PSE Butcher Review: Speed, Draw Cycle & First Impressions

Can a lower-priced compound bow actually feel like a quality bow? I'll be honest with you. I wasn't sure what to expect from the PSE Butcher.

This is the least expensive bow in PSE's hunting lineup, and there are definitely places where they cut cost compared with bows like the Force and the flagship carbon platforms. It uses older technology. It doesn't have PSE's easiest tuning system. You're not getting every integrated feature.

Then I shot it. The thing surprised me. We put it on the draw board, shot it at multiple draw lengths, ran hunting-weight and light arrows through the chronograph and paid attention to the draw cycle, valley, grip and post-shot feel. Here's what stood out.

Watch: PSE Butcher Review & Speed Test

If you want to see the bow before getting into the full breakdown, this is our hands-on look at the PSE Butcher, including the features, draw cycle, measurements and chronograph testing discussed below.

What Is the PSE Butcher?

The Butcher sits on the value side of PSE's hunting-bow lineup. PSE already has the PSE Force occupying the upper end of the mid-price category with a lot of technology pulled down from the flagship bows. The Butcher takes a different approach and comes in underneath it.

The thing you have to understand is that PSE didn't simply build another Force for less money. There are real differences. The Butcher doesn't have every tuning feature, mounting system or piece of newer technology you'll find as you move up the lineup.

What it does have is the EC2 cam, and that's important. I've shot that cam on bows like the Mach 30 and Mach 33, and it has always been one of my favorite PSE cams. It's smooth, predictable and easy to shoot. Bringing that cam onto a bow at this price point gives the Butcher a lot of its personality.

If you want to see how it fits with everything else PSE is offering, you can browse our complete PSE Archery collection.

PSE Butcher Specs & Test Setup

Here's the basic configuration we're working with. Where we measured something directly on our test bow, I'll separate that from the general bow specifications.

At roughly 30 inches axle to axle, this is the kind of compact platform that makes sense for a lot of whitetail hunters working out of tree stands, saddles and blinds. The rotating module is also useful because draw-length changes don't require swapping individual modules.

Adjustable Let-Off

You don't get the same let-off range available on PSE's FDS system, but you can still adjust the Butcher from 80% to 90%.

For me personally, I'd probably live closer to 80% or 85%. But if you're a whitetail hunter who may have to stay at full draw while an animal takes its time clearing a limb or turning broadside, 90% gives you less holding weight on the back wall.

What Do You Give Up on the PSE Butcher?

This is where the price difference starts to make sense. The Butcher doesn't give you every feature found on the Force or PSE's flagship bows.

That doesn't automatically make any of these compromises bad. It just means you need to understand what you're buying.

Cable Slide Instead of a Roller Guard

The Butcher uses a traditional cable slide rather than a roller guard. You can feel some of that friction during the draw cycle as the slide moves across the cable guard.

I expected that to bother me more than it did. It's noticeable, but the EC2 cam is smooth enough that the overall draw cycle still feels very good.

No EZ.220 Shim System

This is probably the biggest difference from a bow-tech standpoint. The Butcher does not use PSE's EZ.220 snap-spacer system.

There are still spacers around the cam, so cam position can be changed, but you're back to a more traditional process: press the bow, remove the axle and move the spacers. For larger left or right paper tears, that means more shop work than a bow equipped with EZ.220.

You still have yokes, which gives you another adjustment for cleaning up smaller left and right tears. But if somebody comes into the shop with a significant tear that requires the cam to move, the Butcher isn't as convenient to work on as the Force or the higher-end PSE bows.

Fewer Integrated Mounting Features

The bow we tested did not include the Picatinny sight mount, and you're not getting the same rear-riser rest integration found on some of PSE's more expensive platforms.

You still have conventional mounting options, so this doesn't prevent you from building the bow normally. You're simply giving up some of the cleaner integrated options as you move down in price.

How the PSE Butcher Shoots

This is where the Butcher changed my opinion of it.

The EC2 cam is still awesome. Initial feel on this bow was incredibly impressive for where it sits in the lineup. I started with the bow around 70 pounds, 29 inches and 90% let-off, and you can really rip it back. It doesn't have a big build-and-dump feeling, and the back wall is rock solid.

We put it on the draw board to verify what the bow was actually doing. It pulled 70.4 pounds, held 7.4 pounds on the back half and measured 89.4% let-off. Timing was good and the bow was where we expected it to be.

Draw Cycle & Valley

Even at 90% let-off, the valley wasn't terrible. Again, 90% isn't personally where I'd set it. I'd rather shoot the bow at 80% or 85% and keep a little more holding weight.

The important part is that the cam doesn't feel like it builds hard and then falls off a cliff. The transition into the valley is controlled, and that's one of the reasons I've always liked the EC2.

Grip & Hand Torque

The Butcher uses the same style of rubberized grip that we've seen on the Force. For a newer shooter, it's easy to index and repeat.

Short bows can get more sensitive to input from your bow hand, so I wanted to pay attention to that. I even moved the bow out to a 30-inch draw length, which is way too long for me, and I wasn't getting obvious hand torque out of it. The bow rolled and settled back nicely.

Post-Shot Feel

The cast-aluminum riser adds some mass compared with a lightweight carbon platform, but post-shot feel was surprisingly good. There was very little feedback through the bow, which wasn't necessarily what I expected coming into the test.

String angle was also good at 29 inches. It's still a short bow, so you're naturally dealing with a steeper string angle than you would on a longer platform, but nothing felt out of place for what the Butcher is designed to be.

EC2 vs. FDS Cam

The FDS system is a meaningful step forward in performance, and we've spent a lot of time shooting it on PSE's newer bows. But that doesn't suddenly make the EC2 a bad cam.

In fact, on some of the shorter bows I've shot, the EC2 has felt slightly smoother to me. The FDS can produce more performance, while the EC2 gives the Butcher a very manageable draw cycle. Which one matters more depends on what you're trying to get out of the bow.

If you want to see what the current FDS platform looks like at both ends of PSE's carbon hunting lineup, we've also tested the compact PSE Odin Sub 30 and the longer PSE Odin 34.

PSE Butcher Speed Test

Specs are useful, but this is where we want actual numbers. Our bow was pulling just over 70 pounds. We ran multiple configurations through the chronograph and used three-shot averages.

The bow is rated at 330 fps IBO, so seeing 329.1 fps in our 30-inch light-arrow test puts it right where we'd expect, especially when you account for normal chronograph and setup variation.

What impressed me more from a hunting standpoint was the 29-inch test. A 400-grain arrow averaging 292.4 fps is plenty of performance out of a bow at this price point.

Speed isn't the only thing that matters, though. You've still got to look at draw cycle, how the bow fits you, how it tunes, the arrow you're actually going to hunt with and how well you can shoot the complete setup. But the chronograph numbers aren't where the Butcher is giving much away.

Who Should Consider the PSE Butcher?

If somebody comes into the shop looking at the Butcher, I wouldn't start by asking whether it's as good as a flagship. That's the wrong question.

I'd want to know what they actually need.

On the other hand, if easy cam shimming and newer integrated features matter to you, spend some time looking at the PSE Force. That's where the additional money starts buying meaningful convenience and technology.

PSE Butcher FAQ

How fast is the PSE Butcher?

The PSE Butcher is rated at 330 fps IBO. In our testing, it averaged 329.1 fps with a 350-grain arrow at 30 inches. At 29 inches with a 400-grain arrow, our three-shot average was 292.4 fps.

What cam does the PSE Butcher use?

The Butcher uses PSE's EC2 cam with a rotating draw-length module. It's an older system than PSE's newer FDS cam, but in our testing the EC2 remained very smooth and predictable through the draw cycle.

Does the PSE Butcher have EZ.220 tuning?

No. The Butcher uses conventional cam spacers rather than PSE's EZ.220 snap-spacer system. You can still move the cam position, but doing so requires pressing the bow and working with the axle and spacers.

PSE Butcher or PSE Force: which should I buy?

The Butcher makes more sense if you want a lower-cost hunting bow with a smooth EC2 cam and don't need all of PSE's newer tuning and integration features. The Force costs more but adds technology such as the FDS cam and EZ.220 tuning system. The better choice comes down to which features you actually value and, ultimately, which bow fits and shoots better for you.

Bottom Line: Is the PSE Butcher Worth It?

The Butcher caught me by surprise.

It's a cast-aluminum bow using the EC2 cam without PSE's flagship tuning system. On paper, you can immediately point at the places where it's less expensive.

But that's only part of the story. The actual shooting experience was very good. The draw cycle is smooth. The back wall is solid. Post-shot feedback is minimal. Our bow produced strong chronograph numbers. And I didn't experience the kind of torque issues I sometimes expect from a compact platform.

That doesn't mean it's the right bow for everybody. If you want the newest tuning technology and integrated features, move up the PSE lineup. If you're trying to get into a capable hunting bow without overspending, though, put the Butcher on your list and shoot one.

This thing just feels good.

Related PSE Bow Reviews