mathews monster safari review

Bow / Hunting MONSTER ® SAFARI

The McPherson Series Monster Safari delivers unprecedented strength and performance. With features such as exotic African Wood Inlays, Integral Grip, and AVS cam system, the Safari is equally a work of art as it is a powerhouse in the field. At Mathews, engineering and innovation is a way of life. We take pride in developing new technologies that enhance performance and fulfill your archery experience. The patent pending Honeycomb Core Technology is another advancement in a long line of archery innovations and is found exclusively on the McPherson Series Monster Safari! The natural design of honeycomb is one of the strongest in nature. The hexagonal honeycomb design has been used in aerospace industries for years because of its high strength-to-weight ratios. It goes without saying that the Safari features strength to the core.

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Andrey Komissarov – March 10, 2019

I want to add more. One of my bows is already 7 years old. Production, coating allows it to look like new! My friends also bought this model and consider it the best on the market. I closely monitor what companies are releasing. According to the characteristics and quality, the MONSTER SAFARI has no equal!

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5 out of 5 If you know.. YOU KNOW!!

Travis Watkins – August 17, 2019

Still the best bow on the market! I have been using the Safari for five years now and I still won’t switch! The feeling this this bow offers is next to none. I chose this over the Creed years ago and it was the best decision I have ever made. I would have wanted to upgrade the Creed a few years later, but now I am still using my Safari today and don’t have any plans of changing. This is an amazing collectors item and, seriously, the best performing bow I have ever shot! I am not paid by Mathews or anything. I just wanted to share my two cents for a great bow and company.

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5 out of 5 2014 Safari 29” 85#

Ben King – March 7, 2020

Hands down the best compound ever created. I’ve now owned my 29” 85# Safari for 8 yrs and will NOT be buying another compound bow. I shoot the new Mathews models every year for giggles just to see, and they don’t compare. If you want to be one of those guys that has to have the latest, newest, flashy bow, no problem. BUT, if you want a “one and done” compound……THE SAFARI IS IT!!

5 out of 5 Perfect

Bob – March 17, 2020

One of the best big game bows going ,Balance speed smoothness it has it all

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5 out of 5 Great bow

Gregor Schloegl – July 17, 2021

Powerful bow, fast and accurate! The perfect hunting bow! Love it!

5 out of 5 So nice, I bought it twice!

Mike Poindexter – July 24, 2022

I needed a very heavy bow for Africa to hunt Cape buffalo six years ago. I purchased an 85# Monster Safari and got a complete pass through on my Cape buffalo with the bow set at 81lbs. It has since become my favorite bow and I eventually decided to get another one with 70lb limbs for my smaller game that I hunt. It is one of the smoothest bows I have ever shot.

5 out of 5 Old School

Dan Perinovic – December 9, 2022

So I have four of the latest and greatest compound bows on the market and all perform as their technology and price tag demand. Then I noticed the Safari, kind of a work of art you could say and it just kept calling my name. Yes my custom shop said it is old technology, but at the time of its entry was way ahead of it’s time. Does not come in camo and is on the very top end of price, however bottom line its a tack driver and in fact traded my 5 month old V3X for the Safari. Love the draw, quiet, deadly accurate and will now look forward to taking an Elk in the 2023 season. True work of art from aesthetic and function.

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Best Mathews Bows Ever Made

From the SoloCam to the CrossCentric, here are the most innovative and best compound bow models from Mathews Archery

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I’ve been testing the best compound bows head-to-head for Field & Stream since 2013. In that time, no other hunting bow brand has caused more of a reaction among readers than Mathews. On the one hand, you have Mathews Archery shooters who are fiercely loyal. Put simply, if Mathews doesn’t win, those bowhunters believe we’ve done something wrong. Then there are the archers who shoot something besides a Mathews compound bow. And when Mathews does win, these folks assume it’s because we took a bribe.

Compared to the anger I’ve seen come from the results of our bow tests, bickering over rifle calibers—like .308 vs. 6.5 Creedmoor —seem like playground spats.

But that enthusiasm for bowhunting—and for the debate over the best compound bow—is exactly why we’ve decided to do a run-down of the five best Mathews bows ever made. After all, Mathews is a company that, since 2013, has won our bow test three times and finished runner-up twice. (Due to COVID, we were not able to hold a test last year to determine a Best of the Best winner in the Best Compound Bow 2021 category.) Only Bowtech has been as competitive as Mathews.

• The Solocam Classic: Mathews MQ1
• The Bowhunting Fan Favorite: Mathews Switchback XT
• The Speed Demon: Mathews McPherson Monster XLR8
• The Best System Yet: Mathews Halon
• The Ultimate Trainer: Mathews Genesis

How We Selected the Best Mathews Bows

Of course, picking the “best ever” from a lineup of guns and calibers is pretty easy. You just choose the red-meat classics that’ll keep the masses happy (even if classy folk like you and me know better). But compound bows are generally discontinued after a couple years. Plus, they’ve gradually gotten better over time. The best Mathews bows of the ’90s would get crushed by virtually any of the bows we tested last spring.

So, we just pick the newest compound bows, right? Not so fast. For all the objective testing we’ve done, there’s still a lot of subjectivity in picking a favorite hunting bow (i.e., that brand loyalty referenced earlier). 

So, when I sat down to come up with this list, I wanted references for second opinions. First, I reached out to my buddy Danny Hinton. Hinton is a former pro-shop owner, Mathews dealer, bowhunter, and a member of the bow test panel since 2013. He’s also afflicted with a condition of saying exactly what’s on his mind at any given moment—for better or worse.

But I wanted a third opinion—so I went straight to the source and interviewed Mathews founder, Matt McPherson. An inductee to the Bowhunter’s Hall of Fame, McPherson has that lightning-in-a-bottle combination of engineering talent (he builds guitars on the side), business savvy, and approachable personality.

His story in the archery industry began in 1985, with McPherson Archery. The brand was making dual-cam bows in those days, including the first compound bow with more than 50 percent let-off. But McPherson found himself at odds with his investors at times, so he ended up selling McPherson Archery in 1987. 

Soon after, McPherson had a new concept for a bow—the single cam—and he launched it with a new brand, Mathews Archery, in 1992. Mathews has since launched nearly 200 new bow models, if you include bows under their sister brands like Mission and Genesis.

Of those 200, here are the five we’ve narrowed down as the best Mathews bows of all time.

Mathews MQ1

Mathews rolled onto the bow-building scene with a marketing campaign that highlighted the flaws in two-cam bow technology of the day—namely, keeping the cams in sync. But with one cam on the bottom limb and a round idler wheel on top, “SoloCam” bows didn’t have synchronization issues. The first Mathews was called the Standard, and the second was the UltraLight—a bow that McPherson still regards as a personal favorite. Company sales increased by 400 percent that year.

Perimeter-weighted single cams were soon to follow—an engineering innovation that McPherson considers to be one of the company’s highest. Not only were those bows smoother, quieter, and easier to tune than two-cam bows of the day—they were often faster, too.

The Z-Max was the first Mathews with a perimeter-weighted cam, and it was followed up with the MQ1. Weekend 3D shoots were popular at the time, and virtually all of people I knew shooting the “Bowhunter Release” category shot MQ1s. I got one for Christmas in 1999, when I was 16, and I hunted with it for the better part of the next decade. I shot some of my best bow bucks with that bow—which I still have.

“It was the most parallel limb bow at the time,” McPherson says. “It was so smooth that it was in a class of its own. Of course, if you shoot one against one of our bows today, it’s terrible. But back then, the perception was no recoil.” 

Many veteran bowhunters still regard the MQ1 as the brand’s all-time best. With a 7.5-inch brace height, 37-inch axle-to-axle length and 308 fps IBO rating, it had target bow specs by today’s standards, but was a hunting machine at the time.

Mathews Switchback XT

If any bow can unseat the MQ1 as a fan favorite, it’s the Switchback XT. Another single cam, the XT was introduced in 2006, following the original Switchback. At 31 inches axle to axle, it was about average-size by today’s standards, but it was the must-have compact bow of its day, with limbs that were more parallel than ever as well as a harmonic dampening system in the riser that seriously cut down on vibration. 

“One of the things we did at our show was drop a bare riser on the floor with no dampers, and it sounded like a bell,” McPherson says. “Then we stuck the dampers in, and it’d go dink . It was great proof. We sent one of those risers to all the dealers, so they could show the difference to customers.”

The Switchback XT had a 7.5-inch brace height, but was speedy at 315 IBO. “That bow was just bullet-proof,” Danny Hinton says. “I didn’t sell them at our shop, but I worked on a bunch of them. To this day, if you look on forums and classifieds, you’ll see guys looking for a Switchback, or talking about how much they regret selling the one they had.”

In addition to just being a good bow, the Switchback had a good name and launched with good timing. Outdoor TV was soaring in popularity in the mid-2000s, and Mathews did a good job seeding their bows with high-profile personalities like Tom Miranda and Lee and Tiffany Lakosky. 

Mathews McPherson Monster XLR8

With single-cam bows selling like 2020 toilet paper, McPherson famously said he didn’t see how Mathews would want to make a two-cam bow. But by 2010, the two-cam competition was getting better. “Sometimes you have to backtrack a little bit to be sure you’re making good business decisions,” he says now.

Knowing he needed to launch a two-cam bow of his own, he bought back the name of his original company—McPherson Archery—and under that, launched the Monster series. The XLR8, with a 5-inch brace height and 360 IBO, stands to this day as the fastest “Mathews” compound bow ever made.

At the height of his business, Hinton and his employees shot Monsters themselves. “That was when PSE had some scorcher bows, but a properly tuned Monster would whip their ass,” he says. “It was just a better bow; it was heavy but it shot great.”

Sales of single-cam bows were still strong, making the Monster a bow that was, in some ways, ahead of its time. In explaining the differences in that bow and comparable “hatchet cam” speed bows of the day, McPherson talked about ratios and bell curves—stuff that’s admittedly over my head. But one of the biggest advancements of the Monsters was the Advanced Vectoring System (AVS), seen to this day on the CrossCentric series (more on those in a bit).

“There’s a price you have to pay for speed, and it’s stored energy,” McPherson says. “You have to pull harder and longer. Hatchet cams had really high-tension strings at brace position (making the bow more demanding to draw from start to finish). We ended up making low-tension brace position strings, and it made (the Monster series) draw smoother and shoot better.”

Mathews Halon

In 2015, Mathews launched the “No Cam” HTR—a bow that didn’t do particularly well in our test, but it was something new and different. McPherson calls it “the most tunable bow in the history of mankind.” Sales weren’t as good as he’d hoped, but the No Cam was in many ways the stepping stone to the CrossCentric Series—the hybrid two-cam system still used today, and that first launched with the 2016 Halon series.

The Halon came as a surprise to us, since it had two big cams and was marketed as a true Mathews. In addition to those and the AVS system, the Halon sported short, “wide stance” parallel limbs and a long Dual-Bridged riser. That’s really what set the series apart.

The Halon 5 took Best of the Best honors in our 2016 test . There’ve been subsequent bows in the CrossCentric series including the Triax, Vertix, VXR 28 , and V3, plus ladies’ models like the Avail and Prima. All have had incremental improvements like user-friendly draw length/weight adjustment modules, dovetailed sight mounts, and silent connection systems for pull ropes and slings—but they’ve been based on the same proven design. That’s for good reason: Since the introduction of the Halon, Mathews has either won or finished runner-up in all of our bow tests.

Mathews Genesis

In my graduating high-school class of 29 kids, there were three or four of us into bowhunting—and we were only into it because we were into deer hunting. There were no in-school archery programs, but that changed big-time in 2002, thanks to a joint effort between the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Mathews Archery.

The Kentucky Archery in Schools Program offered students of any age, race, gender, or ability to participate in a team sport. Indoor target archery exploded in popularity, and the program was soon renamed to the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) due to nationwide interest. Now, nearly 14,000 schools nationwide have NASP programs—and I know of competitors who’ve gotten college archery scholarships.

Since the inception, the single-cam Genesis has been the official compound bow of the program. With a 15- to 30-inch draw length and 10- to 20-pound draw weight, the Genesis will stick arrows in the target and fit just about anyone. “In 2000, we wondered how we could promote archery in schools with something that was super simple to use,” McPherson says. “I was talking with a buddy of mine who’d worked with a bunch of kids, and he said kids don’t need a sight to learn how to shoot. They pick up instinctive shooting quickly. I knew if they didn’t need a sight, we could make this happen quickly.”

The Genesis generates more power than a recurve of comparable draw weight, and it’s easier to handle. McPherson says some 20 million kids around the world have learned about archery with that bow. And maybe it’s no accident that movies like “The Hunger Games” and Disney’s “Brave” followed soon after—and that the Archery Trade Association reported a 20 percent increase in archery from 2012 to 2015.

Considering all of that, maybe the best Mathews bow of all time is also the simplest one.

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Mathews McPherson Series Monster

Mathews Archery made its way in the world as the Solocam king. Mathews introduced single-cam bows to the market and made them a huge success. The company is viewed by many as the world's top archery outfit. So, it was with great surprise that the archery industry learned there would be a dual-cam bow coming out of the Mathews factory.

To understand why Mathews would enter the two-cam market after they became a top dog through promoting single-cam technology, you have to understand Mathews' owner, Matt McPherson. While Matt has proven his skills as a businessman, he's still an inventor at heart. Matt had an idea he thought would improve on existing two-cam bow design.

Simply put, Matt said, "We felt we could raise the bar."

Matt's business sense also recognized "a certain appetite for two-cam systems" in the marketplace. So, he decided to merge his idea with a business opportunity.Twenty years ago, Matt introduced the fastest dual-cam bow on the market at the time, the Eliminator, under his McPherson bow company.

Knowing a two-cam bow did not fit in the Mathews culture, he purchased the McPherson bow name back and created the McPherson Series Monster.

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Speed and Power Generating advertised IBO speeds reaching 353 fps takes a special engine. The power for the Monster is McPherson's Advanced Vectoring System (AVS) cam. In this new system, the cables wrap around a set of special bearings on either side of the cam. The bearings are not centered on the axle, and as the archer starts into the draw cycle the bearings rise, take up string, store more energy and help the system peak quickly.

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Approaching full draw, the bearings let up and place string back into the system, which allows the Monster to achieve high letoff percentages. Locking cams together with the AVS bearing synchronizes them and forces them to work together. It also finishes with a solid, single-cam style wall. AVS cams, which ride on stainless steel axles, produce 80-percent letoff and offer draw lengths from 25-30 inches in half-inch increments through a series of modules.

In testing, the Monster displayed an aggressive draw in that it was very quick to peak and remained there for much of the power stroke before a swift rollover into a solid wall. While aggressive, it was not harsh, meaning it did not have rough transitions from climb to peak or from peak to holding weight.

Another Surprise Mathews has been a leader in the limb position arena with their bow models displaying increasingly parallel positions from one year to the next. What we haven't seen from Mathews, until this year, is a set of split limbs. The Monster's split limbs start out past parallel and are radically beyond parallel at full draw. Mathews uses top-of-the-line flow waterjet machines to precisely cut limbs from engineered composite plates. Needle-like streams of 60,000-psi water cut the components according to what Mathews calls "vector-defined computerized patterns". Limbs are matched based on deflection values for consistent performance and are available in peak draw weights from 40-80 pounds.

Each individual limb tip is shaped like a "V" and is seated into its own V-shaped limb pocket. This design naturally aligns the limb under pressure. A notch in the limb approximately one inch back from the tip is met by a small matching protrusion on the pocket that reverse locks the limb into the pocket. During testing, I noticed that the Monster, while somewhat top heavy at rest, balanced well at full draw and held tight to the target. With speeds reaching the 350-plus fps mark, you might expect a significant kick at the shot. However, I found a surprisingly small handle bump and little perceptible vibration.

And So Much More The McPherson Series Monster also features a fully machined reflexed riser, a one-piece Inline Walnut grip, CNC machined aluminum Roller Guard, threaded brass stabilizer mounting inserts both front and back, a large Harmonic Damper, all-new Harmonic Stabilizer and film dipped Realtree AP Camo finish.

Editor's Note : Our standardized High Grade testing includes the use of the same equipment and test methods. All bows are tested with a draw length of 29 inches and a draw weight of 65 pounds. Speed tests are conducted with two different arrow weights -- 375 grains and 425 grains. For more detailed information on the testing parameters, go to www.bowhuntingmag.com and click on "Bow Testing Parameters."

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MATHEWS MONSTER SAFARI

The biggest, baddest, smoothest, fastest bow made by the leader in archery. The McPherson Series Monster Safari is Mathews, Inc. top-end bow. Everything about this bow from the Honeycomb Core Technology to the exotic African wood inlays, the AVS Cam system to the lightest handshock I’ve ever felt– this bow leaves represents the world’s premier archery manufacturer with pride.

Zac Griffith and Arizona Archery Club have the bow dialed in with a 500 gr arrow traveling at 315fps. Thats around 100 ft/lbs of KE!!! 2014 will be a bone crusher!

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Monster Safari

The McPherson Series Monster Safari, the newly introduced bow, contains features such as African Wood Inlays, Internal Grip, and AVS cam system. A very smooth and quiet bow, Safari provides the archer wih unbelievable strength and performance. Although it is not as light as other bows, it definitely offers a higher level of performance.

• Speed: 350 FPS
• Draw weight: 70 - 80 LBS
• Let-off: 65%
• Axle-to-Axle: 33"
• Brace height: 6"
• Weight: 4.8 LBS
• Draw length: 25.5" to 31"

on 27 Jan 2015

I shoot a Hoyt and I love Mathews. Best looking bows imo. Lost Camo is by far the best looking pattern. I just wanted something with a longer ATA and I didn't like the big grip on 'em.

• A new hunting season | Posted on 31 Aug 2015
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• Mathews Monster Compound Bow Review

When you are out in the field, the woods, or on the side of a mountain pursuing that monster fur-bearing trophy of your choice, maybe a coveted black bear or elk, it’s nice to be carrying a Monster that can meet the challenge before you. The Mathews Monster Compound Bow is a mean and nasty weapon that combines terrific speed of up to 340 fps with extreme accuracy and control over every shot. You select draw weights from 40 lbs to 80 lbs for a tailor-made fit that will keep you on target. The quad V-Lock limbs store the energy comfortably, and the machined cam and advanced vectoring system deliver it smoothly, while the advanced Harmonic Damping system makes it too quiet for your prey to hear. The inline grip in the tough as nails riser of the Mathews Monster compound bow is ergonomically designed for comfort and control. That means that an hour at the range will not produce excessive fatigue as you develop the skill level you want when in pursuit of big game or even some venison for the freezer. This bow is geared toward the veteran hunter, but set up and use of it is easy enough for even a beginner to be comfortable with. Mathews Monster come with a fairly large price tag, too, but professionals who have harvested some of their finest animals consider it an investment.  Look for a Mathews Monster at $799 to $899. Ebay Prices for a Mathews Monster can range $300 to $800.

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Mathews Safari review

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In the last two years I’ve purchased 12 bows. I keep trying to find one I like better then my Vengeance. I got a screamer of a deal on a used 2011 Mathews Safari on another website. Having never seen one in person I was a bit nervous but I’ve always thought they looked really cool. When I opened the box I was very pleased. The previous owner had taken great care of the bow. Not a mark on it. It really is amazing looking. Very clean lines, the honeycomb looks fantastic. The limb decals, wood insets, everything looks very high quality. The finish looks like the standard mathews black finish. I got the bow with 25.5 and 26in mods. I had to get 30’s. Turns out the ones for the Monster line fit the Safari. (Just different color. Black vs silver) They were $30 at my local proshop. I had it set up at 67lbs and 30 inches, like all my bows. Here’s my take: Draw: Smooth, really smooth. No hump. Stiff, like you’d expect but not as stiff as my Vengeance. Really very similar. Backwall: I was concerned about the backwall. I’ve really gotten to like the limbstops on the Vengeance. Turns out the cable stops on the Safari provide as stiff a backwall as the limbstops do. Honestly, can’t really tell a difference. You come to the back of the valley and the string just stops. Valley: Nice and deep, didn’t feel like your arm was gonna get ripped off or anything if you creep a little. I’ve not had it pull forward on my once. (100’s of shots) With my CE RKT every third shot or so I’d have it yank forward. This valley is as good as any bow I’ve shot. Noise: A bit louder then my Vengeance, but what bow isn’t? I’d say it comes in at a “very quiet” rating. Vibration: More then the Vengeance, I put an Axion stabilizer (six inch) on it and I don’t notice it anymore. The bow doesn’t have limbsavers or anything else for dampening. I’m sure if you put some rubber on, there wouldn’t be an issue even w/o a stab. Shot: It’s fast, really fast. Faster then the Vengeance (1 inch less BH) Tuning: It really shines here. Bullet holes within five shots. Overall impression: I like the bow. I’ve shot it a few hundred times. My groups are tight. I took it out yesterday to start setting up my Tommy Hogg. At 40 yards I was able to put all four arrows into a small post it I had on the target. (Well at least 3 of 4 consistently)  The bow is heavier then I’m used to, but if anything that makes it hold steadier. I will hunt with it this fall. I’m not saying I like it better then the Vengeance, but with all the drama and tuning issues associated with the Vengeance, I’d rather go enjoy this new bow.  

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Congrats!!  

I like the look of that bow alot.  

Nice! That's a sharp looking bow!  

cool bow  

Nice looking bow. Thx for the review  

Great review, nice looking bow. And I'd recognize that shooting range anywhere. We should get together and try out my new Obsession Sniper in comparison. I really think it is all things the Vengeance is with none of the things the Vengeance wasn't. Along with the new cams for the Vengeance I'm hoping to have a couple real nice shooters but I won't have the new cams on till after the season I'm thinking.  

Count me in Nuge, I was gonna call you today when I went over there. Gimmie a ring next time you have a few minutes. I'd love to try the Sniper.  

How is the weight and balance? If I remember correctly when I shot a Safari it seemed really top heavy. But it's been so long it might have been a different one. Old age sucks:wacko:  

It's heavier then any bow I've shot. I switched to a lighter stablizer (To the Axion from a Dish w/ four weights) I'm guessing it's less then half a pound overall heavier. The bow holds very steady, even with the smaller stab. After the shot it rotates forward. It's what I'd expect in a bow. It's not jumping out of my hand. It's not so top heavy I notice anything. I like it.  

Great to hear. Now that I think back on it the Safari was one of our favorites of the bows we tested that day. But the price tag gave us sticker shock:wacko: Great review buddy. Keep us updated as you get more shot through it.  

The only Mathews I am interested in, sorry I missed this great deal but glad another Addix got it!!!  

I never knew they made that bow at such a small draw weight ? I thought they were all 90+ pound bows....what was I thinking huh ? Goregeous bow no doubt,,,,u got a winner and a rather rare to find bow,not many around @ that $2,000 MSRP ticket .  

be careful charlie your walking on the dark side LOL nice looking bow charlie you did get a great deal  

Could you figure after shooting it what made it a $2000 bow? We're there diamonds inset in the grip ? A laser blaster on it? Something? Sent from my underground bunker  

That is a sharp looking bow. I really like that honeycomb look.  

Pure SEXY! That honeycomb looks awesome!  

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Mathews Monster Compound Bow Review

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How about a PSE full throttle and omen review? Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk  

Doesn't matter how fast the IBO is on bows. Once I get it setup to where I like the draw cycle and such I always end up in the 280's. Whether it's a Mathews safari, Omen, Insanity, etc.....it doesn't really matter.  

ruby15081972 said: My name is JJ Revuelta If you need to advice when buying a compound bow, you can reply or inbox me. I also build a website ( hunthacks dot com) to help people choose compound bow for hunting. Click to expand...

SilentElk said: This is about the weirdest first post I have ever seen anyone do. This is probably the WEIRDEST first post I have ever seen over 12 years of AT. In short, here's what I see. A person makes an account in the wee hours of the morning, still really early even if its east coast time. Spends the time to add a personal picture and even a sig quote, AND then to top it off posts a copy/paste of a bow review that came out 7 years ago. Something is off here. The 'Mathews' is an embedded link to Mathews and later on, one to the hunthacks website. This shows a copy paste. Yet at the end the grammatical text doesn't match the review. Now I am sure things often get copied and paste but why copy and paste a 7 year bow review that is grammatically good in English and then add your message in not good grammar. Website is registered to Canada which could explain the grammar. Still... My spidey sense is going off. Something tells me that is a compromised website. Click to expand...

welcome. I think  

Have anything to do with the security issues on AT lately?  

Agree that this is pretty odd... It does look like a cut and paste job and the site that it is copied from is almost comically bad. Some kind of bot? A sophisticated form of SPAM? Not really sure but it will be interesting to see any additional posts.  

Want to bet someone will be selling a Monster in the classifieds in the next day or two - this was probably a shill post to get people interested in Monster. Why else review a 7year old bow?  

this is exactly what I was thinking.  

:spam2:  

I shoot a Mathews and I think this review is horsesh**.  

Odd first text but I do own the original monster and love it. Why I never sold it. I guess this is a great review 7 years later.  

Very strange all the way around.....................  

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Mathews Monster 7.0 Review

Average user rating.

• One of the best speed bows on the market
• Very forgiving for a speed bow
• Has a smooth draw cycle
• Has minimal shock and vibration
• Modular-adjustable eccentric system
• Well balanced and stable bow with a solid back wall
• The draw cycle is a bit stiff (but smooth)

content from YouTube

Editors' review

One of the best speed bows, riser and grip, eccentric system, draw cycle / shootability, silencing system / quietness and vibration, mathews monster 7.0 vs. monster 6 and monster xlr8.

Many shooters like comparing this rig with its faster and harsher brothers: the standard Mathews Monster and the Mathews Monster XLR8 . While the Monster 7.0 is slower than its older brothers, it definitely is much more forgiving, has a smoother draw cycle, and is the best shooting bow from the series as noted by a lot of experts and shooters.

Mathews Monster 7.0 vs. Mathews Z7

The Monster 7.0 is often compared to the single cam Mathews Z7 . People comparing these two rigs agree that the Monster 7.0 is a bit faster, more forgiving, has a better balance, and is good for both hunting and 3D shooting. On the other hand, the Z7 is considered to have a smoother draw cycle and could be a better choice for tree-stand or blind hunting due to a shorter axle-to-axle length.

User Reviews

• all versions 2010 Mathews Monster 7.0 ( out of 8 reviews for all versions)

Version: 2010 Mathews Monster 7.0

Pros: Very forgiving with the long ATA and 7" Brace Height. A Manufacturer that stands by their product.

Cons: 2010 first edition The riser was torqued. The Limbs are all different strengths and are put strategically on the bow as to compensate for the side pull on the cables. Mathews finally sent me the second 2010 version. Riser changed.

Since the change on the 2010 riser the bow has been a great hunting companion. Using the QAD ultra rest it has achieved amazing accuracy. Some rests will not work with this bow as it has a serious jump, out of the gate. If you don't have big forearms it can be difficult to haul up and down mountains because of the weight, however it could be that the weight helps with the overall stability and quietness of this bow. I have recieved countless comments from strangers on how quiet this bow is. A short draw length will drastically reduce the speed. I recommend using the original string with the weights. The dealer put the nock stop below the nock rather than above it due to the jump and it has performed well. The split yoke which attaches to eccentric cam bearings on each side of the cams is a work of genius. This innovative binary cam system is in large part what makes this a great bow.

Pros: Great speed. Steady hold. Quiet. Solid back wall. Modular cam system.

Cons: Bulky stock grip. Not a smooth transition into the valley.

This bow holds exceptionally well. The length and minimal reflex of the riser allows for quick target acquisition and a very steady hold. This coupled with a solid back wall, the M7 is just an absolute pleasure to shoot. It has a generous valley for hunters making it easier to hold for the shot. It is also very quiet, making it perfect for hunting. The stock grip is bulky and would be easy to induce torque on the shot. It can be switched for the optional focus grip witch is a great design and minimizes torque. The wall is not as solid as bows that have limb contacting draw stops, but it is solid for very minimal overdraw ability. The stock strings still require improvements. The take quite a few shots to settle and have slight peep rotation. Overall Mathews' best bow to date.

Pros: shot the monster7 along side a z7 and overall liked the balance, hold,draw cycle, and feel of the monster way more. i was also considering a bowtech destroyer but found it much harder to draw and less stable at full draw

Cons: the only thing i didnt like and was hoping they would have got a little more done with was lightening it up. all in all i think it helps with the balance and the feel, it is gunna be a little less fun to pack then my alphamax.

after i shot a few different bows (pse xforce, bowtech destroyer, mathews z7 and monster7) i decided that the best all around bow was the monster 7. shoots much better then the xforce, smoother then the destroyer, and had better balance then the z7. i however dont recommend shooting a monster7 without a deadend string stop or it might turn you off as there is more noise and vibration the the z7 or the destroyer but with it its very comparable to a z7 with better balance. i went away from mathews after my outback because nothing felt or shot like that to me that mathews came out with since except maybe the switchback so i went to the alphamax. mathews defiently won me back with this monster 7. its feels as smooth as my outback, balances like a target bow, better draw stroke and back wall then my alphamax, and smokin fast, even at low 55 lb draw. overall its my favorite bow ive ever shot and finally gave me something to shot to stop wishing i had my outback back. my setup: 2010 mathews monster 7 (camo, red custom accessories, deadend string stop) 55 lb 31 inch draw 430 grain arrow at 310 fbs and 89 ft lbs of energy HHA OL-5519 sight axion glx 5" stabilizer mathews downforce rest easton axis nano 340's at 32 in

Pros: 1. Draw Cycle (smoothest speed bow I have ever drawn) 2. Balance (almost nuetral riser design) 3. Speed (342fps IBO with 7" BH) 4. Holding on Target

Cons: 1. Slight Vibe without STS system installed 2. Weight (heavier bow - good for 3D and target, not good for stalking)

PROS: Draw Cycle - The M7 has an amazing draw cycle considering it is a speed bow. My bow is currently set at 59 pounds, and it pulls easier than my 53 pound X-Force. The reason for this is there is a little play at the beginning of the draw cycle, helping you get momentum, and then when the peak weight starts ramping up, you are already 1/4 of the way back. There is a slight hump when falling into the valley, but minimal compared to the Monster, X-force, Reezens, etc. Let-Off: Not many people notice this, but the M7 has a true 80% let-off. My X-Force says 80% let-off, but i would guess more like 70%. The M7 is truly 80%. Once you get it back, it wants to stay there. Balance: The bow is VERY well balanced. The riser design is actually more like a target bow, with a reflexed riser design of only about 1". Compared to the Z7, it is significantly less reflexed. Speed: With it set at 58#, 28" DL, and 307 grain arrow, I am getting 302fps! I love it! Holding on Target: The bow is perfectly balanced, and it holds on target like a dream. In owning 5 bows, this bow holds the best on target. It is the perfect riser design...it is designed more like a target bow, but it has the speed of a hunting bow. It is an amazing combination. CONS: Vibe: When I first bought the bow, it did not have a Dead End installed. Without the Dead End, the bow does has some vibration in the grip after the shot. It doesnt last long, but it has a distinct vibration. After installing a Dead End, this issue is eliminated, but if you buy the M7, i would strongly recommend installing some type of STS system on the bow. Weight: The bow does have some weight to it. I believe Mathews states it is 4.4#, but that is without accessories. With the harmonic dampeners installed, and the Dead End, you get closer to 5# than 4. So if you are thinking it will feel like a Hoyt (weight wise), you are wrong. It is a bit heavier, but that can be a benefit. The more weight, the steadier the bow, but if you are going to stalk, you might want to look into a lighter bow.

Pros: This bow offers a great mix of shootability and speed. The bow draws very nicely for a speed bow, balances and holds on target extremely well and is fast. You also get the forgiveness of a 7" brace height.

Cons: The bow could be a bit lighter. Not that its heavy but it could be a bit lighter for hunting.

Its a great tool in the woods or on the course. Plenty of speed and forgiveness for any situation. I would highly recommend this bow for someone looking to upgrade to a top of the line speed bow. I think its Mathews best bow to date.

Pros: 1)Quality workmanship. 2) People that will stand behind you in case of problems.3) Draw cycle. 4)Target quality in a hunting bow.A

Cons: Personally I wish that Mathews would put the Focus grip on the bow at the factory especially if you order it with one, although the new grip is better but not there yet!

Overall Excellent Quality fit and finish. Has all the quality's of a very shoot-able bow. Real respectable speed. I have not found anything I really disliked about the bow. If I had the extra money I would buy one to add to my collection! So if anyone out there does not want theirs, I'll take it!

Pros: Draw cycle. Shot noise (lack thereof). Great valley. Well balanced. Speed. Killer looks.

Cons: Could stand to be a little bit lighter.

Was apprehensive to shoot, as I didn't care for the original Monster 6. I was very pleasantly suprised. The draw cycle was superb, particularly for a fast bow. The bow is dead in the hand at the shot, and there is no vibration. I was amazed how quiet it is. I held at full draw on a late season doe for an extended period of time and found the substantial valley lent itself well to this task. As all things are visual, including bows, appearance is important too. I think the M7 looks like a performance bow. The fit and finish are top notch. The only thing I would change on this bow is the overall weight. When loaded with accessories, it is a bit heavy. As a treestand whitetail hunter is was not a deal breaker. If I was toting it on a western mountain hunt, maybe.

Pros: Target feel with some real speed behind it. Balance, power, control, and shock free all in a speed bow.

Cons: I'm not a fan of the Mathews grip.

Many target bow qualities with a mid range ATA, minimally reflexed riser, and great balance. 65% cams feel very smooth like a target bow, but make speeds like the speed bow it is. Cam mods to change DL and let off make changes easy and give shooters more affordable options to try. My setup is an all black Monster 7 with custom ordered black strings. I rigged it with a Down Force rest, Axcel Armortech HD Pro 7 pin sight, and an 11 1/2" Doinker Power Bar stabilizer. I use this for hunting, 3D, and bowhunting. I will also change out the stabilizer to a 30" Black Max with ACE back bars for shooting open/unlimited class or indoor events. I shoot mine at 28", 60lbs, and the 65% mods with a 385gr Gold Tip arrow at 280FPS.

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