Mathews Introduces New Monster Chill X and SDX Bows

I've been a fan of Mathews' McPherson Monster Chill series since its inception with both the original Chill and the Chill R bows. Both are hanging on my "must use" bow rack. Now there are two new versions of this popular line of bows, the Chill X and the Chill SDX.

I am currently putting the new Chill X through the wringer to see how it performs, but I can already tell I like this bow. At 35 inches, the Chill X is even longer than the 33-inch Chill R, and with a 7-inch brace height it is the perfect combination for hunting and 3-D applications.

One feature I really like is that draw lengths go up to 31 inches, so I can get to my true draw length of 30.5 inches. That extra length will also make for a more forgiving string angle and a smoother shot cycle.

Also, the AVS DYAD cam on the Chill X features an enlarged perimeter weight for enhanced performance.

The big news, however, revolves around the new Rock Mods that offer a dual function. First, an integrated draw stop gives you a hard back wall at full draw. Some archers prefer a softer wall — and they got that with the Chill R — but most archers today want to pull against a solid wall, which is exactly what you get with the Chill X.

If you have a Chill or a Chill R and would like a harder wall, the Rock Mods will also retro-fit both models, converting them to what amounts to a shorter Chill X.

The second advantage of the Rock Mods is that you can choose either 75 percent or 85 percent let-off modules. A 75 percent let-off module will give you a tad more speed (IBO is 336 fps with 75 percent on the Chill X), while the 85 percent let-off mod will provide less holding weight at full draw, but could be slightly slower. It will be interesting to see how these Rock Mods differ in both speed and feel, and we will be reporting back to you on that shortly.

There is also news for the short-draw archer. The new Chill SDX is designed specifically for archers who want to maximize arrow speed from a shorter draw length. This bow generates 330 fps from a 29-inch draw at 60 pounds and is available in draw lengths from 22 to 29 inches. The Chill SDX is 30.5-inches long and has a brace height of 6 inches.

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Stay tuned for a full report from those of us at Bowhunter as we test and review the Chill X. We'll also be taking a look at the performance of the new Rock Mods with 75 and 85 percent let-off on our Chill and Chill R platforms.