Editors' review
The PSE Nova series has been around for more than a decade now. With the first version released in 1997, the Nova has been enhanced many times: a number of different eccentric systems, grips, risers, and other components were introduced over the years. While there are a lot of different versions out there, the Nova can be collectively described as a good starter bow for shooters on a budget: while the overall quality could be better, this is a decent bow for the money.
Grip
While there were a lot of design enhancements over the years, the grip on some PSE Nova modifications could be a bit better. Some owners say that while they are happy with pretty much everything, the grip could be a bit narrower and could have less torque. Some of such shooters prefer to take the grip off and wrap it with some tennis racket tape because the corners on the riser are too sharp without any material.
Eccentric system / Draw cycle
Starting from 1997, PSE introduced quite a few eccentric systems for the Nova bow: One Cam, Stage, Vector, Maxis, Synergy, Nova Pro, Vector Wheel, Arson, Vector Pro, Inferno, Synergy, Lightening, Rimfire, and NRG. While each cam system is individual, nearly all of them are very smooth and easy to draw as described by many owners. Have a look at the full
PSE Nova specs for detailed information about IBO speeds for each cam.
Draw cycle / Shootability
Due to its non-aggressive eccentric systems the Nova is a pretty smooth and easy drawing bow. Some archers say they chose this bow for its smooth draw cycle because they had to recover form shoulder injury. While the bow is easy to draw, it's not a speed monster and can't generate blazing IBO speeds. It's very unlikely you will get IBO speeds over 300 fps with this bow. However, this is not a problem for those shooters who are not speed fans. Such people say this bow is more than suitable for their hunting needs even though it is on the slow side. When it comes to the back wall it's not as solid as on some other rigs. Although the PSE Nova is not as quiet as some modern high quality rigs, a fully equipped bow is quiet enough for hunting.
Good bow for starters on a budget
While some archers disagree it's a great rig for starters and say there are better (but more expensive) beginner bows, other archers firmly believe this bow is a great choice for beginners on a budget due to its low price tag and decent quality. Having analyzed a lot of opinions, we came to conclusion that the Nova is a good bow for shooters on a budget who don't intend to upgrade it shortly. For example, if you want to build you archery skills quickly and quickly become a pro, you may be better off if you invest a little bit more money and get a better quality rig instead of upgrading in a year or two. If, however, you are not too passionate about becoming a super archer in a short period of time, buying the Nova could be one of the best investments.
Summary
To summarize, The PSE Nova is a decent quality bow at a very reasonable price. While it's not the quietest rig out there, the bow is quiet enough for many hunting scenarios. Admittedly, the Nova is an accurate hunting bow with good shootability characteristics. Although this rig is not as good as some of the better quality (and more expensive) bows, it's considered to be a great starter bow for shooters on a budget due to its low price tag and decent quality. Overall, the Nova is a good choice for beginners who are on a budget, don't plan to upgrade it immediately, and are not too excited about super fast speeds.
