Mathews ARC 34 vs PSE Sicario: Aluminum Forgiveness vs Carbon Speed

Two of the most talked about bows of 2026, and they could not be more different. The Mathews ARC 34 is probably the most popular aluminum bow we've seen come through the shop this year. The PSE Sicario is the fastest bow on the market right now. Aluminum against carbon. Forgiveness against speed.

So we did what we always do on Bow Wars. Draw cycle, valley, post-shot feel, grip. Then the chronograph. Then 30 yards downrange, where consistency is the only thing that actually counts.

The Specs — Where These Two Split

Before we get into testing, lay the numbers out. This is where you start to understand why these bows shoot the way they do.

Mathews ARC 34

Mathews has done a fantastic job again this year. The ARC 34 is a 34 inch axle-to-axle platform, so it's nice and long, and the brace height is six and a half inches. Hold that number in your head — it explains a lot once we get downrange.

It's no slouch on speed either. 343 feet per second IBO with the standard SWX mod, which is what we ran today. Draw length goes from 26 and a half all the way to 32 inches, so this bow fits a wide variety of people, even you long draw guys.

PSE Sicario

This bow came in absolutely blazing fast this year. IBO of 357 feet per second — faster than any bow on the market. That was the big talking point, but the real story is the shootability you get out of a bow that performs that well. Typically when we look at a speed bow, it's atrocious. It's not fun to shoot.

We shot the 33 option, a 33 inch axle-to-axle platform, right in that sweet spot for ATA length. The number that makes people nervous is the brace height: five and a quarter inches. Against the ARC's six and a half, that's a massive difference. A short brace height buys you speed and costs you forgiveness. Draw length runs 24 and a half to 30 inches, so if you're a long draw guy, this one's out of the question.

The Features That Actually Matter

Mathews SWX2 Cam and the Two-Mod System

The ARC 34 is built on the SWX2 cam. Really, really good speeds out of this bow, with a draw cycle I'd say is equally as good. The thing Mathews introduced this year that matters is two mod options — the SWX and the SWXZ.

The SWX is the performance driven mod. A little more speed, but you sacrifice a little on the draw cycle and in the valley. The SWXZ is more forgiving and smoother, but you don't get the same performance. Because we were shooting against the Sicario, I wanted everything this bow had, so I stuck with the SWX.

Limb Shift and Bridgelock

Mathews has one of the best tuning systems on the market with Limb Shift. It's pressless — an Allen key and you can make adjustments while shooting through paper, out of the press. Consistent, and above all fast.

Same story with the accessories. Bridgelock is a premium line, but it works exceptionally well here — stabilizers you adjust in and out to change bar length, Bridgelock sights, everything integrating into the riser for a streamlined platform.

The PSE FDS Cam

The big thing with the PSE bows this year is the FDS cam system. It's just a fantastic cam — very smooth, very consistent, performance driven. That's what you notice about the Sicario: a massive amount of performance out of a cam that still draws smooth all the way through.

Going from the EC2 cam to the FDS also opened up the let-off. It runs 75 all the way to 85 percent. They did away with 90. And the draw stop on this cam is much better than it was on the EC2.

Easy Tuning on the PSE Side

The Sicario is built on the EZ220 shim system, so shimming these bows is very easy. Press it, pop shims in and out, fast and efficient. You've got integration for a pic mount and for your arrow rest. And because it's carbon it's incredibly light, so you can add weight exactly where you want it and set the bow up to hold just like you'd like.

Draw Cycle, Valley, and Back Wall

The Draw Cycles Are Closer Than You'd Expect

Both bows were set at 70 pounds. The FDS cam on the Sicario is incredibly smooth — a consistent curve that doesn't build, doesn't stack, and doesn't dump into the back wall, even at 85 percent. Draw it nice and slow and it stays manageable.

The Mathews has a similar feel to me. Smooth, and it doesn't build a lot and dump off. That's what I enjoy in a draw cycle. The Mathews is a touch stiffer, and that's about the only real difference through the stroke.

The Valley Is Where Mathews Costs You

Both of these bows are at 85 percent. But the Mathews consistently has a less forgiving valley than any other bow on the market at that let-off. You just cannot relax at all — this bow wants to run away from you.

The Sicario, at that same 85 percent, gives you more valley than the ARC 34. Is that a bad thing? No. It's shooter preference, and you can manipulate it with the mods and let-off options you run. But across the board, the Mathews valleys are shallower.

Back Wall Goes to the ARC

The back wall on the ARC 34 is a bit more solid than the Sicario. When it rolls over and locks in, it is rock solid. The Sicario's back wall is still fantastic — the ARC is just a notch firmer.

Grip and Post-Shot Feel

This is where a lot of people have opinions. The Engage grip is the biggest complaint I hear on the Mathews — the grips feel kind of rounded and they want to roll in your hand. Good news is the Mathews lineup gives you options: the Engage, the Contour, the Taper, and the UltraVue B Real Grip.

On the Sicario you're shooting off the riser. There's no grip on it — just the riser itself, a little more squared off and a little more consistent for me. It's flush and it doesn't roll as bad. I will say on the PSE carbon bows I like adding grip tape so it doesn't feel quite as slick.

Post shot is a bigger gap. Mathews bows are probably the quietest bows on the market, and post shot there is zero feedback whatsoever. The shot almost feels soft when it goes off.

The Sicario has a whole lot more energy behind it. Hand shock is minimal at best, but there is feedback — you feel that energy transfer through the bow. Expected out of a carbon bow this light. Keep in mind we shot these bare, just a sight and a rest. Add a stabilizer and a quiver and a lot of that goes away.

Aluminum vs Carbon — The Real Weight Difference

Everybody assumes carbon means dramatically lighter. Here are the actual numbers, both bows with a sight and rest mounted. The ARC 34 comes in right at five pounds — incredibly light for the size of bow you're getting. Mathews has really shaved weight out of their riser designs.

The Sicario comes in at 4.6 pounds, and it's about an inch shorter axle to axle. PSE probably has the lightest bows on the market in carbon. But four tenths of a pound is a smaller gap than most guys expect.

Speed Test — 70 Pounds, 28.5 Inches, 400 Grain Arrow

Before the chronograph I checked actual draw weights and holding weights to make sure we were comparing apples to apples. The ARC 34 pulled 70 pounds on the dot, holding weight 10.4 pounds, let-off 85 percent on the dot. The Sicario pulled right at 69 and a half pounds, let-off measured 87 percent, holding nine pounds.

One thing worth saying up front: we do see variance with the chronograph indoors, anywhere from five to 10 feet per second across all the bows we run. That's why we shoot a three to five shot average instead of trusting any one number.

The Sicario averaged 311.6 feet per second over five shots. The ARC 34 averaged 299.3. Both bows are putting up exceptional numbers — 300 feet per second out of a 400 grain arrow at 28 and a half inches and 70 pounds is really good. But the Sicario is obviously a good bit faster, exactly like the spec sheet said it would be.

The 30-Yard Group Test — Where It Gets Real

Speed is fun. Consistency downrange is what matters. So we shot groups at 30 yards at a small dot, looking for consistency, not one lucky arrow.

The Sicario group was okay. Nothing to write home about. It's a more challenging bow to shoot, and that comes down to two things. The brace height is so short that bad inputs get amplified downrange, because the arrow is on the string that much longer. And it's so light the bow wants to float. Stabilizer weight really helps it settle — same thing I've noticed on my Mach 33 with a front and rear bar.

Then I shot the ARC 34 and the group was really, really tight. Even when I felt off, when shots didn't break like they should have, when I felt like I pulled one — the arrows still found their mark. That six and a half inch brace height makes a big difference. If you have imperfections in your shot process, and I do, the Sicario amplifies them.

So Which One Is Actually For You?

If you want a bow that shoots and holds on target exceptionally well kind of as-is, that's the ARC 34. It grouped that well essentially out of the box for me, and it only gets better once you add stabilizers and set it up for your needs. And it's still putting up 300 feet per second with a 400 grain arrow.

If you want performance — the most speed, a heavier arrow moving faster — and you're a good shooter who spends real time behind the bow with it set up for you, the Sicario is the answer. Smoking fast, incredible cam system, light enough to add weight and change how it holds. Both bows are special. They're just built for specific individuals.

The Bottom Line

The ARC 34 gives up about 12 feet per second in our test and hands you back forgiveness, a rock solid back wall, and a bow that's dead quiet with zero post-shot feedback. For most hunters, that trade is worth making.

The Sicario is the fastest bow on the market and probably the easiest shooting speed bow you'll ever pick up. But it's still a speed bow, and it's less forgiving than an ARC, a Mach 33, or an AX3 33. That's not a knock. That's the spec sheet being honest with you.

Come shoot both. That's the real answer. Putting your own hand on the grip and your own eye behind the pin will tell you more in 10 shots than any spec sheet ever will.

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