Mathews Creed XS Bow Review

When the Mathews Creed XS bow was first released, many hunters thought that they were seeing a replay of the highly popular Creed model released the year before. Boy were they wrong. The new Mathews Creed XS is not only a pleasure to shoot, but is deadly accurate and an incredible hunting tool. When I look at a bow, I want to evaluate how well it will perform in the woods and this one does not disappoint. There are a lot of physical attributes to this including size, weight and shape and the Creed XS surpassed any and all expectations. Check out the specs in the Mathews Creed XS Bow Review.

The 2014 Mathews Creed XS features a compact profile and an axle to axle height of just 28 inches. The bow weighs in at a mere 3.8 pounds, which is definitely trending toward the lighter side of the market. Before you start thinking that the ATA height isn’t long enough, check this out: the Creed XS has a riser length of 24.5 inches, making this bow shoot much larger than it is and giving you more accuracy and stability than ever.

Plenty of Forgiveness

The Mathews Creed XS gives shooters a lot of forgiveness in a little package. Forgiveness in a hunting bow is not something that should be taken lightly and the Creed XS helps with that. The XS has a brace height of 7.5 inches, a half inch more than the 2013 Creed. This along with the reverse assist roller guard make the Creed XS a very forgiving bow.

Mathews Creed XS Speed

The Creed XS is fast, but it’s not the fastest bow on the market. I think that speed is one of the most overrated features of any bow and that manageable speed is much more important. The Creed is actually a faster bow, but the Creed XS is so forgiving that the reduction in speed is not an issue. The official IBO of the XS is 321 FPS, which is still smoking and will give you all the speed you need.

Mathews Creed XS Accuracy

Accuracy trumps all when hunting and Mathews did not let anyone down this year. I have to admit, I’ve been shooting a Mathews DXT for about 5 years now, which is on par as the Creed XS as far as weight and size go, and I never thought I’d find another bow that could be as accurate. I was wrong. The Mathews Creed XS just feels good. It is well balanced and incredibly smooth. When you draw back, you hit a rock solid back wall and with 80% let off, you know you’re not going anywhere. I shot this bow very well and had very consistent groups in the 50+ arrows fired.

Vibration and Noise

When it comes to hand shock and vibration, you will not find any with the Mathews Creed XS. I expected a little since it is a smaller bow, but never once felt any. This was one of the biggest differences I noticed from my DXT and can see just how far the technology has come in the smaller bows.

Creed XS Draw Cycle

While the Creed XS has a 28 inch ATA height, it does feature some larger aspects that other bows do not. The oversized cam and idler wheel are larger, which makes the distance between the top of the idler wheel and bottom of the cam longer when at full draw. This stabilizes the bow more than a 30 inch ATA bow with traditionally sized parts.

Real World Hunting

Now, I’m 5 feet 9 inches tall and weigh 150 pounds, and I have a 26.5 inch draw length and I loved the size of this bow. I’ve talked to plenty of larger people as well that also love it. When I look at a bow, I want to see how well it’s going to hunt and the Mathews Creed XS is a hunter. Nearly all of the hunting that I do is from a tree stand and I love the ability to maneuver a bow that is light and doesn’t take up a ton of space. The Mathews Creed XS is very easy to move around and won’t bother you to have to hold if that buck gets spooky behind a tree.

As a hunter, I want a compact package that features essentials needed to kill animals. The Creed XS gives me that and provides better accuracy, speed and the confidence to make the shot when it matters. Mathews Inc. has become the industry leader by building bows with a solid design, that have a smooth draw cycle and puts arrows in the right place with unmatched precision. The 2014 Mathews Creed XS lives up to it’s name and is sure to be a fixture in the hunting world for many years to come.

Be sure to check out the Mathews Website here and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. If you’re looking for more photos and information on the Creed XS, check out this product sheet on Mathews Inc.’s website.

Mathews Bow Giveaway

MorningMoss has teamed up with Mathews Inc. to offer one lucky winner the chance to shoot one of the best bows in world. You can sign up here for the chance to win your choice of a Mathews Creed XS, Mathews Chill X, Mathews Chill R, Mathews Chill SDX or a Mathews Creed. Read the full details and information right here on MorningMoss.

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