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A pleasant surprise is one of the greatest gifts life can give us, partly because such surprises instill hope for even more good news. In recent decades, archers have had a lot of good news when it came to bows. Bows of all sorts have gotten better and better. Many have gotten faster, quieter, smoother, more shock-free, easier to tune and certainly more dependable.

One of the clear leaders in that movement has long been Mathews. Mathews’ ongoing bow innovations have set new standards across the board for hunting and target bows. For 2009, Mathews is openly pushing the envelope for especially fast bows. The new 2009 Mathews Reezen is the fastest single-cam bow ever offered, and the equally new 2009 Mathews Monster promises to be one of the fastest dual-cam bows ever designed. With all the talk about arrow speed these days, Mathews is obviously right in the thick of things with the blazing fast Reezen and Monster making up much of the 2009 Mathews buzz.

But it would be a mistake to think that those two new bows, as deserving as they are, are all that’s new and exciting from Mathews in 2009. There’s a most pleasant surprise waiting in the wings just a bit, and it’s called the Mathews HyperLite.

While it is almost certainly getting overshadowed by all the speed-oriented hoopla surrounding the imposing Reezen and Monster, the 2009 Mathews HyperLite may quietly be one of the best hunting bows Mathews has ever offered! At least that’s how I see it.

The reason I say that is because the 2009 Mathews HyperLite delivers exactly what so many bowhunters dream about––a new bow that is smooth, fast, quiet, shock-free and, ideally, also lightweight. The maybe-somewhat-understated 2009 HyperLite fulfills every one of those fantasies. The HyperLite is the surprising and very pleasant sleeper in the 2009 Mathews’ lineup.

How It Shoots

One of the common threads in much of today’s technology is the drive to make things smaller and lighter without sacrificing performance. We see that in computers, cars, phones, stereo equipment and a whole lot more. We’re also seeing it in bows, and the new 2009 Mathews HyperLite may be the perfect example of that. The new HyperLite weighs just 3.45 pounds. That puts it anywhere from a half pound to a full pound lighter than most other bows in this performance range. And make no mistake, the 2009 Mathews HyperLite performs with all but the fastest of the ultra-speed-demons in today’s elite-bow category.

In fact, the HyperLite rather surprised me in how well it performed. The bow’s oversized single-cam system draws with familiar Mathews-like smoothness. The transition into letoff is gradual, and the back wall is firm. Letting down with the HyperLite is easy, with no big rip forward.

At the shot, a number of HyperLite design features combine to make for a surprisingly shock-free and relatively quiet bow. The first is the blending of parallel limbs with a uniquely perimeter-weighted cam system. Bow limbs arranged in a parallel configuration tend to cancel out each other’s recoil and vibration during the shot. In much the same manner, the heavy weighted inertia disk strategically positioned on the bow’s lower drive cam moves counter to the firing movement of the bow’s limbs, and that too contributes to significantly reduced shot recoil and noise. Combined with that is the joint effect of riser-integrated Mathews Harmonic Dampers and innovative Mathews String Suppressors. Both act to squelch unwanted shock and sound. What I found most welcome was the almost total lack of hand shock associated with the new Mathews HyperLite.

What also bowled me over was the HyperLite’s speed. It made even my much-tested chronograph stand up and take notice. While not quite in the league of the Reezen and especially the new Monster, the 2009 HyperLite is nevertheless a fast bow. See the attached “Arrow Speed” chart to see exactly what I mean. It’s also an accurate bow. I had no problem stacking arrows with the HyperLite.

All in all, the shooting and handling characteristics of the 2009 Mathews HyperLite are amazing. This is the sort of hunting bow that wouldn’t ever become a burden. Whether you’re chasing bugling elk up and down the mountains of the West, fighting your way through thick brush to reach a remote whitetail ridge or tucked into the dark confines of a turkey blind, the light, compact and hard-hitting Mathews HyperLite would be an ideal hunting companion.

Key features and Benefits

Hyper-Lightweight

An especially lightweight hunting bow is a marvelous thing, and the 2009 Mathews HyperLite weighs just 3.45 pounds. Even with all the necessary accessories and a full bowquiver, the HyperLite is bowhunting-light.

SE4 Composite SlimLimbs

The HyperLite’s revolutionary SE4 Composite SlimLimbs measure just a bit over an inch wide over much of their length. That makes them dramatically thinner than most bow limbs, and yet tests confirm that they cycle test longer than many competitor limbs. In this case, less is more.

SphereLock Limb-Pocket System

The innovative SlimLimbs on the Mathews HyperLite are secured to the riser with a remarkable new system called SphereLock. SphereLock utilizes spindle-shaped Limb Turrets that spread the load and cradle the limbs. It’s as strong and secure as it is trim and lightweight.

Carbon Cable-Guard System

Carbon is one of the lightest and strongest materials on the planet, and the HyperLite’s Carbon Cable-Guard System demonstrates both of those qualities.

Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam

Single-cam eccentric systems tend to be easier to tune because they lack synchronization problems. The best single cams are also fast, forgiving and accurate. Perimeter-weighted single cams, like those found on the 2009 HyperLite, also sport an ingenious weighted perimeter disk. At the shot, that disk catapults in the opposite direction of the firing limbs, counteracting the momentum of the limbs to significantly reduce shot vibration.

Harmonic Damping Systems

Also working hard to reduce noise and shot recoil is the HyperLite’s Harmonic Damper System––two dampers in the riser and two more in the limb-tip-mounted String Suppressors.

In-Line Grip

The rich Walnut Grip on the HyperLite features a vertical laminated line that clearly marks the centerline of the bow. When setting up the HyperLite, conveniently line up the arrow rest and the arrow with that grip line. It’s the perfect place to start tuning.

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