I wanted to shoot this bow in hope that it would be an improvement or at least an added bow to the list of Mathews I liked. It’s hard for me to be unbiased when it comes to a short ATA bow since my experiences haven’t been that good in the past. I believe its due to steep string angles with my 29” draw length. So what I am going to do is review the bow based on the aspects that are not affected by the short ATA and steep string angle. The fit and finish were as most all Mathews bows are. It was nice with no noticeable blemishes. The one I shot was the lost camo. I didn’t see any issues with the dip, any rough edges or any other notable defects. The grip is the classic wooden Mathews grip. It felt pretty good in my hand but, I would probably be the one to change it out for something a little narrower for torque reduction. The bow felt a little on the light side which is ideal for hunting which is what this bow was built to do. The CreedXS draws just as I expected after shooting the Creed last year. It has a huge almost football shaped cam which you would think it would have a huge hump. It does have a slight hump but, honestly not bad. It does have a more harsh drop into the valley than a traditional single cam would be expected to have but, completely manageable and not at all unruly. When it drops off it hits the wall quickly. Not hard if drawn properly though. The valley on the Creed XS is short without much room for relaxation. While great on a target rig, not what I would want in a hunting bow. It does have a tendency to want to pull. I would not classify as wanting to take off but, it does pull if you relax. This bow was set up ready to hunt as most I shoot are not. So I was able to experience holding it on target. It was not as steady as I would have liked it to be. This could be fixed or at least improved by putting a longer (8”-10”) stabilizer on the bow. For most experienced archers keeping it in the kill zone at 40yd shouldn’t be a problem though. I was able to get the pin to sit still long enough to hit my mark. It didn’t come without effort to say the least. On the release the bow was pretty much vibe free. This one, same as the ChillR did have a stabilizer but, it was pretty much just there for looks. The small amount of vibration would be gone with a good stabilizer. Other than that, the bow was solid on release. Just as Mathews has come to be known for, the bow was nearly silent. I do have to note that the bow is noticeably slower than most of the flagship bows. It isn’t classified as a speed bow though so if you expect a blazer, you will be disappointed. No doubt though, it will get the job done. With spec of: ATA 28”, BH 7.5”, IBO 321, Mass weight of 3.8lb and a let off of 80%, its definitely a hunting bow. Its not one I would tackle a 3D course with the intentions of winning. Hunter class fun on the weekends, sure. The short ATA should make for maneuvering in a blind effortless. If you like a short ATA bow, this is right up your alley.
I'm not done writing my reviews. I can't say which is my favorite yet. I have 4 more to write and post as of now. I'll give a hint. It isn't any of the bows I've posted here though. Of the Carbon Knight, ChillR and CreedXS, it would be the Carbon Knight for hunting since I personally have another bow that would be for 3D. Out of these if I didn't have a bow or was replacing a bow and since I shoot 3D, I'd buy the ChillR. It would be the best all around bow out of the three.