Every year for the past five years, I was confident we’d seen the pinnacle of bow design. Every year, I was wrong. I’m not a pessimist or a Debbie Downer. I’m quite the opposite. However, the differences were staggering when I shot my Hoyt RX-8 Ultra head-to-head last year against another Hoyt carbon model that was only five years old.
Don’t fret. This isn’t a raw, raw, raw; buy a new flagship bow article. I just want to note that all those (like me) who shoot a new-for-the-year bow model and tell themselves and others that compound bow design and technology can’t get any better are wrong. This is a great thing! I love it when a hunting gear manufacturer proves me wrong, ups the ante, and provides something new and purposeful that boosts my in-the-field confidence and success.
This review was written without bias or payment from Hoyt or any of its marketing companies. If you found this review helpful, and plan to buy a Hoyt RX-9 Ultra – please click this affiliate link where we receive a 3% commission at no additional cost to you.
Enter Hoyt’s new-for-2025 RX-9 Ultra. Hoyt’s latest evolution in their 15-year quest to achieve carbon bow dominance, the RX-9 Ultra, is the best carbon-riser bow I’ve ever shot. Sorry for the spoiler alert, but I can’t hold back. I’ve been on Hoyt’s carbon train for years, dating back to 2010 when this compound kingpin launched its Carbon Matrix to the Hoyt Alpha X 33. From 2010 to the present, Hoyt has been able to launch at least one new, purposeful carbon bow each year. This alone says much about the manufacturer’s drive to provide bowhunters with top-tier, durable, fast, balanced, quiet, accurate compounds, etc
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I heard about Hoyt’s new carbon baby two days before it arrived on my doorstep. I heard about the price first. At $2,149, the RX-9 Ultra is the most expensive bow ever launched by a manufacturer. For this reason, I wrote what I wrote early in this article. Is the bow pricy? Yes. Is the bow the best-shooting compound bow I’ve ever shot? Yes. If you’re a die-hard bowhunter who puts a premium on filling the freezer and making memories and wants the best, the RX-9 Ultra is it.
Think of it this way: You’re looking at two new trucks. Both are brand new 2025 models ready to drive off the lot. You’ve done your research and know one gets better gas mileage and has more pulling power, and your buddy who tests trucks for a living tells you that Truck A is the go-to for your lifestyle. The problem is that Tuck A is $3,200 more expensive than Truck B. You have saved your money and done your research, so take money out of the equation. What is your answer? Just some food for thought.
Hoyt Carbon RX-9 Ultra First Impressions
To keep up with the growing trend of color customization archers crave, Hoyt offers its shiny new penny in four solid color options, eight camo options, and a Cameron Hanes Keep Hammering and Bone Collector edition. You can also log onto Hoyt’s website and build your bow, which I did. I went with the Bourbon Riser and Black Limbs.
When I pulled the bow from its box, I immediately laid it on a table, grabbed my tape measure, and checked the length between the axle pins. True to spec, the RX-9 Ultra measures 33-1/2-inch axle to axle. The brace height is 6-3/8 inches, and the weight without accessories is a feathery 4.3 pounds.
Aside from sporting a classic Hoyt carbon look, I inspected the bow for dings, nicks, scratches, etc., of which there were zero. The new HBX Gen 4 cam system immediately caught my attention. Like last year’s HBX Xact cam system, the Gen 4 offers draw-length adjustment in 1/4-inch increments. This technology has been a Godsend for archers and bowhunters. My draw length is between 28-1/2 and 29 inches. For years, I manipulated D-loops, and still, my draw length always felt a tad too short or too long. Not anymore. I set my draw length to 28-3/4 inches and am good to go.
The Gen 4 cam system also features three let-off (75, 80, 85 percent) options and back wall settings of Hard and Xtra Hard. This allows for even more shooter customization, which helps an archer or bowhunter to set up a bow that perfectly fits their shooting style. And, for 2025, Hoyt expands it’s draw-length module offerings to five. With a five-module system, every inch of draw length is optimized for speed and efficiency. More to come on this.
Of course, other Hoyt must-haves like the In-Line System, which allows riser-mounted rest and sight attachment without mounting bars, are back. This system reduces post-shot hums, clicks, and pops and keeps bow weight down.
The limb pockets are wide and thin, and the struts are narrower than the struts on the RX-8. This is due to the RX-9’s acceptance of the TXL limbs. The TXL limbs are shorter, which gives the RX-9 Ultra a more compact look and feel. They also work in concert with the Gen 4 cams to allow the bow to produce higher speeds.
Hoyt Carbon RX-9 Ultra Bow Build
Years ago, I created a mini-pro shop in my garage and have been building and testing bows ever since. The RX-9 Ultra’s limb bolts didn’t chatter or pop—a sure sign of a perfect limb-to-pocket-to-riser bond. The bow pressed easily in my Last Chance Archery press, and accessory attachment is a breeze via Hoyt’s In-Line System.
I adjusted the top and bottom cam modules to 28-3/4 inches and removed one full turn of draw weight from the bow. I’m having some shoulder issues, but one full revolution set my bow poundage to a tested weight of 69.32 pounds. The bow’s tolerances are tight.
With my peep sight inserted and loosely tied in and the cord of my QAD Integrate MX2 rest set between the strands of the down-the-cable, I shot through paper. No, the tear wasn’t perfect. The first shot through paper rarely is. However, it was dang close. What impressed me the most was the bow’s silky draw, smooth transition to my selected 75 percent let-off setting, rock-solid full-draw feel, and buzz- and noise-free shot.
The arrow’s tear was close enough for me to continue testing. Before you tar and feather me, yes, I believe in a perfect paper tear. However, shooting a bow takes some time. Strings will stretch at least a little, and I want time to get familiar with a new bow. Time behind a new bow is essential to ensure repeatable anchor points, grip, etc. After a couple of hundred arrows, I go back and individually paper-tune every arrow—not just one—to ensure maximum accuracy.
Hoyt Carbon RX-9 Ultra Speed
I mentioned reading a lot about this bow before testing it. I was also able to speak with a few members of the Hoyt Team. Hoyt made it clear that speed gains of up to 18 feet per second were discovered due to the efficiency of the Gen 4’s five-module system.
My three-shot average through my chronograph with the bow set at a draw length of 28-3/4 inches and a draw weight of 69.34 pounds was 290 feet per second. My arrow was Easton’s X10 Parallel Pro in a 340 spine with a total finished weight of 408 grains. Faster than last year’s RX-8 Ultra with the same setup? Absolutely!
Hoyt Carbon RX-9 Ultra Accuracy
More important to me than speed, quietness, etc., is that the bow I plan to take afield is accurate. The RX-9 Ultra delivers accuracy in spades. Never have I shot a bow that when I hit full draw and crawled into my two-part anchor held exactly where my eyes were looking. Again, chalk this up to the Gen 4 cam system and, of course, the bow’s overall build. By reducing shooter-inducted torque, the cam system improves the bow’s natural point of aim. The cams offer the longest effective axles-to-axles Hoyt has ever created. This allowed Hoyt to shrink the size of the RX-9 Ultra to 33-1/2 inches, down a full half-inch from the RX-8 Ultra. This shrink in size means more maneuverability and weight reduction without compromising what shooters crave in a bow with more length between the axle pins.
From 20 yards to 130 yards, the bow’s accuracy proved incredible. Because the bow sits dead at full draw and immediately gravitates to where the eyes are looking, target acquisition comes quickly. This allows archers more time to let their pin float on target while executing a surprise release. The bow’s natural point of aim will also come in handy when a quick follow-up shot is needed.
The bow is ultra-quiet and buzz-free at the shot. Each piece of the bow’s build complements another piece to create a finished product that is fast, balanced, accurate, quiet, and dead in the hand.
Hoyt Carbon RX-9 Ultra Field Test
Early in January, my good buddy Jay Waring, my oldest son Hunter, and I took a drive. The eastern Colorado snow had stopped, and we drove county and two-track ranch roads looking for a fresh mountain lion track.
We found one. While I will save the incredibleness of this hunt for another story, I do feel it’s vital to provide prospective bow buyers with a field test when possible.
The shot wasn’t far—it was 14 yards. However, imagine this: An ultimate predator in a tree 14 yards away snarling at you, the sound of fine hounds barking on repeat. Your buddy and son are telling you that you must make a perfect shot and get a complete arrow pass-through, or dogs will (not can) die. The shot angle is ultra-steep, and a video camera is running behind you. It was a high-pressure situation, for sure.
Was I amped up? Yes! Was I nervous, yes? Still, the bow pulled back elegantly, which calmed me. I crawled into my two-part anchor. The top pin on my Spot-Hogg Boonie rested tight behind the cat’s shoulder. Because the cams weren’t inching to spring into action and pull my shoulder through the riser, I could push, pull, and execute a surprise release.
The SEVR 1.5 Ti Hybrid-tipped Easton splashed through the cat and kept going. The cat’s death sprint was short; minutes later, I stood over my wintertime prize.
Final Thoughts
Do you need Hoyt’s over-$2K Carbon RX-9Ultra to have a banger season in 2025? No, you don’t. However, if you want the best carbon compound bow I’ve ever tested, it’s the RX-9 Ultra. I give this bow a 5-star rating.
Because of my job as an outdoor writer, I don’t have to pay for the gear I test. I often end product reviews and tests with this sentence: If I had to pay for this product, I wouldn’t. I will end this article like this: If I had to pay for this product, I would gladly fork over the greenbacks. I want to know that if I do my job in the woods and execute a good shot, my bow will do its job. This one will! Plus, it will cover up some of those shots where you felt like the arrow would miss when the shot broke.
