If you were expecting a minor warming over of hunting bows from Hoyt this year, you were in for a heck of a surprise. The new Hoyt Carbon RX-5 Ultra is absolutely loaded with new features. But first, let’s look at the specs.
The RX-5 Ultra has an axle-to-axle length of 34 inches a brace height of 7 inches, and an IBO rated speed of 334 feet per second. On paper, that is the slowest bow I tested this year, but the chrono results, which I will get to in a minute, tell a different story.
The most striking difference between the RX-5 Ultra and previous year Hoyt bows is the new HBX binary cam. This is a huge departure for Hoyt and the HBX makes all of its draw lengths available on one cam size. If you ever buy a used Hoyt or want to sell one, that is a huge bonus, as it opens up a lot more possibilities for you.
Another obvious change is the new lower front stabilizer position. This stab location is located right at the bottom of the riser, dropping the center of gravity of the bow. I will touch on this shortly, but I am a big fan of this. Hoyt also has a new In-Line sidebar location, but that requires you to buy Hoyt’s SL sidebar mount. If I was using this as a tournament bow, which this would bow would be very capable of, I might pick that up. But as a hunting bow, I’m not sure I’d bother.
Another very cool change is the new in-line Picatinny sight mount. I don’t have a sight with a Picatinny mount yet, so I’m using the traditional sight mount position. However, I may explore this in the future, as I can certainly see the value of putting the sight in line with the riser rather than off slightly to the side.
As for the review, let’s start with the draw cycle. If you saw my Best Hunting Bow Draw Cycle video, you won’t be surprised to learn I am a big fan of the RX-5 Ultra’s draw. It wasn’t the lightest feeling bow I shot this year (though it wasn’t far off), but it was definitely the smoothest. The new HBX binary cam is buttery smooth with very little noticeable dump into the valley.
Hoyt uses cable-style draw stops to halt the draw cycle and they offer the feel I like at full draw – just a little give into the wall. Older Hoyt models often had much softer feeling back walls, but the RX-5 Ultra feels just about perfect to me. And you can change how the bow feels at full draw by flipping the draw stops. You can choose between 80 and 85% let off. Though I normally like a little more holding weight, I’m really liking how the 85% position feels, so that’s where I’ve stayed.
The RX-5 Ultra also holds rock steady at full draw. I’ve only shot the bow with the stubby stabilizer in the low position and it feels great. If I wanted to cut the weight down if I had to hike an exceptionally long way to my hunting spot, I may remove that lower stab entirely or maybe remove a couple of ounces, but it would be a tough decision as that 34-inch length makes this feel target-bow accurate.
Post shot the RX-5 Ultra is surprisingly quiet for a carbon hunting bow. It’s not the most silent bow I have this year, but it’s better than most.
I mentioned speed a little earlier in the review and when I ran it through my chronograph, it legitimately surprised me. Despite having the slowest rated speed of any hunting bow I tested this year, the RX-5 Ultra tied for the fastest through the chronograph at 328 feet per second with a 350-grain arrow at 70 pounds of draw weight and a 30 3/8” draw length. It also had the fastest measured speed with a heavier 477-grain arrow at 286 feet per second.
Fit and finish on the RX-5 is solid, though there is a very small chip in the paint that was no doubt caused by me. There is also a texture under the paint that I know some viewers of the unboxing video didn’t love, but I personally don’t have any issue with.
For me, the only real issue with the Hoyt RX-5 Ultra is the price tag. At $1,649, your wallet may put up a protest. However, if you don’t mind giving up the carbon riser, the Hoyt Ventum 33 is just 1/10th of a pound heavier saves you $500. It’s up to you whether the carbon riser is worth the price of admission.
The bottom line is the Hoyt RX-5 Ultra is an outstanding shooting bow with a buttery smooth draw cycle. If that appeals to you, visit your local Hoyt dealer to try one out.
The RX-5 Ultra has an axle-to-axle length of 34 inches a brace height of 7 inches, and an IBO rated speed of 334 feet per second. On paper, that is the slowest bow I tested this year, but the chrono results, which I will get to in a minute, tell a different story.
The most striking difference between the RX-5 Ultra and previous year Hoyt bows is the new HBX binary cam. This is a huge departure for Hoyt and the HBX makes all of its draw lengths available on one cam size. If you ever buy a used Hoyt or want to sell one, that is a huge bonus, as it opens up a lot more possibilities for you.
Another obvious change is the new lower front stabilizer position. This stab location is located right at the bottom of the riser, dropping the center of gravity of the bow. I will touch on this shortly, but I am a big fan of this. Hoyt also has a new In-Line sidebar location, but that requires you to buy Hoyt’s SL sidebar mount. If I was using this as a tournament bow, which this would bow would be very capable of, I might pick that up. But as a hunting bow, I’m not sure I’d bother.
Another very cool change is the new in-line Picatinny sight mount. I don’t have a sight with a Picatinny mount yet, so I’m using the traditional sight mount position. However, I may explore this in the future, as I can certainly see the value of putting the sight in line with the riser rather than off slightly to the side.
As for the review, let’s start with the draw cycle. If you saw my Best Hunting Bow Draw Cycle video, you won’t be surprised to learn I am a big fan of the RX-5 Ultra’s draw. It wasn’t the lightest feeling bow I shot this year (though it wasn’t far off), but it was definitely the smoothest. The new HBX binary cam is buttery smooth with very little noticeable dump into the valley.
Hoyt uses cable-style draw stops to halt the draw cycle and they offer the feel I like at full draw – just a little give into the wall. Older Hoyt models often had much softer feeling back walls, but the RX-5 Ultra feels just about perfect to me. And you can change how the bow feels at full draw by flipping the draw stops. You can choose between 80 and 85% let off. Though I normally like a little more holding weight, I’m really liking how the 85% position feels, so that’s where I’ve stayed.
The RX-5 Ultra also holds rock steady at full draw. I’ve only shot the bow with the stubby stabilizer in the low position and it feels great. If I wanted to cut the weight down if I had to hike an exceptionally long way to my hunting spot, I may remove that lower stab entirely or maybe remove a couple of ounces, but it would be a tough decision as that 34-inch length makes this feel target-bow accurate.
Post shot the RX-5 Ultra is surprisingly quiet for a carbon hunting bow. It’s not the most silent bow I have this year, but it’s better than most.
I mentioned speed a little earlier in the review and when I ran it through my chronograph, it legitimately surprised me. Despite having the slowest rated speed of any hunting bow I tested this year, the RX-5 Ultra tied for the fastest through the chronograph at 328 feet per second with a 350-grain arrow at 70 pounds of draw weight and a 30 3/8” draw length. It also had the fastest measured speed with a heavier 477-grain arrow at 286 feet per second.
Fit and finish on the RX-5 is solid, though there is a very small chip in the paint that was no doubt caused by me. There is also a texture under the paint that I know some viewers of the unboxing video didn’t love, but I personally don’t have any issue with.
For me, the only real issue with the Hoyt RX-5 Ultra is the price tag. At $1,649, your wallet may put up a protest. However, if you don’t mind giving up the carbon riser, the Hoyt Ventum 33 is just 1/10th of a pound heavier saves you $500. It’s up to you whether the carbon riser is worth the price of admission.
The bottom line is the Hoyt RX-5 Ultra is an outstanding shooting bow with a buttery smooth draw cycle. If that appeals to you, visit your local Hoyt dealer to try one out.
