Hoyt’s latest aluminum riser rig — the Alpha X 33 — is ridiculously customizable, durable, accurate, and ultra-quiet. If you haven’t visited your local pro shop and given the bow a dance, you must! I’ve been slinging carbon and aluminum at targets and critters for 25 years. During that tenure, I’ve enjoyed much success and plenty of failure. I’ve tinkered and tested piles of compound bows and other stick-and-string accessories. Amidst the evolving archery landscape, my reliance on Hoyt bows has been one constant. Over the years, I’ve developed preferences within the Hoyt product range. The latest addition, the Hoyt Alpha X 33, has yet to accompany me into the hunting woods, but after months of rigorous shooting, I can confidently assert that it’s the best bow I’ve ever used.
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Hoyt Alpha X 33 – First Impressions
My eyes gleamed with delight as I pulled the Hoyt Alpha X 33 5/16-inch axle-to-axle compound from its box. I’ve often written that a bow with 33 or a tick more inches between its axles hits a sweet spot for me.
A Hoyt Alpha X 33-inch axle-to-axle bow is not too long and not too short. A bow in this ATA range is ideal for sit-and-wait missions and spot-and-stalk.
I’m also a fan of Hoyt’s all-new Tombstone color option. It’s flat sexy. The bow, at 4.75 pounds, is light for an aluminum riser rig, and I figured the 6-3/8-inch brace height would provide an excellent blend of speed and forgiveness.
Other immediate items of notice were the 1/4 inch draw-length adjustments on the new HBX Xact Cams, X-Hard and Hard back wall options, three let-off choices, and an integrated bottom cam kickstand that elevates the cam’s bottom off the ground.
I was thrilled to see the Integrated Drop Cord Slot back in action for 2024. A fan of cable-activated drop-away rests, this cord reduces string length to prevent in-the-field hang-ups.
The bow’s riser is also new. New and advanced measurement analysis techniques allowed Hoyt engineers to boost the overall performance of the Hoyt Alpha X riser. Riser tunnels above and below the Vital Point Grip are long and offset to increase the bow’s lateral and forward stiffness. The design reduces felt vibration and works with the bow’s cams and limbs to create a hushed, accurate, ultra-durable shooting platform.
Hoyt Alpha X 33 – Setup
I’ve been waiting for a cam system like Hoyt’s HBX Xact Cam for years. An exact draw length leads to consistent downrange accuracy and shooting confidence. Often, depending on the bow, a draw length of 28.5 inches is too short for me, and one set at 29 inches is too long. Usually, I have to tinker with my D-loop and release to achieve a just-right draw-length feel.
Not anymore. Hoyt’s HBX Xact Cam allowed me to achieve 1/4-inch draw-length adjustments. Without using a bow press, I removed three cam module screws from the top cam and three from the bottom and set both modules to the lowercase e marker, which, according to the draw-length chart inside the bow’s top left limb, set my draw length to 28.75 inches.
I left my let-off at 85 percent, but options 75 and 80 are available and only require repositioning the let-off arms. The let-off arms also feature a slight rubber damper, which contacts the bow’s inner cable during the drawing process. The back wall felt when those tiny rubber pads contact the string can be set to X-Hard or Hard. I like a bit of valley and want to pull into my cable, so I selected the Hard option. When selecting your back wall setting, ensure the arrow with the setting you want points up on the top cam and up on the bottom cam.
My rest of choice for 2024 is QAD’s Integrate MX2. As with Hoyt bows, I’ve been a QAD rest fan for years, and models like its HDX and Integrate have helped me fill the freezer and the trophy room. The new-for-2024 Integrate MX2, like the original Integrate, mounts to the back of the bow’s riser via a dovetail-style clamping system. This system eliminates the rest mounting bar, which reduces rest weight while ensuring absolute lockdown.
The rest also comes with rubber dampeners (multiple color options are available) that replace the arm felt on the launcher arm. A rubber Berger hole plug also comes with the rest. These new dampeners further reduce noise and vibration.
My go-to arrow was Easton’s 4MM Axis Long Range, and after using my string and arrow level, I tied in my D-loop. The bow set up like a dream. All accessories attached easily, and when I pulled the string back the first time, settled in, and cut an arrow loose, everything was perfect.
I did detect a slight hump in the draw cycle right before the cams transitioned to let-off, but the more I shot, the less noticeable it was. The back wall felt terrific, and the bow balanced perfectly when I climbed into my anchor points.
When my release fired the bow, I detected zero vibration, and the bow was ridiculously quiet. Last year, I dubbed Hoyt’s aluminum flagship — the VTM — its quietest bow build ever. The Alpha X is even more silent. Hoyt engineers honed every aspect from cam to cam, added new WireWRX Bow Strings and HoleShot V2 Silencers, and created a right with an 18 percent reduction in vibration and a 25 percent reduction in sound.
Before The Paper
Some frown on this tactic, but I never paper-tune a bow until I’ve shot the bow a lot. Why?
Two reasons. First, I want to get familiar with the bow and develop repeatable anchor points and a repeatable grip. Second, I want to get any string stretch out and shoot the bow in.
I dropped the bow’s 70-pound draw weight to 67.2 pounds and set it at a 28.75-inch draw. The Alpha X 33 powered my 407-grain Easton 4MM Axis Long Range arrows at a blistering 294 fps. That fps rating, combined with the arrow’s weight of 407 grains, produces 78.04-foot pounds of kinetic energy. That’s enough to put down any big game animal in North America and beyond.
Each time I let my release fire the bow, my confidence grew. Even in the wind, the bow seemed to minimize my pin float, allowing me to trust the float and focus on the spot I wanted my arrow to impact. When I did my job and executed shots to the best of my ability, an arrow replaced the place I was focusing on.
For a week, I shot the bow from as close as 10 yards to as far as 130 yards. I fired five spot rounds on paper, hammered shafts into 2-inch diameter spots on Morrell’s BIG High roller Foam Target, and crushed 12 rings on 3-D targets. The bow proved a joy to shoot and was scarily accurate.
Paper Time
Another reason I prefer to shoot hundreds of arrows before paper tuning is I get the chance to look for vertical and horizontal nock travel when shooting long-range. If I detect it, I make adjustments. I also get to analyze how my arrows are going into targets. Changes must be made if arrows are canted right, left, or up or down.
Before firing my first arrow through the paper, I knew the tear would be nearly perfect. I had worked most of the kinks out. I was right. The first arrow produced a tail-high tear and a slight left tear. The second and third arrows were perfect after moving my Integrate MX2 a few micro-clicks right and a few micro-clicks up.
Hoyt Alpha X 33 – Final Thoughts
On the brink of turkey season, there is no doubt what bow will be in my hand. Hoyt’s Alpha X 33 is a compound win; the more I shoot it, the more I love it. I have a rigorous turkey season planned. With tags in Georgia, Colorado, New York, and Vermont, the bow will get plenty of work in the field, and I’ll be sure to report my findings.
Read Also – Review of the Hoyt Carbon RX8
