Review: Mission MXR Compound Bow + Video
Lucas Cooney 12.13.18
Earlier this fall, Mission Archery launched its 2019 hunting bow lineup and one bow in particular caught my eye – the Mission MXR.
What sets the MXR apart from the rest of the Mission lineup is that it borrows technology from the Mathews CrossCentric cam system. For those who don’t know, Mission is part of the Mathews family and the CrossCentric cam system is found on Mathews’ latest hunting and target bows. Having that same technology on a Mission bow that retails for less than half the price was enough to get me excited. I asked Mission to borrow one and in late October it arrived.
In my experience with five different Mathews bows I’ve tested, the CrossCentric cam system offers up an exceptionally smooth draw cycle with decent speed – a recipe I’ve always liked. You can certainly find faster cams, but I’ve always liked the draw cycle with this setup and that did not change on the Mission MXR. Though the cams on the MXR are not exactly the same as those on the Mathews bows, the performance is very similar.
Draw cycle on the Mission MXR is as smooth as many flagship-level hunting bows I’ve shot the past few years. The bow is also very quiet after the shot with minimal vibration. It’s a small step down from the Mathews Triax, but still better than many bows that cost hundreds of dollars more.
The MXR comes with a draw length range of 23.5 to 29.5 inches. I ordered mine maxed out at 29.5 and when I put it on the draw board I measured just a hair under 30 inches. To test speed, I shot a 350-grain Gold Tip Platinum Pierce arrow through the chronograph with the bow maxed out to 70 pounds of draw weight and saw an average speed of 323 to 324 feet per second. However, I don’t like to hunt with an arrow that light, so I tested my normal hunting arrow as well – a 460-grain Gold Tip Kinetic Kaos. With this heavier set up, my speeds averaged 282 to 283 feet per second. That’s great speed for an arrow that heavy.
All told, you aren’t giving up much in the way of performance with the $500 Mission MXR compared to an $1,100 Mathews hunting bow. The differences, though, are in the details. The riser of the MXR, while showing no visible flaws, definitely feels less refined than a Mathews riser. The limbs are also much narrower and not quite as beefy looking.
One small issue I have with the MXR are the protective sleeves on the cables. These are put in place to protect the cables in case there is contact with the cams and I am definitely getting some contact. It’s not a huge issue, as the sleeves are easily replaceable, but these are the type of small issues higher priced hunting bows wouldn’t have.
I’d say I also feel slightly more comfortable at full draw with the Mathews Triax. The Triax has a more generous valley, so it’s easier to hold for longer periods of time. Accuracy with the MXR is fine, but again I’m more comfortable shooting at longer distances with the Triax and the other flagship-level hunting bows.
The bottom line is I came away extremely impressed with the Mission MXR. With it’s solid speed, super smooth draw cycle and quiet shot, this bow offers incredible value and I wouldn’t hesitate to take it in the woods with me.
