Mathews Section 4 Assessment | Outside Life

The 2023 Mathews Section 4 33 is the quietest Mathews, with the least vibration, that I’ve ever examined. It’s nearly an identical to the 2022 V3X 33, which I deemed final yr to be the nicest compound bow I’d ever shot, besides this yr’s mannequin has two key enhancements. The upgrades (which I’ll get into beneath) make the Section 4 33 the brand new nicest compound bow I’ve ever shot.

I do know, I do know.

“You simply mentioned final yr’s bow was the very best, and now you need us to imagine this yr’s bow is the very best?”

At Lancaster Archery Provide, I evaluate flagship looking bows for our YouTube channel yearly. I’ve shot each Mathews for the previous decade and practically each different flagship from all the most important manufacturers. That have offers me a fairly stable baseline for making comparisons. I don’t anticipate Mathews to supply my favourite new bow every year. However once they do, I’ve to name it as I see it.

The conclusion that Mathews certainly did enhance upon the V3X 33 this yr by lowering noise and vibration that I didn’t even know existed blew me away after spending simply a few days with the Section 4 33. I wasn’t anticipating a lot from Mathews for 2023 after such a stellar providing in 2022. However as soon as bowhunters take a few photographs with the Section 4 33 at their native professional retailers over the approaching months, I feel Mathews will promote a pile of them. It’s that good.

Section 4 33 Specs and Options

• Axle to Axle: 33 inches lengthy
• Brace Top: 6.5 inches
• IBO Pace: 336 fps 
• Weight: 4.68 kilos
• Let Off: 80 or 85 %
• MSRP: $1,399

What’s New 

The specs for the Section 4 33 are an identical to final yr’s V3X 33. (There’s a 29-inch Section 4 identical to the V3X 29 as effectively.) It even has the identical cam, grip, and SwitchWeight mod system. Maintain the 2 bows aspect by aspect, so that you solely see the limb profiles, and also you’d swear they’re the identical bow. However they’re not.

Limbs

The chief distinction between the 2 is within the limbs. The place the V3X 33 has the standard 4 limbs employed by a split-limb bow, the Section 4 33 has eight. They’re assembled in pairs, and every sandwiches a rubber strip that Mathews says is a part of its “Resistance Section Damping.” Consider it as limb dampers constructed into the limbs.

We’ve by no means seen something like this, so I can’t converse to the sturdiness over time. The limbs actually seem to be they’ll maintain up. We’ll discover out over the approaching yr. However there’s no doubting their impression on the taking pictures expertise. This bow is whisper quiet and barely produces any hand shock.

Mathews is attacking vibration on the spot the place a lot of it’s created—within the limbs. It doesn’t appear to be a lot, however the distinction is noticeable. (I’ll describe the comparability taking pictures I did with the Section 4 33 and the V3X 33 in only a bit.)

Bridge-Lock Stabilizer

Additionally new this yr is the Bridge-Lock stabilizer system. Persevering with the Bridge-Lock accent system initiated final yr with a dovetail cutout within the riser above the shelf to carry a sight, Mathews created one other dovetail slot beneath the usual 5/16-24 stabilizer bushing. That slot might be full of one of many new Bridge-Lock Stabilizers Mathews is launching as a part of its 2023 looking lineup.

Just like the Bridge-Lock sight mount, the stabilizer mount is a safer method to join your stabilizer to your bow. As an alternative of using a brief bolt to hold the load of the stabilizer on the riser connection, the Bridge-Lock slot permits the stabilizer to slid into the middle of the riser, the place it’s fixed in place with a compression knob. 

And it doesn’t matter what size Bridge-Lock stabilizer you select, you possibly can customise its size by adjusting its place within the slot. Spaced divots within the stabilizer bar permit changes to be made in half-inch increments to get the suitable stability for you.

Every stabilizer has one in all Mathews’ harmonic dampeners in the long run, which helps to additional kill vibration and noise that the bow would possibly produce. They usually carry stackable weights so the bar might be weighted to your specs. In step with the Bridge-Lock design, Mathews additionally got here out with a siderod connection explicitly constructed to hold the Bridge-Lock stabilizers.

Learn Subsequent: The Finest Compound Bows of 2022

What’s the Similar

Riser

Just like the V3X 33, the Section 4 33 options an enormous riser. The axle-to-axle size of this bow is 33 inches, and the riser is only a tick lower than that. It’s longer than the riser employed by the Mathews TRX 36 goal compound.

By having a riser that’s practically so long as the axle-to-axle size, Mathews is making a bow that’s tremendous regular to intention. That huge riser desires to remain vertical.

Cable Guard

Additionally carried over to the Section 4 is the angled Centerguard cable containment arm. It’s angled down, so the cables slide via the rollers at exactly the midway level between the cams throughout the draw cycle. This ensures that the hundreds placed on each cams by the cables are an identical, which helps with stage nock journey and simply ensures constant efficiency.

Grip

he Have interaction grip Mathews has employed the final couple of years is on the Section 4. It’s a rubber grip that positive feels good on chilly days. It’s a bit rounded on the sting that sits in opposition to your hand, although. I don’t like that, so I all the time take off the Have interaction and placed on a set of Mathews aspect plates. And you are able to do that with the Section 4. The aspect plates sit on both aspect of the grip, whereas your hand sits on a completed portion of the riser. It’s completely flat, which I discover to be extra steady. The rounded ridge down the middle of the Have interaction may cause the bow to torque left or proper in case your hand rolls.

Cams

The cams as soon as once more incorporate particular posts that permit use of the Mathews Keep Afield System. This can be a easy size of rope that you may connect to a publish on every cam, which then permits you to work on the string and cables. It’s mainly a conveyable bow press that weighs nothing, however might be value ten instances its weight if you have to make a restore or adjustment within the subject.

Testing the Mathews Section 4 

For my evaluate, I borrowed a Section 4 33 from Lancaster Archery Provide. I set it as much as shoot 70 kilos at a 29.5-inch draw size with 85 % let off. At these specs taking pictures a 477-grain arrow, I obtained a pace of 283 fps from the store chronograph—precisely the identical because the V3X 33.

That’s not screaming quick, however it’s quick sufficient for me. My pin gaps are fairly small on a five-pin sight, with pins set for 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards. This bow is constructed for accuracy. It’s not a pace bow. I’m okay with that.

V3X 33 vs Section 4

The very first shot I took with the Section 4 33, I assumed one thing went unsuitable. It was so quiet, and I barely felt something in my bow hand when the string launched. It simply didn’t appear proper. So I shot once more. Similar factor. The bow’s response to the shot was so smooth I immediately puzzled if my V3X 33 felt like that. I knew that bow was fairly quiet, and I assumed it was useless within the hand. So I took a shot with it after which adopted with a shot from the Section 4 33.

As I mentioned earlier, the distinction is noticeable. And I by no means considered the V3X 33 as a loud or hand-shocky bow. I didn’t suppose there was that a lot noise and vibration to empty out. It’s like having beer run down your chin from a glass you thought was empty.

Noise

So what’s the good thing about making a quiet bow even quieter? Ask the deer. Anytime you possibly can lower bow noise, it’s higher for minimizing animal reactions on the shot. And for quelling vibration that you just didn’t even notice was there. The perfect shot with a bow is one the place you’re relaxed as a result of anticipating the thump of the bow string may cause you to tighten your hand and/or arm. The much less hand shock there may be, the better it’s to maintain your physique calm till after the arrow is lengthy gone.

Taking that instance to the acute only for illustration, take into consideration how tense you’re taking pictures a .300 Win. Magazine. as in comparison with a .22 LR. You already know that huge thump is coming from the .300 and your physique braces itself. Whenever you shoot the .22, you’re way more relaxed.

Draw Cycle

Whereas the lowered noise and hand shock shocked me, what didn’t was all the pieces else about taking pictures the Section 4 33. The massive cam makes for a pleasing draw cycle—effort on the entrance finish, adopted by a downhill glide to the again wall. It’s obtained that tremendous lengthy riser identical to the V3X 33, which implies it holds on the right track tremendous regular.

Tuning

Tuning the Section 4 33 was a snap. Set the remaining so the middle of my arrow was 13/16 inches from the riser, and eyeballed the nock top to get it stage. My first shot via paper was good—a bullet gap within the middle framed by three evenly spaced vane slices.

For superior tuning, the bow has the Mathews Tophat system, which employs a collection of spacer tubes on both aspect of the cams. If you have to clear up a paper tear, you simply change tubes, so the cam strikes left or proper. Mathews has been utilizing Tophats for a number of years, so it’s a system I’m acquainted and cozy with. It really works. I didn’t must make any changes to the Tophats for my take a look at bow, however I knew what to do if I did.

Accuracy

I busted a number of nocks taking pictures the Section 4 33 at 20 yards. Tight teams have been straightforward to supply. However the place I really feel the Section 4 33 actually excels is taking pictures at distance. It’s simply so regular. My pins locked on the right track at 50 and 60 yards, and the arrows seemed like lasers as they bee-lined for the bull’s-eye.

As talked about earlier, there’s a 29-inch model for bowhunters preferring a shorter bow. I don’t suppose I might ever select a shorter bow just because bows within the 33-35-inch vary really feel so good to me. I’ve by no means had a difficulty maneuvering with one on the bottom or in a tree stand, in order that’s not a difficulty I’ve skilled.

The place the Section 4 is Missing

As a result of Mathews added the Bridge-Lock know-how to stabilizers this yr, which features a entire line of stabilizers and related facilities, I’m going to repeat what I acknowledged final yr for the V3X 33. Mathews desires you to purchase their gear for his or her bow. No query their stuff is cool and can enable you put collectively a sweet-looking rig that shoots nice. However the accent line means Mathews will get you coming and going.

And people equipment aren’t low-cost. The MSRP for the stabilizers is as much as $270, relying on size. The siderod mount is $200. Final yr, Mathews launched its low-profile quivers, which benefit from transferring the sight and relaxation from the aspect of the riser to the center to permit a bowhunter to create a bow with the slimmest profile I’ve ever seen. These quivers will work for the Section 4 bows, and value as much as $250.

Whereas the Section 4 33 is anticipated to price $1,400, while you add two of the greatest stabilizers, siderod mount, low-profile quiver, Bridge-Lock sight, and Mathews-branded QAD Combine relaxation, you’re a rig that would price $2,500.

You’ll be able to certainly switch all your outdated gear from no matter bow you’re upgrading from to the Section 4. The bow will settle for all conventional equipment. However when bowhunters see how cool a Section 4 can look kitted out with all of the Mathews gear, the temptation to spend will hit.

What the Section 4 Does Finest

The Section 4 33 is solely a pleasure to shoot. It attracts good, it holds good, it’s quiet, and it has nearly no hand shock. The taking pictures expertise is nicer than any bow I’ve ever shot. I haven’t had months behind this bow like I’ve with the V3X 33 to gauge its reliability and efficiency in varied settings and circumstances. However given the similarities between the 2 bows, I can be wildly shocked if the Section 4 33 doesn’t carry out equally as effectively.

That’s not how bows are bought, nevertheless. They’re bought to consumers who take a naked bow with a relaxation and perhaps a sight and shoot a pair instances at a goal 5 yards away. All they’re doing is feeling the draw cycle and the shot. In that enviornment, I can’t consider one other compound bow that may dangle with the Section 4 33.

Closing Ideas

There are a number of bows available on the market proper now which might be quiet and have minimal hand shock. For my cash, the Mathews Section 4 33 leads the pack in that class. All I can say is, you’ve obtained to shoot one to expertise it for your self. Whenever you do, I feel you’ll be as shocked as I used to be, and transfer the bar for what a smooth-shooting bow should really feel like.