Darton Consequence 31 vs PSE Force DS: Mid-Price Bow Comparison

Watch: Darton Consequence 31 vs PSE Force DS

Want to see the complete test? In this Bow Wars comparison, we shoot both bows side by side and go through the specs, tuning systems, draw cycle, valley, chrono results and 30-yard shooting test.

Darton Consequence 31 vs PSE Force DS Specs

On paper, these bows are pretty close. Both are compact hunting platforms, both cover a broad draw-length range, and both are putting out plenty of speed for a modern hunting setup.

So we're talking about roughly a $100 difference. The more important question is what you're actually getting for that extra money.

Features & Tuning: Where the Extra $100 Goes

PSE Force DS: FDS Technology at a Lower Price Point

The Force DS is loaded for a bow in this price category. The biggest piece is PSE's FDS cam system. That's technology you'll also see across PSE's higher-end lineup, so you're getting a lot of the same cam architecture without stepping all the way into a flagship bow.

You also get PSE's EZ.220 shim system. From a bow-tech standpoint, that's a major advantage. You put the bow in a press, move the snap spacers based on what you're seeing through paper, and make a controlled adjustment to cam position without having to completely disassemble the axle system.

The Force also gives you an integrated-style rear rest mounting system and a Picatinny sight-mounting option. If you already like the way the newer PSE bows are laid out, the Force DS is going to feel very familiar.

Darton Consequence 31: Fit, Mod Options & Solid Construction

The Consequence is loaded in a different way. One of the biggest features for me is quarter-inch draw-length adjustment. Being able to fine-tune draw length that closely can make a real difference in how the bow fits the shooter.

Darton also includes two sets of rotating mods. You have the standard set and the performance set, so you have some ability to choose the characteristics you want instead of being locked into one configuration.

Tuning is more traditional than the PSE. If you need to move shims, you're removing the axle, changing the shim arrangement and reinstalling it. It works, but from a bow-tech perspective the PSE system is faster and more convenient.

The Consequence uses quarter-inch axles, 5/8-inch bearings, .870 limbs and a wider limb-pocket design. It feels like a very substantial bow for the money.

Riser Design, Reflex & Bow Geometry

The risers are noticeably different. There's a little more riser in the Darton, while the Force DS has more visible reflex in its geometry. When I measured the two bows, I got roughly an inch and a half of reflex on the Force, while the Consequence had very little.

The thing you have to understand is that you can't look at reflex or brace height by itself and automatically say one bow will be faster, more forgiving or easier to shoot. Cam design, full-draw geometry, axle-to-axle length, grip position, tune and the shooter all matter.

What the measurements do tell us is that these are two different approaches. The Force is a shorter 30-inch platform with a little shorter brace height and more reflex. The Consequence stretches to 31 inches, has a 7-inch brace height and a more neutral-looking riser. The range test is where we find out how those differences actually translate for the shooter.

Draw Cycle, Valley & Post-Shot Feel

Both bows were set up similarly with the rest mounted toward the rear of the riser and a Black Gold single-pin sight. With accessories installed, the Consequence weighed exactly 5.0 pounds on our scale and the Force came in at 5.4 pounds.

Darton Consequence 31: Smooth With an Excellent Back Wall

The Consequence has an incredibly smooth draw cycle. The back wall is fantastic — rock solid with basically no sponge.

The valley lands in a nice middle ground for me. It's not so deep that you can completely relax against the wall, but it also doesn't immediately feel like it wants to take off if you give up a little tension. It rolls over cleanly and is easy to control on the way back down.

At my 28.5-inch draw length, the string angle on the 31-inch bow was manageable, although I still had to bring my head down slightly. The grip is essentially bare riser and fairly squared off, which I liked because it gave me a repeatable hand position.

You do feel some energy after the shot. There's some vibration and a little twang. That's one of the areas where I still notice a difference between many mid-price bows and premium flagship platforms. But at this price point, with everything else the Consequence gives you, it wasn't something that bothered me.

PSE Force DS: Smoother Draw & More Forgiving Valley

The Force feels slightly heavier in the hand, which makes sense based on what we measured. The draw cycle, though, was noticeably smoother to me.

The Force uses a fixed 85% let-off module, and the valley was more forgiving in this comparison. I could relax slightly more on the back half without immediately feeling like the bow wanted to go.

Letting it down was a little different. You have to push through the valley, and once the cam starts moving forward it wants to take over more aggressively. It's controllable, but it has a different personality than the Consequence.

Where people get this wrong is treating valley as automatically good or bad. It's shooter preference. A bowhunter who may have to hold on an animal for an extended period might appreciate more room in the valley. Another shooter may prefer more holding weight and tension through the shot process.

The Force's string angle felt slightly steeper to me, which isn't surprising on the shorter 30-inch platform. Post-shot, I also felt more movement through the bow. It wanted to jump and rotate out of my hand a little more than the Consequence.

The Force comes with a removable grip piece that gives you another option. Shoot the factory grip if you like it, or remove it and shoot directly off the riser. Personally, I preferred the bare-riser feel of the Consequence, but that's completely shooter dependent.

Real-World Speed Test

For the chrono test, both bows were set at a 28.5-inch draw length and shot with an approximately 446-grain arrow. Instead of chasing an ultra-light speed number, this gives us a much more useful look at how these bows perform with the type of finished arrow weight somebody may actually hunt with.

The Force was about 6.6 fps faster in this particular test. That's an advantage, but it isn't enough of a difference that I would choose one of these bows based on speed alone.

There's another piece to remember with the Consequence: this test was done with the standard mods. The bow also comes with Darton's performance mods, which are rated faster.

I've shot the performance-style mods on other Darton platforms and generally liked the trade-off. They become a little more aggressive, but not necessarily harsh. I hadn't done that same side-by-side test with the Consequence 31 when we filmed this comparison, so I'm not going to tell you exactly what it would gain without testing it.

The important part is that the Darton gives you the option.

How They Aim: 30-Yard Shooting Test

This is one of the parts of Bow Wars that matters most to me. Specs and speed are easy to compare. The question is what happens when you actually get behind the bow and try to aim it.

We stepped over to a black bear target at 30 yards. Neither bow had a full stabilizer setup, so this wasn't meant to be a laboratory accuracy test. I wanted to feel how the platforms held, reacted through the shot and compared side by side in relatively bare form.

Darton Consequence 31 at 30 Yards

The back wall continued to be one of the things I liked most about the Consequence. It's extremely solid.

Sound-wise, it wasn't overly loud. It had more of a sharp crack when it went off. There was some feedback through the bow, but less movement in my hand than I felt from the Force.

The group was solid. I pulled one shot and had a couple that didn't break exactly the way I wanted, but the bow still felt very good through the shot.

For somebody getting into archery who wants a capable 31-inch hunting platform without jumping into flagship pricing, the Consequence makes a lot of sense.

PSE Force DS at 30 Yards

The Force had a little more snap when it went off and was louder to me than the Consequence. It also wanted to move and twist out of my hand more after the shot.

That's something you could address when you build the complete bow. Stabilizer weight and balance can change how a bow reacts after the shot.

What surprised me was how well the Force aimed. Once I settled on target, the bow held exceptionally well. Despite being the shorter platform, it didn't feel difficult to aim.

Both bows shot exceptionally well. And that's really the point. We're not talking about one good bow and one bad bow here. We're talking about two capable mid-price platforms that feel different enough that shooter preference matters.

Which Bow Should You Buy?

You can't really go wrong with either one. The better choice comes down to what you value most.

If somebody comes into the shop and asks me which one is better, I'm not making that decision from IBO speed or brace height alone. I want to know their draw length, what they're using the bow for, how each draw cycle feels to them and which one they naturally aim better.

That's the thing you have to understand with bows at this level: the spec sheet can narrow the choices, but it can't tell you which bow fits you best.

If you want to compare other options in this category, browse our full selection of compound bows.

Darton Consequence 31 vs PSE Force DS FAQ

Which bow was faster in the Extreme Outfitters test?

The PSE Force DS averaged 279.8 fps compared with 273.2 fps from the Darton Consequence 31. Both were set at 28.5 inches and shot with an approximately 446-grain arrow. The Consequence was using its standard mods for this test.

Which bow has the more forgiving valley?

In our side-by-side test, the PSE Force DS had the more forgiving valley. The Consequence still had a very controllable valley and excellent back wall, but it required slightly more tension at full draw.

Which bow is easier to tune?

For cam-position adjustments, the PSE Force DS has the advantage because of its EZ.220 snap-spacer system. The Consequence can also be shimmed, but moving its shims requires a more traditional axle-removal process.

Does the Darton Consequence 31 come with two sets of mods?

Yes. Darton includes standard and performance mod sets with the Consequence 31. The standard configuration is rated at 325 fps, while the performance configuration is rated at 331 fps.

Is the PSE Force DS worth the extra money?

It can be if you value the FDS cam, easier cam shimming, more forgiving valley and the additional speed we experienced in this test. If those features don't matter as much to you, the Consequence 31 delivers a lot of bow for less money.

Which bow is better for whitetail hunting?

Either can make an excellent whitetail bow. Both are compact enough for stands and blinds and both produce more than enough real-world performance for a properly built hunting-arrow setup. Fit, draw characteristics and how well you shoot the individual bow matter more than choosing a winner from the specifications alone.

Bottom Line

The mid-price compound bow category has gotten incredibly good.

The PSE Force DS gives you technology pulled from PSE's higher-end lineup, excellent tuning capability, a smooth draw cycle, a forgiving valley and a little more speed in our test.

The Darton Consequence 31 gives you quarter-inch draw-length adjustment, two mod configurations, an excellent back wall, a little less post-shot movement in my hands and a very capable 31-inch hunting platform for about $100 less.

Neither one needs to be a flagship bow to kill deer, shoot good groups or give somebody years of use. The decision comes down to which features matter to you and, more importantly, which bow fits and shoots better for you.