Mathews Archery dove into the world of no-bow-press-needed tuning features last year by introducing Limb Shift Technology on its Lift X bows.
It’s simple to use by bowhunters everywhere, and sales of the bow prove it was wildly popular. So how do you follow up a major introduction like that?
Basically, you just make that bow better.
The 2026 Mathews ARC hasa new riser, cams, and limb angle – as compared to the Lift X – that make it draw, aim, and shoot better. There are other new features in the ARC as well that, overall, just make it better than the Lift X.
Mathews ARC 30 Specs
See It
Key Features
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Brace Height:
6 inches -
IBO Speed Rating:
348 fps -
Axle to Axle:
30 inches -
Peak Draw Weights Available:
55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 -
Draw Lengths:
25 to 30.5 inches -
Letoff:
80 or 85 percent -
Weight:
3.99 pounds -
New:
Riser, cam, limb angle, module, 7-degree down angle front bar mount, built-in Silent Connect system, Bridge-Lock side bar mount -
MSRP:
$1,459
New Lengths
The ARC is offered in unique axle-to-axle lengths, with 30-inch and 34-inch offerings. Both are irregular in the Mathews universe. The last time we saw a 30-inch bow was in 2019, with the Vertix. And, while there is currently a Title 34 in Mathews’ target lineup, which can certainly be used for hunting, the last 34-inch, hunting-centric Mathews bow was the FX2, way back in 2005.
In recent years, 29.5 inches and 33 inches have been the norm for Mathews hunting offerings. So is it major news that there are 30- and 34-inch bows from Mathews this year? Not really. It’s just different.
New Riser and Limb Angle
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The ARC has a new riser and a host of new features. -
The ARC 30 (left) and the Lift X (right). Note the difference in limb angle and riser.
What’s more of a change for Mathews this year is the riser design and riser length. The Lift X 29.5 is a shorter axle-to-axle bow than the ARC 30, yet the riser for the Lift X is longer than that of the ARC 30. In order to use a shorter riser, but get a longer ATA measurement, Mathews had to change the limb angle on the ARC.
Where the Lift X featured a past-parallel limb configuration, where the axle essentially sat lower than the top of the riser, the ARC employs a slightly above-parallel limb angle. The net result is a bigger string angle on the ARC. For me, at a 30-inch draw length, the ARC 30’s string angle is 36 degrees. On the Lift X 29.5, the string angle is about 33 degrees. The bigger the angle, the more stable a bow tends to be at full draw.
Also new to the ARC riser are beefed-up ends where the riser meets the limb pockets. These bulkier sections help make the riser stronger and more rigid, which also helps the bow sit still at full draw while aiming.
New Cams
The ARC is powered by the SWX 2 cam, the latest generation of the SWX cam that Mathews has been using for a couple of years now. Engineers have slimmed down the supportive struts on the cam and added perimeter weights. This is something Mathews has done in its target cams for several years, and now we’re seeing it in the ARC bows.
There’s a small weight embedded in the lower lobe of the cam, right where the string comes off the cam when the bow is at rest. That weight helps the cam whip around faster at the shot. Think about the effect of swinging a rope around your body, and then tying a weight to the end of that rope and swinging again.
At the same time that weight provides speed to the cam, it also makes it quieter. The ARC is noticeably quieter than the Lift X at the shot, even though the Lift X comes with Mathews’ string suppressors – Monkey Tails – and the ARC does not.
The SWX 2 cam still employs the Mathews SWX modules, which set the bow’s draw weight, draw length and letoff percentage. This is a uniquely Mathews system that allows for easily changing any of those settings simply by changing modules. (For a price, of course. The current rate is $59.99 for a set of SWX mods at Lancaster Archery Supply.)
New this year is the SWX-Z module. It comes in all the weights and lengths as the standard SWX mods – with only 85 percent letoff – but the SWX-Z creates a much smoother draw cycle. You’ll lose some arrow speed with the SWX-Z mods, but if you find the ARC’s draw cycle to be a bit harsh, the SWX-Z mods can help with that.
Other New Features
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The new Bridge-Lock sidebar mount. -
The ARC with the 7-degree stabilizer mount. -
The new machined SCS system.
Mathews is the king of branded bow accessories. They’ve got their own stabilizers, their own bow stands, their own haul lines, their own slings, their own quivers, and their own grips. And they do the best job of all the bow manufacturers in convincing bowhunters to use their line of accessories.
New this year on the ARC are integrated Silent Connect System connection points. The SCS connections allow for attaching a haul line to pull your bow up to a tree stand and/or attaching a bow sling. Previously, this was an add-on piece you paid $60 for. Now it’s built into the bow. Thanks, Mathews.
Bridge-Lock is a system Mathews came up with that provides streamlined connections for a sight and stabilizer. They slide into the riser, as opposed to being bolted to the outside. The ARC features both, but it also includes a Bridge-Lock connection point for a siderod mount. Instead of bolting the mount arm onto the rear face of the bow, now you can insert it into the riser and tighten it down. It’s more streamlined and more secure. Your mount can’t pivot up or down in the Bridge-Lock cutout.
The front Bridge-Lock stabilizer riser cutout features a notch at the bottom. Match that notch with a notch cut out of the new Mathews Bridge-Lock stabilizer, and you can pitch your front stabilizer at a 7-degree downward angle. That puts the weight at the end of the stabilizer even lower beneath the grip, which some archers prefer for better balance.
The ARC 30 comes with the Mathews Engage grip, which I’m not a fan of, but with the introduction of the Bond grip system last year, you don’t have to stick with Engage. There are two other grip configurations – Contour and Taper – to choose from if Engage isn’t your ticket either. (Personally, I choose the Ultraview BeeReal grip for my Mathews bows. I feel much more consistent with it.)
Testing the Mathews ARC 30 at the Range
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The author tests the new ARC. -
A 20-yard group. -
The Limb Shift made tuning fast and easy.
For my test, I borrowed an ARC 30 from Lancaster Archery Supply. It had the mods for 70-pound draw weight, 30-inch draw length, and 85 percent letoff. The first thing I did was weigh the bare bow. The bow’s listed weight is 3.99 pounds. Using Lancaster Archery Supply’s shipping scale, we got 4.075 pounds. That’s essentially the same as the Lift X 29.5. There’s no question Mathews is cranking out some of the lightest aluminum bows today.
Set Up and Tuning
Next, I checked the cam timing and then tuned the bow. Cam timing was good, and to tune the ARC, I just had to make some minor adjustments using the Limb Shift Technology to get a clean tear through paper.
With Limb Shift, you insert an Allen key into the end of each axle and turn clockwise or counterclockwise. That process moves one limb tip left or right, which produces the net effect of moving the cam left or right. The tuning process took all of maybe 10 minutes.
Before I took the bow out shooting, I switched out the existing mods to change the letoff to 80 percent, since that’s what Mathews uses in setting their speed rating. The ARC 30 has a speed rating of up to 348 fps. I got 344 fps. Four fps off is very good for Mathews. In recent years, Mathews has typically been the bow company where I saw the biggest difference between a bow’s rating and what I produced on the range. With the ARC, I only saw a 4 fps difference.
(Just out of curiosity, I also did a speed test using 70-pound SWX-Z mods. With them on, the bow’s draw weight was actually 68 pounds, and I got 332 fps arrow speed. So I lost 12 fps, but the draw cycle with those mods is ridiculously smooth.)
Switching back to the 85-percent standard mods, I started putting arrows down range with the ARC. Within minutes of getting sighted in at 20 yards, I was smacking arrows in the middle – and we’re talking 4mm Eastons.
Draw Cycle
Right away, I noticed the draw cycle was nicer than the Lift X. For me, the Lift X has a noticeable hump in the draw just before the cams roll over. I described it last year as “stiff.” I would not describe the ARC’s cycle as stiff. I can draw it comfortably at 70 pounds, where I turned my Lift X down to 65 to spare my shoulders. And as I mentioned previously, with the SWX-Z mods, the ARC’s draw is even nicer.
Sound
At the shot, the ARC seems quieter and produces less vibration. I say “seems” because that’s my perception of shooting the ARC 30 and the Lift X 29.5 side by side. I didn’t use any electronics to measure the noise. The ARC’s reduced noise is especially impressive given that it has no string suppressors.
Shooting
On the ARC 30, I mounted a 12-inch front stabilizer with 2 ounces behind the end cap, and set that stabilizer at the 7-degree down angle. I also mounted a 10-inch siderod, using the Bridge-Lock connection. It also had 2 ounces behind the end cap.
The ARC 30 drew, aimed, and shot like a dream. I was able to lock my sight pin on target out to 80 yards effortlessly. From my perception, it aimed better than the Lift X. Might that be because of the beefier, stiffer riser? Might it be because the ARC had about a 36-degree string angle at full draw as compared to the Lift X’s 33-degree angle? Could it be because of the parallel limbs? Or maybe it was all of the above?
I don’t know the reason, but I love shooting the ARC 30. Sometimes a bow comes along that just feels right. The Mathews ARC 30 is one of those bows for me.
Final Thoughts
I wouldn’t say Mathews rewrote their script with the ARC 30, a year after the Lift X 29.5. They are not monumentally different bows. But I really like the changes Mathews made with the ARC 30. To me, it’s a better bow. In the end, if a bow manufacturer makes improvements from one year to the next, I have to give them props.
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