Last year, Mathews Archery accomplished a tremendous feat with its Lift. Since compound bows have become practically all riser in terms of axle-to-axle length, I’m not aware of any other premium, machined-aluminum compound bow that has weighed less than the 2024 3.99-pound Lift 29.5. Shorter limbs made possible by a top-mounted cam axle, as well as the most geometrically intricate Bridge-Lock riser design yet, yielded a mass weight that rivals even some of the market’s carbon-riser bows. 

No matter what accessorized mass weight an archer prefers, I always say that a lightweight bow allows you to add weight where you want it to land on an ideal finished mass weight that feels unbelievable. Start with a heavy bow, on the other hand, and you’ll often have a boat anchor once fully accessorized. The Lift is not only lightweight, but Mathews takes the guesswork out of accessorizing it for the optimal feel and balance with Mathews Genuine accessories.

While the original Lift was a lethal rig and one of my all-time favorite Mathews bows — I’ve owned many — we’re not here to talk about last year’s bow. Mathews always seems to identify room for an improvement or three, and to that end, the 2025 Lift X pushes the needle to the peg. 

Let’s discuss the ins and outs of a bow that weighs as little as the original Lift, but has three key advancements that oust the original Lift from its throne.

Test Bow Specs

• Axle-to-Axle Length: 29.5 inches
• Brace Height: 6 inches
• Draw Length: 27.5 inches
• Draw Weight: 76.4 pounds (75-pound mods)
• Let-off: 80% or 85% (tested at 85%)
• Bow-only Weight: 3.99 pounds
• Accessorized Total Weight: 5.7 pounds (including sight, rest, front stabilizer, and quiver)
• Velocity: 288 fps (with 468-grain Easton 6.5mm Acu-Carbon 340 arrow); 293 fps (with 456-grain CX Maxima Triad 350 arrow); 296 fps (with 441-grain Victory VAP SS 350 arrow)
• Kinetic Energy: 86.22 foot-pounds (Easton); 86.95 foot-pounds (CX); 85.82 foot-pounds (Victory)
• Test-Bow Finish: Shale
• MSRP: $1,359
• Contact: www.mathewsinc.com 

New Limbs and Tuning Technology

When it comes to shooting a bow thousands of times and hauling it through the most punishing environments — that’s where hardcore bowhunting often takes you — durability cannot be compromised. Both the 2023 Phase4 and the 2024 Lift featured Resistance Phase Damping (RPD), which utilizes four different limb pairs (eight limbs total) per bow. It allowed each limb pair to sandwich a silencing rubber, addressing vibrations and yielding a substantially stealthier shot.

The Lift X captures that same brilliant RPD technology, but Mathews engineers rewrote the book on limb durability by adding what they call “armor” to the limbs. Through the millions of cycle tests during the ARC 7’s development, the design proved to be durably superior to previous limbs without sacrificing efficiency and performance. By all standards, it is the frontrunner of all Mathews limb designs, and a central reason why bowhunters from the Florida swamps to the Alaskan tundra can trust the Lift X on every hunt.         

With previous Mathews models, I felt that the tuning system had room for improvement. Top Hats are spacers of different widths that effectively reposition the cam on the axle to address cam lean. It had limits, not to mention that each tweak required pressing the bow, pulling the axle, moving the cam aside, and then removing the existing Top Hats and replacing them with a different set. Then, you had to put the cam back into place, re-insert the axle, make sure the string and cables were all on their pegs and tracks, and then un-press the bow. It worked, but a couple of other manufacturers had what I felt were superior tuning features that simplified and sped up tuning duties without a bow press.

This year, Mathews delivered Limb Shift Technology to put tuning within the consumer’s reach, but it also simplifies and speeds up the tuning process for correcting a nock-left or nock-right paper tear for you, the dealer. Here’s how it works. On a right-handed Lift X, the top and bottom cams are slaved to the left limbs. On the right side of each axle is a removable screw that exposes the Limb Shift Adjustment. Simply insert a 5/32-inch hex wrench into the axle and move the cam left or right. Etched reference marks near the adjustment allow the user to track adjustments. After adjusting, simply replace the axle screw and you’re done. Finally, a hassle-free tuning system on a Mathews bow, no bow press required.

New Grip

I’ve personally replaced the Engage grip with Engage side plates on my recent Mathews bows. For me, the Engage Grip has always felt a bit too tacky, which makes it easier to torque the bow, especially when wearing thin hunting gloves. The grip wasn’t horrible in my opinion, but it wasn’t the best, either. The side plates solved the issue and made a great alternative for me. 

The Lift X debuts the new Bond Grip System. The bow comes standard with the Bond Engage grip. Also available are the Bond Contour and Bond Taper. These three grip options all offer an individual fit and feel that will harmonize with most archers. Each grip is formulated from a durable, non-tacky polymer base and features a lightly textured inlay for positive hand traction while maximizing comfort. Bond Grips look awesome, they’re available in colors that match or complement any and all bow finishes, and they’re compatible with the Shot Sense module. 

So far, I’ve played only with the Bond Engage, and I immediately felt that it was a huge improvement over the previous Engage grip. Not only does it feel better, but it aligns with the quality and craftsmanship that Mathews bows are known for. For those who still prefer to grip directly on the riser, the Bond Side Plates are the answer. Bond grips are compatible with Mathews hunting and target bows that are 2019 and newer, so as a dealer, it would be wise to stock some Bond Grips for customers who are looking to make an upgrade to their existing Mathews bow. 

How It Handles and Shoots

My first arrow through the Lift X floored me. Since the 2020 VXR, I’ve always shot my Mathews bows with 75-pound SwitchWeight modules. It drew smoothly, but even more remarkable, the shot was nearly silent; it sounded like a kid’s bow. A bow so powerful shouldn’t be so quiet, but the Lift X is even quieter. After checking the draw weight on my Last Chance Archery digital scale, it peaked at 76.4 pounds. The draw cycle is beautiful, which isn’t surprising since it features the same SwitchWeight X Cam system as the original Lift, but the Lift X shot stealth is off the charts. 

The long and flawless Bridge-Lock Riser delivers all of the stability it takes to hold rock solid on the target, and I specifically noted the calmness I felt during each shot sequence as my pin virtually locked where I wanted to hit. The balance and stability are everything you could ever ask for. For even more stability, folks could choose the Lift X 33. And for those willing to trade some stability for extra maneuverability, the Lift RS has a minute 27.5-inch axle-to-axle length. I found the 29.5 to be the happy medium, and I expect it to be the hottest seller for dealers worldwide. 

My first bow kill with last year’s Lift entailed a longer-than-average 55-yard shot on a western whitetail, which I made almost effortlessly. I expect the Lift X to instill the same confidence I experienced on that hunt when I take it afield (at the time of this writing, I haven’t hunted with it, but I will have hunted with it by the time this report is published). Even in the short period of time I’ve owned it, I already feel deadly. I haven’t shot it at long ranges yet due to cold weather and a short testing window, but it groups arrows like a champion. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that the Lift X will do everything the Lift did and more.

Last year’s Lift 29.5 held its tune all season long, which I attribute to the Match bowstrings. They didn’t creep, and the servings didn’t separate. The Lift X is also rigged with Match bowstrings, so I expect another easy season of accuracy with little to no tinkering and tuning. With Match’s proprietary blend of BCY 452X ultra-low wax fibers, your customers don’t have to worry about peep alignment, creep or serving separations. 

One Elevated Archery Experience

One of the most undeniable benefits of recent Mathews bows is the effectiveness and streamlining of accessorizing with Mathews Genuine accessories. The entire setup is better balanced and lighter by eliminating the unnecessary bulk of mounting brackets and such. And while Mathews has been offering an Axcel 5-pin sight, a slider sight was the missing link to the Mathews Genuine accessory lineup. Sure, several of the market’s dovetail slider sights are compatible with the Bridge-Lock Sight Mount, but most are bulkier than necessary. 

For 2025, Mathews and UltraView Archery have delivered a gem. The Bridge-Lock UV Slider features a short mounting bar, and at 9 ounces, it is the lightest and most functional slider sight that you can slide into the Bridge-Lock Riser. It has first-, second- and third-axis adjustability, and is the smoothest, easiest-to-use, and most streamlined slider sight I’ve used.

I rigged my 2024 Lift 29.5 with UltraView’s UV Slider and liked it immensely, but the Bridge-Lock UV Slider is more compact and lighter, which I love. It also seems to slide even more smoothly. There are other great slider sights out there by Axcel, Spot-Hogg, and others, but the clear choice for customers looking to optimize their Mathews bow is the Bridge-Lock UV Slider. It’s simply brilliant, and it is available in different pin configurations via an interchangeable pin-cartridge system. It is compatible with all Mathews bows that feature the Bridge-Lock Sight Mount (V3X and newer), and it features a rechargeable light (removable for hunting in states where electronics are illegal).

While it’s undeniable that Mathews accomplished great things with the original Lift last year, the new talk of the town is the Lift X, which incorporates the Lift’s best technologies with a revamped grip system and an overdue new tuning feature that will change the tuning game. Add to that the bonus of more durable limbs and a sweet new Mathews Genuine slider sight, and we’re talking about a bow that literally checks all of the boxes.

Additional Notes: The Mathews Lift X 29.5 was set up using a Last Chance Archery EZ Green Bow Press and EZ Green Bow Vise, and the draw weight was calculated using Last Chance Archery’s Digital Bow Scale. A Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph measured the arrow velocities. Other products used were Easton’s Nock and D-Loop Pliers and Pro Hex Fold-Up Allen Set. Arrows were weighed on Last Chance Archery’s Pro Grain Scale.

In-the-field photos by Becca and Darron McDougal