Review: Bowtech Realm SR6 Compound Bow + Video
Lucas Cooney 07.16.19
I’ve been shooting the Bowtech Realm SR6 for about three months now as part of ArcheryTalk’s 2019 Hunting Bow Project. This bow is outfitted with a Garmin Xero sight, QAD Ultra HDX arrow rest, and a peep.
This bow has an axle-to-axle length of 32 inches, brace height of six inches, and IBO rated speed of 352 feet per second. I am shooting the SR6 with the draw length set a hair longer than 29.5 inches and a draw weight of 70 pounds.
The draw cycle of the Bowtech Realm SR6 is unique. For a speed bow, the draw starts off remarkably smooth. However, it gets very stiff right before dropping into the valley. It’s a different feeling, but you do get used to it after a while. Keep in mind that I have been shooting the SR6 primarily in Performance mode. Switching over to Comfort mode will lighten things up noticeably.
The back wall feels like most other Bowtechs I’ve tested – fairly stiff for a cable stop bow, with a touch of give.
As for stability, I’ve found the SR6 to be a bit more touchy than the Realm X. The valley feels huge in comparison. That’s great if you need to hold at full draw for a long time as you wait for an animal to get into position, but I tend to shoot a little more consistently with more holding weight. I ended up installing a set of aftermarket stops called “Lucky Stops” that allow you to fine tune the valley and holding weight and they’ve made a positive impact for me. Look for a full review of these later this summer.
Overall, I’ve been happy with how I’ve shot the Bowtech Realm SR6, but I felt more comfortable with the Realm X in my hands. To be fair, the Realm X was my favorite hunting bow last year, so it’s a pretty high bar.
To test for speed, I shot a 350-gran Gold Tip Platinum Pierce and a 475-grain AirStrike through the chronograph. The lighter arrow produced an average of 339 feet per second out of the Bowtech Realm SR6, while the AirStrikes saw an average of 295 feet per second. Those are the best speeds of any of the seven hunting bows I tested this year.
Products Used in this Video
- Gold Tip AirStrike Arrows – https://amzn.to/2LAai9w
- Garmin Xero Sight – https://amzn.to/2keR9P0
- QAD Ultra-Rest HDX Arrow Rest – https://amzn.to/2lLVYzX
