Quick look at the Mission Stryde 30.5
The Return of the SoloCam!
So… Can a SoloCam compete with a modern bow…?
The SoloCam was a game changer for Compound Archery.
Mathews Inc and the SoloCam came into being in 1992 and for the next 20 years it drove the ethos of Mathews… Easy to keep tuned, quiet, smooth…
Since then Mathews Archery has gone from strength to strength and not only is the Mission Stryde, and ode to that legacy, it has the job of bringing the joy of bowhunting to a new generation of archers.
The Mission Stryde 30.5
The two Mission Stryde’s, at 28″ axle-to-axle and a 30.5 axle-to-axle, was an unexpected release from the Mathews stable that immediately got the archers talking about the technologies and whether it would stand up to modern designs.
Most of the conversation went around two points… Draw Cycle and Arrow Speed.
So we set up a Stryde 30.5 and got to measuring!
Draw Cycle
The draw is smooth. Nobody expected it to be any different. But as smooth as it is, it ramps up and then seems to be holding quite high throughout the cycle, until you get to the back where it drops to around 70-75% let-off in the nice and solid back wall. It is quite aggressive on the hold when you run it at 70lbs!
The reason soon became apparent…
Arrow Speed
The Stryde 28 has a reported IBO speed of 320fps on 29″ (the maximum Draw Length for the 28″ ATA bow. Call it +/- 330fps for comparisons)
The 30.5″ is rated at 323fps IBO and gave us the following results:
Arrow Weight / Speed / KE
- 400gr – 301fps (80.5 ft-lbs KE)
- 450gr – 285fps (81.3 ft-lbs KE)
- 500gr – 271fps (82.0 ft-lbs KE)
I think you will agree that the Mission Stryde is no slouch!
Our setup bow was maxed out on draw length and draw weight:
- Draw Weight: 70.5lbs
- Draw Length: 30.5″
Conclusion
I think we can safely conclude that the Mission Stryde can definitely hold its own against modern hunting bows, and is definitely no slouch!
It was smooth in the draw, and although a bit nippy at the back, it is something you get used to quickly. It was also quieter than expected, so for the price, I think we have a bow that might just pick up it’s own cult following.
