Five bows are listed on the Mission site, and three of them sit between $599.99 and $749.99. The Range HD is $749.99. The Stryde comes in a 28-inch and a 30.5-inch version, at $599.99 and $649.99. If the budget is tight, the Stryde is the one to look at. It also brings back an old idea, and that's the part worth a closer look.
Both bows carry Mathews' 3D Damping, which shows where the design comes from. Mission says every bow is designed and built in Sparta, Wisconsin, by the same team behind Mathews Archery. That's useful when you're comparing a Mission to a flagship bow, since the engineering comes from the same shop, even if the price doesn't.
Start with the Range HD, since it's the priciest of the three. It runs 31 inches axle to axle with a 7-inch brace height, and the listed IBO speed is 325 feet per second. The mass weight is 4.06 pounds, which is light for a bow with a machined aluminum riser. The draw length runs from 22 to 30 inches on an MB SwitchWeight cam, and you change it without a bow press. Each bow ships with both the 30-50 and the 50-70 pound mods, so changing the weight means swapping a mod, not booking time at a bow shop.
From the design side, a 7-inch brace is on the forgiving side, so small mistakes at the shot cost you less. That matters more to a hunter who shoots a few times a week than to someone chasing tournament scores. A shop can check the string angle on your draw in a few minutes, and that's the cheapest test you'll do all year. I'd still want to see it on my own draw before I bought.
The Stryde is the more interesting story. Mission calls its cam the Solocam, and a rotating module changes draw length without a bow press. The 28-inch version covers 21 to 29 inches, and the 30.5 covers 22 to 30. Standard limbs give 50 to 70 pounds, and the Stryde Lite limbs cover 30 to 50. The 30.5 is rated at 323 feet per second, and the 28 at 320.
The single-cam idea is old, and it still makes sense on paper. One cam means fewer moving parts to keep in sync, and that's a design argument, not a test result.
The riser is aluminum with composite limb pockets, which is common at this price. Outdoor Life says those pockets have proven able to take some abuse. A dovetail on the back takes an IMS rest, so you can upgrade the rest later without swapping the riser.
Tuning is a different story. The Stryde uses a split yoke at the top, which is simple to adjust but needs a bow press to disconnect the yokes. The reviewer fixed a nock-left tear with one twist in one yoke and one out of the other, which is about as simple as tuning gets if you own a press.
On a chronograph, a 30.5 hit 316.9 feet per second at 70 pounds, a 30-inch draw and a 350-grain arrow, according to Outdoor Life. That's about 6 feet per second under the 323 rating, which is close enough that I wouldn't read much into it.
One tester found the valley near full draw a bit shallow at that draw length. He dropped the weight to 62 pounds to shoot comfortably, and said the string wanted to jump forward if you weren't paying attention. That's one tester at one draw length, so I'd treat it as a flag, not a verdict.
The let-off was 80 percent, and the shots broke clean for that tester. Good, but that's one person's bow, and you learn how a bow feels by drawing it yourself.
Now the Range HD. At $749.99 you're paying for the cam system, the damping and the two mods that come in the box. The listing claims a quieter, more streamlined shot, but it doesn't put a noise number on that claim.
IBO is a standard test, so the number compares bows on paper. It won't tell you what your arrow does at your draw length. Draw length, arrow weight and tuning all move that number, so I'd ask for a shot test at the shop before you buy on a speed rating alone.
A draw-cycle curve and a noise rating are missing from the Range HD sheet. Those two numbers would help more than another spec line, and a dealer with a bow on the rack can usually tell you more than either one.
Both bows come out of Sparta, so the choice comes down to what you'll shoot. Pick the Stryde if you're buying for a kid, a beginner, or a bowhunter who wants an adjustable draw at a lower price. Pick the Range HD if you want 31 inches axle to axle, both mods in the box and a 7-inch brace for a steadier hold. Neither one is better in every case. It's about which one fits your draw and your budget.
The Range HD comes with a lifetime warranty, according to its listing. That's worth reading. Ask what the warranty covers for shipping and labor, since those terms can vary by dealer.
Durability gets a lot of confident wording in the copy. I'd take that as the company's voice, not an independent test. A well-built bow still needs someone who checks the fit, the tune and the draw length before you leave the shop. That's the part a spec sheet can't do for you.
I'd start a beginner on the Stryde. I'd give the Range HD a serious look once the shooter has drawn both at their own draw length, and I'd want the bows in hand before I put a deposit down on either one.