So kind of you to leave a comment - it's a lot of effort by such interesting information! Stay tuned because we are releasing our next bow review later today!
Having shot and tested about all the new '24 bows this year, the Lift 33 was in my opinion the best overall bow. Of the new '24 bows in its ATA range, it was only slower than the bowtech core sr in performance by about 3-4fps with my 438gr arrows at 29" draw and 69.8lbs measured draw weight on the Lift. I found the draw length on the 33 to be the closest to spec of any tested (matching my Mach 34), and lighter in overall weight than all but the Mach 34 in the over 32" bows. Had Mathews marketed this bow as a 340IBO bow, the haters would have less to cry about and Mathews would have not hurt the marketing any at all by doing so. Nevertheless, this is by all practical purposes the best released bow this year in many regards. The draw and valley are excellent, perfect for hunting. The Lift 33 I tested was closer to a mid 83% letoff measured. This would be to me the best bow Mathews has released since the original McPherson Mathews Monster. I was happy to add it along side my Mach 34 for this season. That said, Elite (Ethos), Hoyt (Alpha X 33), Bowtech (Core SR), Darton (Sequel 33) all had excellent bows this year, and one would not go wrong with any of them.
Great comment and glad to see that our testing matched with your experience as well. We are also going to be testing the Elite Ethos, Alpha X 33, and many more.
Have to give kudos to Mathews and Scheels….. Mathews figured out the problem on the batch of limbs and they are replacing my bows and my sons bow!! Great customer service by both companies!
Finally a review with string angle!!! I’m a big guy with a long draw and string angle is super important to me for my accuracy and comfort. Great job!!
@@kylemacdonell1450 I'm fairly tall (6'2"), and I find the LIFT 33 reasonably comfortable to shoot. That said, I do prefer a larger string angle (the RX-8 Ultra is terrific here) and it frustrates me that they will probably release a 34" version next year. 😁
@@kylemacdonell1450 Yep - I would venture a guess that the LIFT will upgrade to include a longer ATA version next year. It is already SO close to being the perfect "all around" hunting/target/3D bow. Why not make it in that 34 or 34.5 ATA to give the people what they want? 😃
Cannot tell you how much the words and support means - you and a handful of other reviewers have been making content I've been enjoying since starting in archery. You're a big part of the inspiration for starting these reviews!
Před 7 měsíci+2
I bought a Lift 33 from Bear Creek in their very first shipment. First impressions…way different from the last three generations of Mathews bows I’ve owned. I shoot this bow better than my TRX 34, which never thought would happen. I have about 250-300 arrows through it now without cable stretch or peep twist. With respect to the Mathew’s grip, I have always purchased aftermarket grips to get the clean edge for consistent hand placement. With that said, I have found the Total Peep grip the best option for me. I simply cannot have an inconsistent grip unless I try, and the material gives awesome tack and warmth in cold temps. I plan on shooting this as both my hunting and target bow this year!
Awesome! Thank you for the feedback, and excited to hear that you picked up a bow from Bear Creek. I will have to check out the Total Peep grips - Overall the Mathews grip on the Lift 33 (even with the engage grip removed) is slightly slender in my experience, which can cause a tiny bit of torque. I'd be curious to try out a flat grip that is slightly wider to see how that feels.
My LIFT33 has turned out to be somewhat disappointing because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW IT SHOOTS…….. I made the comment earlier about my limbs being replaced 4 times and Mathews (SCHEELS The Colony TX) replaced my bow. Only to have the limbs on that bow splinter also. Those limbs were replaced on Monday and today (Wednesday) my limbs splintered again! Nothing out of the ordinary here; 31.5/72/85….. 29.5”/472 grain Sirius Gemini arrows w/ 50 grain podium titanium half out and 125 grain field point.
Wow - super sorry to hear about this experience! It does seem that there are accounts of splintering limbs on the Mathews LIFT bows that I have seen on social media. I would guess that the new, lighter (thinner) limbs, combined with the RPD material is causing some limbs to fail. I hope that Mathews comes up with some modification to fix the issue for people who experience it. Fortunately, I have had a LIFT33 in for long term review, and I have shot thousands of arrows through it with no issues. I am shooting: 65.8 lb. draw, 80% let off, 30" draw length, and a 413 grain X-impact arrow at about 295 fps. I am going to keep an eye on those limbs though!
Based on our results, I think you will be very pleased! Our review suggests that its a terrific bow that somehow produces top-tier hunting speeds with the accuracy of a target setup.
Excellent review, from shooting Hoyt for a lot of years, this bow caught my attention the minute it was released…After shooting one, I’m waiting for the call saying it’s arrived at the shop! 👊🏻🇺🇸
Very cool! I am trying hard to be very objective in these reviews, and I have also personally owned 3 bows from other manufacturers - but never from Mathews. I can't wait to test the rest of the bows and pick on for the 2024 season!
Just subbed to the channel!❤ What an amazing and in depth now review. I would so appreciate you doing sights/ attachments reviews as well. My wife and I are both buying a bow this year and I was floored the difference from this bow in store compared to my old hunting bow in my teens of the Matthew’s LX/ switchback circa 2004-2008. 20 years had completely changed how modern bows feel and I couldn’t be more excited to hunt again this year.
I appreciate what you're doing. You have to be the best bow reviewer out there right now! Can you please check out some target bows an maybe bows couple years back?
Man - such a kind comment. Thank you! I wouldn't say I am anywhere near the "best" - following in the footsteps of some terrific reviewers whose content I have been enjoying for years. I am absolutely going to do a series on target bows in the near future. So many interesting bows this year - what do you want to see tested from a few years ago?
Definitly the ultimate in depth review. If i were to add one thing it would be a comparative view to previous year bows. That would give better context for people looking to upgrade. That being said, next year I can come back and watch this and Mathews' 2025 bow and see the differences between the two. Thanks! P.S. how do you like the Garmin chrono?
That is a really terrific idea! Trust me - we are keeping all the data we are collecting this year, and we will probably include a "comparison" section for each bow review headed into the 2025 season. The Garmin Chrono is really good. First and foremost, so long as you shoot a "flat" trajectory over it, it seems to be highly accurate and repeatable. I've noticed that sometimes I get slightly higher speeds if there is a bit of a downward angle to the shot. That said, it does seem to work much, much better (in terms of actually giving a reading for each shot) when the unit is warmer or the weather is warmer. There have been some cold days (35 degrees F) where the unit won't always give a speed on all shots as it cools off in the outdoor temps.
sounds like a fantastic bow, but so is my v3x that my amazing wife gave me as a gift a year ago. I -think both are close so not changing this year or next....
I'm a big fan of most modern bows, and I love the review process. That said, bows have been terrific for years. If you have one you love, it's most important that you simply get out and shoot it!
Good review. Did you modify the draw board to get the bow lined up properly? My peg on my ez press that goes against the grip is higher and it doesn’t work right
Great question! We use AMO standards to identify the true "draw" position and we will usually use a tiny bit of masking tape and a marker to identify this point on the riser.
Awesome Review👍 This is a must shoot bow to try out this year. There is probably another bow that will compare but I think the price is going to make it out of reach.
@@zer0875 I actually purchased an early Arxos and tried it out on my RX-7 Ultra. If I am being honest, I felt as if it was a bit heavy (although I never actually weighed it) compared to the Axcell sight I was running, and at the time it was difficult to use programs like Archer's Advantage to make good sight tapes for it. That said, I love the design aesthetic and the idea of getting more yardage by moving the scope closer to the peep at longer ranges! Great to see innovation in archery!
I own a Mathews Chill-X (35” ATA) and it’s a reported 4.2 lbs bare. My Mathews NoCam HTR is 32” ATA and 3.8 lbs bare. Both could be considered “modern” bows, and Mathews themselves used to consider the NoCam to be their most accurate and efficient hunting bow (up to 2019 at least). I’m just making the point here that it IS possible to make a lighter and longer aluminum bow if you’re not building the riser to survive 80#s draw weight. Hoyt is doing just that with their Eclipse, which is light, fast, accurate, and maxes at 60#s. What the newer Mathews bows are is quieter. By a LOT. Several club members have the Lift, V3X, Tactic, and a few Bowtech Carbon bows too and they are all crazy quiet. Let me know if you’d like to test my Chill-X or NoCam HTR one day.
Man - I'll keep my eyes peeled! Although Mathews engineers have been saying for years that they won't do carbon because they don't feel its superior to aluminum. It would be interesting to see carbon make its way into the limbs though!
@@TangoOne Maybe! But remember, carbon also has some unique properties that metals do not. In particular, you can lay up carbon to control for specific flex parameters, use the carbon itself to control vibration, and carbon does not conduct heat (and therefore feel cold!) like metals do. That said, the LIFT 33 is very impressive in terms of the machining of the riser and the weight they were able to achieve!
Great review! There seems to be a lot people on many archery forums talking about the cables hitting the cams after tuning these bows with the top hat system. The limbs are very thin and seem to be prone to cause excessive cam lean. I don't know for sure, but I will wait to purchase one.
Interesting! You're the first person I've heard this from - but I'll have to keep my ear out for cases like this. There may be something to this, as the LIFT 33 has far more limb deflection than any other bow we've had on test so far! That said, I did go through paper tuning the LIFT 33 very quickly, and with one minor top hat adjustment it was shooting bullet holes and seemed to stay in tune. It could always be that if you are selling a ton of bows, you're bound to have more defects in the field because of the sheer volumes. Appreciate the information!
Google mathews lift issues. Multiple people complaining about cam lean, rubbing, and Multiple bows derailing themselves. Even on a weight scale when let down.
I finally found a left handed 33 in stock and was able to shoot it a bit. I decided to pick it up, spend some time with it, and wanted to report out my real world findings. To be honest, I was very skeptical about this bow when I first saw the release of it. When I first inspected one in person, my skepticism grew. You can literally grab the cam and bend it around in all directions (of course with the bow at brace) as the limbs are so skinny they just flex like crazy. I was worried about that from a durability standpoint. I was also worried about the cams being very, very skeletonized. They seem like they would be easy to bend, etc. Those were some initial observations before I got to shoot one. I got to shoot one and my first reaction was 1) the draw cycle is very linear, just stiff 2) there is no valley (even at 85%) 3) the vibe/shock after the shot is more than the Phase 4 and 4) the riser length adds to stability significantly 5) something different in the grip where your thumb fits is improved. I shot it with both C and D draw length mods and landed on taking it home with the C mod. I bought the bow and took it home (we do our own set up and tuning at home)...... Set up was easy. With a center shot rest we had a perfect bullet hole with ZERO top hat changes or any other changes. The Match strings are an improvement over the Zebra, not sure how much of an improvement but they are better. They are thinner and they did settle very quickly and my peep locked in. So I just started shooting it for a few days. The bow has a very clean shot cycle, very clean release. With it all set up, the vibe/shock was mostly gone. I got used to the draw cycle being stiff. I never did like the lack of a valley. My style of shooting my hinge is to relax/elongate the palm of my hand and that style does not work well with a bow with no valley. As I shot it, I realized the C mod was making me feel a bit long. I was not stable at full draw and could feel being a bit overextended. My shop still had the D mods, so I switched to them and now I was too short, feeling scrunched up. When I am scrunched up, I have hand torque. For me, having the draw length perfect is a huge issue, as I finally found out how well I shoot when my draw length is spot on. It matters hugely! So, sadly, I am caught between a D and C on this new Mathews cam and not comfortable at either. Note on the previous Mathews cam the D mod worked well for me). Yes, could I twist strings and/or remove the grip and/or fiddle with D loop length or even my release neck length (different releases) - yes I could do all of that to try and get the Lift 33 to fit my draw length. Since I have other bows I shoot well, I did not want to put that level of effort into the Lift, so I sold it/traded it. As long as Mathews runs this newest cam with the 1/2" draw length limits, I am probably out of luck with Mathews. Conclusion, while I can't speak to the long term durability of the bow/cams, if your draw length fits one of the draw mods and if you are OK with no valley, this bow could be a great choice for you. Thank you.
Thank you for the thorough commentary! Really appreciate you sharing your experience for others. Very interesting that you felt the draw cycle to be "stiff" and did not feel much of a valley. Based on our draw cycle analysis (and some overlays of draw cycles from different bows) the Mathews actually has a sharper valley than some other bows like the Hoyt RX-8 Ultra. If anything, it should be slightly more pronounced as it falls a little more dramatically and a little later than the Hoyt, and about the same as the Bowtech. Similarly, the Mathews was actually slight less "stiff" up front than the Hoyt as the Hoyt remained steeper between inch 11.75 and 14.25 of the draw cycle! Just goes to show that you really do need to shoot these bows, as everyone experiences things differently!
@@ApexArchery That is all interesting. Drawing a LIFT vs a RX8 the Hoyt feels much easier to draw at the same poundage. Thank you for your in depth reviews - best on the internet and thanks for keeping them mostly objective. I am guessing you either a civil or mechanical engineer by profession?
In my opinion, buying a new bow you love is never a mistake! The 29.5 is also a superb bow, and it may fit some people a little better than the longer ATA version on the 33. If you are hunting tree stand, care about all-out bow speed, or have a bit of a shorter draw, the 29.5 is terrific. But I would say that if you want a bow that is nearly optimal for everything from hunting to 3D to target, the 33 might be a bit more comfortable in the long run.
@@driftlesshunter9200 the 29.5 fits me perfect but with moving to Florida this year and everything going on I was wondering if buying the 33 would be perfect this year to hopefully accomplish everything I wanna do. I’m 5’9” with a 28.5 draw just not sure if I can use the 29.5 for the Tac shoot for truck
@@josephhenderson7044 You can absolutely learn to shoot the 29.5 really, really well. Especially given your dimensions, the 29.5 is a great bow. That said, the longer ATA bows do typically present as slightly more stable on target and at full draw. Have you tried a demo with the LIFT 33 or any other longer ATA bows?
Thanks for the question! The Darton Sequel and Hoyt bows come with mini stabilizers that ALSO happen to have rubber inside to help with vibration dampening (just like many other aftermarket stabilizers on the market). These get removed as the majority of people who own these bows will remove them in favor of traditional and more effective stabilizers anyway. I am not removing permanently affixed vibration dampening, such as shock pods, orbital dampeners, nano dampeners, or limb dampeners from the various manufacturers. Alternatively, I could leave them in place for all measurement, including the weighing of the bows. But this would be a huge penalty to the comparison of these bows to others. Ultimately, vibration is the least interesting measurement on most modern bows. By the time you build it up with accessories, the vibration will be negligible. 😀
Thank you for answering and yes I agree that vibration isn’t important because you can mitigate that easily I shot Darton last year with the Prelude 32 but this year I ordered the Lift 33 the Sequel is super smooth but I prefer a more aggressive bow and to me it’s the Lift this year!
@@Everythingoutdoors24 Nice! Clearly you've found a review here for the LIFT 33 - we also reviewed the Sequel by Darton, and we are posting another major flagship bow review tomorrow. Thank you for commenting and engaging in a conversation about your gear! I hope you enjoy your LIFT!
Your draw graph was very interesting. When I shot the Lift 33 I felt two humps one about the 30% through then again just before it dumped into the valley. It wasn't near as smooth as I thought it would be. Mathews bows just aren't for me. I gave them a fair shot, I shot the Mathews twice as much as the others.
I hope you realize most of Mathews early SoloCam bows were under 4 pounds. I shot an early edition (1996) Mathews SoloCam for 17 years, and it was 3.5 pounds bare bow. I might add it was 41" ATA (designed for fingers shooters) at that weight, too. Today's bows are heavier than the earlier Mathews bows with solid limbs. Switchback, Q2, and many others were lighter than this bow. My best friend still shoots a Mathews Heli m that is 3.5 pounds bare bow. To say this is Mathews' lightest bow is a bit of a joke.
Fair point! Perhaps I should have said that this is Mathew's lightest modern bow - and it is certainly lighter (especially considering the riser length) than most of the competition. Interestingly enough, I am planning to do a video with a direct comparison between a Mathews SoloCam and the current LIFT series.
@@jasonnester9514 That's understandable - but remember: you can always get really good deals on flagship bows from just 1 or 2 years prior once the new bows come out!
330 is NOT 343...JJ at Podium got 330 also...You keep talking about the speed BUT you DON'T talk about the 13 fps LIE that Mathews is pushing...Why not call them out on it?? Getting paid $$??
Firstly, let me say this for the record: not only am I not getting paid by anyone - my family is currently a few thousand dollars "in the hole" on all of the equipment I purchased to make these reviews. :) So far, every single bow we have tested has come in well short of IBO, ATA or any other speed spec that they advertise. I am very well aware of MFJJ and I absolutely love his reviews. I love that he does a scoring system that accounts for what the company says vs. what the company delivers. I think it's brilliant! The purpose of our reviews are to be as precise and objective as possible in measuring and quantifying the static, dynamic and performance specifications of each bow. This is because what I care about is real world performance of ALL the bows we are reviewing in absolute terms!
If I’m not mistaken the IBO is with the 80# 80% mod. And this bow in the test was 70# so it’s not really a reasonable assumption to meet the projected speed with the current setup.
@@JessePrestjohn IBO and ATA should be roughly equivalent, because IBO is tested at 80 lbs and with a 400 grain arrow (or 5 grains per pound if the bow doesn't go to 80 lbs.) while ATA is tested at 70 lbs. with a 350 grain arrow. That said, IBO allows for +/- 2.0 lbs, and draw lengths can be extended to 33 inches (or the maximum of the bow), while ATA requires +/- 0.2 lbs and 30.25" of draw length. I would refer you to a video by MFJJ (Podium Archer) where he demonstrates that these speeds should be roughly equivalent as the grains-per-pound are identical. Accounting for the extra speed in IBO being shot at +2 lbs and an extra 2.75" of draw length. For real world purposes, we are attempting to shoot all bows at 70 lbs., 30 inches and 80% (if available) let off.
Probably the best bow reviews on CZcams.
I wish you had a review like this of the Mathews Phase 4.
Really appreciate the kind words! A lot of effort goes into each video.
By far the best bow review I've seen this year and I've watched a ton. Really like the draw curve data. Great job!
So kind of you to leave a comment - it's a lot of effort by such interesting information! Stay tuned because we are releasing our next bow review later today!
Having shot and tested about all the new '24 bows this year, the Lift 33 was in my opinion the best overall bow. Of the new '24 bows in its ATA range, it was only slower than the bowtech core sr in performance by about 3-4fps with my 438gr arrows at 29" draw and 69.8lbs measured draw weight on the Lift. I found the draw length on the 33 to be the closest to spec of any tested (matching my Mach 34), and lighter in overall weight than all but the Mach 34 in the over 32" bows. Had Mathews marketed this bow as a 340IBO bow, the haters would have less to cry about and Mathews would have not hurt the marketing any at all by doing so. Nevertheless, this is by all practical purposes the best released bow this year in many regards. The draw and valley are excellent, perfect for hunting. The Lift 33 I tested was closer to a mid 83% letoff measured. This would be to me the best bow Mathews has released since the original McPherson Mathews Monster. I was happy to add it along side my Mach 34 for this season. That said, Elite (Ethos), Hoyt (Alpha X 33), Bowtech (Core SR), Darton (Sequel 33) all had excellent bows this year, and one would not go wrong with any of them.
Great comment and glad to see that our testing matched with your experience as well. We are also going to be testing the Elite Ethos, Alpha X 33, and many more.
Have to give kudos to Mathews and Scheels….. Mathews figured out the problem on the batch of limbs and they are replacing my bows and my sons bow!!
Great customer service by both companies!
Best review I’ve seen on this bow. Waiting for my 29.5 to get delivered to my dealer
Thanks for the comment! A lot of work goes into making these - glad you found it worth your time! I am sure you're going to love your 29.5!
Finally a review with string angle!!! I’m a big guy with a long draw and string angle is super important to me for my accuracy and comfort. Great job!!
Thank you! Looking at string angle really makes a difference in shooting comfort.
ME too.. The real question is CAN you shoot this bow ? It would work for my draw , but not likely the string angle I am looking for.,
@@kylemacdonell1450 I'm fairly tall (6'2"), and I find the LIFT 33 reasonably comfortable to shoot. That said, I do prefer a larger string angle (the RX-8 Ultra is terrific here) and it frustrates me that they will probably release a 34" version next year. 😁
@@ApexArchery We are about the same, I am a little taller BUT my draw is 31-1/4" - 31-1/2" When you say next year are you referring to the LIFT ?
@@kylemacdonell1450 Yep - I would venture a guess that the LIFT will upgrade to include a longer ATA version next year.
It is already SO close to being the perfect "all around" hunting/target/3D bow. Why not make it in that 34 or 34.5 ATA to give the people what they want? 😃
My kind of channel right here. Subbed.
Cannot tell you how much the words and support means - you and a handful of other reviewers have been making content I've been enjoying since starting in archery. You're a big part of the inspiration for starting these reviews!
I bought a Lift 33 from Bear Creek in their very first shipment. First impressions…way different from the last three generations of Mathews bows I’ve owned. I shoot this bow better than my TRX 34, which never thought would happen. I have about 250-300 arrows through it now without cable stretch or peep twist.
With respect to the Mathew’s grip, I have always purchased aftermarket grips to get the clean edge for consistent hand placement. With that said, I have found the Total Peep grip the best option for me. I simply cannot have an inconsistent grip unless I try, and the material gives awesome tack and warmth in cold temps. I plan on shooting this as both my hunting and target bow this year!
Awesome! Thank you for the feedback, and excited to hear that you picked up a bow from Bear Creek. I will have to check out the Total Peep grips - Overall the Mathews grip on the Lift 33 (even with the engage grip removed) is slightly slender in my experience, which can cause a tiny bit of torque. I'd be curious to try out a flat grip that is slightly wider to see how that feels.
Awesome review! Seems like Mathew’s is just missing the easy cam tuning features most manufacturers are going to.
My LIFT33 has turned out to be somewhat disappointing because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW IT SHOOTS…….. I made the comment earlier about my limbs being replaced 4 times and Mathews (SCHEELS The Colony TX) replaced my bow. Only to have the limbs on that bow splinter also. Those limbs were replaced on Monday and today (Wednesday) my limbs splintered again! Nothing out of the ordinary here; 31.5/72/85….. 29.5”/472 grain Sirius Gemini arrows w/ 50 grain podium titanium half out and 125 grain field point.
Wow - super sorry to hear about this experience! It does seem that there are accounts of splintering limbs on the Mathews LIFT bows that I have seen on social media. I would guess that the new, lighter (thinner) limbs, combined with the RPD material is causing some limbs to fail. I hope that Mathews comes up with some modification to fix the issue for people who experience it.
Fortunately, I have had a LIFT33 in for long term review, and I have shot thousands of arrows through it with no issues. I am shooting: 65.8 lb. draw, 80% let off, 30" draw length, and a 413 grain X-impact arrow at about 295 fps. I am going to keep an eye on those limbs though!
Great in depth review and well presented, subscribed.
Nice review! I am going to pick up my 33 in a few days.
Based on our results, I think you will be very pleased! Our review suggests that its a terrific bow that somehow produces top-tier hunting speeds with the accuracy of a target setup.
Excellent review, from shooting Hoyt for a lot of years, this bow caught my attention the minute it was released…After shooting one, I’m waiting for the call saying it’s arrived at the shop! 👊🏻🇺🇸
Very cool! I am trying hard to be very objective in these reviews, and I have also personally owned 3 bows from other manufacturers - but never from Mathews. I can't wait to test the rest of the bows and pick on for the 2024 season!
Just subbed to the channel!❤
What an amazing and in depth now review. I would so appreciate you doing sights/ attachments reviews as well. My wife and I are both buying a bow this year and I was floored the difference from this bow in store compared to my old hunting bow in my teens of the Matthew’s LX/ switchback circa 2004-2008. 20 years had completely changed how modern bows feel and I couldn’t be more excited to hunt again this year.
I’ve just been waiting on mine to come in!
Based on what we found in this review I think it will be worth the wait! I could not believe how easy the draw cycle was for those speeds.
I appreciate what you're doing. You have to be the best bow reviewer out there right now!
Can you please check out some target bows an maybe bows couple years back?
Man - such a kind comment. Thank you! I wouldn't say I am anywhere near the "best" - following in the footsteps of some terrific reviewers whose content I have been enjoying for years.
I am absolutely going to do a series on target bows in the near future. So many interesting bows this year - what do you want to see tested from a few years ago?
great review hope you do the 29.5 lift and like to see some 80# pound tests from the lift thx
I'll see if I can make some 80# tests happen!
Great Review!
Thank you! We're trying hard to make the best reviews possible. It's hard work, but someone needs to shoot all these bows!
Wow, that was incredibly thorough. That draw curve graph is really interesting!
Thanks for saying something - I hope you liked it!
We are dropping another flagship bow review in the next couple of hours. Stay tuned!
Great review. Nice bow , good luck with the channel ✌🏻
Much appreciated! Its a fun project and I am glad that people are getting some value from it.
Good review, keep up the good work!
Much appreciated! Stay tuned and subscribe if you've not already - more reviews dropping later this week.
Thank you! Great review!
Appreciate that! We have another review lined up for release in the next couple of days - stay tuned!
Good job on the review. I have a 33 on order. Probably be months before it shows up.
Nice! What specs & colors did you order?
Based on my experience with this LIFT 33, I think you'll enjoy it.
@@ApexArchery
Thanks. 29” draw, 70#, 80% letoff. Ambush riser with Earth limbs.
@@drewolm Whoa - that is gonna be a sharp looking bow! Fingers crossed that you get it in your hands sooner than later!
Proper review, subbed straight up!
Nice Video!!
Appreciate you, appreciating our effort! Thank you.
Definitly the ultimate in depth review. If i were to add one thing it would be a comparative view to previous year bows. That would give better context for people looking to upgrade. That being said, next year I can come back and watch this and Mathews' 2025 bow and see the differences between the two. Thanks! P.S. how do you like the Garmin chrono?
That is a really terrific idea! Trust me - we are keeping all the data we are collecting this year, and we will probably include a "comparison" section for each bow review headed into the 2025 season.
The Garmin Chrono is really good. First and foremost, so long as you shoot a "flat" trajectory over it, it seems to be highly accurate and repeatable. I've noticed that sometimes I get slightly higher speeds if there is a bit of a downward angle to the shot. That said, it does seem to work much, much better (in terms of actually giving a reading for each shot) when the unit is warmer or the weather is warmer. There have been some cold days (35 degrees F) where the unit won't always give a speed on all shots as it cools off in the outdoor temps.
sounds like a fantastic bow, but so is my v3x that my amazing wife gave me as a gift a year ago. I -think both are close so not changing this year or next....
I'm a big fan of most modern bows, and I love the review process. That said, bows have been terrific for years. If you have one you love, it's most important that you simply get out and shoot it!
phenomenal review!
Thank you for saying so! Stay tuned - another review from one of the bigger company's flagship offerings is dropping tomorrow. 👀
Good review. Did you modify the draw board to get the bow lined up properly? My peg on my ez press that goes against the grip is higher and it doesn’t work right
Great question! We use AMO standards to identify the true "draw" position and we will usually use a tiny bit of masking tape and a marker to identify this point on the riser.
Awesome Review👍 This is a must shoot bow to try out this year. There is probably another bow that will compare but I think the price is going to make it out of reach.
Which bow do you think will compare?
@@ApexArchery Xpedition Xlite 33
@@olehemlock I just tied the D-Loop onto one today for testing! I hope to have the video up later this week :)
@@ApexArchery Awesome, will be looking forward to the review 👍
Killer bow man
It was a good one on test! Can't wait to keep exploring the rest of the offerings this year.
@ApexArchery what do you think of the dialed Arsxos sight?
@@zer0875 I actually purchased an early Arxos and tried it out on my RX-7 Ultra. If I am being honest, I felt as if it was a bit heavy (although I never actually weighed it) compared to the Axcell sight I was running, and at the time it was difficult to use programs like Archer's Advantage to make good sight tapes for it. That said, I love the design aesthetic and the idea of getting more yardage by moving the scope closer to the peep at longer ranges! Great to see innovation in archery!
I own a Mathews Chill-X (35” ATA) and it’s a reported 4.2 lbs bare. My Mathews NoCam HTR is 32” ATA and 3.8 lbs bare. Both could be considered “modern” bows, and Mathews themselves used to consider the NoCam to be their most accurate and efficient hunting bow (up to 2019 at least). I’m just making the point here that it IS possible to make a lighter and longer aluminum bow if you’re not building the riser to survive 80#s draw weight. Hoyt is doing just that with their Eclipse, which is light, fast, accurate, and maxes at 60#s.
What the newer Mathews bows are is quieter. By a LOT. Several club members have the Lift, V3X, Tactic, and a few Bowtech Carbon bows too and they are all crazy quiet.
Let me know if you’d like to test my Chill-X or NoCam HTR one day.
Love your tests and reviews. If your shop gets an Athens archery box give it a look.
I reached out to Athens about a demo bow for testing, and they never got back to me unfortunately.
I’d love to see this review on the 29.5 versions
Wait until matthews drops a carbon bow. It's going to be epic
Man - I'll keep my eyes peeled! Although Mathews engineers have been saying for years that they won't do carbon because they don't feel its superior to aluminum. It would be interesting to see carbon make its way into the limbs though!
Carbon is overrated and the Lift is as light or lighter than the carbon bows on the market.
@@TangoOne Maybe! But remember, carbon also has some unique properties that metals do not. In particular, you can lay up carbon to control for specific flex parameters, use the carbon itself to control vibration, and carbon does not conduct heat (and therefore feel cold!) like metals do.
That said, the LIFT 33 is very impressive in terms of the machining of the riser and the weight they were able to achieve!
Great review! There seems to be a lot people on many archery forums talking about the cables hitting the cams after tuning these bows with the top hat system. The limbs are very thin and seem to be prone to cause excessive cam lean. I don't know for sure, but I will wait to purchase one.
Interesting! You're the first person I've heard this from - but I'll have to keep my ear out for cases like this. There may be something to this, as the LIFT 33 has far more limb deflection than any other bow we've had on test so far!
That said, I did go through paper tuning the LIFT 33 very quickly, and with one minor top hat adjustment it was shooting bullet holes and seemed to stay in tune. It could always be that if you are selling a ton of bows, you're bound to have more defects in the field because of the sheer volumes.
Appreciate the information!
Good point. Time will tell.@@ApexArchery
Good point. Time will tell.@@ApexArchery
Google mathews lift issues. Multiple people complaining about cam lean, rubbing, and Multiple bows derailing themselves. Even on a weight scale when let down.
I finally found a left handed 33 in stock and was able to shoot it a bit. I decided to pick it up, spend some time with it, and wanted to report out my real world findings. To be honest, I was very skeptical about this bow when I first saw the release of it. When I first inspected one in person, my skepticism grew. You can literally grab the cam and bend it around in all directions (of course with the bow at brace) as the limbs are so skinny they just flex like crazy. I was worried about that from a durability standpoint. I was also worried about the cams being very, very skeletonized. They seem like they would be easy to bend, etc. Those were some initial observations before I got to shoot one.
I got to shoot one and my first reaction was 1) the draw cycle is very linear, just stiff 2) there is no valley (even at 85%) 3) the vibe/shock after the shot is more than the Phase 4 and 4) the riser length adds to stability significantly 5) something different in the grip where your thumb fits is improved. I shot it with both C and D draw length mods and landed on taking it home with the C mod. I bought the bow and took it home (we do our own set up and tuning at home)......
Set up was easy. With a center shot rest we had a perfect bullet hole with ZERO top hat changes or any other changes. The Match strings are an improvement over the Zebra, not sure how much of an improvement but they are better. They are thinner and they did settle very quickly and my peep locked in. So I just started shooting it for a few days. The bow has a very clean shot cycle, very clean release. With it all set up, the vibe/shock was mostly gone. I got used to the draw cycle being stiff. I never did like the lack of a valley. My style of shooting my hinge is to relax/elongate the palm of my hand and that style does not work well with a bow with no valley.
As I shot it, I realized the C mod was making me feel a bit long. I was not stable at full draw and could feel being a bit overextended. My shop still had the D mods, so I switched to them and now I was too short, feeling scrunched up. When I am scrunched up, I have hand torque. For me, having the draw length perfect is a huge issue, as I finally found out how well I shoot when my draw length is spot on. It matters hugely! So, sadly, I am caught between a D and C on this new Mathews cam and not comfortable at either. Note on the previous Mathews cam the D mod worked well for me). Yes, could I twist strings and/or remove the grip and/or fiddle with D loop length or even my release neck length (different releases) - yes I could do all of that to try and get the Lift 33 to fit my draw length. Since I have other bows I shoot well, I did not want to put that level of effort into the Lift, so I sold it/traded it. As long as Mathews runs this newest cam with the 1/2" draw length limits, I am probably out of luck with Mathews.
Conclusion, while I can't speak to the long term durability of the bow/cams, if your draw length fits one of the draw mods and if you are OK with no valley, this bow could be a great choice for you. Thank you.
Thank you for the thorough commentary! Really appreciate you sharing your experience for others.
Very interesting that you felt the draw cycle to be "stiff" and did not feel much of a valley. Based on our draw cycle analysis (and some overlays of draw cycles from different bows) the Mathews actually has a sharper valley than some other bows like the Hoyt RX-8 Ultra. If anything, it should be slightly more pronounced as it falls a little more dramatically and a little later than the Hoyt, and about the same as the Bowtech. Similarly, the Mathews was actually slight less "stiff" up front than the Hoyt as the Hoyt remained steeper between inch 11.75 and 14.25 of the draw cycle!
Just goes to show that you really do need to shoot these bows, as everyone experiences things differently!
@@ApexArchery That is all interesting. Drawing a LIFT vs a RX8 the Hoyt feels much easier to draw at the same poundage. Thank you for your in depth reviews - best on the internet and thanks for keeping them mostly objective. I am guessing you either a civil or mechanical engineer by profession?
@@huntsimple9527 Good guess - but no. Professionally, I work in business development in tech. So most of my co-workers are engineers! ;)
Did I make a mistake buying the lift 29-1/2” instead of the 33” if I want to shoot bow hunter at Landcaster and 100 yard pluse shots
In my opinion, buying a new bow you love is never a mistake! The 29.5 is also a superb bow, and it may fit some people a little better than the longer ATA version on the 33. If you are hunting tree stand, care about all-out bow speed, or have a bit of a shorter draw, the 29.5 is terrific. But I would say that if you want a bow that is nearly optimal for everything from hunting to 3D to target, the 33 might be a bit more comfortable in the long run.
There's a reason Mathew's target bows are 36", 38", & 40" ATA bows.
@@driftlesshunter9200 the 29.5 fits me perfect but with moving to Florida this year and everything going on I was wondering if buying the 33 would be perfect this year to hopefully accomplish everything I wanna do. I’m 5’9” with a 28.5 draw just not sure if I can use the 29.5 for the Tac shoot for truck
@@josephhenderson7044 You can absolutely learn to shoot the 29.5 really, really well. Especially given your dimensions, the 29.5 is a great bow. That said, the longer ATA bows do typically present as slightly more stable on target and at full draw. Have you tried a demo with the LIFT 33 or any other longer ATA bows?
why not take the dampener out of the front like you did for the Darton Sequel 33?
Thanks for the question! The Darton Sequel and Hoyt bows come with mini stabilizers that ALSO happen to have rubber inside to help with vibration dampening (just like many other aftermarket stabilizers on the market). These get removed as the majority of people who own these bows will remove them in favor of traditional and more effective stabilizers anyway. I am not removing permanently affixed vibration dampening, such as shock pods, orbital dampeners, nano dampeners, or limb dampeners from the various manufacturers.
Alternatively, I could leave them in place for all measurement, including the weighing of the bows. But this would be a huge penalty to the comparison of these bows to others.
Ultimately, vibration is the least interesting measurement on most modern bows. By the time you build it up with accessories, the vibration will be negligible. 😀
Thank you for answering and yes I agree that vibration isn’t important because you can mitigate that easily I shot Darton last year with the Prelude 32 but this year I ordered the Lift 33 the Sequel is super smooth but I prefer a more aggressive bow and to me it’s the Lift this year!
@@Everythingoutdoors24 Nice! Clearly you've found a review here for the LIFT 33 - we also reviewed the Sequel by Darton, and we are posting another major flagship bow review tomorrow. Thank you for commenting and engaging in a conversation about your gear! I hope you enjoy your LIFT!
Your draw graph was very interesting. When I shot the Lift 33 I felt two humps one about the 30% through then again just before it dumped into the valley. It wasn't near as smooth as I thought it would be. Mathews bows just aren't for me. I gave them a fair shot, I shot the Mathews twice as much as the others.
Fair enough! A great example of why its important to shoot a bow, and to ensure the bow is set up correctly when demo'ing!
I hope you realize most of Mathews early SoloCam bows were under 4 pounds. I shot an early edition (1996) Mathews SoloCam for 17 years, and it was 3.5 pounds bare bow. I might add it was 41" ATA (designed for fingers shooters) at that weight, too. Today's bows are heavier than the earlier Mathews bows with solid limbs. Switchback, Q2, and many others were lighter than this bow. My best friend still shoots a Mathews Heli m that is 3.5 pounds bare bow. To say this is Mathews' lightest bow is a bit of a joke.
Fair point! Perhaps I should have said that this is Mathew's lightest modern bow - and it is certainly lighter (especially considering the riser length) than most of the competition. Interestingly enough, I am planning to do a video with a direct comparison between a Mathews SoloCam and the current LIFT series.
So, how does that make you feel?
For the cost they can shove it
What bothers you about the cost? Overall, this bow comes in right around average for flagship hunting bows from most manufacturers!
@@ApexArchery can’t afford it that’s what bother me all of todays bows are extremely over priced most us working stiffs cannot budget a flagship bow
@@jasonnester9514 That's understandable - but remember: you can always get really good deals on flagship bows from just 1 or 2 years prior once the new bows come out!
330 is NOT 343...JJ at Podium got 330 also...You keep talking about the speed BUT you DON'T talk about the 13 fps LIE that Mathews is pushing...Why not call them out on it?? Getting paid $$??
Firstly, let me say this for the record: not only am I not getting paid by anyone - my family is currently a few thousand dollars "in the hole" on all of the equipment I purchased to make these reviews. :)
So far, every single bow we have tested has come in well short of IBO, ATA or any other speed spec that they advertise. I am very well aware of MFJJ and I absolutely love his reviews. I love that he does a scoring system that accounts for what the company says vs. what the company delivers. I think it's brilliant!
The purpose of our reviews are to be as precise and objective as possible in measuring and quantifying the static, dynamic and performance specifications of each bow. This is because what I care about is real world performance of ALL the bows we are reviewing in absolute terms!
@@ApexArchery ...Tell me how you really feel!! Lol 😂 🔥...Subbed!
@@ICU2B4UDO 🤑
If I’m not mistaken the IBO is with the 80# 80% mod. And this bow in the test was 70# so it’s not really a reasonable assumption to meet the projected speed with the current setup.
@@JessePrestjohn IBO and ATA should be roughly equivalent, because IBO is tested at 80 lbs and with a 400 grain arrow (or 5 grains per pound if the bow doesn't go to 80 lbs.) while ATA is tested at 70 lbs. with a 350 grain arrow. That said, IBO allows for +/- 2.0 lbs, and draw lengths can be extended to 33 inches (or the maximum of the bow), while ATA requires +/- 0.2 lbs and 30.25" of draw length.
I would refer you to a video by MFJJ (Podium Archer) where he demonstrates that these speeds should be roughly equivalent as the grains-per-pound are identical. Accounting for the extra speed in IBO being shot at +2 lbs and an extra 2.75" of draw length.
For real world purposes, we are attempting to shoot all bows at 70 lbs., 30 inches and 80% (if available) let off.