We had a chance to check out the Hoyt Carbon RX-1 bow back at the ATA show at the beginning of the year and were immediately impressed. We loved what we saw in this bow, and were equally impressed by what we felt on the range when running a few arrows through this new compound bow option from Hoyt. We knew it would be one of the top hunting bows for 2018, so we made plans to lay hands on this bow for a more in depth review.
Through the video, photos, and info below, we invite you to check out our 2018 Hoyt Carbon RX-1 Bow Review.
Believing that not all bowhunters were created equal, nor are all bows created equal, Hoyt has launched a new series of bows for the bowhunter that demands everything.
2018 Hoyt Carbon RX-1
The all-new 2018 REDWRX Carbon RX-1 Series is engineered for those bowhunters who demand the best in a bow designed to meet their specific needs. Bowhunters can pick the configuration that best meets their needs and put it to the test.
Hoyt Carbon RX-1 – First Impressions
Some bows feel right at home the moment you lay hands on it. That was the case with the Carbon RX-1. It was comfortable in the hand, right out of the box, with a killer grip and a well-balanced design that will quickly demand your attention. The design concept for this bow was to take some of the best of the best in Hoyt design and quality and build it into the new REDWRX Series. The result was the Carbon RX-1. It’s a bow that appears to be well suited to handle any adventure, whether you’re in the woods in search of big game, or on the competition line.
Fit & Finish
As mentioned above, the Carbon RX-1 feels great in the hand. I really like the new grip on this one. It honestly fit my hand perfectly. The bow is nice and light, yet features a rock solid balance for a steady hold. With its 32″ axle-to-axle design, it’s compact for most any hunting application with maneuverability for the ground blind, treestand, or spot-n-stalk hunting.
The finish on the RX-1 can best be described as something along the lines of a rhino-liner finish. It feels tough and should handle a beating without the finish chipping or fading. It’ll be interesting to see how this finish holds up to other bow finishes that fade, chip and wear off within a year’s time.
The RX-1 also has Hoyt’s Silent Shelf feature built in. It’s a fully integrated, silent contact surface on the arrow shelf. It provides a whisper-quiet landing pad for drop away rests and will keep things hushed should your arrow bounce around on the shelf. It’s a pretty cool concept that takes your stealth to the next level.
The Silent Shelf eliminates noise from your arrow.
Riser Design
Like the bows before it, the RX-1 features Hoyt’s TEC riser. Hoyt’s riser design was intended to remove vibration from the bow grip. TEC risers are specifically designed to channel vibration through the truss of the TEC riser away from the grip and hand, resulting in ultimate accuracy and consistency shot after shot.
Hoyt bows are known for being some of the toughest bows ever created. How tough are they? Well, to put it in perspective, every model of bow riser Hoyt designs is required to survive 1,500 dry fires without failure before ever being considered for the Hoyt product line. It’s their standard.
Hoyt’s TEC riser is one of the industry’s toughest designs.
Hoyt Carbon RX-1 Cam System
Hoyt introduced a brand new cam system with the launch of the RX-1. Their new Zero-Torque (ZT) Hyper Cam creates a balanced side-to-side load with their new patent-pending Split-Cable System, eliminating the need for a flexible cable guard. This reduces cable-induced torque and lateral nock travel resulting in dead-center accuracy. The ZT Hyper Cam is as fast as it is smooth and is Hoyt’s highest let-off cam to date.
The cam’s slick new mod system allows for more adjustability than ever before, and without the need for a bow press.
Hoyt engineered the ZT Hyper Cam Systems to promote comfortable, strain-free posture at full draw by increasing the distance between the cams at full draw. This broader cam-to-cam distance at full draw creates an ideal “flatter” string angle and brings the peep to you. These innovations allow a more relaxed, strain-free posture at full draw, and reduce facial contact, string pressure, and eye fatigue at anchor.
ZT Hyper Cam System
Specs and Speed
The RX-1 is a 32″ axle to axle bow, weighing in a 3.9 pounds. It has a 6″ brace height and boasts speeds of 340 feet per second.
Draw length options range from 24.5-28″, 27-30″, 29-31″ and draw weight ranges including: 30-40#, 40-50#, 50-60#, 55-65#, 60-70#, and 70-80#.
I put the RX-1 I received for testing on the X-Spot bow scale for a bare bow weight and it rang up at 4.34 pounds, with D-loop and peep included.
Our test bow weighed in 4.34 pounds with only a d-loop and peep installed.
With the bolts bottomed out, our RX-1 test bow had a draw weight of 70.40 pounds on the X-Spot bow scale.
The 70# RX-1 weighed in right on the money at 70.40 on the scale.
Carbon RX-1 @ 70#
We ran a bunch of arrows through the chrono to get an idea of how the RX-1 measured up in speed, and even at a short 27.5″ draw length and 415 grain Easton Axis arrow, the bow was spitting arrows at 292 feet per second.
The RX-1 is a pretty zippy bow, even with our test bow set up at just 27.5 inches.
The Grip
The X-Act Grip featured on the RX-1 promotes consistent and proper hand placement. Hoyt’s engineers conducted in-depth research and development to fine-tune the overall grip width, angle and shape of this grip, resulting in consistent hand placement for ultimate accuracy shot after shot. It truly is one of the best grips I’ve ever laid hands on. The grip naturally seems to go where it needs to go in your hand. No slipping, sliding or fighting it for proper placement.
Hoyt’s new grip is one of the most comfortable bow grips you’ll ever put your hand on.
RX-1 Finish Options
There are ample finish options available for the Hoyt Carbon RX-1, including: Blackout, Buckskin, Optifade Subalpine, KUIU Verde, Realtree Edge, and UA Ridge Reaper Barren. Accent colors include, black, blue, yellow, pink, red, purple, orange, and green. There’s also several new custom options with the Bone Collector and Cameron Hanes.
Carbon RX-1 Bow Review – Final Thoughts
The Hoyt Carbon RX-1 is a smooth, fast, and fun bow to shoot. We look forward to spending a little more time with it in the days ahead to see more on how this bow performs in the field. The bow is very shooter friendly with tons of features built in to make it shoot better than any Hoyt bow before it. And with the ruggedness that Hoyt is known for, this bow will no doubt handle anything you can dish out in the field. The Carbon RX-1 sells for $1549 at Lancaster Archery. Check it out there, or at your local Hoyt dealer. You can also see the complete line of 2018 Hoyt bows at www.hoyt.com.
