Bowtech Proven 34 Bow Review | The easiest bow to tune?

Hey, y'all, Brody Swish with Bowhunting.com here, back with another bow review, and today it's all about this new Bowtech Proven 34. Now, this bow, as the name implies, is one of several bows hit the market this year in that 34-inch axle-to-axle length. We've been watching as bow manufacturers try to see how short a bow they can deliver. We've seen 30, 29, 28, and just some crazy short bows, but now I think shooters are starting to realize, hey, you know what? That short bow's great, it's compact, it's great for the ground blind or the tree stand, but maybe not quite as shootable as that longer axle-to-axle length. They've been looking more above that 30-inch mark. We're seeing 32 become popular, 33, and now for 2025, several bow manufacturers hitting that 34-inch axle-to-axle length. So we're gonna take a closer look from axle-to-axle, the specs, the features, and spend some time on the range and see what the Proven 34 is all about. Now, pulling the bow from the box, I quickly noticed the length of the bow and just the way it felt in the hand. A great-feeling bow in the hand. It's very well-balanced, but it really made me realize how much I've missed a longer axle-to-axle bow. I've been shooting a 29. The sub-30-inch bow that I've been shooting is compact, it's great for bow hunting, but it's really made me realize what I've been missing from this longer axle-to-axle bow. The shootability, the forgiveness. You realize really quickly why the guys out West shooting those long shots, why they like that longer axle-to-axle bow. It comes to the shootability, the way it holds in the hand, the steadiness, the balance of it. You're gonna find that with this Proven 34. Now, as we get started, let's take a quick look at the specs on the Proven 34 and the name says it all. 34 inches axle-to-axle. It's got a 6.625 inch brace height. The bow weighs in at 4.7 pounds. It's got a draw length range from 25 to 30 inches, but it does come available in a long cam option that gives you 27 and a half to a crazy long 33 inches draw length. You're gonna find speeds of 336 feet per second, draw weights of 50, 60, and 70 pounds, and the bow wears a price tag of $1449. So the 34 inch axle-to-axle length is the big deal on the Proven 34. There's some other features we wanna talk about, new additions to this bow for this year, but the big deal on this when it comes to sophistication is the locking system of tunability built into this bow. We've seen it over the years. Bowtech's at the forefront when it comes to tunability built into this bow. They've been doing it for a long time in previous models of their bows. The tunability of these bows is impressive to say the least. It allows you to work on your bow from home. It allows you to tune your bow without the need for a bow press other than adding your peep sight. Incredible tunability built into these bows. Again, they've got technology and engineering like nothing we've seen before. You're gonna see that from top to bottom with their various lock systems. Let's take a closer look, starting with the deadlock design built into the axles itself. So we're seeing a number of bow manufacturers these days offering their own tuning system, cam adjustment. Everybody's got their thing these days for the most part, but Bowtech has got one of the slickest we've ever seen in this deadlock system. You simply loosen a screw and then you turn the screw below it on this deadlock design, allows you to move that cam left or right. Again, this was something that in the past we'd have to go in, put it in a press, every shot, do some details, do some tuning, do some adjustments. Now it's all right there. One screw loosens it up. The other screw allows you to essentially gear this cam left and right. So forget about spacers and the need for bow press, all the extra stuff, the time consuming process, now it's super simplified with this deadlock system. Again, deadlock allows you to move that cam left or right, but time lock allows you to get your timing set up, again, without the need for a bow press. In the past, you'd have to go and put your bow in the press, make your half turn of the cable, try to get your timing set up where you want it, where you need it. Again, it's all simplified now with this time lock. Again, with the turn of a screw, allows you to move this design up and down to get the perfect timing you need for your setup. Now, another really cool feature built into this cam is the flip disc technology. Essentially giving you two bows in one. You can have the comfort setting or the performance setting on this flip disc design. You flip it to whichever side you want. I always go with the comfort side just to give that smoother draw. The performance side's gonna get you up to maybe 10 feet per second faster speeds. For me, it's all about that comfort side. That's one I've always liked on these Bowtech bows. Nice and smooth draw cycle. Little bump on the backside as it rolls into place. Solid back wall. But for the shooter looking for that extra speed, that extra performance, flip it over that performance side, handle that more aggressive draw cycle, and you're ready to roll. You're also gonna find the grip lock design. We saw it last year, the grip lock design. You got screws on the side of the grip there to allow those adjustments for the grip angle in and out, but that drive screw in the riser itself allows those micro adjustments. You'll find the orbit dampeners on the top and bottom of the riser, again, to cut down on vibration and noise. But you're honestly not gonna find a lot of add-ons and extras when it comes to noise and vibration dampening on this bow, a testament to the fact of how quiet it is at the shop. Now, I believe it was last year that Bowtech came out with what they call center mass technology, specifically for the bow side, allowing you to take that bow sight bar and run it through the center of the riser itself. Had a cutout in the center of the riser. You run the bar through the center of the riser, made things streamlined, center line, more balanced. It's not top heavy, leaning left or right, straight through the center of the riser. This year, however, center mass has come over to the inside of the sight window. You're gonna find a little cutout right there on the side of the riser. Two screws mount that bar. Basically, opposite side of what we've traditionally seen. Again, the idea is to bring it in, make it more balanced, everything's center. Center mass technology now taking things to the inside. Now, out on the range is where this bow really shines. Again, that longer axle-to-axle length really makes this a shooter. Feels good in the hand, great at the shot. I really like what I saw, what I felt with this bow. I put a bunch of arrows through the Garmin Chrono to get an idea for speed. Again, this is a 70-pound bow, 28-inch draw, and I was shooting my 420-grain Easton Axis Hunting Arrows. And as I always say, I wanna shoot the arrows I hunt with to get an idea for the real-world impact and performance that I'll find with my hunting setup. That's what I did. 70-pound bow, 28-inch draw, 420-grain Easton Axis Arrows, and I consistently got speeds through the Garmin Chrono of 290 feet per second. So, plenty of speed, plenty of zip, but the way this bow shoots, the way it feels at the shot is where this bow really is gonna shine. Again, forgiveness, all the stuff, all the benefits that those guys out West, those guys shooting those tack events that love the longer axle-to-axle length, you're gonna find that, you're gonna know that, and realize it with this proven 34 bow. So, when it comes to the pros and cons on this bow, the stuff I like versus what I might not like, let's start with the positives. Again, I like the way this bow shoots. I like that longer string angle of that 34-inch axle-to-axle length. Again, just a great shooting bow. I love the way it looks. I don't know if you call this a sand finish, whatever it is, tan finish, whatever. Sharp-looking, solid color option. And I gotta give Bowtech props for the tunability built into this bow. Again, they knock it out of the park every year when it comes to the adjustments you can make, the tunability built right in, this lock design, this lock series, tunability like no other. It's gonna be hard to beat this system when it comes to the ease of getting your bow set up right there on the line as you go. Now, when it comes to the cons on the bow, if I've gotta come up with something negative to say, I guess I'll go with the fact that it comes in a little bit on the heavier side. It's 4.7, 4.8 pounds, which isn't bad when you consider that it's, again, 34 inches axle-to-axle length. That's a lot of bow. It's gonna be a little heavier. I know some guys might say, man, that's a heavy bow, four and a half plus pounds. It's a little bit on the heavier side than what I'm used to, but again, 34 inches axle-to-axle. Last year, I was toting a 29-inch bow. Pound difference. You can expect that when you're toting a whole lot more bow like that. Not a problem at all. Just something I want you to know as you pack, as you plan, as you prepare, knowing what you're getting into when it comes to weight. If you're hunting out West, if you're hunting a tree stand, whatever it may be, just know what you got when it comes to weight of the bow. The only other thing might be the draw cycle on the performance side of the flip disc. A little more harsh, a little more aggressive on the draw cycle. Overall, though, great shooting bow. I love the way this bow shot on the range. I love the way it felt on the range. So if you're looking for that longer axle-to-axle draw length, I encourage you to go and give this one a test drive. It's ringing up at 14.49. Check it out at your local Bowtech dealer or online at bowtecharchery.com.