Mathews touts the XS as “smoother, lighter, and quieter” than the original Creed. Certainly the specs are different. Most significantly, the XS is, as previously mentioned, more compact than the Creed. And yes, it is a shade lighter at a published 3.8 pounds as opposed to 3.85 pounds.

So when Mathews told me about their new, 2014 Mathews Creed XS I honestly didn't think I was a good enough shooter to test it (the XS is only 28” A2A). I had tested two of their previous bows and both were “scary-good” - the 2013 Creed, and the 2013 Chill. So this bow was following some tough competition.

Mathews touts the 2013 Creed as the “… smoothest drawing high-energy single cam ever created.” The Geo Grid Lock Riser, walnut grip, and Harmonic Dampers identify it instantly as a Mathews bow.

Mathews Creed XS Specifications

The Roman Church has had a long tradition of two forms of a profession of faith be- ing regularly used in a form during various litur- gical rites. The Apostles' Creed has traditionally been associated with baptism, and the Nicene Creed has traditionally been associated with the Eucharist.

This design allows the Creed XS to become the whole package, a lightweight hunting bow that is smooth, forgiving and accurate and still incredibly fast at 321 FPS IBO rating.

Specs at a glance Weight ranges 40-50lbs, 50-60lbs, 60-70lbs. Please specify weight required. All bows are adjustable 10lbs down from the peak draw weight.

Mathews introduces its newest bow model - the Phase4™. Engineered with new Resistance Phase Damping™ Technology to drastically reduce vibration and built compatible with a completely redesigned line of Bridge-Lock™ Stabilizers, the Phase4 is the stealthiest hunting system to-date.

The Mathews Creed is designed by taking all of the positive attributes from all of Mathews bows from the past and combining them to work synergistically creating the most effecient, smoothest bow Mathews has ever created!

Mathews Creed Specifications

The brace height influences an archer's power stroke (distance from the bow grip to the archer's full draw position). The powerstroke then affects the amount of time the arrow stays in contact with the string before launching past the riser. The greater this “contact time,” the faster the bow, all else being equal.

The term “creed” comes from the Latin word “credo,” which translates to “I believe.” A creed is a commitment to a specific belief, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies a creed as a symbol of faith.

Because the council was primarily interested in discussing Jesus, the original form of the creed did not have much to say about the Holy Spirit. (The creed was updated after the first Council of Constantinople to reflect the deity of the Holy Spirit.)

Christianity. The first confession of faith established within Christianity was the Nicene Creed by the Early Church in 325. It was established to summarize the foundations of the Christian faith and to protect believers from false doctrines.

The Apostles' Creed * The Apostles' Creed has an individual emphasis, is shorter, and in easier language.

In fact, its in-the-field accuracy proved to be just as deadly as what I experienced at the range. And, while I've always been a big proponent of longer, heavier bows (I think they are more accurate), the XS proves that a shorter, lighter bow CAN be just as accurate.