Matthews SoloCam is back! Well, something like this. The single-cam system that made Matthews a household name in the 1990s is being revived under Matthews’ budget-friendly/youth brand – Mission Archery.
The Mission Stride features a modernized Mission SoloCam, offering the same butter-smooth draw we’ve always loved about SoloCam bows, with an adjustable module that makes simple draw length changes a breeze. If you remember the draw-length specific cams of the old Matthews SoloCam bows, this is a big difference.
There are two different lengths available – 28 and 30.5 inches – and two different limb configurations, making the Stride a bow that can be built for children or adult archers who just want a quality bow at an affordable price. Stride is entering the market at a time when many bow hunters are becoming intimidated by prime bow prices and are looking for other options.
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- ATA: 28 or 30.5 inches
- Weight: 3.8 pounds (28″) or 4 pounds (30.5″)
- Draw length: 21 to 29 inches (28″) or 22 to 30 inches (30.5″)
- The brace height for a 28-inch bow is 6 inches, while for a 30.5-inch bow it is 6.5 inches.
- Stride 28 Speed Rating: 320 fps
- Stride 30.5 Speed Rating: 323 fps
adjustable draw length
The Mission Stride is offered in axle-to-axle lengths of 28 inches and 30.5 inches. The Stride 28 weighs in at 3.8 pounds, while the 30.5 weighs in at 4 pounds. The draw length range on a 28-inch bow is 21-29 inches, and on a 30.5-inch bow is 22-30 inches. Because of the rotating module, those lengths are adjustable on each bow.
And that module is affixed to that single cam, or “solo cam” if you like. Single-cam bows have long been favored because the single cam at the bottom – paired with a simple, round idler wheel at the top – is shaped to distribute the draw weight evenly during the draw cycle, effectively eliminating the large hump that can be associated with two-cam bows. Talk to people who owned Matthews Solocam Bows back in the day. They loved him.
draw weight adjustment
The weight limit on strides with standard limbs is 50 to 70 pounds. Or, the bow can be fitted with lightweight limbs that provide a load limit of 30 to 50 pounds. Let-off is set at 80 percent, which I will talk about when we get to experience shooting.
Construction and Features
The bow features aluminum risers with composite limb pockets, where the major bows will be all aluminum. But Stride’s use of composite pockets is common among bows in this price range, and they have proven capable of withstanding some abuse.
There is a machined dovetail on the back of each riser so any IMS – Integrated Mounting System – rest can be attached. There is also a Berger hole for installing a standard rest, but the IMS rest is fast becoming the preferred choice, as the connection is so strong.
You don’t get the Matthews Limb Shift Tuning System on the Mission Stride, which isn’t surprising. But there is a split yoke at the top of the bow, one of the simplest tuning systems ever made. This requires a bow press, but if you have a press it is very easy to work with.
Mission Stride test
My draw length is 30 inches, so I chose the Stride 30.5 for testing. I initially set the bow at 70 pounds for speed readings, but then reduced it to 62 pounds for repeat shooting. I’ll explain why in a minute.
For accessories, I installed a Mission-branded QAD IMS Ultrarest, a five-pin Truglo sight, and a 10-inch Conquest 3K stabilizer. And with this setup, I prepared to shoot the 300-spline Victory Rip XV arrow.
tuning
To start my testing, I set the arrow rest and knocking point and then checked the cam timing. It was a little out of the box, and a bend in the lower cable synced the cams. There is nothing unusual there.
Next, I shot the stride through the paper. There was a little knock-left tear, which I easily repaired by putting a turn in the left yoke attached to the upper limb and taking a turn out of the right yoke. Again, from my experience, it is much easier to tune a bow with a split yoke like the Stride. You need that bow press, because you have to separate them from the limbs to turn the yoke, but if you have a press, split yokes are very simple.
speed test
With the bow now timed, tuned, and set at a 30-inch draw and 70-pound weight, and shooting a 350-grain arrow, I got a speed reading of 316.9 fps. Basically, 317 fps against the listed speed rating of 323. Very close.
shooting experience
The bow drew exactly as I would expect a single-cam bow to draw. The string was easily retracted with a steady, continuous motion until the cam was overturned. When I say the string came back with a steady, consistent speed, I mean there were no perceived peaks or valleys before the cam rolled. Sometimes when drawing the bow it starts becoming lighter and then becomes tighter or vice versa. The stride draw was stable for rollover.
Now, this is where the 80-percent letoff and the fact that I reduced the draw weight to 62 pounds for repeatable shooting comes into play. The valley of this bow feels shallow to me at my draw length. It may feel better at different lengths, but I can’t speak to that. And by shallow I mean that if you’re not paying attention to the full draw, the string is going to want to jump forward. It caught me a few times at 70 pounds, which is why I moved the limb bolts twice to bring the weight down to 62 pounds. At that pull weight, I could comfortably hold the string at full pull.
Once I figured out the draw weight, this bow shot as good as I could have expected. There is no vibration, just a slight wave of the hand. This produces an audible “blip” on the shot. I won’t say it out loud, but it’s not quiet either. If the noise bothers you a set of cat whiskers tied to wire will take care of you.
But to me it doesn’t matter if the arrows hit the back of the pin. This happened to me up to a distance of 40 yards. That was my maximum distance, simply because that’s all the room I had.
The rubber grip is the right size for me to maintain consistent hand position. I didn’t feel like my hand was moving around during the shot or from shot to shot. There’s nothing more frustrating than a grip that feels different from shot to shot.
I liked the 80 percent letoff at 62 pounds because it gave me the right amount of resistance to stay steady on target. The pin remained stable and the shots were cleared. The flight of the arrow was impeccable, and I didn’t have to work hard to hit what I wanted to hit.
At 20 yards, I spent some time shooting at the Vegas Target face. I hit the XS and 10S about as well as I would expect from a bow set up primarily for hunting. Sometimes, I hit 9, but not less than that.
At 40 yards, it was easy to keep my arrows grouped together. Again, I didn’t feel like I had to focus so hard on my shot to maintain consistency. It came naturally.
final thoughts
Prices for the two Strides are currently listed at $599 for the 28 and $650 for the 30.5. You get a lot of performance for those prices. For kids, novice bow-teachers, or experienced bow-teachers who want a high-performance bow for under $700, the Mission Stride is a home run with a renowned cam.
