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PSE's speed era kicked off in 2014 when the bow maker launched the Full Throttle. They followed that up with a string of screamers, most with miniature brace heights, a rigorous draw cycle, and a jumpy feel at full draw. Then PSE changed, emphasizing a smoother draw cycle and improved shooting. Last year, we crowned their Mach 33 DS as the best compound bow. So, I was excited to see what carbon flagship would follow in its footsteps. I wasn't expecting the 5-1/4-inch-brace-height, 357-fps Sicario.
I thought PSE was no longer chasing speed. But the company believes that the slightly more reflexed Dead Frequency carbon riser design and all-new FDS Cam System will provide the shootability that bowhunters found in the Mach 33 DS with a fps rating that would make it the fastest carbon-riser bow ever produced.
There are obvious benefits to a faster bow. Speed shrinks pin gaps and gives bowhunters yardage forgiveness. On the flip side, extreme speed typically means a rough, bumpy draw cycle, induced torque, and more post-shot recoil. The last 5-1/4-inch brace height bow I shot slapped my arm, and although my pin gaps were tight, it produced beach-ball-sized groups at 60 yards.
In other words, PSE has taken a gamble here by going from a smooth-drawing, balanced, and hyper-accurate bow in the Mach 33 DS to a short-brace-height flamethrower. On the other hand, maybe they've cracked a code and discovered how to blend blazing speed with smooth shootability. Let's find out.
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PSE Sicario Specs
Axle-to-Axle: 33 inches
Weight: 3.9 lb.
Draw Length: 24-1/2 to 30 inches
Max Draw Weight: 50-80 lb.
Advertised IBO Speed: 357 fps
MSRP: $1,999.99
PSE Sicario Overview
The first thing that jumped out at me when I unboxed the PSE Sicario was how close the string was to the grip. Bow builders reduce brace height to increase speed. The grip is part of the riser, which is a PSE carbon-bow feature I'm a fan of. The grip has a narrow throat and is angled perfectly to reduce shooter-induced torque. The new riser wears a front Pic-rail for sight attachment, and QAD's dovetail IMS system for rest attachment to the riser's back. PSE includes a KillShok riser-mounted damper just above the lower Limb Vise pocket.
PSE's new-for-2026 Dead Frequency Carbon riser is slightly more reflexed than its predecessor. Though the Sicario mirrors the axle-to-axle length of the Mach 33 DS, the Sicario's riser is shorter. PSE gave the Sicario an all-new cam. They had to. The Mach 33's EC2 cam wasn't built for speed. The new FDS Cams allow for adjustable let-off between 75 and 80 percent, and they have a draw-length range of 24-1/2 to 30 inches in half-inch increments. The EZ.220 snap spacer system is back and allows for quick cam lean in precise .020-inch increments via snap spacers. PSE claims the new FDS Cam provides a generally smooth, linear draw cycle that moves and manages energy.
PSE's Cable Guard Mounted (CGM) system is back. I found that the system did its job on the Mach 33 DS, and should do here, as well, though it has a shorter bar, due to the reduced brace height. The CGM reduces friction and integrates with PSE's two-piece quiver to ensure clearance.
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PSE Sicario Bow Build
As with every compound bow in our annual test, I added a Spot-Hogg PM sight, QAD Integrate MX2 rest, and 12-inch Cutter Altitude Pro stabilizer. PSE requires the limb bolts to be turned out four complete revolutions before pressing, which gave me an opportunity to test their function; the bolts turned easily and didn't talk back to me, a sure sign of a solid riser-to-pocket system.
PSE's brace height specs matched my tape measure, as did the length between the axle pins. I maxed out the limb bolts and measured a weight of 70.55 pounds. The riser length was 27-1/2 inches with roughly 3 inches of reflex. The 29-inch draw length felt a touch long, and my measurement came in at 29-1/16. You may consider a 28-1/2-inch draw if you usually shoot 29. Draw-length adjustments are straightforward and easily made following PSE's letter-system adjustment guide: loosen two module screws and set the correct letter in the DL (draw length) window on the top and bottom cam.
The bow build was not complex, but one key think I noticed that's key with the Sicario is to make sure your rest launcher doesn't create contact with your arrow fletchings. Due to the bow's short brace height, you'll need to select vanes shorter than 3 inches for your arrows. My Flex-Fletch 2.5 Pro vanes on my 467-grain Easton 5MM FMJ arrows sit 1/4-inch off the launcher arm: it's not much clearance but it's enough.
PSE Sicario Range Results
The fastest bow I've ever shot through a chronograph at my draw length was 336 fps. I wanted to see how close PSE's advertised 357 fps at a 5-grains-per-pound draw weight was. Using a 350-grain arrow at 70 pounds of draw weight and a 29-inch draw length, the bow produced a precise three-shot fps of 350.1—making the Sicario that fastest compound bow I've ever shot. Although it's a screamer, the bow didn't feel torquy or jumpy as the string came back. The draw force curve is full; you feel steady weight throughout the cycle, with no peaks or valleys. The transition to my set let-off of 80 percent wasn't abrupt, and though you can feel the energy in this bow at full draw, the cams didn't want to pull you into the shot (like those old PSE screamers did). This shocked me. A bow capable of this type of speed shouldn't feel this smooth.
The FDS Cams wear a black let-off adjustment arm that attaches to both cam modules. The back of the arm has felt, and these arms contact the inner cable to create a firm back-wall feel. The Sicario's back wall doesn't feel as good to me as the Mach 33 DSs did, but I was able to pull hard into it and execute good shots. The real surprise is the lack of recoil when the shot breaks.
Switching to our test arrow, Easton's 5MM FJM Max (467 grains), the Sicario put the same 306 fps reading on the chronograph three times in a row. The bow, with our heavy test arrow, produces 97.12 foot-pounds of energy. I've never shot a bow that hits like this. My first 20-yard arrow buried to the fletchings in a BLOCK target with less than 200 arrows into it. My next 20-yard arrow, tipped with G5's T2 expandable broadhead, blew through the target; another first for a target in such good condition.
After 15 shots in low light, my Lumenoks showed a significant nock-left kick. I used the spacer tool and snap spacers to shim the cams and was back on the range in less than 20 minutes. The cam lean adjustment cleaned up the arrow flight.
The bow produces a slight thud when the string drops, but it isn't overly loud and is reasonably dead in the hand. I didn't have to fight the draw cycle and was able to push, pull, and execute surprise shots with index, thumb, and hinge-style releases. The Sicario produced a post-shot sound reading of 69.97 dB. Not as quiet as last year's Mach 33 DS, but certainly not loud.
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Final Tune
PSE's Sicario didn't tune up as easily as the Mach 33 DS. After the spacer swap, I still had a slight nock-left tear. This was cleaned up with the MX2 rest. Last year's Mach 33 DS was one of the most accurate compound bows I've ever shot and had the best shootability of any bow I've ever put in my hand. The Sicario isn't far behind it. After dialing the bow to 60 yards and shooting a sub-3-inch, three-arrow group, I dialed my tape to 80 yards and put an arrow into the 12-ring of Rinehart's Cougar, a target that has been a nemesis of mine in many 3-D shoots.
PSE's Sicario is not the most accurate bow I've ever shot, but a bow this fast with this short of a brace height shouldn't shoot this good. I shot back-to-back 5-Spot 300-round scores of 290 and 295, both with 33 Xs, and a 12-up score on my home-range 20-target 3-D course.
Final Thoughts On The PSE Sicario
Pros
Scary fast
Accurate
Great grip
Lightweight
Cons
Amplifies mistakes in shooting form at distance
The Sicario's speed is very impressive. What's more remarkable is that the speed doesn't come at much of a sacrifice. My sight housing has never had tighter pin gaps, and I was able to execute accurate three-arrow groups to the max tested distance of 80 yards. Even with heavier arrows, my 20-yard pin in five-pin housing covered both 20 and 30 yards. This is ideal for whitetail hunters and western hunters hoping to call elk close.
As you move farther back, your form must remain nearly perfect. The shorter brace height and faster speeds will amplify flaws in form or a weak arrow release. However, if you do your job, the PSE Sicario puts arrows behind your pin and is one of the most impressive compound bows of 2026.
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