Hoyt Ventum 33 Review ***Updated 8/11/21***

[JasonR1]

I had my choices down to the Ventum 33, the RX5 Ultra, and the Matthews V3 31. It was a really tough choice between all three, but particularly between the Ventum 33 and the RX5 ultra. They both have the same cams so the draw cycle is almost identical. I like that the RX5 has a bit more brace height so it should be more forgiving than the Ventum but it has the same IBO spec which is cool. The RX5 also feels AMAZING in the hand...the grip is perfect for me and the carbon just feels nice.

The Ventum 33 felt deader in the hand during the shot to me. That combined with the price difference was pretty much what made my decision for me. I just didn't see enough of a difference between the two to justify the extra 500 bucks. It was tough though, that is a sweet bow, I think you are going to love it.

I talked to some Hoyt guys when the rx-4 came out and it didn't seem like enough change to justify the cost. The new cam system on the 5/ventum sounds like a great change. Can't wait to get it set up.

 

[Josh Boyd]

UPDATE:


There was a slight delay in the initial setup as I was waiting on a few parts. After tying in string loop and setting a peep, I added a QAD Integrate MX rest to the rear dovetail mount. I've used QAD rests in the past but not the integrated version. My initial thoughts are positive. I am hoping to try out an Axcel sight in the picatinny configuration to see if it's something that can withstand mountain hunting.


After a quick paper tune and I have bullet holes with the arrow centered .702" from the berger hole. My plan is to bare shaft tune and play with cam spacers if needed. Currently the bow is at factory base line with the gray spacers.

I measured a few speeds after the initial tune and am pleased with the results. My draw length is 27" (module 2 position "I") and let-off set at 85%. My test arrows are 386 grains. The plan is to let the strings settle with more shooting, check the cam synchronization, and bare shaft tune while keeping an eye on speeds.



So far I am really impressed with the smooth draw cycle, vibration free shot, and quietness of the new Ventum! I feel really good about this bow and with a little tweaking can squeeze out its maximum potential.

 

[ncavi8tor]

Josh, that is a great looking setup!! My Ventum 33 is the same color configuration and seeing yours reassures me that I made the perfect choice!! Can't wait for mine to get here!

NC

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[Arctic Hunter]

Josh,
That’s where I’m finding mine to paper tune the best with a fletched shaft as well with the centershot inside of 3/4”. Bare shaft is kicking tail left though. I’m curious to know what you find when you shim the cam.

 

[justin davis]

I just got a Ventum 33. Set it up and did some shooting. Still need to shoot it a bunch and tune it. But initial shots with bareshafts and fletched looks promising . Don’t think I’ll need to shim it

 

[Kotaman]

Ordered this same color combo what seems like an eternity ago. Hoping it shows up soon. Love the color combo. Dealer said they’ve had to reverse the shims on every one they’ve got in so far.

 

[Josh Boyd]

Ordered this same color combo what seems like an eternity ago. Hoping it shows up soon. Love the color combo. Dealer said they’ve had to reverse the shims on every one they’ve got in so far.

That color combo seems to be very popular and I'm feeling pretty lucky to have it in my hands so soon.

I've been slinging arrows with it almost daily and it is a shooter. This weekend I put an Axcel picatinny mount sight on with just enough time to adjust the 2nd and 3rd axis. I've been curious about this mounting option since it was announced without a lot of real-world testing of them. The plan is to dial the sight and check the tune to see if anything has changed with the stings settling. So far it tuned great with the shims in the factory configuration.

 

[Zac]

That color combo seems to be very popular and I'm feeling pretty lucky to have it in my hands so soon.

I've been slinging arrows with it almost daily and it is a shooter. This weekend I put an Axcel picatinny mount sight on with just enough time to adjust the 2nd and 3rd axis. I've been curious about this mounting option since it was announced without a lot of real-world testing of them. The plan is to dial the sight and check the tune to see if anything has changed with the stings settling. So far it tuned great with the shims in the factory configuration.

View attachment 279885
View attachment 279886

What's your thoughts on the sight? Can you tell a perceivable change in balance?

 

[Josh Boyd]

What's your thoughts on the sight? Can you tell a perceivable change in balance?

So far I like it. It's the first Axcel I've owned and it levels and functions great. The sight is super simple to secure to the picatinny mount and has not moved or loosened. The side-to-side balance shift is really subtle but the shift forward has been noticeable. I added a little extra weight to my back bar to compensate. The Tight Spot quiver will be mounted way closer to the riser which I expect to balance well and have an overall lower profile.

So..... at this point I don't see a downside to the sight mount and maybe a few upsides but nothing earth shattering. Although, it's the small incremental changes over time that eventually shape the future of the sport.

 

[Wrhyne]

Following, thanks!

 

[TheTone]

I’d really like to try one out but not sure it’s in the cards. Talked to local dealer again today and they said they’ve had bows ordered since they were announced but have yet to get a single one and they don’t think they will. Pretty frustrating when I could walk in and buy a Mathews, bow tech or expedition off the shelf

 

[7raptor]

So far I like it. It's the first Axcel I've owned and it levels and functions great. The sight is super simple to secure to the picatinny mount and has not moved or loosened. The side-to-side balance shift is really subtle but the shift forward has been noticeable. I added a little extra weight to my back bar to compensate. The Tight Spot quiver will be mounted way closer to the riser which I expect to balance well and have an overall lower profile.

So..... at this point I don't see a downside to the sight mount and maybe a few upsides but nothing earth shattering. Although, it's the small incremental changes over time that eventually shape the future of the sport.

Ordered the landslyde for my RX-5...did you have to switch to the 2 piece quiver or is there a way to use a 5 arrow tight spot with the pic rail?

 

[Josh Boyd]

Ordered the landslyde for my RX-5...did you have to switch to the 2 piece quiver or is there a way to use a 5 arrow tight spot with the pic rail?

I have both but am using a tight spot right now and really like how close it’s mounted to the riser. It attaches in the same mounting holes that a regular sight uses. The pic rail sight and the integrated rest make for a very clean setup.


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[Farmcritter]

How does the weight feel compared to some of the lighter bows or Hoyt’s previous models? Do you think the integrated accessories made a difference in the overall weight compared to lighter bows without the integrated option?

 

[Josh Boyd]

How does the weight feel compared to some of the lighter bows or Hoyt’s previous models? Do you think the integrated accessories made a difference in the overall weight compared to lighter bows without the integrated option?

It’s noticeably heavier when compared side-to-side with my RX-3 but it isn’t noticeable in the field. I’ve been packing it in some rough country this spring and have not felt encumbered by it.

The integrated components don’t save weight but they do change how the weight is distributed on the bow. I really like having the option and will definitely keep the sight and rest mounted.


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[justin davis]

I found the weight of the ventum 33 to make for a very solid shooting bow. I hold
Very steady at full draw. It balances really nice for me. Very accurate with this bow. More so than with past carbons

 

[KrisE84]

5.3 #?? No wonder it’s quiet.

 

[JeffRaines]

Figured I'd chime in on this thread with my experiences as well.

A week or so back I sent Josh a message asking him what he thought of the bow so far - and he was still enjoying it. I ended up going up to a local shop a couple days later and left with a new hat...

Firstly, I come from shooting Mathews. I have a VXR currently getting a string upgrade and it got me thinking about having some sort of backup bow. I didn't want a V3(and that was later confirmed after shooting one side-by-side with the Ventum. Its a hell of a bow, but it was almost a carbon copy of my VXR - to me anyway) and hadn't given Hoyt the time of day to be honest. What a mistake!

I gave the shop a call and sure enough, they had a 33 sitting on the rack in Wilderness which is the color I wanted if I were going to buy one. They made me a hell of a deal on it - good enough that buying used didn't make much sense. I would've saved a little money if I had went used.

I now realize what people are talking about when they say "shoot all the bows and buy the best one". I've never, up until this point, shot a bow that was as easy as this bow is to shoot. I realize that I'm well within the honeymoon phase - but hear me out. I haven't shot since January - my intentions were to take the year off archery and try hunting muzzy(and those are still my intentions)... me and a friend have an in on some private land for muzzy elk so I'm gonna see what that life is like. With that said, imagine not shooting for 6 months, then coming back and it not only being like you never left, but like you're somehow stronger and better. Thats how I feel. I'm normally a 60lb guy, when he handed me the bow and I shot it for the first time I honestly thought it was at 60lb. He hadn't heard me ask for that - it was set at 70lb!

Once he turned it down wow... its a smooth draw all the way to a nice back wall, and there's no dump. I've got no issue putting 50-60 arrows through it at a sitting - and while I realize for practiced guys that might be a normal or even a small number, but remember up until a few days ago I hadn't shot in 6 months. Hardly practiced or "in shape".

I don't think its as quiet as the VXR or V3 - but honestly that's the least of my concerns - and it isn't like its loud either. I don't really notice the "extra weight" but then again, I came from a VXR - not exactly a lightweight bow. I feel like these heavier bows are probably the way to go - I went through a phase where I wanted a lightweight rifle(and had quite a few) - I discovered that they're fine at normal hunting ranges, but a pain in the ass and inconsistent if you really want to stretch it out. I'm pretty sure that carries over to bows as well.

Even the stock strings aren't really that bad. I'd considered buying a set and going ahead and having them switched but honestly... I've got quite a few shots on the stock string with no peep rotation or creep. Still chronos the same as when I got it home.

Normally I'm a buy it used kind of guy - and while I got a hell of a deal on this bow, knowing what I know currently I'd have no issue paying full retail.

I originally bought this bow to be a backup to the VXR - looks like those roles might reverse.

If anything drastic changes I will post an update. Who knows, maybe I'll switch my deer tag back to archery...

 

[JeffRaines]

So, just as luck would have it, I spoke too soon on the strings.

About a week or so after I made that post(and around 250-300 shots in on the string) I noticed some major fraying on the cables where it lays in the channel on the cams.

I contacted the dealer, and he has a set of Hoyt strings in the shop for me - but I went ahead and grabbed a set of GAS strings.

While I was at it since the closest archery shop is almost an hour away, I went ahead and bought a press and some other stuff. I ended up doing my first string swap and tune on this bow - which ended up with me swapping the top shims around to get it to tune 100%.

I’m at about 150-200 on the new strings with no signs of wear. I checked the channels before I put the cables back on and found no burrs so I’m assuming it was the serving/string quality on the stock strings.

In any case, I was out finalizing my tune the other day and I made the mistake of shooting my FP first. I figured at 50 yards the BH wouldn’t hit close enough… yeah about that… I would’ve shot further but 50 is all I got at the house.



Very small sight adjustment and she’s good.

 

[ncavi8tor]

So, just as luck would have it, I spoke too soon on the strings.

About a week or so after I made that post(and around 250-300 shots in on the string) I noticed some major fraying on the cables where it lays in the channel on the cams.

I contacted the dealer, and he has a set of Hoyt strings in the shop for me - but I went ahead and grabbed a set of GAS strings.

While I was at it since the closest archery shop is almost an hour away, I went ahead and bought a press and some other stuff. I ended up doing my first string swap and tune on this bow - which ended up with me swapping the top shims around to get it to tune 100%.

I’m at about 150-200 on the new strings with no signs of wear. I checked the channels before I put the cables back on and found no burrs so I’m assuming it was the serving/string quality on the stock strings.

In any case, I was out finalizing my tune the other day and I made the mistake of shooting my FP first. I figured at 50 yards the BH wouldn’t hit close enough… yeah about that… I would’ve shot further but 50 is all I got at the house.

View attachment 308223

Very small sight adjustment and she’s good.

My Ventum 33 cable servings have gotten loose and are separating at the end where they make the sharp turn around the cams to attach to the posts. I'm replacing with a set of ABB Platinums. Not impressed with the Hoyt strings this year! Otherwise, it's a great bow!

NC

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