Mathews ARC 30 vs Hoyt RX-10: Which Flagship Bow Should You Buy?

Hunting season for this year has either started or fastly approaching and youre getting the late itch for a new bow. Our two top selling bows this year is the Mathews ARC 30 versus the Hoyt Carbon RX-10. We get it, ones a carbon and ones aluminum... but this is the the most compared bows of our customers!

On paper they look like twins: both are about 30 inches axle-to-axle, both weigh around 4 pounds, and both are rated in the mid-340s for speed. Spend some time with each, though, and the differences show up fast. They're built from different materials, they feel different at full draw, they tune in different ways, and one costs almost $700 more than the other.

Here's how they compare and which one makes more sense for you.

Quick Verdict

• Choose the Mathews ARC 30 if you want the lighter, faster, more affordable bow and don't mind a draw cycle that some shooters describe as firm. It's a proven accuracy machine at $1,359.
  
• Choose the Hoyt Carbon RX-10 if you want the smoothest, quietest shooting experience, the warmth of a carbon riser in cold weather, and the most complete press-free tuning system on the market, and you're fine paying $2,049 for it.

Specs Side by Side

Riser: Aluminum vs. Carbon

This is the most basic difference between the two bows, and it affects how each one feels in your hand.

The ARC 30 uses a reflexed, skeletonized aluminum riser that's 5-axis CNC machined with internal bridging. Mathews reinforced it for 2026 to make it stiffer, and even so the bow weighs under 4 pounds. That's impressive for an aluminum bow.

The RX-10 is built around Hoyt's carbon riser. Carbon's big practical advantage is that it doesn't conduct heat the way aluminum does, so the grip feels noticeably warmer when you're sitting in a November tree stand or glassing a frosty basin. Carbon is also strong, rigid, and quiet. Oddly, the RX-10 is still a tenth of a pound heavier than the ARC 30, so don't pick carbon to save weight.

Edge: Hoyt, if you hunt in cold weather often. For everyone else it comes down to preference.

Draw Cycle and Feel at Full Draw

This is where most of a customers disagree the most.

Mathews ARC 30

The ARC 30 debuts the SWX-2 cam, which adds perimeter weights and a weight embedded in the lower lobe. The goal is to cut felt recoil while keeping speed. Mathews also offers two module styles:

• Standard mods give the most speed.
• SWX-Z mods give a smoother draw curve. They cost extra (about $60), and we measured roughly 12 fps less speed with them (332 fps vs. 344 fps).

Opinions on the standard setup vary. Outdoor Life's P.J. Reilly said the ARC 30 "drew, aimed, and shot like a dream," and Bowhunter's review praised its smooth draw and solid backwall. Jace Bauserman, who tested it for Field & Stream and Born Hunting, had a different experience at first. He called the cams "twitchy" and described "a stiff draw cycle, less-than-smooth transition to let-off." After switching to a thumb-button release and shooting 250+ arrows, he was shooting "lights out" and called it "one of the best aiming bows I've ever shot."

In short, the ARC 30 holds and aims extremely well, but the standard mods may take some getting used to. If a smooth draw matters most to you, try the Z mods.

Hoyt Carbon RX-10

Hoyt calls the HBX Gen 4 "the smoothest drawing cam we've ever had," and reviewers mostly agree. Bauserman's summary: "The cycle is butter, you anchor up quickly, and your pin will sit dead still on target."

The HBX Gen 4 also offers more ways to customize:

• Three let-off settings: 75%, 80%, or 85%
• Two backwall settings: Xtra Hard and Hard. Hard gives you a slight valley if you don't like a brick wall.
• Quarter-inch draw length adjustments, so you can dial in your fit precisely

Edge: Hoyt. The RX-10 is smoother right out of the box and gives you more control over how it feels at full draw.

Speed and Kinetic Energy

On paper, the Mathews is faster: 348 fps vs. 342 fps. (IBO and ATA ratings use the same standard, so the numbers compare directly.)

Our Real-world testing agrees.  With nearly identical arrow weights, the ARC 30 was about 10 fps faster. Keep in mind that these aren't lab-controlled head-to-head tests. Also, if you switch the ARC 30 to Z mods for a smoother draw, most of its speed advantage goes away.

Edge: Mathews, clearly, with the standard mods.

Noise and Vibration

Both bows are very quiet. Mathews improved its limb geometry so the limbs travel perfectly parallel, which cuts post-shot noise and vibration. Hoyt built the RX-10 to work with its in-line accessories and claims "double-digit" improvements in sound and vibration when you use them together.

In Bauserman's three-shot decibel testing:

• Mathews ARC 30: 64.4 dB (vs. 67.5 dB for the previous Lift X)
• Hoyt Carbon RX-10: 61.0 dB. He said he heard nothing: "No hum, buzz, tingle, tickle, twang."

He tested with different arrows and settings, so treat those numbers as a general indication, not a verdict. Still, reviewers call the RX-10 "surgically quiet," while the ARC 30 gets described as "dead in hand" with "only a brief jump."

Edge: Hoyt, by a small margin.

Tuning: Limb Shift vs. XTS

Both bows let you tune at home without a bow press, which matters if you're a DIY hunter who doesn't live near a pro shop.

Mathews Limb Shift returns on the ARC 30. You use Allen keys to shift the limbs at the axles and fix your arrow flight.  It's simple, and it's mainly a left/right tuning tool and we've never had a problem getting an bow to tune perfect.

Hoyt's XTS Tuning System is the big new feature for 2026. It uses tuning bolts at the limb pockets that you turn with a 3/32" Allen wrench, and it corrects both left/right and high/low tears of up to about an inch. 

Edge: Both Mathews and Hoyt. 

Accessory Integration and Ergonomics

Mathews made the ARC 30 cleaner and simpler to set up this year:

• Silent Connect System built into the riser. You no longer need to buy a separate SCS anchor, which used to cost about $60.
• Integrated Bridge-Lock mounts for sidebars, with a 7-degree drop option
• Integrate rest mount for a clean, snag-free setup
• Bond grip system. It ships with the Engage grip, and you can swap in Contour or Taper grips if Engage doesn't fit your hand.

The RX-10 is designed around Hoyt's in-line accessory system, which includes integrated rest mounting and a Picatinny-style rail for mounting accessories in line with the riser. Hoyt pairs the bow with its WireWRX strings and cables and its shortest limbs yet (TXL).

Edge: Even. If you already own Mathews-compatible accessories, the ARC 30 will feel like home, and the same goes for Hoyt shooters with the RX-10.

Sizes and Model Options

Neither bow comes in just one size.

Mathews ARC family

• ARC 30: 30" ATA, 25"–30.5" draw, $1,359
• ARC 34: 34" ATA, 6.5" brace, 26.5"–32" draw, 4.3 lbs, 343 fps, $1,569

Hoyt Carbon RX-10 family

• RX-10: 30½" ATA, 25"–30" draw, $2,049
• RX-10 Ultra: 33½" ATA, 6⅜" brace, 26"–31" draw, 4.5 lbs, 340 fps, $2,199
• RX-10 Ultra LD: long-draw version of the Ultra
• RX-10 SD: 23"–27" draw, 30–70 lbs, 310 fps, $2,149. Hoyt aims this one at smaller-framed hunters.

If you're a Western hunter who wants more stability for long shots, compare the ARC 34 and the RX-10 Ultra instead.

Price and Value

This is the Mathews' biggest advantage. At $1,359, the ARC 30 costs less than the Carbon RX-10's $2,049. That difference will buy a quality sight, rest, stabilizer, and a dozen arrows.

If you want Hoyt's XTS tuning and HBX Gen 4 cam but can't justify the price of carbon, look at the Hoyt Alpha AX-3 29. It has the same cam and tuning system in an aluminum riser for $1,399, which puts it right in line with the ARC 30.

Edge: Mathews.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Mathews ARC 30 if you:

• Want the most speed and kinetic energy for your money
• Hunt whitetails from a stand or blind and want a compact, sub-4-lb bow
• Already shoot Mathews and like a firm, defined backwall
• Would rather spend the extra $690 on accessories, tags, or gas money

Buy the Hoyt Carbon RX-10 if you:

• Want the smoothest, quietest bow available right out of the box
• Hunt in cold weather and want the comfort of a carbon riser
• Tune your own bows and want to fix both left/right and high/low problems without a press
• Like fine-tuning let-off, backwall, and draw length to exactly what you want

Final Verdict

There's no bad choice here. Both bows are elite 2026 flagships that will shoot tight groups well past typical hunting distances.

The Mathews ARC 30 is the better value. It's faster, lighter, and much cheaper, with a draw cycle that some testers found demanding but that paid off in accuracy once they got used to it.

The Hoyt Carbon RX-10 is the more refined bow overall. It has the smoother draw, lower noise, warmer riser, and the most complete home-tuning system available. Bauserman called it "the best compound bow I've ever handled." The catch is the price.

Our advice: shoot both at your local pro shop before you buy. Draw feel is personal, and 20 minutes on the range will tell you more than any spec sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Mathews ARC 30 faster than the Hoyt RX-10? Yes. The ARC 30 is rated at up to 348 fps vs. 342 fps for the RX-10, and in hands-on testing it shot about 10 fps faster with similar arrows. Switching the ARC 30 to the smoother SWX-Z mods costs roughly 12 fps.

Which bow is quieter? Both are very quiet, but the RX-10 measured slightly lower in testing (61.0 dB vs. 64.4 dB for the ARC 30).

Is the carbon riser on the RX-10 worth the extra money? It's worth it if you hunt in cold weather a lot, because carbon feels much warmer to hold. It doesn't save weight, though: the aluminum ARC 30 is actually lighter.

Can I tune either bow without a bow press? Yes. The ARC 30 uses Mathews Limb Shift, and the RX-10 uses Hoyt's new XTS Tuning System, which corrects both left/right and high/low tears.

What's the cheapest way to get Hoyt's XTS tuning system? The aluminum Hoyt Alpha AX-3 29 ($1,499 MSRP) has the same XTS system and HBX Gen 4 cam as the RX-10.