Mathews comes out swinging for 2027 with a new hunting-bow lineup designed to cover an unusually wide range of bowhunters.
The ARC Apex is available in 28-, 32- and 35-inch axle-to-axle configurations—the first time Mathews has offered three hunting bows under one model name. Across the family, the bows accommodate draw lengths ranging from 24 to 32 inches.
That gives hunters three distinct options. The ARC Apex 28 is built for maneuverability in tight tree saddles and ground blinds. The longer ARC Apex 35 should appeal to hunters who prioritize stability, particularly for longer shots in open Western country. Sitting between them is the ARC Apex 32, the all-around model I chose for this review.
After shooting it from 20 to 80 yards, I can say it is one of the sweetest-shooting Mathews bows I have ever tested. My particular build contributed to that experience, but there is nothing exotic about the setup. Any ARC Apex owner could replicate it.
If a whitetail freezes and forces me to hold at full draw longer than expected, this is the bow I want in my hands.
- Bowhunters seeking an all-around balance of maneuverability, stability and shooting comfort.
- It’s an incremental update over the 2026 ARC, so current ARC owners may not have a compelling reason to upgrade.
Three Mathews ARC Apex Sizes for 2027
The ARC Apex is the next generation of the Matthews ARC, which the company introduced for 2026. If you bought an ARC last year, there is no compelling performance reason to trade it in unless one of the new bow lengths better suits you.
Beyond the expanded choice of lengths, the most significant change is an adjustable Flite Cable Containment arm. I will get to that shortly.
For hunters who have not upgraded their bows in several years, however, the ARC Apex lineup is worth a look. Mathews now offers more choice in axle-to-axle length than it has with any previous hunting-bow family.
The SWX-3 Cam and Switchweight-X Modules
The ARC Apex is powered by the SWX-3 cam, the 2027 iteration of the cam system Mathews has used for the past couple of years.
Among its refinements are etched timing marks that let owners visually evaluate cam timing by checking where the cables pass the cams. Those marks are helpful as a quick reference, although I will still put a bow on a draw board when I want to confirm that its cams are properly synchronized.
The SWX-3 is a big cam capable of producing fast arrow speeds without an overly harsh draw cycle. Even with the standard modules, rather than the comfort-oriented Z-mods I ultimately installed, the cams roll over nicely.
One of the SWX-3 cam’s most notable features is its compatibility with Switchweight-X modules. These SWX modules determine three important specifications:
- Draw length
- Maximum draw weight
- Letoff percentage
Modules are available in half-inch draw-length increments and 5-pound draw-weight increments, with maximum draw weights ranging from 55 to 80 pounds. Once installed, a module set provides 10 pounds of draw-weight adjustment through the limb bolts. A bow fitted with 70-pound modules, for example, can be adjusted from 60 to 70 pounds.
Mathews is unusual in using modules to control all three specifications. Some archers dislike having to buy new modules to change draw length, draw weight or letoff. The tradeoff is that changing modules is easier and substantially less expensive than replacing limbs to move into a different draw-weight range.
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Limb Shift Makes Tuning Simple
The ARC Apex also carries forward Mathews’ Limb Shift tuning system.
Using an Allen wrench, the archer turns the hex end of an axle clockwise or counterclockwise. That moves one limb tip laterally, producing an effect similar to shifting the cam left or right to correct arrow flight.
The process is simple, effective and does not require a bow press.
Tuning my ARC Apex 32 took exactly two shots. The first arrow produced a nock-right tear through paper. I used Limb Shift to move the effective position of the top and bottom cams to the right. My second shot produced a perfect bullet hole.
That is about as painless as paper tuning gets.
A Long Riser Helps the ARC Apex 32 Aim Steadily
Mathews helped lead the movement toward hunting bows with risers that nearly match their axle-to-axle lengths. That progression dates at least to the Halon in 2016, and Mathews has continued experimenting with different riser and overall bow lengths ever since.
Other manufacturers have followed the same general design direction.
The ARC Apex 32 has a 28.5-inch riser, putting it just 3.5 inches short of the bow’s axle-to-axle length. That substantial riser is one of the primary reasons the bow aims so well.
I would describe the ARC Apex 32 as feeling “tight.” Some bows feel loose or unsettled while aiming, especially as the shot begins to break. The ARC Apex stayed where I wanted it. I did not have to fight the bow at full draw to keep my pin on the aiming point.
An Adjustable Cable Arm Adds Fletching Clearance
The ARC Apex’s primary new feature for 2027 is the adjustable Flite Cable Containment arm. Where the arm was fixed on previous models, it can now be moved left or right to provide more fletching clearance.
Some manufacturers describe a movable cable arm as an additional tuning device. Mathews told me this adjustment is intended specifically for fletching clearance, and my testing supported that explanation.
After tuning the bow to produce a perfect bullet hole through paper, I moved the cable arm one full turn to the right and shot again. The adjustment did not change the paper tear.
I returned the arm to its starting position, moved it one full turn to the left and repeated the test. Again, there was no change in the tear.
Moving the arm did change the arrow’s point of impact, but it did not affect the bow’s tune in my test. The adjustment should give owners room to accommodate different fletching sizes and profiles, although the sight may need to be reconfirmed afterward.
Building My ARC Apex 32
As with other recent Mathews hunting bows, the ARC Apex provides the company’s established accessory-mounting connections. Instead of a Picatinny sight rail, it uses proprietary Bridge-Lock dovetails for mounting a sight and stabilizer through the riser.
Mounting those accessories within the riser creates a strong, streamlined connection. Bridge-Lock-compatible sights are available from several manufacturers, while stabilizer choices are more closely tied to the Mathews accessory system.
My ARC Apex 32 arrived in good order. I began the build by replacing the standard modules with 70-pound, 30-inch Z-mods.
I then installed:
- A 10-inch Bridge-Lock stabilizer
- A Bridge-Lock Axcel Driver sight
- A QAD MX-2 integrate-style arrow rest
- An UltraView BeeReal grip
That last change was a matter of personal fit.
Mathews bows come with the Engage grip. It is too thin and rounded at the edges for my hand, and I tend to see inconsistent left-to-right arrow impacts when I use it. Mathews also offers the aftermarket Bond Grip System with two additional profiles, but neither gives me the shape I prefer.
The BeeReal has the width and angled edges that help me position my bow hand consistently. Grip preference is highly personal, but repeatability matters. The BeeReal works for me.
Mathews Z-Mods Trade Speed for Comfort
Mathews introduced Z-mods with the original ARC, and I think they are one of the best things to reach the archery market in the past decade.
Think of Z-mods as the comfortable shoes you wear around the house. They are built for comfort rather than maximum speed.
Switching from the standard modules to Z-mods reduced my bow’s arrow speed by 9 feet per second. In return, the draw cycle became dramatically smoother. With the Z-mods installed, my 70-pound draw weight feels closer to 60 pounds. As a 59-year-old bowhunter who has been shooting for 35 years, I will gladly make that trade.
There is a measurable tradeoff. Switching from the standard modules to Z-mods reduced my bow’s arrow speed by 9 feet per second. In return, the draw cycle became dramatically smoother. With the Z-mods installed, my 70-pound draw weight feels closer to 60 pounds.
As a 59-year-old bowhunter who has been shooting for 35 years, I will gladly make that trade.
A few feet per second matter far less to me than being able to draw comfortably, settle into the shot and remain at full draw when an animal dictates the timing.
Shooting the ARC Apex 32 From 20 to 80 Yards
Once the bow was tuned, I began sighting in. This is when I really start to understand how a bow shoots—how the draw cycle feels, how the bow aims and what it does after the arrow is released.
I shot the ARC Apex 32 from 20 to 80 yards while building a sight tape. At 80 yards, I set up a clay target.
My first arrow hit directly below it. After a slight sight adjustment, my second arrow landed immediately above the first. I made one more small adjustment, and the third arrow punched through the clay.
Dialing in the sight was not the impressive part. What stood out was that all three arrows stayed within the width of the clay at 80 yards. None drifted left or right.
That is what I mean when I call the ARC Apex 32 “tight.” It held steadily and allowed me to execute repeatable shots at a distance where small inconsistencies become obvious.
Final Verdict on the Mathews ARC Apex 32
The ARC Apex 32 is a sweet-shooting hunting bow that should serve bowhunters well across North America. Its long riser contributes to an exceptionally stable aiming experience, the SWX-3 cam produces speed without an unpleasant draw cycle, and Limb Shift makes tuning remarkably straightforward.
The adjustable cable arm is a useful refinement for fletching clearance, even if it is not a revolutionary change. For me, pairing the bow with Z-mods and a grip that fits my hand turned an already stable platform into a bow I would be happy to carry anywhere.
If you bought a Mathews ARC last year, keep shooting it. The ARC Apex does not make that bow obsolete.
If it is time for a new bow, however, the ARC Apex lineup offers three meaningfully different lengths. The 28 favors maneuverability, the 35 favors maximum stability, and the ARC Apex 32 hits an appealing middle ground.
For an all-around hunting bow, the 32 would be my pick.
- The LimbShift tuning system is about as easy to use as anything on the market, and it’s very responsive. That is, when you make an adjustment, the tune changes.
- The addition of the Z-mods make this bow’s draw feel a solid 10 pounds lighter than it actually is.
- The big riser helps this bow aim like the bow is actually much longer axle-to-axle.
- Many of the adjustments you might want to make with this bow require buying extra parts. Draw length, letoff, poundage – changing all these require you to buy parts.
- I’m not a fan of any of the grip options Mathews offer. The Ultraview BeeReal grip is the best option, but you have to buy it in addition to the bow.
- Product Origin
- Manufacturer Sample
- Tested By
- P.J. Reilly
- Arrows Fired
- Many dozens
- Test Setup
- 70 pound draw weight; 85% letoff Z-mods; 30-inch draw length
- Arrow
- Easton Axis 4mm Long Range 300 spine, plus TopHat 100 grain field points. Total arrow weight is 452 grains. For arrow speed test, Easton Sonic 300 spine weighing exactly 350 grains.
- Instrumentation
- Garmin C1 chronograph for arrow speed and Last Chance Archery bow scale for draw weight.
- Accessories
- Axcel Driver Bridgelock, 3-pin sight; Mathews Bridgelock 10-inch stabilizer; QAD MX-2 arrow rest.
- Setup Performed By
- P.J. Reilly
- Axle-to-Axle
- 32 inches
- Physical Weight
- Spec weight is 4.2 pounds. Test bow weighed 4.38 pounds
- IBO Speed
- 346 fps
- Brace Height
- 6 inches
- Draw Weights
- 55 to 80 pounds
- Draw Lengths
- 24.5 to 32.5 inches
- Cam System
- SWX-3
- Letoff
- 80% for speed test, 85% for all other testing
- Finish Options
- Black, Sage, Green Ambush, Shale, Kodiak Brown, Mossy Oak Bottomland, Kuiu Verde, Mossy Oak Fall Foliage
- MSRP
- $1,599
