Hoyt AX-2 Bow Review

It’s been a long time coming, but Hoyt has finally released a flagship aluminum bow that cracks the 30″ axle to axle mark. The 2025 Hoyt Alpha AX-2 is available in two options – the 29, which is actually 29.5 axle to axle, and the 32 (32 5/16″). However, for this review, we’re talking specifically about the 29.

Following in the footsteps of the popular Alpha X bows released for 2024, the AX-2 29 weighs in lighter, shorter and more hunter-friendly than ever before. And it’s got some pretty nice new additions that’ll make it worthy of a second look for any Hoyt fans considering an upgrade for the fall season.

The sub-30 inch axle to axle bow answers the demand by Hoyt shooters for a smaller, more compact option for bowhunters that find their place in the treestand, or confines of the ground blind. It also makes this bow one of the most packable bows Hoyt’s ever built, perfectly suited for any hunt, east or west.

First Impressions

Pulling a new bow from the box is always an exciting time. But when that bow is lighter, leaner and more deadly looking than ever before – that’s even better. That’s what I found when I grabbed the new Hoyt AX-2 from the box.

It was noticeably lighter than what we’ve tested in the past. It’s a leaner and more compact design that the minimalist bowhunter will certainly appreciate, whether packing deep into the backcountry for elk out west, or whitetail deer far beyond the gate on public land in the east.

The bow looks and feels beefy, yet light and compact at the same time – a testimony to the rugged design Hoyt has been known for over the years.

The bow is available in a wide range of finish options, from camo to solid colors, but the Mossy Oak Bottomland finish bow I pulled from the box is my personal favorite, with a super smooth finish feel that’s very well done.

Specs on the Alpha AX-2 29

Axle to Axle: 29 1/2″

Speed: 340 fps

Weight: 4.25 lbs

Brace Height: 6 3/8″

Draw Length: 25″-30″

Draw Weight: 40 – 80 lbs

Camo Finish Options: Camo Finish Options: Mossy Oak Bottomland, Realtree APX, Kuiu Verde, Optifade Subalpine, Optifade Elevated II, First Lite Cerca, Origin Highland

Price – $1,449

Gen 4 HBX Cam

Hoyt’s popular HBX cam got an upgrade for 2025 in the all-new Gen 4 HBX cam. It’s built to be one of the most versatile cam options we’ve yet to see from Hoyt, with ample adjustment options to give the shooter the exact custom feel they desire. The Hoyt team says its their smoothest and easiest shooting cam system yet.

It’s a 4-track cam design that’s built to help minimize cam lean. The end result is less tuning, tweaking and spacer issues for the shooter.

The cam is built for increased performance across the full draw length range, allowing for 1/4″ draw length adjustments thanks to their module system for draw lengths from 25″ – 30″.

It’s one cam with 1 of 5 different modules that allow the shooter to have the draw length they want and need. The ultimate goal was to maximize speed at each draw length, and that’s just what you’ll find with the new Gen 4 HBX cam. So while you have the ability for 1/4″ adjustments, you’ll still need to have the mod specific to your draw length. The 1/4″ adjustments simply allow you to get the custom fit you need.

The cam allows you to dial in let-off to exactly where you want with a simple single screw adjustment that lets you choose from 75, 80, and 85 percent let-off in the Module Foot.

Taking the customization a step further, that same Module Foot also allows you to select between the options of a hard back wall or extra hard back to maximize your personal comfort and feel.

Rounding out the favorite features of the cam, you’ll find the “bump button” carried over again this year. This is one of those hunter-friendly features that’s simple yet effective.

“How did we not think of this before now,” was my thought when I first saw this addition. This button is found on the top and bottom cam and was designed to protect the cam from dirt, drops and contact with the ground when on a bow stand or being raised and lowered from the treestand.

Lighter and Leaner

Interestingly, while the Hoyt crew worked at improving on last year’s Alpha X bow, they ultimately managed to shave some weight off this latest bow offering along the way. In fact, the new Alpha AX-2 weighs in 1/4 pound lighter than what we saw in the 2024 lineup, coming in at just 4.25 pounds.

But not only will you feel the weight difference in hand, you’ll see it as well with a newly designed limb, pocket and riser configuration that make this bow a slim and trim option that’s built to maximize efficiency, on the range and in the woods.

Even better, the newly designed configuration creates a bigger string angle for more comfort, particularly for longer draw shooters. In fact, although the bow is 29 1/2″ axle to axle, the loadout point is actually 31″, so the bow has a “feels like length” of what you’d find in a 31″ axle to axle length from the past.

Integrated Accessory Options

Integrated accessory mounts have pretty much become the standard in today’s best bows, and you’ll certainly find it on the new Alpha AX-2. It’s built with a pic mount out front for your bow sight as well as the IMS dovetail mount on the back side for your arrow rest.

These mounts look sharp and allow you to bring everything front and center for better balance in the hand and greater accuracy down range.

The popular Short Stop stabilizer/dampener has been updated for 2025 in a more compact design for better performance, easily delivering what you might find in a 6″- 8″ stabilizer placed in the standard riser mounting position.

Better balance without the extra weight is a nice benefit from this well-placed Short Stop feature. It’s a design that’ll make you think twice about even adding a traditional stabilizer.

Performance on the Range

I shot this bow at both 70# and 65# draw weight. The new Gen 4 draw cycle delivers a much more aggressive cycle than what we saw in last year’s AX bow. It’ll take more muscle to get the draw cycle started.

It’s just a more aggressive cam, built for extra speed and performance, and that extra speed always comes at a price. However, after a few shots, you’ll quickly get a feel for the cycle and and what’s required to make a smooth and steady draw. Once I got use to it, it wasn’t an issue.

At 65 pounds, the bow draws smooth and easy. And that’s typically the hunting weight I find myself at these days for an easy draw in any condition or shooting position.

As always, I stepped out on the range to get a feel for real-world performance of the bow with my hunting setup. The test bow I shot was set up at 28″ and, as mentioned above, I shot the bow cranked down to both 70 and 65 pounds draw weight.

With my Easton Axis hunting arrow weighing in at 420 grains, I consistently got speeds of 288 FPS out of the bow through the Garmin chrono with the bow setup at 65 pounds, and 302 FPS when cranked down to 70 pounds.

The light and compact design of this bow is what will catch the attention of a lot of shooters this year. It’s just a really packable bow that seems to be built super tough, as expected from Hoyt. It’s a great option for anyone hunting from the treestand, saddle, or ground blind. But it’s also perfectly suited as a compact option to strap on the pack when going lean and light into the backcountry.

Despite the cam customization options we find for draw length, let-off and back wall feel, the bow is lacking in cam tunability. We’re seeing it from a number of other leading manufacturers, but have yet to see this technology from Hoyt. It’s something we hope to see coming in the years ahead as the Hoyt team develops their own system for simplifying the tuning process.

The Hoyt AX-2 29 rings up at $1449. Check it out at your local Hoyt dealer or visit them online at www.hoyt.com.

Brodie Swisher

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and Editor for Bowhunting.com. Brodie and his family live in the Kentucky Lake area of west Tennessee.