Mathew’s vs. elite

[Derek mannens]

I have an elite terrain 2023 and it’s a great bow however I am a big podcast listener and everyone is speaking very highly about the new Mathew’s lift x
I’m an elite guy through n through… is there anyone out there that has shot elites and has switched over to Mathew’s?
Or for the Mathew’s guys what are your thoughts likes and dislikes about the new lift x?

 

[BigSky]

I have owned many Elites and many Mathews bows. So as to “switched over”, no. Even though a couple of my Mathew’s bows are on my list of top 20, namely the Traverse and the V3X 33, as to each company’s whole lineup, in my opinion and based on my personal preferences, Mathews does not hold a candle to Elite. I am aware that I am in the minority there. As to the Lift, I can’t and won’t comment as I have not personally fired one.

 

[dreamingWest]

The Lift X 29.5 and 33 are really good bows and even a decent value when compared to some of the newer carbon and magnesium riser bows. In about two week, Mathews will be releasing their 2026 hunting bows with what appears to be new sizes (31 and 34).

That said, it's best not to become an "X-brand" guy. Just shoot as many bow brands as you can and pick the one you like best. We are in a golden age of compound bows. We have really great options from Mathews, Hoyt, Bowtech, PSE, Elite, Prime, Darton, Bear, etc,

 

[GOninety]

I shot Mathews for awhile, then bought an elite. I have 3 Elites now and 0 Mathews. Check out the enkore as well it’s a great bow.

 

[flyfisher117]

I have an elite terrain 2023 and it’s a great bow however I am a big podcast listener and everyone is speaking very highly about the new Mathew’s lift x

Remember to sift through the podcasts and figure out which ones are getting paid to speak highly.

Not saying they’re a bad bow, just lots of paid reviews and praise anymore.

 

[Miflatlander91]

I have had both Mathew’s and elite and like both brands. No doubt Mathew’s has to have the highest marketing budget of all brands. This summer my cousin was in the market for a new bow I went with to the bow shop he was fairly certain he was buying a lift x 33 we walked around and he asked about an elite I told him y I liked them so he shot both and ended up walking out with the elite. Moral of the story most all compounds are pretty dang good these days and the power of Mathew’s marketing is real.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ultracarry]

If Mathew’s sent me a bow every year and selling them was or is how I paid my bills I might shoot one in private ….
marketing -

 

[06 SB]

I have shot quite a few Mathews but no Elites. I did just buy one though. A NOS Omnia for $500. Currently shooting the LiftX 29.5 at 61 pounds w/ 29” draw. It is easy to shoot, quiet, light, fast and at least for me, forgiving. The draw cycle is easy at 61 pounds. The grip is better but still sucks though. I never got more than 2-3 months out of the Mathews strings of the past. The new Match strings have been great after 9 months of shooting.

The good thing about Mathews is they support their bows long term. If I need a new set of limbs for my 2006 Switchback, they can be ordered. It is one of the reasons Mathews bows maintain their value. My Switchback is still worth 300 plus.

 

[GreggB]

As an authorized Mathews Retailer for 20 plus years I have a strong bias to the bows, the company's culture and their treatment towards me as retailer. With that said, most manufactures today make excellent bows that fit the need of individual shooters and bowhunters. Chevy, Ford, Dodge...they all get you from point A to point B.

 

[dtomkidd]

I own and have pretty much only shot Elites. I fired a couple Hoyts in the past. Started with a Terrain and then acquired an Omnia as my main bow and the Terrain is my back up. The Omnia is incredible.

That being said, ive never shot a Mathews but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that in order to access the full range of draw weights and lengths that bow is capable of you have to buy the corresponding mods to the weight and length you want or need. Why can't it be as simple as just about every other bow manufacturer? Maybe I'm going on about nothing but ive just never liked that idea. With my griping out of the way, I have heard that most people who shoot them love them.

They don't seem to be a bad bow by any stretch of the imagination but I want to be able to adjust my bow without having to buy other mods to make that happen.

 

[BigSky]

In response to dtomkidd above and as to draw weight, Mathews is superior in that draw weight can be changed beyond the normal/standard 10 pound range with a simple module change. That is a huge plus. As to draw length the module change is simple yet costly but less costly than new limbs. Maybe someone more expert than myself as to Mathews can chime in but I speculate the use of the module is, in essence, an either/or prospect. They either need to have an end-user draw length adjustment and forego the module weight change or they have to do it as offered now.

 

[dtomkidd]

In response to dtomkidd above and as to draw weight, Mathews is superior in that draw weight can be changed beyond the normal/standard 10 pound range with a simple module change. That is a huge plus. As to draw length the module change is simple yet costly but less costly than new limbs. Maybe someone more expert than myself as to Mathews can chime in but I speculate the use of the module is, in essence, an either/or prospect. They either need to have an end-user draw length adjustment and forego the module weight change or they have to do it as offered now.

I do agree. Its impressive and far beyond the standard weight range that any other bows are able to be adjusted. Im not hating on Mathews by any means. I hear they make incredible bows. I would never advise against getting one to anybody but I just don't see myself being a Mathews owner. Besides, I like my Elites too much lol

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Mathew draw length specific mods are also engineered for ther draw length. Every one of their bows with 26 inch mods is always more efficient then a bow with a rotating mod.

The only ones that have been ad efficient are older hoyts that are also draw length specific but limited to draw length range.

Every hoyt I shot in the e slot on a #1 cam at 26 inches was 10-15 fps faster then a #2 cam shot in the a slot at 26 icnhes.

I much prefer the Mathews specific cams and mods since my draw length is so short.

Pretty interesting. My switchback xt is almost 20 years old, ibo of 315. My bowtech revolt is ibo of 335, both same axle to axle and very close brace heights, yet my Mathews is only 7 fps slower then the bowtech with the same arrow setup. One is a 26 inch cam only and the other is the rotating mods.

Plus those older solo cams are the smoothest things ever made to draw and shoot. 70lbs is a pure joy on that bow.

 

[NXTZ]

I have no experience with elite, so can’t help there. I did have a lift x 33 for a bit; I personally could not get along with that bow no matter what. I really like Mathews as a company and I’ll say they make great stuff, their proprietary quivers are absolutely fantastic.

The draw specific modules can be annoying, but any good dealer should swap them out for you or let you trade yours for a different length/weight if needed so I don’t really think it’s a problem. Or if you want a couple sets for different weights it’s really a pretty cheap option. I’d agree with coop that they are *usually more efficient than a rotating mod (pse seems to have figured that out, some other brands haven’t).

Mathews stock grips a pretty justifiably hated by many; the aftermarket or their alternative options are much better. The limb shift tuning works (and I think their limb issues have been fixed, plus they have a great warranty). Their sas cable is pretty underrated I think-it’s a neat little tool for sure.

I personally found the lift x to be extremely unforgiving/finicky about grip pressure, back wall pressure and release hand angle; much more so than other bows I’ve had. The “green zone” for a good shot was extremely narrow, and ANY tiny variation would cause a major miss for me. I had more “WTF” left/right misses with that bow than any other I’ve owned (including the V3x). I just never could get that bow shooting as well as it held/aimed.

 

[sndmn11]

I had a LiftX 33 last year as well for a month or so; specifically due to the switch weight and post shoulder surgery.

Hated the grip but shot it very very well. I let a friend buy it because of how shallow the cam grooves are. One thing that is a must for me is a bow that is easy to let down. I've been around two LiftX that de-railed; one while a person was checking draw weight and the other on a draw board. The latter was enlightening because we could see the cause and repeat it with minimal risk.

I've written two reviews here for Elite bows and the Omnia is a sleeper. It's the only bow I've reviewed that is still in the household and serves as a backup for me and my wife. I am confident I can take any SET Elite bow and get it broadhead tuned quickly.

 

[Pilarczyk85]

Been shooting elite for a few years now I have the envision currently and love that bow. Been looking at another as a backup but those hoyt ax2 are looking mighty nice.