For the past year or so I’ve been shooting and hunting with the Mathews Switchback, a great bow that I learned to love in very short order. I wrote a product review and bragged about what a great bow it was and how much I enjoyed shooting it. To end the story, I challenged the people at Mathews to improve on that one. Guess what? They did it!

The new Mathews Switchback XT is almost difficult to describe with words, but I’ll try here. I first shot the bow at the ATA show in Atlanta this past January. The noise in the ATA show was only slightly less than a NASCAR race so it really wasn’t a good place to judge how quiet or noisy the bow would be. But one thing was obvious – NO hand shock! The demonstration bows at the ATA show were rigged only with a rest. No sight, no quiver, just a bare bow and a rest. I couldn’t believe how well the bow shot right off the shelf.

So, fast forward a couple of months and now I have my very own Mathews Switchback XT. I rigged the bow out with my preferred sights, rest, and Mathews ArrowWeb quiver. After installing the accessories, I took the bow outside for the first shot. In the quiet environment of my shooting range it was instantly obvious that this was the quietest bow I had ever shot!

I’ve never owned a bow that drew so easily, felt so good in my hands, and shot so quietly.

I sighted the bow in and went straight to the woods. The very first arrow I ever shot from this bow in a hunting situation harvested a great long beard gobbler. The arrow hit exactly where I aimed and the bird dropped in his tracks! Arrow # 2 – turkey # 2! Again, a perfect shot and dropped the bird right where he stood! In the following weeks, I’ve taken a 3^rd turkey and a nice hog with this bow.

I think I could draw this bow a hundred times without tiring. It’s that smooth!

I’ve had two friends shoot the bow and went the next day to their local pro shops and purchased one. If you’re not ready to buy a new bow – DO NOT shoot this bow. It’s instantly addictive and you’ll have to own one! If you are ready to buy – shoot the new Mathews Switchback XT first. It’ll shorten your shopping time considerably.

John Shelley

Pro Staff

Bowhunting North America,LLC

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