November 13, 2018
By Christian Berg
Mathews today unveiled its all-new 2019 Vertix — a bow packed with new features and technologies sure to grab the attention of bowhunters.
Measuring 30 inches between the axles, the Vertix has a 6-inch brace height and an IBO speed rating of 343 fps. At first glance, it looks much like a slightly longer version of the 2018 Triax that measured 28 inches between the axles. However, Mathews reports that in testing, the Vertix has 20 percent less noise and vibration than its predecessor — a real feat considering Mathews billed the Triax as the quietest, most vibration-free bow it had ever built.
Having had an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the Vertix and shoot it myself, I’m inclined to believe the company’s claims. Although I didn’t have noise or vibration measurement tools at my disposal, I can tell you the Vertix is notably quiet, with little detectable vibration at the shot. Add in a smooth draw cycle, solid back wall and excellent balance and I found the Vertix highly shootable.
The Vertix also plays host to a number of other innovations worthy of your attention. So, with that said, let’s take a closer look at what the Vertix has to offer.
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Crosscentric Cam with SwitchWeight Technology Like the Triax, the Vertix is powered by Mathews’ award-winning Crosscentric Cam, a highly accurate and efficient system that features top and bottom cable yokes that help prevent cam lean by evenly dividing the draw force on the left and right sides of the cams.
Unlike the Triax, the Vertix cam system features brand new SwitchWeight Technology that allows shooters to adjust draw weight, in 5-pound increments, simply by swapping modules on the top and bottom cams. SwitchWeight Technology eliminates the need to adjust draw weight by manually turning limb bolts and avoids any resulting tuning issues.
The Vertix is available in peak draw weights of 60, 65, 70 and 75 pounds, with each SwitchWeight mod having 10 pounds of downward weight adjustability via the limb bolts. The mods are also available in either 80 percent or 85 percent letoff configurations to suit your personal preference.
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Engage Grip Another new feature on the Vertix is the Engage Grip. This new design — narrower than grips found on previous Mathews bows — is designed to ensure consistent and proper hand placement while also reducing riser torque that can diminish accuracy. Mathews says the Engage Grip is comfortable for all shooters, regardless of hand size.
While I certainly can’t speak for all shooters, I can tell you I found the Engage Grip quite comfortable and functional.
3D Damping Mathews has long been a leader in the battle against bow noise and vibration, and the Vertix continues that tradition. Most notably, the bottom front of the riser is home to an Enhanced Harmonic Stabilizer (EHS) — basically a weighted shock absorber mounted in a rubber fixture that drastically reduces shot vibration and felt recoil in the hand. Mathews says the location of the EHS also moves additional weight forward of and below the grip, something that helps improve overall bow stability and steadiness on target.
Dovetail Rest Mount One of the coolest features on the Vertix is an all-new, first-of-its-kind dovetail mount machined directly into back side of the riser adjacent to the shelf. This mount allows for quick and easy installation of the all-new Mathews Integrate MX Ultra Rest developed in partnership with QAD. This mounting system seamlessly connects the bow and rest and makes for extremely quick and easy rest installation. The rest itself, meanwhile, features QAD’s proven drop-away technology and precision horizontal and vertical tuning capabilities.
For those who prefer to use a different rest, the Vertix offers a standard rest-mounting hole. However, after seeing how perfectly the Integrate’s dovetail design blends with the bow, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other bow manufacturers adopt similar systems in the future. This is another significant Mathews innovation.
What Else? In addition to those specifications already mentioned, the Vertix weighs 4.67 pounds and accommodates draw lengths from 26-30 ½ inches, in half-inch increments. New for 2019, Mathews is offering the Vertix in Realtree Edge camouflage. Other camo finish options include Ridge Reaper Barren, Ridge Reaper Forest, Optifade Elevated II and Optifade Subalpine. Solid-color options include Black and Stone (pictured).
Range Notes Based on my experience shooting the Vertix both outdoors and on an indoor range, I would say Mathews has done a great job on the Vertix. Overall quality, fit and finish is first-rate – as you would expect from a Mathews flagship bow.
While shooting the Vertix — particularly during my indoor session — I found the noise of my arrows hitting the foam 3-D target far louder than the sound of the bow itself. And in terms of overall balance, I found the Vertix extremely steady during aiming and after the shot. In recent years, I noticed that many Mathews bows tended to tip forward from the top upon string release. However, that tendency is greatly diminished on the Vertix, allowing for an excellent follow-through after releasing the string.
As for the Vertix draw cycle, I would describe it as extremely smooth, with a quick rise to peak weight, followed by an easy transition into a fairly wide valley before arriving at a solid back wall that allows you to settle in comfortably while aiming and executing the shot.
While aiming, I found the Vertix very well balanced both vertically and horizontally, making it easy to hold steady while pulling through the shot. And, upon release, there was little audible bow report and just a hint of short-lived vibration in the grip. It’s worth noting here that the test bow Mathews provided came with a Mathews Flatline Stabilizer installed. Because of that, it is likely I would have felt more vibration in my hand had the stabilizer not been present.
