I own a Revolt X at 70lbs 30” draw. It is the smoothest draw I have ever felt on any bow. I have zero hand shock or vibration. I think something has to be wrong with the bow you have. I shot every flagship bow this year and felt like the bowtech blew everyone else away in regards to smoothness. Only bow with less vibration was probably the VXR. This was my first bowtech so I’m not a fanboy by any means.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 I have mine set to comfort at 70lb 30". I haven't even tried the performance setting so I can't comment on that. I also own an Evoke 31 and I like the X draw much more. I think you got a lemon man... The only thing I am not too keen on about the bow is it doesn't hit IBO. I think they are about 10fps slow. Im not a speed first guy, but I do like bows to hit advertised speeds or at least be kinda close.
So... watched the review again, appreciate the honesty. Like I said earlier I already ordered my Revolt based on a demo I did with the Revolt, RX4, VXR and the KURE. They all had their plus and minuses. I went and shot the Revolt’s again to see if I had buyers remorse. Just cant’t figure out why you dislike those bows so much. I guess because I chose to live with the comfort setting maybe I might be settling but it just feels great. Not getting hand shock and draw cycle is the smoothest I’ve ever had. You do have to push it forward but that’s the case with any high let off bow... judging the cam integrity by size also is a week judgement. I shoot with guys who still use bows from the 80’s with cams the size of oreo’s and they are still holding up. Can’t help but feel you really didn’t want to like this bow from jump street but... still appreciate the review.
I talked to the shop owner and he really feels like it's my long draw length. I'm going to put it on 29" draw and switch back to comfort. I will say on comfort, the majority of the draw literally seems easier than the rest and super comfortable. I'm not giving up yet. I want to figure out why some people love it and I don't.
I had a Revolt X and it arrived on 27” in “Comfort”. I shot it a couple days then switched it to “Performance” at 28”. It was pretty much a faultless draw in Comfort, and felt dramatically heavier in Performance. I went back to Comfort immediately, within two or three shots. If you didn’t move the draw stops to match the draw length, you could have created a monster valley. With the draw stop set exactly to the right length, the Performance side has very little valley at all and the letoff comes up to about 80%. I didn’t find Performance to be worth it. I sold mine, not because it wasn’t accurate but because the weight of the bow bothered my left shoulder. It was 5.5 lbs with sight, rest, and a 15” Easton Contour stabilizer with only a couple ounces on it. It was very smooth and vibration-free. I’m going to be trying a Carbon Zion next since they’ve upgraded the cams to the smooth/fast ones from the Revolt. Fingers crossed that with the speed turned down both vibration and accuracy will be excellent with some GT Pro 400s I have.
Credit to Brandon for the respectful and non-defensive responses he's made in this comment section. I always appreciate humility and self deprecation. Subscribed.
They are all great bows. That bow is mechanically fucked. I’ve shot a lot of bows, never saw one with a draw cycle like that. Ever. 30 years of archery, i have 7 bows under 5 years old, and have been through dozens over the years. He needs to bring that bow to the shop to be fixed.
I remember watching this a year ago, totally had a. Lot of preconceived notions about bowtech when I went to look at new bows this year. Only reason I’m watching again is because after shooting almost every flagship bow from the last two years I settled on revolt x. So I had to come back and see why I was supposed to hate it haha. I guess different strokes for different folks. I’ve never had a bowtech but really enjoying this bow.
Don't feel bad about being honest. If it doesn't work for ya, it doesn't work. Why I tell all my newbie buds that they should go shoot 5-6 brands and go from there! Good stuff as always.
I own a Revolt X and it is the first bowtech I have owned. Shot all the flagship bows and chose revolt x based on very smooth draw cycle, valley which is good for hunting elk (can hold for a long time easily), essentially ZERO hand shock and the deadlock tunability. Mine is very well balanced with a typical stabilizer. There is NONE of the “kickout” you describe. My impression was more in line the guy from Lusk Archery Adventures. I believe your issues with this bow arise from either a lemon of a bow, a very poorly tuned bow (?cam timing...or did you mess something up while playing with cams) or perhaps your shooting form.
I own this bow, when i was going through the paces with it i shot next to a way over priced hoyt carbon rx-4 ultra and a matthews vxr, the bowtech was much smoother then both and i had no vibration unstabilized. Im no John dudley but this bow did its job.
i am a fellow bowtech shooter and have had 3 over the past 8yrs. i LOVE the Realm and SR6! i switch between them during hunting season and have them setup for different scenarios, but i digress lol. i shot the new bowtechs and agree, good bows but not what they had the last couples yrs with the reign or sr6. not sure why your having so much problems with feel, but contact bowtech and im sure they can walk u thru it, also not a bad idea to go back to basics and work on form/timing. great vid though and love your humor!
Just a honest review of the video: from the start it sounds like you didn’t have a clue what you were doing as far as making adjustments with the mistakes you admitted to, and possibly damaging the bow. Shots hitting consistently low left leads one to think your tuning is off given the mistakes made previously. Also from the video it’s pretty apparent you pull your shots on your follow through. So seems the issue is as you said, you and not the bow. But it was refreshing to see someone try to give a review that wasn’t pushing sales
Thanks for the feedback. I totally get it. I'm not getting that kick out of any of the other bows. They were also easier to mess with and adjust, That's why I showed it. It's embarrassing... I could have easily left it out, but when all the videos come out it'll be more obvious that the Bowtech performed different for me than the rest.
Brandon Mcdonald that’s fine. This issue is bc of the “miss fire” with the improper set up you have no way of accurately assessing it due to possible damage that it incurred compared to the other bows. I do believe you even stated that, so credit to you for being honest there. Everyone has a preference and a fit, and a disagreement on that is fine. Would just prefer they all have their fair shake.
I did all of that stuff from the first part but then I got the bow dialed in the way it should be while using the manual, and I still didn't like it as much as the others... I'm not going to hold my willingness to cut corners against the company. I just thought the adjustments on other bows were better.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 understood & i appreciate you taking the time to reply . It just seems kinda reckless to run a company into the ground because your doing things wrong obviously we no longer live by these standards as humanbeings but just a few short years ago if you printed something like that in a newspaper you could be sued & at the very least have to print a redaction . But i suppose your videos are strictly for entertainment not educational.
To each their own and it’s actually nice to hear more criticisms and honesty of these flagship bows. I watched dozens of videos on bow reviews and they were always “They are all great, just personal preference.” That being said and I actually ended up choosing the Revolt X. I went from a Diamond SB-1 and obviously going from a beginner to a flagship was night and day better. You should contact Bowtech and have them look at it. I had issues but none that you spoke of. I went through two sets of rollers on the flex arm before them sending a whole new arm. 500+ arrows later and it’s good now, but something they may want to look into. Draw in comfort mode is so smooth and for cable stops has a firm wall. Liking the videos and it would be nice for more people that are able to, do similar videos that give better reviews on the bows.
I've actually gone back through Dudley's school of nock videos this year. It's been super helpful. I'm waiting until the shop opens back up and I'll go in to see if anythings out of whack. I'm not having this problem with any of the other bows...
Omg I absolutely laughed my ass off @ "there's a decent chance I just shot a hole in the four runner". Love your reviews man they're seriously the best.
First, I dig your videos. They're well done and polished. Second. Everyone is different, IMO Bowtech makes great bows, if a man or a woman cant seem to get settled in, than it's not a bow for you plain and simple. With that being said. I have a RealmX and LOVE it. I also have a Vertix and love it. Its different strokes for different folks. Good Video
Ain't nothing wrong with videos of this subject. I like every bow just about. If a bow doesnt do what I need it to, then it's on to the next. Archery is a lifestyle, not a brand (for the haters)
I have the Bowtech Solution and I have mixed feelings about it myself. Like I wish I never got it. It is very fast,smooth. The main thing I hate more than anything is the grip. It is to narrow (thin) for me. I like the fat grip like I had on my Matthews Outback. I wish I could find some one to machine me a fat wooden grip for the Bowtech. Really don’t want to use bat wrap but I guess I’m going to try it. I like how you kept saying it was you and not blaming Bowtech,everyone has their own preference. Good video
I've shot Hoyt nearly my hole life I've had a bear and PSE but I couldn't believe how good the new Bow tech is, and now I will be shooting Bowtechs , it's going to take a amazing bow to be better.
The only draw I do in the video is showing the bow when I had missed the draw module placement. I was showing how hard it was to draw. So, you're correct, if I always had to draw that way, it would be terrible. I may not have made that clear in the video. Thanks for watching.
Last 3 bows have been Elites. So the feeling of having to push it forward I get. I just ordered my new Revolt... I absolutely love the way it felt... with that said I only plan to shoot it at 60lb. In comfort setting so I completely get why the review went the way it did. Great review appreciate the honesty and look forward to more videos.
The intro was hilarious! LMFAO!!!! Regarding the safety pin on the Stan Perfex heavy long neck don't lose it. I lost mine with a week. Apparently you can use wax to hold it in the release better. I haven't like the Bowtech handles ever. I agree it doesn't have the feel of a premium bow.
Very under appreciated and underrated content. The production, content, etc all great. I do think the bow is an anomaly though. The revolt x is the realm x with the new deadlock cam system in every way. Watch archery talks review of the realm x
Brandon I’ve been a bowtech guy for 10 years, went in to by a revolt x, because of the fine tuning.. had same problems you did, I ended up trying pse, Hoyt, walked out with the Mathews vxr 31.5 now that bow is impressive! Anyway just thought I’d let you know. Great videos..
Nice video really fun to watch. It is good when someone makes a video where a product is not pushed. I had similar experience with my first bow ever Bear Cruzer G2. I had severe hand shock.After adjusting the draw weight and adding 3 ounce of lead weight in to the riser now my bow is completely smooth and the shock is gone. Regarding the draw cycle I can see how you are suffering when you are pulling the 70 pounds on performance. I was in the same spot now I drop the weight to 56 pounds and man I love shooting the bow. The point I am making is when I was shooting at 70 pound ( actually more like 68) I was able to do it but I didn't enjoy it. I bought my bow for fun and enjoyment not to punish or injure myself. I am not sure why people believe they need to have the bow set at 70 pounds . If the purpose is hunting precision is way more important then 20 % more penetration . Killing an animal only takes a small cut in the right place not sticking a deer on a stick .
I have the REVOLT. And it's a great bow. Hamskea rest. Trophy ridge REACT h 5 sight. Trophy ridge hitman front stabilizer and a Apex side mount Trophy ridge hitman rear stabilizer.
I’ve shot both revolt and revolt x and feels nothing like what your showing, you might check on sending it back, you could of gotten a faulty one. Also both bows had no hand shock.
I'm going to take it back to the shop and have them take a look. I literally tore it down today, cut the loop off etc. If I can get it better I'll post an update for sure. Weird part is, it's shooting bullets... Just feels like crap.
Just picked up a revolt x. Funny because I new nothing about bowtech, until I watched this video when it first dropped. I been looking at bows all summer and finally decided on the bowtech. At first, I didn't think I would consider the bowtech because of your review. I tested the revolt x, vxr, pse nxt 33, and the elite Kure at my local bowshop. I put about 50 arrows through them, and loved them all except the elite. I finally settled on the revolt x because it felt the most natural for how I shoot. I love the comfort setting for the all-around feel of the bow. Big fan, love the content and looking forward for more bow reviews in the future. Good luck, be safe, and happy hunting.
Great comment and exactly what I was hoping people would do. Go shoot for themselves and decide, but take their time, just like you did. Glad you found your bow!
Bradon, there are so many things with your review and description of this bow I do not know where to start. You either have something really really wrong or out of whack. I almost get the feeling that you went into this "review" with the intent not to like this bow. I would not be surprised of one of the other bows you review get a glowing review and maybe we find out they are now supporting the channel. It's hard to take you seriously when the pin indicator goes into the cam in a position that the actual draw length is printed on that cam confuses you but changing the draw length on a Prime is just so easy? Not buying it
The Arrow Guru he clearly is intentionally trying to disparage Bowtech as every other review has it being one of the best draw cycles of any bow. I have a RevoltX and I bought a RX4 and shoot the rest of the new bows. Bowtech made good bows this year. I would say the VXR is the best bow this year and the RevoltX is right there behind it. Or he is messing with the bow taking it apart and trying to adjust it and he himself has no idea what he’s doing. He did a video about why he won’t shoot pse however the entire video is about a particular bow shop. He’s doing stuff for attention nothing more.
Todd Lymburner I was between the VXR and bowtech. The main reason is I went bowtech to be able to work on my bow myself without bowpress. Do the Matthews spacers have the adjustability with the spacers as the bowtech? Or is the bowtech able to be adjusted more precisely than the Matthews for specific shooters? Real question
Good review. I own a 70 lb revolt x and shoot it in the comfort setting at 65 lbs. I installed a custom Americas Best bowstring and an 8" bee stinger w/o using the weights. I'm shooting a 30" gold tip hunter xt, with a 100 gr insert and 100 gr field point. For me it is very smooth on the draw, firm back wall and I feel I could almost hold it back for an hour. It is very accurate. I'm not getting the kind of kickback and torque that you are describing in your video though. For me, it is very forgiving and dead in the hand. I'm looking forward to seeing your follow up video. Hope it works better for you.
Thanks for the review! I ended up going with the bowtech over the vxr in the end. For my 28 in draw it was a very smooth draw in even performance ( 2” make a huge difference) but in the end it came down to bow fit for me personally.
Iv'e watched a lot of archery channels for bow reviews, arrow reviews, clothing reviews and everything else. I just came across your channel looking for my next bow and ended up watching about 6 of your videos. Probably one of the best archery channels iv'e came across. In regards to the bow, you pretty much answered all of my major questions with the new technology BowTech put into it. Hope the 4Runner is okay.
Did you try the comfort setting? While I would say I preferred the VXR and RX4 over the Revolt X, the comfort setting on the Revolt X is much, much better than the performance. The performance setting only gives you an extra 7 FPS, but makes the draw cycle poor.
Gotta say, this has been one of my favorite videos you’ve produced. I know you were conflicted about releasing this but this is a perfect critical look at WHY this bow doesn’t work for you. Really appreciate the humor and self-deprecation along with detailed commentary of the issues you experienced. Perfect, thanks!
Hi Brandon! Just a quick hello and to say that I am really enjoying your videos. So keep them coming. I am not interested in a Bowtech yet I would be interested in what the pro shop said about that particular bow. I am shooting an Hoyt Nitrum 34 right now from a few years ago. I am happy with it. Perhaps a Matthews VXR or Traverse sometime. Take care. And I subscribed. Rick
Man, I REALLY wanted to get into this bow. Can’t speak to shooting because I don’t own it but for the price, the plastic limb pockets were a turn off. The way the cams can be moved to replace shimming is awesome but only time will tell about the durability of that system on the end of the limbs as they are. I wasn’t willing to gamble. I know everybody complains about Mathews mass weight but they just look like they’re built for the long haul.
The Mathews feels like I could use it as a hiking stick and still shoot straight with it! I'm with you about the adjustability and the plastic parts, not just on the limb pockets...
I like this video and the honest opinion of the bow even though i am thinking of buying one because of the adjustability. I have noticed the same draw cycle stiffness in the end of the draw cycle on my pse ferocity when i shoot it after using my mathews vertix a long time. And the first time i felt that it actually scared me and i thought there was something wrong with the bow, so i understand why you are saying the things about the valley. And seeing you are a mathews user too, i know exactly the feeling. And after the vertix i am realy struggling with bows that dont act as smooth and dead in the hand as mathews bows do. I am not a mathews fanboy and i own a plethora of bows, but i just cant get over the fact that my mathews feels better without any stabilisers and accessories than 90% of any other bow's in the market. When i pay over 1000 euros for a bow i expect it to be as smooth and enjoyable to use as possible.
All the wrong gear for hunting! Started out with a canon 80d with a sigma 1.8 18-35 and a Tamron 18-400. Now I'm on a canon EOS R with a couple of the RF mount L lenses. Not what I'd recommend to most people but I want to do other things with my gear too. Thanks for the compliment!
The nitty gritties! Love the honesty broda. Good vid, can't wait to see the prime (I have a CT9), but still wanting to know why you didn't pick up a PSE. I know you said it'd be in one of your videos. Sorry, I'm impatient. lol 🤙🏼
Move over James Cameron!! Great movie trailer or I mean bow review ... still going to shoot one just not going to buy first without trying…..thanks for the honest, well put together review!!
I have had the worst experience trying to get a new PSE. Been Mathews guy for ever. The shop I have that’s close had nothing to shoot mainly bc I am left handed but totally understand why you would just say screw it 30 buts to shoot a bow is ridiculous
I actually paid the money! I wanted to see if they'd actually follow through! As they were ringing me out I kind of mentioned it to the shop owners wife. She just smoked and took my money! Ha. The Mathews is shooting pretty sweet this year, just saying.
I don’t shoot pse, the bowtech feels box brand, I’m going to buy 5 bows but throw out the most expensive because it’s too expensive, them I’m going to be a homer and pick a short axel to axel bow just because. Unbiased, I think not.
I haven't liked any new bows in the last 5 yrs, Why are we going backwards on weight, i mean almost 5lbs bare bow on some models? Heck you can add 1-lbs to a 8yr old bow and take care of any vibrations, and shoot just as good for most people.
Ok second comment after watching. Very interesting review. Honest and you’ve earned a subscriber and I can’t wait to go through your back catalog and see what you do next. I really like the “what not to do” for this bow. The executive summary here from my thoughts and your review is: This bow is about trade offs. Lack of absolute comfort (end to end) versus session after session; season after season consistency in shot-to-target placement. Curious to see if this is where you land after your in-depth review. Feedback/Long comment: I may have missed it but I’m not sure how long you shot the bow before reviewing. This may like you say, it’s a matter of your personal preference. I think the cost differential is you’re paying for the cam lock system. There are a few reviews that note the bow holds steady between field to broadhead and keeping solid groups. That alone, adds a good deal for the R&D surcharge we see with the bow. That and you’re saving on the cost of having it be professionally tuned or buying a bow press to do it yourself. Again looking back at other reviewers I can see a commonality in which they are heavily in favor of the consistency for grouping, in conjunction with the ease of tuning. This may offset for the fit and feel of this bow that did not appeal to you. Overall, I’m curious how you would feel running a few hundred arrows through this bow. Just out of curiosity. As an experiment I purchased a Diamond (Bowtech) Infinite Edge Pro. I’ve put about 3000 arrows through it and 2 accidental dry fires. Bow was about 349 not including upgraded 5 pin sight. Bow runs exceptionally well. Has the same “thud” you y’all about regarding vibration as well. This may be a bowtech thing. Shooting that many arrows I would thing it would bother me; it doesn’t. It’s just the architecture. The grouping for that cheap bow is still great; but after 3K arrows ive lost 1 pound of draw weight. So I think for that cost and abnormal shooting scenario, a thud for aftershock and 1 pound of draw weight drop after 2 months of consecutive shooting is doable. The same may be scalable up to this much more professional bow that by design won’t lose a pound of draw weight after 3K shots; you can essentially set it and forget it. In short it’s about trade offs... consistency versus absolute end to end comfort, it seems.
I shot the Bowtech a while lot. It grouped well buy I didn't enjoy the shooting experience as much as the others. The kick out based on my grip was funky but that's not the bows fault, just not the best one for me.
Brandon Mcdonald makes complete sense. You have to feel comfortable with the tool you’re going to use long term and so on. There’s no use forcing yourself into the shoe if it doesn’t fit.
Wow i just bought this bow today. Shot it for a long time before i made my decision. Over the pse evo nxt and the new prime bow. Thought it was neck and neck with the pse.
The Mathews cams are made of 6061 aluminum, and the Bowtech cams are made of 7075 aluminum. It will last way longer than the Mathews cam. Believe me, I know. I shoot a Bowtech Destroyer 350 that I've dry-fired 3 times now in the 12 years that I've owned it, and not one single bend in either cam. Try doing that with a Mathews.
Been on the hunt for a new bow. Thanks for making such well made videos. Thursday I found your Channel and ended up watching your videos for at least 2 to hours. Great job and thanks for helping me make a decision. Tomorrow I'm off to archery world USA Fairfied Ohio to shoot a couple you liked.
Hey B Mac.. did you ever get this bow figured out?.. This is one of the bows on my shirt list to consider buying, may go with the Realm SS instead?.. wonder if you had the cams out of center?.. they could be even, but out of center. Make sense?.. they need to be centered together between the limbs. This could resolve that kick you're getting. Did you give up on it, or take it to a shop?.. what ever happened?.. I've heard nothing but good about this bow from others. Thanks for the honest review.
Bowtechs are know for not having a great draw cycle on the last inch of the cam adjustment. Calling them cheap looking is kind of silly though cam tech is most advanced out there and the finish one of the best only rivaled by g5 prime. Its a great bow shot it a bunch but ultimately went with mathews as ive owned a realm x and sr6.
I think it was just the plastic parts and the way things fit together. Plus the actual machining around the grip and some of the tighter turns wasnt as precision as some of the others are. I called the shop today and he said just want you're staying about that last inch on the draw. I'm going to try lowering it to 28 dl just to see. I've liked bowtech in the past. Almost bought an sr6 last year.
I’m watching this after spending my day shooting every flagship bow I could get my hands on today, bowtech revolt, revolt x, Mathews VXR 28&31.5, elite Kure, Carbon RX4 hot axius ultra. I thought the revolt and the revoltx were hands and shoulders above everything other than the grip on the carbon RX4, the axius wasn’t close, the Hoyt draw cycle wasn’t close. The revolt x at 70# felt easier than the Hoyt at 65#, and everything else was terrible in comparison, very disappointed with the Mathews, I’ll be going with a revolt, if I could put the RX4 grip on it I’d have the perfect bow.
Brandon Mcdonald id be pretty surprised if there wasn’t something wrong. I haven’t heard too many negatives about these bows so far. I hope so anyway, I just dropped $1900aud on a revoltx haha
I have a bowtech realm that is identical accept for the cam lock. Love the bow and the grip is supposed to be solid not squishy. Only other bow id consider is a mathews. 2 best companies right now imo.
@Brandon Mcdonald, Well done. I'm looking to get a new bow and I've narrowed it down to either the Elite Kure or Bowtech Revolt X. You've given me some good points to ponder. Thanks for putting your videos out there. I'll be subscribing and looking forward to more.
Honest video as usual. Next time don't do the video in front of your Matthews target rig and keep referring to the Matthews during the video. Sorry just an opinion you kinda look like a fanboy that just wants to dis on somebody else's equipment when you do it that way.
I own the Realm SR6 #70 @ 29" in comfort mode. It's basically the same bow, minus a different cam and cam lock. I've never shot such an amazing bow in my life. In all honesty, I think something is wrong with the bow... Let us know if you follow up with any issues..
Will do. I'm totally open to that being the case, or it just being me! I haven't given up. I really like the draw in comfort until the last 2 inches. I'm going to drop it to 28 or 29 and see how it feels. I'll let everyone know
@@brandonmcdonald6121 yeah, definitely keep us posted. I'd be interested to know the issue. Even my Destroyer 350 didn't have a snap at the last few inches, and that bow wanted to always just take off! I usually don't mess with cams myself.. I bring it to my tech guy. Too much going on these days
I’d never buy another Bowtech carbon riser bow myself. They are known to warp… you’ll be replacing in 4-5 years from now as the cams start to lean so bad you’ll be afraid to shoot it. Do a search for “carbon riser warping” and you’ll see what I mean
The biggest problem is that your draw length is long and those bowtech cams don't feel near as good in the longest draw setting. If you were a 29" or shorter draw length, the cam would feel a lot better.
Try a reckoning 35 or 38 and see if you like the way those feel. But as far as the revolt x, the cam will dump hard toward the end with your long draw length.
I called the shop today and they said the same thing. I'm actually going to shorten to 28 just to see how it feels. Nice thing about the bowtech, it's super quick to adjust.
That is actually a common problem with most manufacturers. They try to cover too much of a draw length range with their cams and the long and short settings are always harder to tune and the draw feels worse. I try to avoid a bow where I will have to adjust the cam in the longest position. I have worked on some Hoyts that would do the same thing. Hoyt usually have 3 sizes of base cams so it makes it easier to avoid setting the draw in the longest settings.
The closer to the middle of the cam a person can set the draw length, the better it will feel and it will tune easier. Sometimes it can be a bear to tune in the longest/shortest positions.
I will probably buy a reckoning 38 sometime this year. I have a 30" draw so I will okay with the bow. You may have to step up to a longer ATA bow regardless of brand. At you draw length, you will get good speed. I am a 30" draw myself so I try to avoid those short bows where I will be at the longest draw length setting. Good luck.
@@halfstep67 I just started setting up the hoyt tonight and noticed that the draw range on this one was from 29 or 30 (can't remember exactly) up to 32. This makes a lot of sense to me. Too much adjustability on one cam and the very short, and very long dl guys are getting the shaft... I get it from a bow shops perspective though. No press needed and you can change stuff out QUICK.
A lot of shops don't really tune a bow anyways, they just set it up and the customer doesn't really know. I am a 30" draw so I want a bow that will go to 31" or longer. If it only goes to 30", I won't bother with it. I am also a lefty and usually have to order a bow so I want to make sure it will tune before I buy one.
The vast majority of archers are in the 27" to 29" range. Very few archers are actually 30" or more. But bows are speed rated at the 30" and 70 pounds. in the past, some manufacturers would make the 30" setting hotter in relationship to the other settings. This gave the impression that the bow was faster than what it really was in the other settings. Guys would set it at 29" thinking they would only loose 10fps but would loose closer to 20 fps.
Bows have gotten pretty short and having a 30"+ draw length can reduce one's choices by a 1/3 or more. Always buy with at least an inch of draw length to spare on the long or short side. The good thing about having a longer draw is that the speed will be there.
The drop away rest and expandable broadhead has become standard equipment these days. Mainly out of necessity. A lot of today's bows have short ATA and low BH with big aggressive high let off cams and the shootability has surpassed the average archer's abilities. Archers today need to have better form and shot execution to get the bow to tune and shoot well. The draw length and poundage needs to be adjusted properly to give the archer as much forgiveness as possible.
Great video, Brandon! Thanks for sharing your honest experience with the Revolt X. Also, maybe it’s just me but for some reason when I’m looking at your channel via the CZcams app it only shows your last 3 uploads and nothing else. On the Chrome web browser everything looks normal though.
I shot the Revolt X a couple of weeks ago and thought it shot well. Still waiting to shoot the Bowtech Reckoning 35, PSE NXT 35, and Hoyt Axius Ultra. I've shot the Elite Ritual 35, but wasn't that impressed.
Thanks for this. very refreshing. in this very strange age of people being offended and irrationally loyal to things for god knows why , i for one still appreciate someone speaking from a personal perspective.
I'm not saying that this is NOT an honest video, but there are so many people saying this without having shot the Revolt for themselves lmao. I have seen guys fall in love with this bow and have 0 complaints. So are they being superficially impressed? Because this is "FINALLY, AN HONEST REVIEW" stated by so many with 0% first hand experience with this bow? Brandon you've created a can of worms! Bravo, sir!
After basically a year of having heard feedback about it here's what I've concluded. Guys with draws under 28" like the draw cycle, longer and the cams just feel like crap at the end. I didn't like the way the bow finished for me and my grip which is obviously subjective.
It is a nice looking bow. When it first came out I thought it was ugly but have changed my position after seeing it up close. Sorry it didn't work for you.
I had a massive brain malfunction with the stud in my Stan release, luckily the release only broke the arrow retainer on my Hamskea rest as it went sailing through my bow. But otherwise, yes I love my Stan Perfx as well. Thanks for the objective view of the bow. I really like my RealmX but I'm not an every year bow guy and there is just something about everything going on with the Bowtech that makes me want something simpler and less moving parts.
Just shot one of these last week and found none of the problems you seem to have (and I hadn't shot a Bowtech in 15 years). I realize how subjective the feel of a bow can be but dayum man ......maybe you need to go traditional.
I own a RevoltX. I love it for the most part and don’t have the kicking issue you do, but I absolutely agree on the Clutch Grip insert. It’s cheap feeling plastic and I actually had them send me another one because I couldn’t believe a grip insert would wiggle around like that on a flagship bow. The replacement was slightly better but still not solid, so I wrapped it with tennis wrap and now I’m fine with it, but they definitely need to upgrade that part. In terms of the kicking problem - curious where you have the cams on the axels and what’s your center shot? My cams are further to the right and it looks off visually but the string is centered. Also, the manual is wrong about resetting the cams to factory spec - instead of 1 turn it should be 2 turns. I confirmed this with Bowtech.
What's your draw length? Just curious as the shop was saying that's a big factor in why it feels so bad to me. I'm sure there's some pretty sweet after market grips that can be bought for it. I actually really like the overall feel of the grip, just not the plastic part ... Last night I stripped the bow, took the cams all the way to the left then all the way to the right then back to center. I'm starting over with it. I'm going to set the draw length to 28" and see if it shoots any better. I really want to figure out the kick. I understand why the draw cycle feels bad at the longer DL
I’m at 28.5” for draw length. Maybe that’s the difference. Hope you can figure it out! Agreed on the grip - the shape is great but when you’re handling the bow or carrying it it’s not a good feeling to have that insert moving around slightly.
I think it's your bow, your review basically says the complete opposite of every other review. Other reviews: "no hand shock" "high quality bow" "very little difference in feel between performance and comfort" "smooth draw" "very nice draw cycle" (
I'm open to that too. I'm going to adjust the draw length down a couple of inches and see how that feels. A lot of the guys I've seen are shooting at 29". That extra 2" might make a difference.
Clary, I was shooting my DL to start. I'm asking guys that like their bowtechs what DL they are. Consistently, they're shorter. That's why I'm going to lower it and see if it draws better.
Brandon Mcdonald dl should not make a difference. Seriously, you should bring that bow to the shop. There is something wrong with it. I can tell theres a problem just by the way you’re drawing it. Either something is seriously out of time, or theres a cam problem. Something serious.The bowtech isnt smooth, but its still a good draw. 30 years of archery and ive never seen any bow draw like that.
I have tried many top bows and they have been all great i have a revolt x and I really like it you didn't thats fine by me im not a fan boy of bowtech and im not a pro , I respect your opinion in my opinion out of the vxr rx4 and elite I tried the bowtech revolt just suited me best 👍
Gone back watched your videos seeing the issues. That truly might have been a lemon if its having those odd issues. I shot all these bows and then some. Not just a few times as I go to the local shops as often as possible before I finally got my Revolt X. Sux that it did not perform well in your tests. I stacked bows very closely and got down to mathews 28,PSE NXT33/31, and Revolt X. If I had any issues like those it would have been outed in first round as well. Oh well do your build video already lol!
I'm shooting the bowtech Realmx. As the draw drops into the valley it takes a conscious effort to slow the draw so that I do not hit the back wall with so much force that it causes a violent vibration into my grip. Thoughts? The power disc on the bow is set to comfort
I own a Revolt X at 70lbs 30” draw. It is the smoothest draw I have ever felt on any bow. I have zero hand shock or vibration. I think something has to be wrong with the bow you have. I shot every flagship bow this year and felt like the bowtech blew everyone else away in regards to smoothness. Only bow with less vibration was probably the VXR. This was my first bowtech so I’m not a fanboy by any means.
Yeah, I can't figure out why lots of other guys like it that are experienced shooters and I can't figure mine out. I'm going to keep messing with it.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 have you tried shooting it at 30" instead of 30-1/2". you look a bit stretched out to me and it could be causing the kick.
A speed bow having the smoothest draw cycle? Even Bowtech and Kevin Strother himself would call BS fanboy on that!
@@ryanstage3912 It is a 33" ATA 6.5 brace height bow. Not a speed bow by any means.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 I have mine set to comfort at 70lb 30". I haven't even tried the performance setting so I can't comment on that. I also own an Evoke 31 and I like the X draw much more. I think you got a lemon man... The only thing I am not too keen on about the bow is it doesn't hit IBO. I think they are about 10fps slow. Im not a speed first guy, but I do like bows to hit advertised speeds or at least be kinda close.
This bow should do a review of you...
LOL!
Haha that was good. And your so right lol.
So... watched the review again, appreciate the honesty. Like I said earlier I already ordered my Revolt based on a demo I did with the Revolt, RX4, VXR and the KURE. They all had their plus and minuses. I went and shot the Revolt’s again to see if I had buyers remorse. Just cant’t figure out why you dislike those bows so much. I guess because I chose to live with the comfort setting maybe I might be settling but it just feels great. Not getting hand shock and draw cycle is the smoothest I’ve ever had. You do have to push it forward but that’s the case with any high let off bow... judging the cam integrity by size also is a week judgement. I shoot with guys who still use bows from the 80’s with cams the size of oreo’s and they are still holding up. Can’t help but feel you really didn’t want to like this bow from jump street but... still appreciate the review.
I talked to the shop owner and he really feels like it's my long draw length. I'm going to put it on 29" draw and switch back to comfort. I will say on comfort, the majority of the draw literally seems easier than the rest and super comfortable. I'm not giving up yet. I want to figure out why some people love it and I don't.
I had a Revolt X and it arrived on 27” in “Comfort”. I shot it a couple days then switched it to “Performance” at 28”. It was pretty much a faultless draw in Comfort, and felt dramatically heavier in Performance. I went back to Comfort immediately, within two or three shots. If you didn’t move the draw stops to match the draw length, you could have created a monster valley. With the draw stop set exactly to the right length, the Performance side has very little valley at all and the letoff comes up to about 80%. I didn’t find Performance to be worth it. I sold mine, not because it wasn’t accurate but because the weight of the bow bothered my left shoulder. It was 5.5 lbs with sight, rest, and a 15” Easton Contour stabilizer with only a couple ounces on it. It was very smooth and vibration-free. I’m going to be trying a Carbon Zion next since they’ve upgraded the cams to the smooth/fast ones from the Revolt. Fingers crossed that with the speed turned down both vibration and accuracy will be excellent with some GT Pro 400s I have.
Credit to Brandon for the respectful and non-defensive responses he's made in this comment section. I always appreciate humility and self deprecation. Subscribed.
Dude thanks for a review that’s finally brutally honest, I’m tired of the “every flagship bow is a good bow” reviews
They are all great bows. That bow is mechanically fucked. I’ve shot a lot of bows, never saw one with a draw cycle like that. Ever. 30 years of archery, i have 7 bows under 5 years old, and have been through dozens over the years. He needs to bring that bow to the shop to be fixed.
Clary Carrier the one I shot today was nothing like that.
I remember watching this a year ago, totally had a. Lot of preconceived notions about bowtech when I went to look at new bows this year. Only reason I’m watching again is because after shooting almost every flagship bow from the last two years I settled on revolt x. So I had to come back and see why I was supposed to hate it haha. I guess different strokes for different folks. I’ve never had a bowtech but really enjoying this bow.
I just bought one as well to replace my Athens
Don't feel bad about being honest. If it doesn't work for ya, it doesn't work. Why I tell all my newbie buds that they should go shoot 5-6 brands and go from there! Good stuff as always.
This is the best review video I've seen lol your brutally honest voicing your opinion and you rarely see that in these videos anymore.
I own a Revolt X and it is the first bowtech I have owned. Shot all the flagship bows and chose revolt x based on very smooth draw cycle, valley which is good for hunting elk (can hold for a long time easily), essentially ZERO hand shock and the deadlock tunability. Mine is very well balanced with a typical stabilizer. There is NONE of the “kickout” you describe. My impression was more in line the guy from Lusk Archery Adventures. I believe your issues with this bow arise from either a lemon of a bow, a very poorly tuned bow (?cam timing...or did you mess something up while playing with cams) or perhaps your shooting form.
I own this bow, when i was going through the paces with it i shot next to a way over priced hoyt carbon rx-4 ultra and a matthews vxr, the bowtech was much smoother then both and i had no vibration unstabilized. Im no John dudley but this bow did its job.
I'm glad you commented. Im also glad you like the bow you chose.
I had the same experience although I'm holding off the purchase right now looking at all the reviews and such. Did you buy the revolt or revolt x?
i am a fellow bowtech shooter and have had 3 over the past 8yrs. i LOVE the Realm and SR6! i switch between them during hunting season and have them setup for different scenarios, but i digress lol. i shot the new bowtechs and agree, good bows but not what they had the last couples yrs with the reign or sr6. not sure why your having so much problems with feel, but contact bowtech and im sure they can walk u thru it, also not a bad idea to go back to basics and work on form/timing.
great vid though and love your humor!
Thanks for being a reasonable bowtech fan! Some people have been so mad. It's funny to me. I said a bunch of times it was probably me!!
Just a honest review of the video: from the start it sounds like you didn’t have a clue what you were doing as far as making adjustments with the mistakes you admitted to, and possibly damaging the bow. Shots hitting consistently low left leads one to think your tuning is off given the mistakes made previously. Also from the video it’s pretty apparent you pull your shots on your follow through. So seems the issue is as you said, you and not the bow. But it was refreshing to see someone try to give a review that wasn’t pushing sales
Thanks for the feedback. I totally get it. I'm not getting that kick out of any of the other bows. They were also easier to mess with and adjust, That's why I showed it. It's embarrassing... I could have easily left it out, but when all the videos come out it'll be more obvious that the Bowtech performed different for me than the rest.
Brandon Mcdonald that’s fine. This issue is bc of the “miss fire” with the improper set up you have no way of accurately assessing it due to possible damage that it incurred compared to the other bows. I do believe you even stated that, so credit to you for being honest there. Everyone has a preference and a fit, and a disagreement on that is fine. Would just prefer they all have their fair shake.
I agree!
so you did not read the manual made a ton of adjustments + set your draw to long now the bow shoots funny & its bowtechs fault. totally makes sense
I did all of that stuff from the first part but then I got the bow dialed in the way it should be while using the manual, and I still didn't like it as much as the others... I'm not going to hold my willingness to cut corners against the company. I just thought the adjustments on other bows were better.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 understood & i appreciate you taking the time to reply . It just seems kinda reckless to run a company into the ground because your doing things wrong obviously we no longer live by these standards as humanbeings but just a few short years ago if you printed something like that in a newspaper you could be sued & at the very least have to print a redaction . But i suppose your videos are strictly for entertainment not educational.
To each their own and it’s actually nice to hear more criticisms and honesty of these flagship bows. I watched dozens of videos on bow reviews and they were always “They are all great, just personal preference.” That being said and I actually ended up choosing the Revolt X. I went from a Diamond SB-1 and obviously going from a beginner to a flagship was night and day better. You should contact Bowtech and have them look at it. I had issues but none that you spoke of. I went through two sets of rollers on the flex arm before them sending a whole new arm. 500+ arrows later and it’s good now, but something they may want to look into. Draw in comfort mode is so smooth and for cable stops has a firm wall. Liking the videos and it would be nice for more people that are able to, do similar videos that give better reviews on the bows.
Glad you found your bow. Just out of curiosity, what's your draw length?
It draws, stacks up and falls. I remember the first time I drew a compound bow.
Aren't kids so cute at this age?
Glad I watched this, almost ordered one. I hate a big fall off with a long valley.
I'd say at 68lbs the Mathews is the smoothest all the way back with the least drop. Pse evo was nice too.
You pushed the bow. Watch Dudley get help.
I've actually gone back through Dudley's school of nock videos this year. It's been super helpful. I'm waiting until the shop opens back up and I'll go in to see if anythings out of whack. I'm not having this problem with any of the other bows...
Omg I absolutely laughed my ass off @ "there's a decent chance I just shot a hole in the four runner". Love your reviews man they're seriously the best.
First, I dig your videos. They're well done and polished. Second. Everyone is different, IMO Bowtech makes great bows, if a man or a woman cant seem to get settled in, than it's not a bow for you plain and simple.
With that being said. I have a RealmX and LOVE it. I also have a Vertix and love it. Its different strokes for different folks. Good Video
Totally agree. I am going to take it into the shop and see if something's going on with it that shouldn't be.
Ain't nothing wrong with videos of this subject. I like every bow just about. If a bow doesnt do what I need it to, then it's on to the next. Archery is a lifestyle, not a brand (for the haters)
I have the Bowtech Solution and I have mixed feelings about it myself. Like I wish I never got it. It is very fast,smooth. The main thing I hate more than anything is the grip. It is to narrow (thin) for me. I like the fat grip like I had on my Matthews Outback. I wish I could find some one to machine me a fat wooden grip for the Bowtech. Really don’t want to use bat wrap but I guess I’m going to try it. I like how you kept saying it was you and not blaming Bowtech,everyone has their own preference. Good video
I've shot Hoyt nearly my hole life I've had a bear and PSE but I couldn't believe how good the new Bow tech is, and now I will be shooting Bowtechs , it's going to take a amazing bow to be better.
I’m a recurve shooter but your severely over bowed watching you draw. Your literally shaking on the draw.
The only draw I do in the video is showing the bow when I had missed the draw module placement. I was showing how hard it was to draw. So, you're correct, if I always had to draw that way, it would be terrible. I may not have made that clear in the video. Thanks for watching.
Last 3 bows have been Elites. So the feeling of having to push it forward I get. I just ordered my new Revolt... I absolutely love the way it felt... with that said I only plan to shoot it at 60lb. In comfort setting so I completely get why the review went the way it did. Great review appreciate the honesty and look forward to more videos.
The intro was hilarious! LMFAO!!!! Regarding the safety pin on the Stan Perfex heavy long neck don't lose it. I lost mine with a week. Apparently you can use wax to hold it in the release better. I haven't like the Bowtech handles ever. I agree it doesn't have the feel of a premium bow.
Very under appreciated and underrated content. The production, content, etc all great. I do think the bow is an anomaly though. The revolt x is the realm x with the new deadlock cam system in every way. Watch archery talks review of the realm x
Brandon I’ve been a bowtech guy for 10 years, went in to by a revolt x, because of the fine tuning.. had same problems you did, I ended up trying pse, Hoyt, walked out with the Mathews vxr 31.5 now that bow is impressive! Anyway just thought I’d let you know. Great videos..
Good to know someone else felt the same issues I did.
Nice video really fun to watch. It is good when someone makes a video where a product is not pushed. I had similar experience with my first bow ever Bear Cruzer G2. I had severe hand shock.After adjusting the draw weight and adding 3 ounce of lead weight in to the riser now my bow is completely smooth and the shock is gone. Regarding the draw cycle I can see how you are suffering when you are pulling the 70 pounds on performance. I was in the same spot now I drop the weight to 56 pounds and man I love shooting the bow. The point I am making is when I was shooting at 70 pound ( actually more like 68) I was able to do it but I didn't enjoy it. I bought my bow for fun and enjoyment not to punish or injure myself. I am not sure why people believe they need to have the bow set at 70 pounds . If the purpose is hunting precision is way more important then 20 % more penetration . Killing an animal only takes a small cut in the right place not sticking a deer on a stick .
I have the REVOLT. And it's a great bow. Hamskea rest. Trophy ridge REACT h 5 sight. Trophy ridge hitman front stabilizer and a Apex side mount Trophy ridge hitman rear stabilizer.
Just discovered this channel. You're hilarious. 😂 Loved every second of it.
Thanks! Welcome
Good video!! Meanwhile, I’m over here still shooting and loving my 2007 Tribute!! I will have this thing forever!!
Tribute was awesome! I shot the Allegiance for about the same amount of time. Switched to the SR6. What a mistake!
I’ve shot both revolt and revolt x and feels nothing like what your showing, you might check on sending it back, you could of gotten a faulty one. Also both bows had no hand shock.
Bingo!!!
I'm going to take it back to the shop and have them take a look. I literally tore it down today, cut the loop off etc. If I can get it better I'll post an update for sure. Weird part is, it's shooting bullets... Just feels like crap.
That's what's wrong, you're supposed to be shooting arrows! Duh!
The one I shot today was awesome with absolutely no shock, no stabiliser to help. Was easy to draw and effortless to hold
Lukas Van dijk exactly!!
Just picked up a revolt x. Funny because I new nothing about bowtech, until I watched this video when it first dropped. I been looking at bows all summer and finally decided on the bowtech. At first, I didn't think I would consider the bowtech because of your review. I tested the revolt x, vxr, pse nxt 33, and the elite Kure at my local bowshop. I put about 50 arrows through them, and loved them all except the elite. I finally settled on the revolt x because it felt the most natural for how I shoot. I love the comfort setting for the all-around feel of the bow.
Big fan, love the content and looking forward for more bow reviews in the future. Good luck, be safe, and happy hunting.
Great comment and exactly what I was hoping people would do. Go shoot for themselves and decide, but take their time, just like you did. Glad you found your bow!
Probably the funniest video you've made so far! I didn't like the Revolt x either. My favorite is the mathews vxr 28
Bradon, there are so many things with your review and description of this bow I do not know where to start. You either have something really really wrong or out of whack. I almost get the feeling that you went into this "review" with the intent not to like this bow. I would not be surprised of one of the other bows you review get a glowing review and maybe we find out they are now supporting the channel. It's hard to take you seriously when the pin indicator goes into the cam in a position that the actual draw length is printed on that cam confuses you but changing the draw length on a Prime is just so easy? Not buying it
The Arrow Guru he clearly is intentionally trying to disparage Bowtech as every other review has it being one of the best draw cycles of any bow. I have a RevoltX and I bought a RX4 and shoot the rest of the new bows. Bowtech made good bows this year. I would say the VXR is the best bow this year and the RevoltX is right there behind it. Or he is messing with the bow taking it apart and trying to adjust it and he himself has no idea what he’s doing. He did a video about why he won’t shoot pse however the entire video is about a particular bow shop. He’s doing stuff for attention nothing more.
Todd Lymburner I was between the VXR and bowtech. The main reason is I went bowtech to be able to work on my bow myself without bowpress. Do the Matthews spacers have the adjustability with the spacers as the bowtech? Or is the bowtech able to be adjusted more precisely than the Matthews for specific shooters? Real question
you head the nail on the head!
Looks like the draw weight is to much for you
Good review. I own a 70 lb revolt x and shoot it in the comfort setting at 65 lbs. I installed a custom Americas Best bowstring and an 8" bee stinger w/o using the weights. I'm shooting a 30" gold tip hunter xt, with a 100 gr insert and 100 gr field point. For me it is very smooth on the draw, firm back wall and I feel I could almost hold it back for an hour. It is very accurate. I'm not getting the kind of kickback and torque that you are describing in your video though. For me, it is very forgiving and dead in the hand. I'm looking forward to seeing your follow up video. Hope it works better for you.
Thanks for the review! I ended up going with the bowtech over the vxr in the end. For my 28 in draw it was a very smooth draw in even performance ( 2” make a huge difference) but in the end it came down to bow fit for me personally.
Glad you found one you like. I think there were a lot of people that feel the same as you did.
Iv'e watched a lot of archery channels for bow reviews, arrow reviews, clothing reviews and everything else. I just came across your channel looking for my next bow and ended up watching about 6 of your videos. Probably one of the best archery channels iv'e came across. In regards to the bow, you pretty much answered all of my major questions with the new technology BowTech put into it. Hope the 4Runner is okay.
I was a little rough on bowtech this year!
Did you try the comfort setting? While I would say I preferred the VXR and RX4 over the Revolt X, the comfort setting on the Revolt X is much, much better than the performance. The performance setting only gives you an extra 7 FPS, but makes the draw cycle poor.
Love my revolt x, glad your honest with your feelings
Gotta say, this has been one of my favorite videos you’ve produced. I know you were conflicted about releasing this but this is a perfect critical look at WHY this bow doesn’t work for you. Really appreciate the humor and self-deprecation along with detailed commentary of the issues you experienced. Perfect, thanks!
Thanks!
I enjoy your videos. Keep 'em comin
Great honest review brother! And production of the video was done very well, I enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Brandon! Just a quick hello and to say that I am really enjoying your videos. So keep them coming. I am not interested in a Bowtech yet I would be interested in what the pro shop said about that particular bow. I am shooting an Hoyt Nitrum 34 right now from a few years ago. I am happy with it. Perhaps a Matthews VXR or Traverse sometime. Take care. And I subscribed. Rick
Man, I REALLY wanted to get into this bow.
Can’t speak to shooting because I don’t own it but for the price, the plastic limb pockets were a turn off.
The way the cams can be moved to replace shimming is awesome but only time will tell about the durability of that system on the end of the limbs as they are. I wasn’t willing to gamble.
I know everybody complains about Mathews mass weight but they just look like they’re built for the long haul.
The Mathews feels like I could use it as a hiking stick and still shoot straight with it!
I'm with you about the adjustability and the plastic parts, not just on the limb pockets...
I like this video and the honest opinion of the bow even though i am thinking of buying one because of the adjustability. I have noticed the same draw cycle stiffness in the end of the draw cycle on my pse ferocity when i shoot it after using my mathews vertix a long time. And the first time i felt that it actually scared me and i thought there was something wrong with the bow, so i understand why you are saying the things about the valley. And seeing you are a mathews user too, i know exactly the feeling. And after the vertix i am realy struggling with bows that dont act as smooth and dead in the hand as mathews bows do. I am not a mathews fanboy and i own a plethora of bows, but i just cant get over the fact that my mathews feels better without any stabilisers and accessories than 90% of any other bow's in the market. When i pay over 1000 euros for a bow i expect it to be as smooth and enjoyable to use as possible.
Totally agree. The adjustability is great, I just don't like the feel.
Funny. Good videos man ! Keep them coming.
I just subscribed to your channel. Cool vids. Curious to your camera set up? Great quality.
All the wrong gear for hunting!
Started out with a canon 80d with a sigma 1.8 18-35 and a Tamron 18-400.
Now I'm on a canon EOS R with a couple of the RF mount L lenses. Not what I'd recommend to most people but I want to do other things with my gear too. Thanks for the compliment!
Hey man, awesome video. Love the feedback and attention to detail, but have you tried the Solution SS?
Wonder which company gave this guy an envelope
The nitty gritties! Love the honesty broda. Good vid, can't wait to see the prime (I have a CT9), but still wanting to know why you didn't pick up a PSE. I know you said it'd be in one of your videos. Sorry, I'm impatient. lol 🤙🏼
I understand a 100%. I know guys that bought flagship bows and didn’t care for them .
Did you not give it a test drive before you dropped the money?
Hilarious that I just shot the Revolt X today and come across your video today. And yes I was expecting to like it but I was very disapointed.
Might just not be our thing.
Move over James Cameron!! Great movie trailer or I mean bow review ... still going to shoot one just not going to buy first without trying…..thanks for the honest, well put together review!!
Holy cow, what a review. Got to subscribe here. At last, some who really knows how to do a bow review. How refreshing.
Haha, glad you liked it. Thanks for the sub
I have had the worst experience trying to get a new PSE. Been Mathews guy for ever. The shop I have that’s close had nothing to shoot mainly bc I am left handed but totally understand why you would just say screw it 30 buts to shoot a bow is ridiculous
I actually paid the money! I wanted to see if they'd actually follow through! As they were ringing me out I kind of mentioned it to the shop owners wife. She just smoked and took my money! Ha. The Mathews is shooting pretty sweet this year, just saying.
I don’t shoot pse, the bowtech feels box brand, I’m going to buy 5 bows but throw out the most expensive because it’s too expensive, them I’m going to be a homer and pick a short axel to axel bow just because. Unbiased, I think not.
I haven't liked any new bows in the last 5 yrs, Why are we going backwards on weight, i mean almost 5lbs bare bow on some models? Heck you can add 1-lbs to a 8yr old bow and take care of any vibrations, and shoot just as good for most people.
Ok second comment after watching. Very interesting review. Honest and you’ve earned a subscriber and I can’t wait to go through your back catalog and see what you do next. I really like the “what not to do” for this bow.
The executive summary here from my thoughts and your review is: This bow is about trade offs. Lack of absolute comfort (end to end) versus session after session; season after season consistency in shot-to-target placement. Curious to see if this is where you land after your in-depth review.
Feedback/Long comment:
I may have missed it but I’m not sure how long you shot the bow before reviewing. This may like you say, it’s a matter of your personal preference. I think the cost differential is you’re paying for the cam lock system. There are a few reviews that note the bow holds steady between field to broadhead and keeping solid groups. That alone, adds a good deal for the R&D surcharge we see with the bow. That and you’re saving on the cost of having it be professionally tuned or buying a bow press to do it yourself.
Again looking back at other reviewers I can see a commonality in which they are heavily in favor of the consistency for grouping, in conjunction with the ease of tuning. This may offset for the fit and feel of this bow that did not appeal to you.
Overall, I’m curious how you would feel running a few hundred arrows through this bow. Just out of curiosity. As an experiment I purchased a Diamond (Bowtech) Infinite Edge Pro. I’ve put about 3000 arrows through it and 2 accidental dry fires. Bow was about 349 not including upgraded 5 pin sight. Bow runs exceptionally well. Has the same “thud” you y’all about regarding vibration as well. This may be a bowtech thing. Shooting that many arrows I would thing it would bother me; it doesn’t. It’s just the architecture. The grouping for that cheap bow is still great; but after 3K arrows ive lost 1 pound of draw weight.
So I think for that cost and abnormal shooting scenario, a thud for aftershock and 1 pound of draw weight drop after 2 months of consecutive shooting is doable. The same may be scalable up to this much more professional bow that by design won’t lose a pound of draw weight after 3K shots; you can essentially set it and forget it.
In short it’s about trade offs... consistency versus absolute end to end comfort, it seems.
I shot the Bowtech a while lot. It grouped well buy I didn't enjoy the shooting experience as much as the others. The kick out based on my grip was funky but that's not the bows fault, just not the best one for me.
Brandon Mcdonald makes complete sense. You have to feel comfortable with the tool you’re going to use long term and so on. There’s no use forcing yourself into the shoe if it doesn’t fit.
Wow i just bought this bow today. Shot it for a long time before i made my decision. Over the pse evo nxt and the new prime bow. Thought it was neck and neck with the pse.
Nothing wrong with that if you liked it.
The Mathews cams are made of 6061 aluminum, and the Bowtech cams are made of 7075 aluminum. It will last way longer than the Mathews cam. Believe me, I know. I shoot a Bowtech Destroyer 350 that I've dry-fired 3 times now in the 12 years that I've owned it, and not one single bend in either cam. Try doing that with a Mathews.
Might be true. They haven’t really had a bad rep for the last few years.
Been on the hunt for a new bow. Thanks for making such well made videos. Thursday I found your Channel and ended up watching your videos for at least 2 to hours. Great job and thanks for helping me make a decision. Tomorrow I'm off to archery world USA Fairfied Ohio to shoot a couple you liked.
Hey B Mac.. did you ever get this bow figured out?.. This is one of the bows on my shirt list to consider buying, may go with the Realm SS instead?.. wonder if you had the cams out of center?.. they could be even, but out of center. Make sense?.. they need to be centered together between the limbs. This could resolve that kick you're getting. Did you give up on it, or take it to a shop?.. what ever happened?.. I've heard nothing but good about this bow from others. Thanks for the honest review.
Bowtechs are know for not having a great draw cycle on the last inch of the cam adjustment. Calling them cheap looking is kind of silly though cam tech is most advanced out there and the finish one of the best only rivaled by g5 prime. Its a great bow shot it a bunch but ultimately went with mathews as ive owned a realm x and sr6.
I think it was just the plastic parts and the way things fit together. Plus the actual machining around the grip and some of the tighter turns wasnt as precision as some of the others are. I called the shop today and he said just want you're staying about that last inch on the draw. I'm going to try lowering it to 28 dl just to see.
I've liked bowtech in the past. Almost bought an sr6 last year.
You are completely wrong dude! Bowtech is WELL KNOWN for having one of if not the best draw cycles.
I’m watching this after spending my day shooting every flagship bow I could get my hands on today, bowtech revolt, revolt x, Mathews VXR 28&31.5, elite Kure, Carbon RX4 hot axius ultra. I thought the revolt and the revoltx were hands and shoulders above everything other than the grip on the carbon RX4, the axius wasn’t close, the Hoyt draw cycle wasn’t close.
The revolt x at 70# felt easier than the Hoyt at 65#, and everything else was terrible in comparison, very disappointed with the Mathews, I’ll be going with a revolt, if I could put the RX4 grip on it I’d have the perfect bow.
Good feedback. Bowtech reached out to me. We shall see if something's just wrong with it. If there is I'll do a new video for sure!
Brandon Mcdonald id be pretty surprised if there wasn’t something wrong. I haven’t heard too many negatives about these bows so far. I hope so anyway, I just dropped $1900aud on a revoltx haha
I have a bowtech realm that is identical accept for the cam lock. Love the bow and the grip is supposed to be solid not squishy. Only other bow id consider is a mathews. 2 best companies right now imo.
I just bought a Mathews Traverse. Unfortunately I don't pick it up until tomorrow evening.
You're gonna love it. Still shoot mine even with the new vxr as an option
@@brandonmcdonald6121 Thanks! I do. I went from a $125 bow to a $1000 bow. It makes a huge difference.
I couldn't remember the brand of my other bow, They said it was POS.
kicking out to the left usually indicates too weak an arrow spine.
@Brandon Mcdonald, Well done. I'm looking to get a new bow and I've narrowed it down to either the Elite Kure or Bowtech Revolt X. You've given me some good points to ponder. Thanks for putting your videos out there. I'll be subscribing and looking forward to more.
Go shoot them all and see how they feel. Thanks for watching!
Honest video as usual. Next time don't do the video in front of your Matthews target rig and keep referring to the Matthews during the video. Sorry just an opinion you kinda look like a fanboy that just wants to dis on somebody else's equipment when you do it that way.
Very valid point. Ill think about how to address that.
I own the Realm SR6 #70 @ 29" in comfort mode. It's basically the same bow, minus a different cam and cam lock. I've never shot such an amazing bow in my life. In all honesty, I think something is wrong with the bow... Let us know if you follow up with any issues..
Will do. I'm totally open to that being the case, or it just being me! I haven't given up.
I really like the draw in comfort until the last 2 inches. I'm going to drop it to 28 or 29 and see how it feels. I'll let everyone know
@@brandonmcdonald6121 yeah, definitely keep us posted. I'd be interested to know the issue. Even my Destroyer 350 didn't have a snap at the last few inches, and that bow wanted to always just take off! I usually don't mess with cams myself.. I bring it to my tech guy. Too much going on these days
I’d never buy another Bowtech carbon riser bow myself. They are known to warp… you’ll be replacing in 4-5 years from now as the cams start to lean so bad you’ll be afraid to shoot it. Do a search for “carbon riser warping” and you’ll see what I mean
Interesting. I’ll look it up. I know they had issues for a long time with durability. Seems to be good at this point for the last few years
@@brandonmcdonald6121 My overdrive is now warped so bad my arrow fletchings are starting to contact the cables…
Nothing wrong with the bow. 90% you have to push it forward. Performance is going to be a the like that. It is a speed bow.
The biggest problem is that your draw length is long and those bowtech cams don't feel near as good in the longest draw setting. If you were a 29" or shorter draw length, the cam would feel a lot better.
Try a reckoning 35 or 38 and see if you like the way those feel. But as far as the revolt x, the cam will dump hard toward the end with your long draw length.
I called the shop today and they said the same thing. I'm actually going to shorten to 28 just to see how it feels. Nice thing about the bowtech, it's super quick to adjust.
That is actually a common problem with most manufacturers. They try to cover too much of a draw length range with their cams and the long and short settings are always harder to tune and the draw feels worse. I try to avoid a bow where I will have to adjust the cam in the longest position. I have worked on some Hoyts that would do the same thing. Hoyt usually have 3 sizes of base cams so it makes it easier to avoid setting the draw in the longest settings.
The closer to the middle of the cam a person can set the draw length, the better it will feel and it will tune easier. Sometimes it can be a bear to tune in the longest/shortest positions.
I will probably buy a reckoning 38 sometime this year. I have a 30" draw so I will okay with the bow. You may have to step up to a longer ATA bow regardless of brand. At you draw length, you will get good speed. I am a 30" draw myself so I try to avoid those short bows where I will be at the longest draw length setting. Good luck.
@@halfstep67 I just started setting up the hoyt tonight and noticed that the draw range on this one was from 29 or 30 (can't remember exactly) up to 32. This makes a lot of sense to me. Too much adjustability on one cam and the very short, and very long dl guys are getting the shaft... I get it from a bow shops perspective though. No press needed and you can change stuff out QUICK.
A lot of shops don't really tune a bow anyways, they just set it up and the customer doesn't really know. I am a 30" draw so I want a bow that will go to 31" or longer. If it only goes to 30", I won't bother with it. I am also a lefty and usually have to order a bow so I want to make sure it will tune before I buy one.
The vast majority of archers are in the 27" to 29" range. Very few archers are actually 30" or more. But bows are speed rated at the 30" and 70 pounds. in the past, some manufacturers would make the 30" setting hotter in relationship to the other settings. This gave the impression that the bow was faster than what it really was in the other settings. Guys would set it at 29" thinking they would only loose 10fps but would loose closer to 20 fps.
Bows have gotten pretty short and having a 30"+ draw length can reduce one's choices by a 1/3 or more. Always buy with at least an inch of draw length to spare on the long or short side. The good thing about having a longer draw is that the speed will be there.
The drop away rest and expandable broadhead has become standard equipment these days. Mainly out of necessity. A lot of today's bows have short ATA and low BH with big aggressive high let off cams and the shootability has surpassed the average archer's abilities. Archers today need to have better form and shot execution to get the bow to tune and shoot well. The draw length and poundage needs to be adjusted properly to give the archer as much forgiveness as possible.
It's kicking to the left because of a weak hand grip. Look at your hand grip try adding more of a full grip.
Great video, Brandon! Thanks for sharing your honest experience with the Revolt X.
Also, maybe it’s just me but for some reason when I’m looking at your channel via the CZcams app it only shows your last 3 uploads and nothing else. On the Chrome web browser everything looks normal though.
I've noticed that about other people's videos too. Not sure why it's doing that... That's for letting me know!
I shot the Revolt X a couple of weeks ago and thought it shot well. Still waiting to shoot the Bowtech Reckoning 35, PSE NXT 35, and Hoyt Axius Ultra. I've shot the Elite Ritual 35, but wasn't that impressed.
Long hunting bow or 3d/ target bow? I'm curious about the Prime black 5 and 8 (I think it's 8). I'm really liking the prime.
Thanks for this. very refreshing. in this very strange age of people being offended and irrationally loyal to things for god knows why , i for one still appreciate someone speaking from a personal perspective.
I'm not saying that this is NOT an honest video, but there are so many people saying this without having shot the Revolt for themselves lmao. I have seen guys fall in love with this bow and have 0 complaints. So are they being superficially impressed? Because this is "FINALLY, AN HONEST REVIEW" stated by so many with 0% first hand experience with this bow? Brandon you've created a can of worms! Bravo, sir!
After basically a year of having heard feedback about it here's what I've concluded. Guys with draws under 28" like the draw cycle, longer and the cams just feel like crap at the end. I didn't like the way the bow finished for me and my grip which is obviously subjective.
@@brandonmcdonald6121 I'm genuinely impressed with your videos-including this one.
Do you sell the bow you don't like just curious. Just found the channel I like the honesty in you reviews
Great detailed honest review! Subbed.
It is a nice looking bow. When it first came out I thought it was ugly but have changed my position after seeing it up close. Sorry it didn't work for you.
I like the way it looks. I really wanted to like the way it shot!
I had a massive brain malfunction with the stud in my Stan release, luckily the release only broke the arrow retainer on my Hamskea rest as it went sailing through my bow. But otherwise, yes I love my Stan Perfx as well. Thanks for the objective view of the bow. I really like my RealmX but I'm not an every year bow guy and there is just something about everything going on with the Bowtech that makes me want something simpler and less moving parts.
Just shot one of these last week and found none of the problems you seem to have (and I hadn't shot a Bowtech in 15 years). I realize how subjective the feel of a bow can be but dayum man ......maybe you need to go traditional.
I want to shoot another one just to see what was up. I liked the new ss this year
I own a RevoltX. I love it for the most part and don’t have the kicking issue you do, but I absolutely agree on the Clutch Grip insert. It’s cheap feeling plastic and I actually had them send me another one because I couldn’t believe a grip insert would wiggle around like that on a flagship bow. The replacement was slightly better but still not solid, so I wrapped it with tennis wrap and now I’m fine with it, but they definitely need to upgrade that part.
In terms of the kicking problem - curious where you have the cams on the axels and what’s your center shot? My cams are further to the right and it looks off visually but the string is centered. Also, the manual is wrong about resetting the cams to factory spec - instead of 1 turn it should be 2 turns. I confirmed this with Bowtech.
What's your draw length? Just curious as the shop was saying that's a big factor in why it feels so bad to me. I'm sure there's some pretty sweet after market grips that can be bought for it. I actually really like the overall feel of the grip, just not the plastic part ...
Last night I stripped the bow, took the cams all the way to the left then all the way to the right then back to center. I'm starting over with it. I'm going to set the draw length to 28" and see if it shoots any better. I really want to figure out the kick. I understand why the draw cycle feels bad at the longer DL
I’m at 28.5” for draw length. Maybe that’s the difference. Hope you can figure it out!
Agreed on the grip - the shape is great but when you’re handling the bow or carrying it it’s not a good feeling to have that insert moving around slightly.
Sand blast the grip. It works well for those who dont like batting or hockey tape wraps. Takes away the slip without losing the hand placement.
The manual has a table with flip disk pin settings and post settings for draw lenghts.
Correct. I did look it up after my dumbass wasn't figuring it out easily. Obviously the flip disc issues were my fault.
Would you be able to get it set up better by a bow tec just to make you feel better?
Pandoras box was opened & Must Be Nice slipped through the cracks...reminds me of some of these grips going on flagship bows these days
I think it's your bow, your review basically says the complete opposite of every other review.
Other reviews: "no hand shock" "high quality bow" "very little difference in feel between performance and comfort" "smooth draw" "very nice draw cycle" (
I'm open to that too. I'm going to adjust the draw length down a couple of inches and see how that feels. A lot of the guys I've seen are shooting at 29". That extra 2" might make a difference.
Brandon Mcdonald man, you need to shoot your correct draw length, not what others are using.
Clary, I was shooting my DL to start. I'm asking guys that like their bowtechs what DL they are. Consistently, they're shorter. That's why I'm going to lower it and see if it draws better.
Brandon Mcdonald dl should not make a difference. Seriously, you should bring that bow to the shop. There is something wrong with it. I can tell theres a problem just by the way you’re drawing it. Either something is seriously out of time, or theres a cam problem. Something serious.The bowtech isnt smooth, but its still a good draw. 30 years of archery and ive never seen any bow draw like that.
Brandon Mcdonald and im a 31” dl. Which is what i shot the Revolt at. On both comfort and performance.
Your bow is broken, get it fixed!
I have tried many top bows and they have been all great i have a revolt x and I really like it you didn't thats fine by me im not a fan boy of bowtech and im not a pro , I respect your opinion in my opinion out of the vxr rx4 and elite I tried the bowtech revolt just suited me best 👍
Nice, very reasonable comment and the way we should all feel about bows. I'm glad you found the one you like the best. Good luck this fall
Gone back watched your videos seeing the issues. That truly might have been a lemon if its having those odd issues. I shot all these bows and then some. Not just a few times as I go to the local shops as often as possible before I finally got my Revolt X. Sux that it did not perform well in your tests. I stacked bows very closely and got down to mathews 28,PSE NXT33/31, and Revolt X. If I had any issues like those it would have been outed in first round as well. Oh well do your build video already lol!
I think from what I'm hearing, the longer draw is the issue... Could be a 🍋 not sure. I'll get to the bow build video when I get arrows done
I'm shooting the bowtech Realmx. As the draw drops into the valley it takes a conscious effort to slow the draw so that I do not hit the back wall with so much force that it causes a violent vibration into my grip. Thoughts? The power disc on the bow is set to comfort
Jeanene Bishop does setting it to power instead of comfort reduce the let off? Maybe trying that, reduce the “depth” of the valley perhaps
You should do a review on the Perfex
I'm going to do a full release review at some point when I get done with the bows. That'll be in there for sure.
Yea I just picked up the resistance. Almost instant improvement
I’m curious if bowtech contacted you. I shoot a older boss and was thinking of upgrading. Great videos, thank you.
They messaged me a couple times but we didn't connect. Honestly, I just think it's me and my shot. I really wanted to like it...
When soccer dad's that let their wife have an open relationship review a bow
So it draws like the old bowtech admiral. Stacks up hard right before it breaks into the valley.
Size of the cam doesnt matter when the bearings it spins on are garbage...
I second the Perfex review comment.
perfeX vs. SX3
I'd love to have that Bow
Amazing video! Production quality 😁