Bear Assault Compound Bow

The Bear Assault is a complete, quiet, easy-to-own hunting bow that has aged well because it got the basics right: a smooth E-Cam draw, a dead-in-hand shot, 3.9 pounds of compact maneuverability, and a Ready-to-Hunt kit that leaves nothing else on the shopping list - all for roughly $549 at its 2010 launch. Its 328 fps IBO was never class-leading, and real hunting arrows land below that number, but speed was never the point; livability was. What I keep coming back to is how much finished, field-ready bow it puts in a first-time buyer's hands, and how little it asks of them to set up - an inch of draw change is a hex key and five minutes, not a pro-shop appointment. It is an excellent choice for the budget-minded or first-serious hunter who wants one quiet, light, adjustable bow that is ready on day one, and it is particularly strong as a compact treestand and ground-blind rig for whitetail and hogs. Buyers prioritizing raw speed in the same compact size should also look at the Bowtech Assassin; those wanting the lowest-cost quiet single-cam should look at the PSE Stinger... read full review