Review: 2018 Mathews Triax
Mathews designs a short, fast bow that's stable and forgiving for such a tight package
I've always considered myself a hunter - not a shooter. My form is not perfect, and I readily admit to having 'less than ideal' shooting habits. While some guys will say that handicaps my ability to bowhunt; I disagree. I know myself. Even if I had Levi Morgan's abilities behind the bow, I would still keep my shots under 30 yards for deer-sized game.
I also know what types of bows work well for me. Short, fast bows do not. So when my 2018 Mathews Triax arrived I was visibly terrified. The Triax is 28" axle to axle, has a 6" brace height, and shoots a snappy 343FPS IBO. I remember saying to my wife - "Oh crap, I'm going to suck with this bow."
That's not even close to what happened.
I shot incredible with this bow. After a quick tuning and sighting it in, I was hitting bulleseye after bullseye and found it hard to put down. I was amazed at the lack of hand shock, the respectable draw cycle, and the balance and feel - probably my favorite of all the Mathews models. The most impressive aspect, however, was how forgiving the bow was for such a short, A2A bow. Have I finally found a short bow I was totally confident in?
Designed for the Bowhunter
The short nature of this bow is perfect for stand and blind hunters. I immediately thought of a pine tree stand where I am literally jammed between its limbs. My Halon 32 was too long for that stand, but the Triax was perfect so I hunted there several times this season. The same was true for my Redneck blind, and will be, of course, for my turkey blinds next spring.
The Triax is 28” axle to axle and utilizes Mathews Crosscentric Cam. It weighs 4.4lbs and clocks in at 343 FPS IBO. While the cam is the same as the Halon, that’s where the similarities end. Mathews put significant emphasis into the force draw curve - or in layman’s terms - how it transfers energy to the arrow. The design team changed the geometry of the bow and engineered what they call 3D damping technology - virtually eliminating felt recoil and making the bow extremely quiet at the shot. The bow also comes in 7 finishes; Black, Gray, Lost Camo XD, Ridge Reaper Barren, Sitka Elevated II, and Sitka Subalpine pattern. Draw weight options are 50,60 and 70lbs. Let-off is 75 and 85%. Finally, draw lengths runs 24.5 to 30.5 in half inch increments.
Triax Finish/Camo Options
Specifications
Performance Results
Tuning took me 30 minutes (about average for me) which was a surprise since I switched this year to the new Carbon Express Maxima Red SD arrows. After that short tuning session, my arrow flight was perfect and I was amazingly accurate. A month later I found myself 9 yards away from a very nervous mature doe in Upstate New York. She eventually turned and presented a great angle. My Triax was right there, delivering a perfect shot as I watched the deer fall within sight. Impressive.
Conclusion
So what started off as terror-turned into delight. The Triax is just, plain fun to shoot. And I was amazed at my accuracy with it. For guys who don't have machine-like form, and have avoided short, fast bows - this may open new doors.
As always, we urge everyone who reads this review to go and try the Triax for yourself. I read a few comments about apprehension over the short A2A - and I completely understand that. Some of them came back, and said their concerns were gone. Basically, the same experience that I had. That doesn't mean the Triax will work for you. I would also add that I am 5'9 with a 27" draw. Some of you guys that are 6'4 may have a completely different experience. Bottom line - try every bow yourself - that is the only review that truly matters. I honestly think some of you are going to be surprised by this bow. I know, I was!
