concerning the thump affecting my shot, however when there is no such thing as a thump, it simply makes the capturing expertise a bit nicer. I’ve come to count on that dead-in-the-hand really feel from as we speak’s aluminum bows, but it surely undoubtedly caught my consideration with the carbon RX-9.

Last Ideas on the Hoyt RX-9

The 2025 Hoyt Carbon RX-9 Extremely is a long-range bowhunting machine and It’s the very best carbon Hoyt bow I’ve ever shot. Is it price shelling out the money for the most costly carbon bow available on the market? That’s one thing it’s a must to resolve for your self. What’s sure is that, in case you are out there for a brand new carbon bow, your time could be effectively spent to verify this bow out. It raises the bar for the carbon expertise.