Editors’ review
The Full Throttle is the fastest bow ever produced, but nothing except the specification numbers would lead a shooter to believe that. For this much performance, the Full Throttle draws very well, feels balanced, holds steady, and has minimal hand shock. The valley is on the short side of things, but those wanting a speed bow already know this, and often shoot better being forced to pull hard into the back wall. It really is too bad short brace height speed bows get a bad reputation of being unforgiving and hard to shoot because many shooters will not even give the Full Throttle a legit chance because of it. However, those shooters willing to give it a test shot are going to be impressed no doubt.
Finish
PSE and Mossy Oak Camo go with each other like peanut butter and jelly. PSE has been finished with Mossy Oak for what seems like forever, and 2014 is no different. The finish options available make the entire lineup look spectacular, and the Full Throttle is no exception. Shooters have three options available without going through the PSE custom shop for an almost endless amount of finish options. Mossy Oak Break up Infinity is the traditional camo pattern option, joining an all black look, and the popular Skullworks edition pattern. All options look and feel great and are capable of withstanding the abuse hunters put on their equipment from being out in the wilderness.
Riser
Like the rest of the bow, the riser of the Full Throttle looks aggressive and mean. The riser cutouts give the bow an attitude that makes it look like no other bow currently on the market. The overall mass of the bow tips the scales at just over 4-pounds, but it by no means feels heavy even completely rigged. Although the cutouts and riser character is different than anything else PSE has this year, it is still obvious the Full Throttle is a member of the beloved X-Force line of things. The evolution of this bow has been great to watch, and it will be interesting to see how engineers improve on this solid foundation in the future. The Flex Cable Slide works like a limb and allows the shooter to fully customize the feel of the shot. Made from the same material as the split limbs, the cable slide adjustments allow for less torque while drawing and shooting the bow. While the arrow is drawn, the slide flexes in toward the arrow, after the arrow has been fired, the slide returns back to its normal position and allows for full clearance of the arrow and fletchings. The Backstop 2 rear mounting dampener does a fantastic job stopping the strings forward movement after the shot. The rubber haults the string, and cancels out noise and vibration very well transferring any residual vibration to the front mounting stabilizer hole. The riser shelf also features tuning and alignment marks as well to give tuners a good idea of where to start before fine-tuning for the perfect tear on paper. These engraved timing marks do not take away from the look of the bow, but adds a lot in functionality.
Grip
The chosen grip for the Full Throttle is fantastic in most shooters opinions, It is narrow and skinny and fits very well in the shooters hand for a repeatable shot. It may take a little getting used to for shooters coming from a thicker more contoured grip, but those interested in perfect hand placement for limited torque and improved accuracy will love the overall feel of this grip. The rubber sidepieces feel fine, but the grip will get chilly in cold hunting situations being a part of the machined riser material. PSE is aware of this, and sells a neoprene grip cover for those wanting a warmer option without compromising the great feel of the riser in hand.
Limbs
PSE bows, especially the X-Force lineup features highly pre-stressed split limbs to help store energy and power the arrow downrange. These limbs have undergone lots of testing to make sure they hold up to everything engineers demand of them. The limbs are adjustable in ten-pound increments and have four maximum weight configurations: 50, 60, 65, and 70-pounds. Although it would be nice to have a 40-pound weight range, most shooters interested in a speed bow are covered in the standard 30-pound range available. The Centerlock Speed Pockets keep the limbs fixed to the riser. Based on the successful Centerlock pockets, the speed pockets sport a shorter design, which helps add a it of speed while eliminating some extra weight as well. The overall package is adjustable, lightweight, and fast while functioning very well.To help dampen vibration, the limb bands from PSE do a great job at reducing even more noise and vibration. The old design required the limbs to be detached to replace or put on. This generation band can be added or removed with the external locking system featured on the rubber dampeners. Shooters wanting a more customized look will also appreciate the varied colors the bands are available in as well.
Eccentric System
The Full Throttle cam is a masterpiece in archery engineering producing the fastest speeds ever from a compound bow coming in at 370 feet per second. The cams look aggressive and produce amazing performance. With draw lengths available between 26.5 and 30-inches in half-inch increments, the Full Throttle is sure to fit almost all shooters interested in a speed bow. Made out of high strength aluminum, the draw length specific cams are designed with speed in mind. The cams also feature a 70% let off, which may take a little to get used to if shooters are coming from an 80% let off, but will perform very well.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
Unfortunately, speed bows have a terrible reputation for shootability and feel. That is before the Full Throttle! This bow is amazing and shoots very well in the hands of just about anyone. The aggressive cams are designed to be tough at first, but smoother towards the end, and that is exactly how they feel. No part of the draw cycle in unmanageable, and the draw cycle transitions are very smooth. Those giving the Full Throttle a legit test shot will rave about how awesome it feels from start to finish.The back wall is solid, but the valley is a little short for some personal preferences. However, many shooting experts prefer a shorter valley, which forces shooters into a proper push and pull technique leading to improved accuracy. It may take a little more getting used to for some, but those willing to give it a try are going to be pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes. After the shot, there is a slight vibration with the bare bow, but nothing a few accessories cannot correct. The bow holds well on target, and is a bit on the heavy side of things spec-wise. It does not feel heavy in hand or holding on target, but in comparison with some other lightweight models, there is a difference when held side by side.If for no other reason, shooters should try this bow out to get a feel for what speed truly feels like. The Full Throttle is an engineering victory for how well it draw and how fast it shoots. Even with the short brace height, the Full Throttle is a dream to hold and shoot. It stacks arrows and will produce enough kinetic energy for the majority of animals hunters set out for.
Usage Scenarios
The Full Throttle is a speed bow designed for hunting, but could help eliminate some yardage errors on the 3D course as well. With a 33 1/4- inch axel-to-axel measurement, the bow looks great on paper as a multipurpose bow even though it was designed with hunting in mind. For the $1099 price tag, it may help justify the cost for some shooters if it could be used for more than one purpose.
Comparisons
Both bows are speed demons, and great performance bows. They are designed to push the limits of speed in the compound world, and do so with a solid foundation and great shootability. With that being said, a large majority of shooters feel the PSE Full Throttle is an improvement in almost every way over the PSE X Force Omen Max. Although the Omen has a cult like following, shooters wanting speed also appreciate the smooth draw and improved back wall the Full Throttle has to offer.
Summary
Speed bows do not get the attention they deserve for the simple reason they are not giving a fair shot. Most shooters are going to walk in to a pro shop, take the Full Throttle off the shelf and test it out set at the same poundage as the bow they have at home, and walk out of the store complaining at how overpriced and hard to draw it is. Unfortunately, those shooters are missing the biggest advantage of shooting a speed bow, and that is the option to significantly decrease the draw weight and maintain the same solid performance. Shooters seriously interested is trying out the speed demon Full Throttle should have the speed of all the bows they are considering set the exact same and shoot them that way. Of course a Full Throttle is going to draw a bit differently than other bows, it is shooting 20 feet per second faster than most other fast bows on the market. Realistically, the Full Throttle can be shot 10-15-pounds lighter than what shooters are used to and still shoot the same speed. The Full Throttle is a great shooting bow in all areas, and deserves a test shot.
