Hoyt has a long history of producing quality bows across all archery disciplines. Whether it be hunting, 3D, FITA or olympic style recurve shooting, there is a Hoyt bow for everyone. The Maxxis comes from a line of bows dating back to 2006 with the introduction of the Trykon. After the Trykon, the Vectrix, Katera and Alphamax followed, and for 2010, the Maxxis.
Evolution of the Hoyt parallel limb bows family:
| Trykon | Trykon XL | Vectrix | Vectrix XL | Vectrix Plus | Katera | Katera XL | Alphamax 32 | Alphamax 35 | Maxxis 31 | Maxxis 35 | AlphaBurner | |
| Year | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 | 2007 | 2008 | 2008 | 2008 | 2009 | 2009 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs. | 4.8 lbs. | 4.4 lbs. | 4.5 lbs | 4.7 lbs. | 4.5 lbs. | 4.6 lbs. | 3.9 lbs. | 4.1 lbs. | 3.9 lbs. | 4.2 lbs. | 4.3 lbs. |
| Brace Height | 7” | 7.5” | 7” | 7.5” | 7” | 6” | 7.5” | 7” | 7” | 7” | 7” | 6” |
| ATA | 33” | 36” | 33” | 36” | 33” | 33” | 36” | 32” | 35” | 31” | 35” | 34.75” |
| IBO Rating | 316 fps | 314 fps | 316 fps | 315 fps | 320 fps | 330 fps | 305 fps | 321 fps | 316 fps | 323 fps | 318 fps | 340 fps |
The Maxxis comes in two varieties, the 31 and 35, the numbers referring to their axle to axle (ATA) length. Over the evolution of the Hoyt family of parallel limb bows, bow weights have become slightly lower, ATA has dropped 1-2″ on average, the overall speed has gone up just a tad (minus the AlphaBurner that is built for speed) and probably most notably about the Maxxis, the limbs have gone from somewhat parallel to significantly past parallel. The Maxxis is also the first Hoyt bow to make use of a roller guard.
Description from the Hoyt Catalog:
Some said it would be impossible to top the AlphaMax. Our engineers didn’t listen. Meet the all-new Hoyt Maxxis: our premiere hunting compound for 2010. Maxxis advances the Hoyt legacy with our all-new, past-parallel, laminated XTS ARC Limb System—engineered to kill vibration and produce an unbelievably smooth shot. Maxxis also features an innovative, patent-pending, In-Line Roller Cable Guard that reduces friction, increases speed and improves efficiency with a lightweight, durable, low-profile design. The perfectly balanced, smooth-shooting Maxxis is light, sleek, fast and tough, and delivers a lengthy list of other purpose-built technologies—including our TEC LITE Riser, XTR Cam & 1/2 Performance System, and popular 180 Grip. The much-anticipated Maxxis promises to be the top bow of 2010.
Component Details of the Hoyt Maxxis:
Each Maxxis comes with the option of two different cams, the XTR Cam & 1/2 or the Z3 Cam & 1/2. The only real difference between the two cams is the different draw lengths that both are available in, the XTR covers 26-30″ and the Z3 23 1/2-25 1/2″. Either of the cams will use the same limbs, the XTS ARC, which are new limbs for 2010 that were developed for the past parallel design. As can be seen in the following image, the limbs go significantly past parallel:
Astute followers of Hoyt bows will notice that the Maxxis riser is very similar to the Alphamax. Both bows also use the Pro-Lock limb pocket that is a significant change from the Triax pockets of previous years. The biggest difference is a slight change in limb pocket angle and the XTS ARC limbs on the Maxxis that replaced the XTS 500 limbs of the AlphaMax.
The other big chance between the Maxxis and AlphaMax is the introduction of the In-Line roller cable guard. Rather than have the cables come into the same pulley with concentric lobes, the In-Line version staggers the cables. At first glance it appears that this would cause less total torque on the cables. For whatever reason, the Maxxis is the only 2010 Hoyt bow to make use of this new cable guard. Both the AlphaBurner and Carbon Matrix continue to use the traditional Hoyt straight carbon guard with offset cable slide. Perhaps Hoyt is testing the waters with the new cable guard without fulling committing to it yet.
Maxxis Shooting and Performance:
Since I do not own a Maxxis and nor did Archery Report qualify for a demo bow this year (we need to grow more still, tell your friends!) my experience with the Maxxis is relegated to shooting one in a local shop. The one that I was able to shoot was a Maxxis 31 set at 66 lbs. and 29.5″. The string had a Fletcher Tru-Peep, string loop and factory furnished string dampers. I also had the shop throw on an 8″ stabilizer to help balance the bow.
The first thing that I noticed is that the Maxxis 31 was light in the hand and seemed awfully short. I’ve never owned a 31″ ATA bow myself and it almost seemed like a toy in my hand. Armed with a handful of arrows, my how RIPShot/Fletcher Flathead combo release, I headed to the range. After nocking and arrow and taking a few test draws to test the cam feel and draw weight, I let the first arrow fly. I wasn’t even sure where the arrow hit because I was too busy admiring the silence and the lack of any significant vibration. No bow is completely silent or completely vibration free, but this bow comes admirably close. There was very little jump forward which was almost disconcerting to me because I like a little feedback on the shot, but I’m sure I’d get over it.
Five arrows later I had a nice little group of about 3″ at 20 yards; not too bad for never having shot this bow and not really paying attention to my aiming but rather focusing on the feel of the bow. The draw cycle was a little smoother than on my Hoyts that have Spiral cams dropping off into a solid valley without much hump. There is more of a valley than Spirals which many people will enjoy. As for myself, I still prefer the feel of the Spirals to the XTR cam. After about half an hour of shooting, I was starting to feel a tad guilty about monopolizing a bow that I didn’t intend to walk out the door with, but I was having such a good time with it that I didn’t really notice the time.
Before I go any further, I would like to note that the shop owner of this bow is a very capable tuner of Hoyt bows. The Maxxis I shot was not straight out of the box, but had been tuned up a tweaked in just a bit to get it shooting optimally. I have never taken a bow out of the box and felt it was perfectly in tune. Chronographing of this tuned bow produced an average speed of 309 fps with a 360 grain arrow. This would translate to about 329 fps IBO when adjusting for arrow weight, peep/loop on string and 29.5″ draw length. In my experience with all of the Hoyt bows that I have owned, most will exceed their IBO rating by 2-10 fps when finely tuned. This particular bow was no exception as it is rated at 323 fps.
Final Thoughts on the Hoyt Maxxis
The Maxxis is not a huge change from the Alphamax line of last year, but the changes do seem to have improved. It’s quiet, smooth and a pleasure to shoot. While not the fastest bow on the market, it does have respectable speed when properly tuned. Overall the quality is high 
and is what is to be expected from Hoyt. Of course with quality and the Hoyt name, also comes a price tag: $879 for the Maxxis 31 and $929 for the 35 version.
Of course no bow is perfect and I do have a couple of gripes. First of all, I was not too keen on the textured black finish of the riser. I would rather have seen a black anodized or smooth powder coated with a flat finish on the riser; it just had a little bit of a cheap feel to me. Because of this I’d probably opt for the full camo version as the RealTree APG HD looks very nice on it. That or the target version of the black that is smooth, but has the silver limb pockets and cams. If I were to buy a Maxxis, I’d most likely go with the 35 as the 31 was too short for my tastes. The balance wasn’t quite to my liking and it was very easy to cant the bow and not notice without looking at the sight bubble. Of course a stabilizer tailored to my shooting would go a long ways to helping this.
Overall the Maxxis is a winner and will make plenty a happy owner. I’m sure there will be plenty of Maxxis bows in the woods this fall and scattered across the 3D ranges. Dave Cousins (a Hoyt Pro-Staff shooter) is already making waves with his Maxxis 35 with a couple of wins on the tour already. If you are a Hoyt fan and past parallel limb lover, this would be a great bow to check out.
What I liked about the Maxxis
- Excellent build and quality, nice finish and attention to detail
- Quiet, very little vibration
- Great looking bow
- Lightweight and balances well once accessorized
- Beat expectations on rated IBO speed
What I Didn’t Like About the Maxxis
- Price is definitely getting up there
- Could use a little speed boost to make it more competitive to similar bows
- Textured finish on black hunting risers, seemed to cheapen the bow
| Trykon | Trykon XL | Vectrix | Vectrix XL | Vectrix Plus | Katera | Katera XL | Alphamax 32 | Alphamax 35 | Maxxis 31 | Maxxis 35 | AlphaBurner | |
| Year | 2006 | 2006 | 2007 | 2007 | 2008 | 2008 | 2008 | 2009 | 2009 | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 |
| Weight | 4.5 lbs. | 4.8 lbs. | 4.4 lbs. | 4.5 lbs | 4.7 lbs. | 4.5 lbs. | 4.6 lbs. | 3.9 lbs. | 4.1 lbs. | 3.9 lbs. | 4.2 lbs. | 4.3 lbs. |
| Brace Height | 7” | 7.5” | 7” | 7.5” | 7” | 6” | 7.5” | 7” | 7” | 7” | 7” | 6” |
| ATA | 33” | 36” | 33” | 36” | 33” | 33” | 36” | 32” | 35” | 31” | 35” | 34.75” |
| IBO Rating | 316 fps | 314 fps | 316 fps | 315 fps | 320 fps | 330 fps | 305 fps | 321 fps | 316 fps | 323 fps | 318 fps | 340 fps |
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Michael,
After the 2010 South Carolina archery season (or before), I plan on replacing my old Matthews SQ2 with a Hoyt, and I am leaning toward an Alphamax in 32 or 35. I am a hunter and not an archery comp. shooter.
Q: Would you choose an Alphamax or a Maxxis?
Q: I am near 6 feet tall and just under 200 lbs and do physical labor for a living. Would you recommend a 32 or a 35 inch Alphamax, or a 31 or a 35 inch Maxxis?
Q: Is there another bow you could recommend over these two bows?
Thanks, and good job on your article.
DWT
Dean,
The Maxxis is an updated version of the Alphamax and the there are two main differences: the past parallel limbs and the addition of the inline roller guard. They both feel and shoot very similar with the Maxxis feeling a tad better to me overall. My guess would be that the Maxxis will remain in the Hoyt lineup and the Alphamax is going to disappear soon. If you want a newer design that may hold it’s value a little better for a year or so, go with the Maxxis. That being said, I have seen some really good deals on the Alphamax and you could get a great bow for a little cheaper than the Maxxis.
Second question: It’s really a personal choice, but like you I am 6′ and I shoot a 30″ draw. At this draw length a 31-32″ bow has a very sharp string angle at full draw and I cannot comfortably touch the string to my nose with a bow this short. So in my case, I prefer the slightly longer 35″ version. However, everyone is different and I would highly recommend that you try to shoot both versions before making a decision.
Third: I believe the Maxxis and Alphamax are excellent bows that can’t be beat for quality. That being said, there are great bows from every manufacturer this year and it’s going to come down to personal choice. I have shot the Bowtech Destroyer, Mathews Z7, Elite Judge, and PSE Axe to name a few and they are all excellent and definitely worth taking a look at before you make a decision. I would also like to check out the Rytera Nemisis, Strother SR71/Infinity and the New Breed bows, but I have not had a chance to shoot them yet.
Hello. I am a fellow Hoyt shooter. I started with a turbohawk which I have to say is one of the best buys for the money(with adding a string stop). You find a bow you are comfortable with and practice, then you will hit well. I shot a 286/300 with a turbohawk on a 3d target shoot out to 50 yard targets. As for the Alphamax and Maxxis. Excellent bows. To me they draw back better and smoother than the MAthews as I tested them all vigorously. If you are looking for speed, go with the Alphaburner, with the cams it will draw back differently than most are used to but keeps you honest. not hard to get used to. I enjoyed shooting the Alphamax 35, was very light, accurate and quiet. Even though the turbohawk will be a faster shot, I was hitting a slightly tighter group with the alphamax 35. The Maxxis felt as stated above a little smoother yet than the alphamax. Honestly, for price I would go with the Turbohawk or alphamax depending on your wallet size. But between the alphamax and the maxxis, they shoot+ feel almost identical. Pick the one you are comfortable with; noting the alphamax will probably come at much better deals + pricing. (Make note that the alpamax 35 and maxxis 35 were shot, not the 31 maxxis or the 32 alphamax) Thanks for all your good reviews.
I also have a Maxxis 31. I love the bow but I too am a big guy. My draw is 30.5 and my height is 6’3″. I have my poundage set at 60. Drawing a bow at that draw length is tough especially at 45 years of age.
I just cant get comfortable shooting the thing. Draw is smooth and release is smooth but I’m just not rested during aim.
Im thinking about moving to the Maxxis 35 next year.
Can you tell me what would be my advantages if any by moving to the 35?
Thanks!
John
John,
I shoot a 30″ draw length and short bows have always been an issue for me as well. Mostly because I am most comfortable (and accurate) when having the string touch the tip of my nose. With short bows and their very sttep string angle at full draw, this is difficult and uncomfortable for me. I find that shooting a bow that is a little longer in ATA definitely is a better fit for me. Currently I am shooting a Bowtech Destroyer that is about 33″ ATA, but the large cams push the string out even further at full draw. I’ve shot the Maxxxis 31 quite bit, and while I loved the feel of the bow, it just wasn’t right for me. I think I would be worth your time to at least try out a few longer bows and see if that helps you out.
I bought my maxxis 31 at the end of 2010 after i was taged out because my friend took me to a hoyt shop, he said my old martin was a dinosaur so i went and he showed me a number of hoyts but when i layed my eyes on the maxxis it was love at first sight and at the time i really didnt want to give up my martin so i went home and for three days i almost couldnt sleep i went back and the man at the bow shop let me shoot it and with just that out of impulse i bought it and i have to say this bow has to be the cadillac of all bows and by far the best bow ive ever owed With that said i recumend everyone get this bow