Bear Whitetail II Compound Bow

The Bear Whitetail II is not a bow you buy for performance - it is one you appreciate for what it started and how well it has lasted. Across roughly 1985 to 1995 it delivered the long, forgiving, endlessly adjustable, finger-friendly hunting bow that made Bear synonymous with affordable capability, and it did the job well enough that thousands are still shooting today at prices that once hovered around $150 to $200 and now run to almost nothing used. Its honest limitations are the flip side of its virtues: it is heavy, it holds real weight at anchor with its modest let-off, and its roughly 190 fps speed keeps it firmly a close-range tool. But the same mass and long 46-inch geometry make it stable, quiet-landing, and remarkably durable, and the press-free draw and weight adjustment let one bow fit a whole range of shooters. What I keep coming back to with these round-wheel Bears is how easy they make it to learn genuinely good form, precisely because they hide nothing. It is an excellent bow for the finger shooter, the vintage-archery enthusiast, and the hunter breathing new life into an inherited Whitetail, particularly strong as a forgiving, teach-you-form platform at close range. Buyers who want modern speed, compactness, and high let-off out of the box should look instead at the Diamond Edge 320 or the PSE Stinger MAX... read full review