- Joined
- Jul 28, 2023
- Messages
- 14
I will say that both these bows are absolutely excellent. There are some differences but not any that take away from how good the bows actually are. Last year I ended up with two bows from the same manufacturer, and that was a first going back a ways. Typically I have two different brands in the fold and both capable of being my main bow for the year. So this year, I wanted to get back to that. So Mathews and Darton it is.
Both these bows are 75lb bows. The Darton with its comfort mods, the Mathews with its Z mods.
I'll start with draw, because so many make so much about it. There is almost 0 difference in what you "feel" in terms of effort. It takes equal effort to get both started and keep the cams moving. Absolutely no difference in "feel" until the last inch or so of draw. The Darton starts letting off sooner by a fraction than the Mathews which feels to stay at or near max poundage just a tad longer (which shows up across a chrono). Both are smooth and linear and drop smoothly onto the backwall, and the backwall feels equally the same on each. I do have the bigger draw stops in the Darton, running it's letoff slightly lower than the 85% Z Mods on the Mathews. There essentially is no difference in effort or feel between these two bows set up at 75lbs a piece, 28.75" draw on the ARC34 and 28.875" on the Darton.
Draw length adjustments are absolutely needed on the Darton, as set up at 28.25" by their alpha numeric labeling system on the cam ( L ) for 28.25", the bow draws 28.875 (7/8) on a draw board. That is over 1/2" longer than stated setting. The Mathews with 28.5" draw mods is drawing just under 28.75" in the same draw board. I do love the 1/4" adjustability of the Darton, and it is desperately needed as this bow is drawing excessively over stated specs. My Sequel ST2 was the same, 1/2" long. That said, the ability to adjust this and get it more precise vs the Z Mod is a nice feature to have.
Through the chrono, both bows set at 75lbs, both close to 28.75" of draw, both shooting a 465gr arrow through the same chrono, the Mathews averaged 291, the Darton 285. Put the speed mods on the Darton and they will equal the Z mods of the ARC in speed, but you do feel the difference in the bows draw curve then, as it dumps more into the valley. Is that 6fps enough to actually matter, to some yes, to others no. Either way, pretty respectable speeds that are adequate to take any game in North America with that weight arrow and a sharp broadhead. I am happy with each.
The mass weight of these two is probably the most glaring difference and most easily noticeable difference. Pick up the Tritech 33 set up very similarly to the ARC 34, and you absolutely feel the extra weight on the Darton. It's not even close. It is easily 1/2lb heavier by scale. To some, this may be an important factor of picking between the two. If a mountain hunt in the western US or Alaska or Canadian Rockies were on the docket, the ARC 34 will be lighter set up the same, and will save some packing weight. In terms of what that does to each bow for me at the shot and in aiming, both feel very comfortable with no vibration or funny tendency at the shot. I figure the extra weight of the Darton is helping take up some vibration, and should aid in aiming in a windier condition. The weight doesn't effect my choice or matter as much to me, as most all my hunting is from a saddle/stand/blind in the midwest. But, shooting during the summer evenings can get windy here, so it may be a more pleasant experience with the Darton, time will tell as we get into the coming months Lord willing.
Tuning features are just phenomenal on the Tritech 33 and very good on the ARC 34. For horizontal tear adjustment, without a press, the Darton offers good adjustability with the limb pockets and the cable guard. The ARC has the Limb Shift system, and to me, it is more accurate and more adjustable for horizontal issues. It takes less to adjust a tear and offers more adjustment for a tear that is horizontal. For vertical tears without a press, I don't think you can beat the Darton system. It is super easy to understand, it is mostly easy to use, and it is press free vs the Mathews ( SAS aside ). For me, even with a press, the Tritech 33 is faster, but I can accomplish the same things with either bow. For the person without a press, the Mathews does offer the SAS on the cams that can be utilized, but it is not in the same league as the Darton for adjusting the cables. The tuning built into the Darton is excellent, functional, and really allows someone to be press free. That said, there are cases you still have to shim the Darton. This is unfortunate that the Darton tuning system won't allow full adjustment for horizontal tears without the need to shim, and still have adjustment left. The Mathews will. Are any of the tuning features a deal breaker, not for me personally. Backcountry stuff either can be press free entirely with the SAS system. I like the Darton cam timing system better, but I like the Mathews horizontal tuning system better.
Resale. This is where the Darton falls terribly short. If you are like me, and like to try different bows, and like to tinker and choose the bows that you like the best each year, this is a major consideration. The Mathews will holds its value longer and sell faster. This must be considered unless you are buying a bow and keeping it 4-5 years before changing. Even then, the Mathews will sell quicker and for more by a slight margin.
Accessories out of the box, the Darton you get both speed and comfort mods, and two ways to adjust letoff. The Mathews you get a hat, though they are nice hats. It is nice to see Darton give you the extra options at no extra charge. But you don't get a hat, which is a bummer. Integration is equally nice on both bows. Rests/Sights/Limb Legs are all integrated/available for each. There are some things like the eyelet for getting the bow into the stand from Darton that are extra $$, as Mathews has that built in now, but that's really picking at things. Either bow has excellent integration and options for accessories. This is least valuable metric to me, but it is something to consider.
Grips on the bow, if I was shooting solely from the riser, they are equal if you put the side plates on the Mathews (at an extra cost...). But I like the grip options from Mathews vs the Darton. I hate the Engage grip, it is worthless IMO. But, the Taper and Contour grips are excellent IMO and I really like the Taper grips. This is a personal thing between shooter and bow, so your milage may vary depending on what you like. Darton's grip is modular this year, with options, which I may explore at a later date. Again, everyone's hand is different, and what each individual likes is different. There are options for each, so its a win win with either bow.
There are other things we could dive into, like factory strings, but I typically replace them with a set from one of a few different offerings I like. But my gut says the Dartons factory overall may have the edge on the Match strings. I have had good and bad sets of Match. Again, milage may vary.
At the end of the day, neither bow is bad, despite the MDS that runs rampant here, both bows are excellent. No wrong choice between the two. Both will shoot excellent, give good performance, and punch a lot of tags this spring to winter. If I used a numeric system, both bows would be an 8 out of 10. If you are objective, and lay bias aside, you are really splitting frog hairs to nit pick things about each. No wrong choice here. I love how Randy has really reinvented Darton. Total face life to the bows and brand. Mathews continues to build high quality top tier bows, which is expected of them. I am very happy with these two, and feel very blessed to have them for this season. I would not hesitate to recommend either to someone looking to buy a new bow this year.
Both these bows are 75lb bows. The Darton with its comfort mods, the Mathews with its Z mods.
I'll start with draw, because so many make so much about it. There is almost 0 difference in what you "feel" in terms of effort. It takes equal effort to get both started and keep the cams moving. Absolutely no difference in "feel" until the last inch or so of draw. The Darton starts letting off sooner by a fraction than the Mathews which feels to stay at or near max poundage just a tad longer (which shows up across a chrono). Both are smooth and linear and drop smoothly onto the backwall, and the backwall feels equally the same on each. I do have the bigger draw stops in the Darton, running it's letoff slightly lower than the 85% Z Mods on the Mathews. There essentially is no difference in effort or feel between these two bows set up at 75lbs a piece, 28.75" draw on the ARC34 and 28.875" on the Darton.
Draw length adjustments are absolutely needed on the Darton, as set up at 28.25" by their alpha numeric labeling system on the cam ( L ) for 28.25", the bow draws 28.875 (7/8) on a draw board. That is over 1/2" longer than stated setting. The Mathews with 28.5" draw mods is drawing just under 28.75" in the same draw board. I do love the 1/4" adjustability of the Darton, and it is desperately needed as this bow is drawing excessively over stated specs. My Sequel ST2 was the same, 1/2" long. That said, the ability to adjust this and get it more precise vs the Z Mod is a nice feature to have.
Through the chrono, both bows set at 75lbs, both close to 28.75" of draw, both shooting a 465gr arrow through the same chrono, the Mathews averaged 291, the Darton 285. Put the speed mods on the Darton and they will equal the Z mods of the ARC in speed, but you do feel the difference in the bows draw curve then, as it dumps more into the valley. Is that 6fps enough to actually matter, to some yes, to others no. Either way, pretty respectable speeds that are adequate to take any game in North America with that weight arrow and a sharp broadhead. I am happy with each.
The mass weight of these two is probably the most glaring difference and most easily noticeable difference. Pick up the Tritech 33 set up very similarly to the ARC 34, and you absolutely feel the extra weight on the Darton. It's not even close. It is easily 1/2lb heavier by scale. To some, this may be an important factor of picking between the two. If a mountain hunt in the western US or Alaska or Canadian Rockies were on the docket, the ARC 34 will be lighter set up the same, and will save some packing weight. In terms of what that does to each bow for me at the shot and in aiming, both feel very comfortable with no vibration or funny tendency at the shot. I figure the extra weight of the Darton is helping take up some vibration, and should aid in aiming in a windier condition. The weight doesn't effect my choice or matter as much to me, as most all my hunting is from a saddle/stand/blind in the midwest. But, shooting during the summer evenings can get windy here, so it may be a more pleasant experience with the Darton, time will tell as we get into the coming months Lord willing.
Tuning features are just phenomenal on the Tritech 33 and very good on the ARC 34. For horizontal tear adjustment, without a press, the Darton offers good adjustability with the limb pockets and the cable guard. The ARC has the Limb Shift system, and to me, it is more accurate and more adjustable for horizontal issues. It takes less to adjust a tear and offers more adjustment for a tear that is horizontal. For vertical tears without a press, I don't think you can beat the Darton system. It is super easy to understand, it is mostly easy to use, and it is press free vs the Mathews ( SAS aside ). For me, even with a press, the Tritech 33 is faster, but I can accomplish the same things with either bow. For the person without a press, the Mathews does offer the SAS on the cams that can be utilized, but it is not in the same league as the Darton for adjusting the cables. The tuning built into the Darton is excellent, functional, and really allows someone to be press free. That said, there are cases you still have to shim the Darton. This is unfortunate that the Darton tuning system won't allow full adjustment for horizontal tears without the need to shim, and still have adjustment left. The Mathews will. Are any of the tuning features a deal breaker, not for me personally. Backcountry stuff either can be press free entirely with the SAS system. I like the Darton cam timing system better, but I like the Mathews horizontal tuning system better.
Resale. This is where the Darton falls terribly short. If you are like me, and like to try different bows, and like to tinker and choose the bows that you like the best each year, this is a major consideration. The Mathews will holds its value longer and sell faster. This must be considered unless you are buying a bow and keeping it 4-5 years before changing. Even then, the Mathews will sell quicker and for more by a slight margin.
Accessories out of the box, the Darton you get both speed and comfort mods, and two ways to adjust letoff. The Mathews you get a hat, though they are nice hats. It is nice to see Darton give you the extra options at no extra charge. But you don't get a hat, which is a bummer. Integration is equally nice on both bows. Rests/Sights/Limb Legs are all integrated/available for each. There are some things like the eyelet for getting the bow into the stand from Darton that are extra $$, as Mathews has that built in now, but that's really picking at things. Either bow has excellent integration and options for accessories. This is least valuable metric to me, but it is something to consider.
Grips on the bow, if I was shooting solely from the riser, they are equal if you put the side plates on the Mathews (at an extra cost...). But I like the grip options from Mathews vs the Darton. I hate the Engage grip, it is worthless IMO. But, the Taper and Contour grips are excellent IMO and I really like the Taper grips. This is a personal thing between shooter and bow, so your milage may vary depending on what you like. Darton's grip is modular this year, with options, which I may explore at a later date. Again, everyone's hand is different, and what each individual likes is different. There are options for each, so its a win win with either bow.
There are other things we could dive into, like factory strings, but I typically replace them with a set from one of a few different offerings I like. But my gut says the Dartons factory overall may have the edge on the Match strings. I have had good and bad sets of Match. Again, milage may vary.
At the end of the day, neither bow is bad, despite the MDS that runs rampant here, both bows are excellent. No wrong choice between the two. Both will shoot excellent, give good performance, and punch a lot of tags this spring to winter. If I used a numeric system, both bows would be an 8 out of 10. If you are objective, and lay bias aside, you are really splitting frog hairs to nit pick things about each. No wrong choice here. I love how Randy has really reinvented Darton. Total face life to the bows and brand. Mathews continues to build high quality top tier bows, which is expected of them. I am very happy with these two, and feel very blessed to have them for this season. I would not hesitate to recommend either to someone looking to buy a new bow this year.
