Hoyt’s Carbon RX-9 Ultra promises precision, dependability, and an undeniable natural point of aim.
by Jace Bauserman
I’ve tested Hoyt bows for the past decade. A few weeks before Hoyts launch day, a pair of boxes arrive at my door each year. The fantastic thing is, aside from knowing that a pair of racy compounds are in the boxes, I always need to find out what models they are. I tell Hoyt, each year, to send me what they want. I don’t request new bows in specific colors, axle-to-axle lengths, or particular models. Hoyt has my specs. What they send my way is totally up to them.
Last year, one box held Hoyt’s RX-8 and the other, Hoyt’s Alpha X 33. The RX-8 was a Bone Collector model with lime green strings. The compound rig was a feather at four pounds, and the distance between the axles was a mere 30-9/16 inches. The bow was smooth, maneuverable, produced solid speed, and thanks to the versatility of the HBX XACT Cams; I could set my draw length to 28.75 inches. I selected the 80 percent let-off setting—one of three (85, 90, and 75) let-off choices—and the Hard back wall setting. I like a bit of a valley to pull into, which is the reason for the Hard back wall setting. I loved the RX-8, and multiple spring gobblers paid for wandering too close.
The Alpha X 33 is the best aluminum Hoyt-branded bow I have ever shot. I’ve yet to test any 2025 aluminum Hoyt models, so that statement could change. However, I found the 33-5/16-inch axle-to-axle length perfect. I set the HBX XACT Cams to the same specs as those on the RX-8. The cams rolled over like butter, the transition to let-off was not abrupt, and I could quickly crawl into my two-part anchor. This bow did its job from ranges close and far if I did my job. That’s all you can ask from any bow. It held like a rock, which boosted my shooting confidence, and whether executing with a surprise release or a controlled release, my Easton X10 Parallel Pro shafts found their mark. This November, the Alpha X 33 earned its stripes, helping make perfect 12-ring shots on a pair of whitetail bucks.
While my love affair with Hoyt’s 2024 bows is not over, it is time to move on. I gave a fist pump when I saw Hoyt’s wide RX-9 limbs looking up at me when I popped the box open. I smiled further when I saw it was the Ultra model.
Hoyt does an excellent job appealing to the masses, and each year it offers its new-for-the-year flagship in shorter and longer axle-to-axle lengths. The Ultra model always has more distance between axle pins.
First Impressions
Stained in my favorite Hoyt bow color to date, Bourbon, I pulled the bow from its box and laid it on a table. I ran a tape measure from one axle pin to the other. Hoyt’s 33-1/2-inch ATA rating is exact. Next, I checked the brace height. Once again, Hoyt’s specs proved perfect. The brace height was a precise 6-3/8 inches.
Hoyt once again went with the adjustable 1/4-inch draw-lengths HBX XACT Cam. However, both cams are labeled HBX GEN 4, telling everyone that this is Hoyt’s fourth generation of this fully customizable, smooth shooting cam system. The cam kickstand (top and bottom) is back to keep the cam grooves from pushing into the ground. I love this string and cam-protecting feature. Small rubber dampeners on the let-off arms contact the bow’s inner cable, and H (Hard) and HX (Xtra Hard) draw settings are available.
The limb pockets are wide yet thin and durable. The struts are narrower than the struts on the RX-8. Hoyt engineers crafted narrower struts to accept the all-new TXL limbs. The TXL limbs are shorter, which gives the RX-9 Ultra, even though it’s 33 1/2 inches long, a more compact look and feel. The shorter limbs also help the bow achiever faster arrow speeds.
Testing of the draw-weight screws proved no popping or chatter. They turn like silk, a sure sign of excellent pocket-to-riser design. The RX-9’s riser looks strikingly similar to the RX-8. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, right? The riser sports a front Picatinny rail for face-mounted sight placement and dovetail slits on its back to accept riser-mounted rests via the IMS system.
The HBX GEN 4
This cam system gets a subheading because its efficiency is remarkable. Hoyt went to a five-module system that optimizes every inch of adjustment for speed and efficiency, allowing Hoyt to go shorter and more compact. The limbs are shorter, and the Ultra’s riser is shorter, dropping a half-inch from the 34-inch axle-to-axle length of the RX-8 Ultra. The cam system’s ability to reduce torque and increase point-of-aim is remarkable.
Bowhunters get the same settings that include 1/4-inch draw-length adjustment, Hard and Xtra Hard back wall settings, and a trio of let-off settings. However, Hoyt discovered speed gains of up to 18 feet per second during testing due to increased cam efficiency.
Let’s Send It
I’m dealing with shoulder issues, so I dropped poundage from the tested factory draw-weight setting of 71.9 pounds to 69.32 pounds. The bow arrived set at a 29-inch draw length. Removing a pair of hex-head module screws in each module let me adjust the draw length to 28.75 inches. The draw-length adjustment process took less than three minutes. It’s super simple.
Hoyt no longer includes a draw-length chart on the inside of the limbs. To know which letter (caps and lowercase) goes with what draw length on the cam you chose, scan the QR code on the bow’s tag.
I’ve set up enough Hoyt’s with QAD UltraRests that the tuning process is ultra-simple. Plus, Hoyt bows tend to just tune like a dream. For this build, I opted for QAD’s UltraRest MX2. I love that QAD replaced that annoying felt with rubber launcher arm dampeners. Not to mention that I’ve used QAD rests for over 12 years and have never experienced a single mechanical issue. They are my go-to on the range and in the field.
Set at a draw length of 28.75 inches and a draw weight of 69.32 pounds, the RX-9 Ultra sent my 408-grain Easton X10 Parallel Pro shafts at an average three-shot arrow speed of 290 fps. At this draw weight with this arrow weight, that’s plenty fast for me.
So Smooth
Set at 80 percent let-off, the bow draws ultra-smooth. A smooth draw with a seamless transition to let-off allows the archer to acquire their anchor points quickly. Quicker anchor points mean increased target acquisition, and because the RX-9 Ultra seems to point exactly where the eyes are looking, the archer can settle in and start the shot execution process.
I have never shot a bow that locks on target and sits so dead as the RX-9 Ultra. The natural point of aim (where your eyes are looking) is phenomenal, and when the shooter can acquire the target quickly and hold on to it easily, they can aim, aim, aim, and execute. No archer can hold dead still on target. The aim process ushers in pin float, which is drastically reduced via the bow’s geometry and shootability.
Carbon is warmer to the touch than aluminum, sure, but that’s never a selling point for me. Cold is cold, and I pay little attention to the hot/cold of the bow’s surface when I’m bowhunting. As for the grip, I pulled mine and wrapped it with tennis racquet tape. Hoyt grips are excellent, but old habits die hard, and this is something I’ve been doing for years.
So Quiet & Dead
The bow is ultra-quiet when the string drops. It does pop forward slightly in the hand, but there is no vibration or hand tickle. This is a dead-in-the-hand bow that produces very little post-shot noise. Naturally, low bow noise reduces string duck.
Having a bow that draws smoothly, aims like a dream, is quiet during the shot, and doesn’t vibrate the bow hand or arm builds shooting confidence.
After sighting the bow in at 20 and 60 yards and running over 150 arrows through it, I took it to the paper tuner. Seven shots was all it took to achieve a perfect arrow tune.
My sight tape of choice was Spot-Hogg’s #22, and by shooting Spot-Hogg’s Boonie, I could remove the yardage wheel for easy tape installation. From 20 yards to 120 yards, Hoyt’s RX-9 Ultra proved to a supreme bow that maximizes shooter efficiency and helps archers put carbon where their pin is hovering when the shot happens.
Final Thoughts
This is Hoyt’s most expensive carbon bow to date, but it’s also the manufacturer’s best-ever carbon bow build. If you put a premium on pin-point accuracy and rugged dependability you can count on, Hoyt’s Ultra RX-9 is worth a test drive at your local dealer. I can’t wait to get this bow into the woods in the coming days.
