Compound Bow Review: Obsession Fixation 6XP + Video
Lucas Cooney 08.13.18
I have been testing the Obsession Fixation 6XP compound for our sister site ArcheryTalk.com‘s 2018 Hunting Bow Project.
The Fixation 6XP has a 32 ¼-inch axle-to-axle length. Other specs include a brace height of 6 inches, mass weight of 4.5 pounds and IBO rated speed of 358 feet per second. The bow has a retail price of $999.
This is the first Obsession bow I’ve ever had a chance to shoot, outside of some very limited testing at the annual ATA Show. But my time with the Fixation left an impression on me at the 2018 ATA Show, as I named it my favorite bow of the show. I was eager to get one in my hands for a long-term test.
I am shooting the Fixation with the draw length set to 29.5 inches and draw weight at approximately 65 pounds.
Fit and finish is quite nice. The Mossy Oak camo looks great, but Obsession has 14 different riser color options to choose from, along with six string color options and three cam color options. All this allows you to get a unique looking bow straight from the factory.
The Fixation is actually available in four different iterations this year. You can get it with a six- or seven-inch brace height and with either a modular draw length cams or fixed draw length cams. The 6XP has the shorter brace height and the fixed draw length cams. This allows you to get the most performance possible out of the bow as you will get the full rotation of the cam, but if you aren’t 100% sure about your draw length, I’d suggest looking in the 6M or 7M instead.
Before I ever shot the Fixation I was worried how rough the draw cycle would be due to the fast IBO rating. But the draw cycle is much smooth than I’d expected and doesn’t feel at all aggressive with just a slight drop into the valley. Once at full draw, the wall is rock solid thanks to the limb stops. Only the short valley really hints at the performance of this bow.
I’ve been really happy with how well the Fixation 6XP holds on target – even with no stabilizer. Part of that may be due to the fact this bow feels a bit heavy, which offers a bit of stability. Either way, it seems to shoot really nice groups to 60 yards and beyond.
After the shot, I do notice a good bit of vibration – despite the beefy dampeners built into the limbs. A good stabilizer should calm that down a little, though.
To test out the speed, I shot a 350-grain Gold Tip Platinum Pierce arrow through a chronograph with the Fixation set at 70 pounds of draw weight and 29.5 inches of draw length. I saw an average speed of 334 feet per second. That’s great speed, but definitely slower than I expected out of a bow with an IBO rating of 358 feet per second.
If you are in the market for a hunting bow with good speed and a surprisingly comfortable draw cycle, do yourself a favor and check out the Obsession Fixation 6XP.
