I have been shooting and testing Bowtech bows since the days when the company named compound rigs after military titles and naval vessels. The 2009 Admiral was one of my favorites, and plenty of animals on my office wall are there because of the Destroyerer 340 and 350 models. Something I always appreciated about Bowtech is the company's willingness to take risks. Engineers must test and tinker to give us the latest and greatest technologies, and Bowtech's engineers have never been afraid to swing.
Bowtech launched several new flagships in 2025, including the 30-inch Solution LS, the 32-inch Virtue, and the Proven 34, which you can probably guess by the name is a 34-inch bow in keeping with the industry-wide trend of creating at least one model with a longer axle-to-axle measurement. The Proven 34 comes in two models, a Long-Cam version that covers draw lengths from 27.5 to 33 inches and a Medium-Cam from 25 to 30. I put the latter bow through its paces on my home range, and here is my full review.
Bowtech Proven 34 Specs
Axle-to-Axle Length: 34 inches
Brace Height: 6.625 inches (as tested with medium cam); 7 inches with the long cam
Weight: 4 pounds, 7 ounces
Price: $1,449
Related: The Best Compound Bows of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
Bowtech Proven 34 First Impressions
Bowtech offers nine finish options in the Proven 34 to match your style, but my bow came in black, which happens to be the finish I like best, in terms of looks. The middle section of the aluminum riser is thin and sleek, but it widens toward the top and bottom, transitioning into the wide and long limb pockets. Even with multiple cutouts, the shape of the riser adds weight, but risers with a wide base on the top and bottom tend to balance well at full draw and provide rigidity.
In the middle section of the riser is Bowtech's new grip. At first glance, it looks purposeful. A pair of set screws along a recessed half-moon slot with laser-engraved marks let you to set their grip angle to one of 15 positions. Bowtech calls it GripLock. The grip features a small rubberized pad in the upper portion, and like most Bowtech grips I've handled over the years, it is thin, perfectly angled, and designed to reduce torque.
The limbs are wide and long and bent beyond parallel. Bowtech's DeadLock Cams with TimeLock, DeadLock, and FlipDisc are back. The cams aren't oversized and allow draw-length adjustments between 25 and 30 inches in half-inch increments. (As mentioned, there is also Long-Cam version to fit draw lengths between 27.5 and 33 inches.)
Accessory attachment points are modernized. The IMS rest-mounting system is installed in the back of the riser, and Bowtech's 2nd Generation CenterMass Sight System is in front of it. With this system, the sight mounts inside—not outside the riser—and double mounting screws increase rigidity. The strings and cables had no nicks or frays, and they rode smoothly in the cam grooves.
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Bowtech Proven 34 Bow Build
The Proven 34 was the only compound bow in this year's test that came in under its listed peak weight rating of 70 pounds. Using a pair of digital scales, I got the same peak reading of 69.89 pounds every time I pulled the bow back. The limb bolts turn easily with zero slop, and the bolts don't chatter or pop when turned. This is a sure sign of an excellent riser-to-pocket-to-limb connection.
QAD's HDX Integrate MX2 drop-away attached easily to the IMS system. After leveling the rest, I pressed the bow and served the drop-away cord into the bow's down cable. The bow presses easily, and though my test bow had an all-gray string, Bowtech did a good job of putting the string strand separator roughly where the peep insertion would be. This bow, like the Bowtech's I've tested in past years, was easy to set up.
I wanted to give Bowtech's CenterMass Sight System a chance, so I added a Black Gold sight with a CenterMount attachment bar. Bowtech claims CenterMass improves shot-to-shot consistency, and I wanted to test that. I set up Easton's new 5.0 arrows with four Flex-Flech Pro 2.5 vanes, 100-grain field points, HIT inserts, HIT collars, and 5mm Microlite nocks. The total arrow weight is 381.5 grains.
Proven 34 Initial Range Test Results
Several of the bows in this year's test group came with separate speed-boosting modules. I didn't test them with those mods, however, because I feel it's necessary to test a bow as it is when it leaves the factory. For this reason, I left the FlipDisc set in Comfort, which I've always preferred when shooting bows with the FlipDisc system. For you reference, the most speed I have ever gained in the Performance setting is 6 feet per second.
Bowtech DeadLock Cams set in Comfort mode draw exceptionally well. Draw weight builds evenly; it isn't too stiff on the front end, and the transition to the bow's let-off (80 or 85 percent) is gentle. I selected the 80 percent let-off setting and found I could quickly obtain my two-part anchor and acquire my target quickly. We tested all of the new 2025 flagship compounds side by side, and in the end, the Proven 34 took home our award for Best Draw Cycle of 2025.
Two padded draw stops on the cam—not the module—contact the bow's inner cable. Cam timing was perfect, and the bow's back wall, compliments of the DeadLock Cam System, is firm and solid. I shoot a handheld release and prefer a slight valley I can pull into. The Proven 34 allows this without having a spongy valley. Though the valley is firm, it's forgiving. The DeadLock Cams aren't itching to unleash the arrow. You'll have zero trouble settling in and aiming.
The longer axle-to-axle, 6.625-inch brace height bow sits at full draw like a statue. This bow promotes excellent aim, and because the cams aren't trying to pull you into the shot, you can relax and execute. If you suffered from target panic, the Proven 34 would be an excellent bow to help cure what ails you.
At the shot, the bow is a little on the loud side. My oldest son, Hunter, stood beside me the first time I fired an arrow. Hunter scrunched his nose, looked at me, and said, "Dang, I didn't expect the bow to be that loud. The bow also produces a fair amount of post-shot hand vibration. While no bows in this year's test group caused excessive hand shock, the Proven 34 was higher up the hand-buzz chart than most.
That said, the bow is highly accurate. Typically, I detect some nock travel during initial range testing. If that travel isn't excessive and my arrows are grouping well to 60 yards, I don't return to my bow shop and start tinkering until I get a bunch of arrows through the bow. With the Proven 34, I detected no nock travel. I went to the paper tuner after 50 extremely accurate arrows between 20 and 60 yards. Typically, I shoot 100 arrows before a paper tune, but I couldn't help it.
Surprisingly, the Proven 34 put six Easton 5.0 arrows through the paper perfectly. Maybe it's because I've set up a pile of Bowtech bows over the years, or perhaps I just got lucky. Either way, the Proven 34 required no additional tuning.
I shot the Proven 34 at 3-D, bag, and foam targets for several days, and it proved to be one of the most accurate bows in this year's test. I found the extended 6.625-inch brace height extremely forgiving. I shot one 24-target 3-D round in high winds. Several times, I was sure my pin was somewhere in the 5 zone when my release broke. However, the lowest score I shot was a 53-yard 8, and that was with a three-blade fixed broadhead.
Using 100-grain field points, the Proven 34 produced sub-2-inch 40-yard three-arrow groups. Yes, the bow is a bit loud, does produce some hand buzz, and at 4.7 pounds, is the heaviest compound bow in this year's test group, but it balances, holds, and delivers arrows with supreme accuracy.
Related: Hoyt RX-9 Ultra Compound Bow Review: Quietest Bow of 2025
Final Tune
The Proven 34 didn't need a final tune. After 100-plus arrows, my marks all lined up. The string didn't stretch at all, which was a pleasant surprise. However, if you need to tune your Proven 34, the DeadLock Cam System simplifies the process.
Bowtech includes timing dots on the cam, which saves time. If you need to make timing adjustments, unlock the TimeLock locking screw. Next, insert your Allen wrench into the TimeLock slot and adjust.
The DeadLock system lets you clean up left/right arrow imperfections by loosening the DeadLock locking screw. I didn't need to use the DeadLock tune, but if you do, loosen the DeadLock locking screw and turn the Labeled screw left or right. It's simple and easy to use.
Speed & Noise
At 69.89 pounds of draw weight and a draw length of 29 inches, Bowtech's Proven 34 produced a three-group 381.5-grain arrow fps average of 295. Bowtech didn't build the Proven 34 to be fast. While 295 fps isn't slow, it's on the slower side of this year's tested bows. However, what the bow lacks in speed, it makes up for in accuracy.
I pegged the bow to be on the louder side during my initial range test. It was. The bow produced a three-shot dB reading of 70.01. While the Proven 34 wasn't the loudest bow in this year's test, I was surprised that a longer, slower, and heavier bow produced this much noise at the shot. Of course, there are things you can do to quiet it.
Proven 34 Final Range Test Restults
Again, not a lot to report here, because nothing really changed. Range results with field tips and mechanical and fixed blade broadheads remained excellent. I shot the well-balanced Proven 34 to 80 yards. The bow shoots extremely well. Through 12 targets, I had my best-ever 3-D score going. I fell apart on the last 12. Make no mistake, though, this was human error and no fault of the Proven 34.
Final Thoughts on the Proven 34
Pros
Hyper accurate
Super-smooth draw cycle
Holds well in the wind
Excellent tunability
Cons
Heavy
A little loud
Produces post-shot hand vibration
Although I had a few quibbles, I really liked this bow. It shoots great, it was the smoothest-drawing bow of all the models we tested in 2025, and it's very easy to tune. It's also worth mentioning that two of my bowhunting brothers, who shot with me the day I conducted my final range test, both shot the Proven 34. Despite its few faults, both archers were ready to trade their 2024 flagships, which weren't Bowtech models, for the Proven 34.
