Diamond Pro 305 Review

Editors' review

Diamond has sold a broad-adjustable bow called the 305 for years, the mass-retail Infinite 305 that turned up on shop walls and online alike, and the Pro 305 is what happens when that proven platform gets moved behind the pro-shop counter and given grown-up hardware. The headline change is not the speed or the range, both of which the old bow already had; it is that the adjustment blocks that used to be molded plastic are now aluminum, the parts a shared, constantly-reset bow leans on hardest. One riser covers a 19 to 31 inch draw length and a 7 to 70 lb draw weight, which is a wide enough spread to carry a young beginner pulling seven pounds in the backyard all the way up to a grown hunter at a full 70 lb big-game weight. It is a Diamond Pro Shop Exclusive, sold and fitted only through independent dealers, and it arrives as a complete, sighted-in package rather than a bare bow. At 3.3 lb bare it is genuinely light for a bow this adjustable, and the 80 percent let-off and tall brace height are tuned to keep a developing shooter steady rather than to chase a speed number. If you want one bow a child can start on and still be hunting with as an adult, fitted correctly at a shop from day one, that is the job the Pro 305 was built for.

Finish

The Pro 305 is offered in three finishes: Black, Mossy Oak Bottomland, and Sandstone. Bottomland is the muted brown-and-black bark pattern that has become a default for hardwood and early-season whitetail hunters, Black is the clean, do-anything option that also suits a target or backyard setup, and Sandstone is the neutral tan for a shooter who wants something lighter than full camo. That is a broader palette than the single-finish sibling Pro MAX offers, and it fits a bow aimed as much at a first-time archer picking their own look as at a seasoned hunter. All three finishes carry the same price, so the color is a free choice rather than an upcharge decision. Diamond's dip finish holds up well to the handling a shared, often-adjusted bow takes across a season of backyard sessions and range trips. Both right-hand and left-hand versions are made, which matters on a bow a household may pass around, because a left-handed youngster should not be pushed onto a right-handed grip. For a bow that a kid may well pick partly on how it looks, the three-way finish choice is a small thing that lands.

Riser

The riser is machined aluminum with the open, cut-away geometry Diamond uses across its adjustable line, tuned to hold a long 32 inch axle-to-axle length, the cam-to-cam measurement, that gives the bow a stable, steady-hanging frame. That extra length is deliberate on a bow meant for newer and smaller shooters: a longer axle-to-axle bow sits quieter on target and is more forgiving of a hand that is still learning to hold still than a short, twitchy speed rig would be. Where the Pro 305 separates itself from the online Infinite 305 it grew out of is the hardware bolted to that riser. On the older bow the small blocks that carry the rest and the left-right and up-down adjustments were molded plastic; on the Pro 305 they are aluminum, and in practice that is exactly where a bow that gets torqued down and reset repeatedly wants metal instead of plastic, because those are the fasteners a growing archer or a shared household will work hardest. The riser carries standard threaded bushings for the rest, sight and stabilizer that ship in the package, with no exotic rail to complicate a first setup. What the riser delivers is the pair of things a developing shooter actually benefits from: a long, stable frame and adjustment hardware that will not strip or flex after a season of changes.

Grip

The grip is a slim, molded profile that sits directly on the riser, the same low-frills approach Diamond takes across its value bows, and it is a sensible choice for a bow that many different hands will hold over the years. A narrow grip lets a shooter wrap the bow without the palm heel forcing a torqued, inconsistent hand position, and keeping torque out of the hand is one of the first habits that separates a tidy group from a scattered one, which matters most for exactly the beginners this bow is aimed at. The molded shape is squared and contoured enough that a returning young shooter can feel where the hand belongs and find the same placement each session, which builds the repeatability a new archer is trying to learn. Because the Pro 305 is built to be shared and grown into, a grip that does not fight any particular hand size is more useful than a sculpted one tuned to a single adult palm. A shooter with very large hands may find it slim, but that is a fair trade for a bow that has to fit a ten-year-old and an adult in the same household. Out of the box the grip asks for nothing; it is set up to be picked up and shot.

Limbs

The Pro 305 runs fiberglass-composite limbs tuned to cover the full 7 to 70 lb range on the limb bolts, and that 63 lb of draw-weight span is the number that defines the bow's whole working life. A first-year archer can start at seven or ten pounds in the backyard, a teen can shoot it in the thirties and forties, and a full-grown hunter can turn the same bow up to a legal, effective 70 lb weight for big game, all with an Allen wrench and no press. That is the practical heart of a grow-with-you bow: the draw weight climbs as the archer does, without new limbs, new modules, or a trip to the shop at every step. Fiberglass-composite limbs are the durable, forgiving choice for this tier, and the wider 305 platform they come from has a track record of holding together, with owners reporting the strings and cams staying in time over a year of shooting rather than drifting loose. For a family or a first-time hunter, limbs that quietly cover the entire span from a child's practice weight to an adult hunting weight are what make the one-bow-for-years promise real rather than marketing.

Eccentric System

The cams are Diamond's Synchronized Binary Cam System, a patented dual-cam layout in which two symmetrical cams are slaved to each other so the string travels a flat, level path, which is what lets a broad-adjustable value bow still tune in cleanly and stay in time. Draw length changes without a press: you loosen the module bolts and rotate the module across the 19 to 31 inch range, top and bottom, keeping the two cams matched, so there are no separate cams or modules to buy as a young shooter grows into a longer draw. Draw weight adjusts the same press-free way on the limb bolts across the 7 to 70 lb span. IBO speed, the industry-standard chronograph rating measured at 30 inches of draw, 70 lb and a 350 grain arrow, is listed at 305 fps; because most Pro 305 shooters will be pulling shorter draws and lighter weights, real-world arrow speeds land below that figure, and no independent chronograph data exists yet for this pro-shop-only bow. Let-off, the percentage the holding weight drops to at full draw, is 80 percent, so a shooter at 70 lb holds about 14 lb while aiming, and a youngster at 30 lb holds only six, which is what lets a developing archer settle into a steady aim instead of shaking against the bow. What stands out about this platform is how manageable the pull is for a bow rated at 305 fps; the design leans toward a smooth, tunable draw a range of shooters can handle rather than a stiff speed cam. The binary layout is also the tuning story: symmetrical cams that hold their timing are far easier to set and forget than a system that needs constant fussing, which is a real benefit on a bow that will be reset again and again.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

A bow that a child will learn on and an adult will hunt with has to be forgiving and predictable above all, and the Pro 305 is built around that instead of around chasing speed. The 80 percent let-off keeps the holding weight low enough that a lighter or less experienced shooter can hold and aim rather than fight the bow at full draw, and the rotating-module draw stop can be set right where each shooter's anchor naturally falls. The binary cam gives a defined stop at the end of the draw, a consistent wall to pull into shot after shot, which is exactly the anchor discipline a new archer is trying to build. The 7.25 inch brace height, the distance from the grip to the string at rest, is on the tall, forgiving side for this class, and drawing the bow it is clear that extra brace is doing forgiveness work: it gives the string more room to leave the bow before a flinch or an imperfect release can steer it, which is precisely what a developing hand needs. At 3.3 lb bare the bow is light enough that a smaller shooter can hold it up without tiring mid-session, and it settles to right around four pounds once the sight, rest, quiver and stabilizer are on. Because no independent noise or vibration numbers exist for the Pro 305 yet, I am not going to put a figure on its shot feel, but the long 32 inch frame, tall brace and slaved binary cams give it the rigid, repeatable foundation that rewards a consistent shooter and forgives a learning one.

Usage Scenarios

The Pro 305 is built for one clear job, being the single bow an archer can start on young and keep shooting into adulthood, and it fills that role well. Picture a parent who sets a ten-year-old up at fifteen pounds and a 20 inch draw for backyard practice, then over the next several years walks the same bow out to a 28 inch draw and a 55 lb hunting weight as the kid grows, never buying a second bow. Picture a petite adult who wants a real 70 lb hunting setup but has been stuck between undersized youth bows and adult bows that will not come down far enough, and finds the Pro 305 fits from a short draw at a light weight all the way up. It handles backyard practice, 3D club nights, indoor lanes and entry-to-mid-level hunting inside sensible ranges, and because the whole span adjusts without a press it passes easily between a taller adult and a shorter teen. Its 32 inch axle-to-axle length and tall brace make it a stable, forgiving target and hunting bow rather than a tight-quarters speed rig. What it is not built to be is a short, ultra-fast flagship for the veteran hunter chasing maximum speed and the quietest possible shot; that shooter is shopping a different class, and the Pro 305 is honest about being the grow-with-you tool instead.

Versions

The Pro 305 is sold as a single model in one complete, pro-shop-fitted package at a $549 launch MSRP, rather than being split into bow-only and ready-to-hunt tiers. Every bow ships fully outfitted with the upgraded Octane kit: a five-pin Octane sight with a light option, a three-arrow Octane quiver on a new lever-style quick-detach mount that lets you pull the quiver in the field, a six-inch Octane stabilizer, a full-capture Pro Octane rest with a choice of red, green or pink fibers, a three-sixteenths peep, and a Diamond wrist sling, all pre-mounted so the bow only needs sighting in. The three finishes, Black, Mossy Oak Bottomland and Sandstone, are all offered at that same price, and both right-hand and left-hand builds are available. The only real choice a buyer makes is finish and hand; the hardware and the package are the same across the line.

Diamond Pro 305 vs Bear Legit Maxx, PSE Stinger MAX

Bow	Diamond Pro 305	Bear Legit Maxx	PSE Stinger MAX
Version	2026	2026	2021
Picture
Brace Height	7.25 "	6.25 "	7 "
AtA Length	32 "	30 "	30 "
Draw Length	19 " - 31 "	14 " - 30 "	21.5 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	7 lbs - 70 lbs	10 lbs - 70 lbs	45 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	305 fps	315 fps	304 fps - 312 fps
Weight	3.3 lbs	4.2 lbs	3.8 lbs
Let-Off	80%	75%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$329 to $881.99 Compare prices	$125 to $650 Compare prices
	compare more bows

The grow-with-you hunting-package category has a few genuine alternatives, and the choice comes down to how small the smallest shooter is, how much you value a forgiving frame, and what you are willing to spend. The Bear Legit Maxx is the closest match for a family that needs to reach a truly small beginner: it adjusts across a 14 to 30 inch draw and a 10 to 70 lb weight, coming down to a shorter draw than the Pro 305's 19 inch floor, and it costs less at a $499 launch MSRP; but at about 4.2 lb of measured mass it is heavier in a small shooter's hand, its 6.25 inch brace height is shorter and less forgiving, and its 30 inch draw ceiling will not fit the tallest long-draw adults the Pro 305 reaches at 31 inches. The PSE Stinger MAX is the value pick at a $449 package price with a 7 inch brace and 80 percent let-off, and it also climbs to 70 lb, but its 21.5 inch minimum draw means it cannot fit the smaller, shorter-draw youngsters the Pro 305 serves down to 19 inches. The decision comes down to priorities: the Diamond Pro 305 for the buyer who wants the longest, most forgiving frame, the lighter bow in the hand, and a pro-shop fitting on a bow that grows from a light youth weight to a full adult one; the Bear Legit Maxx for the household that needs to reach a genuinely small first-year child and wants to spend less; and the PSE Stinger MAX for the shooter who wants the lowest package price and does not need the shortest minimum draws.

Summary

The Diamond Pro 305 is the grow-with-you bow of the value hunting category, the pro-shop version of Diamond's long-running 305 platform with the hardware upgraded where it counts. At a $549 launch price it sits above the online grow-bows, and what that money buys is a machined-aluminum riser, aluminum adjustment blocks in place of the old plastic ones, and the patented Synchronized Binary Cam System on a long, forgiving 32 inch frame with a tall 7.25 inch brace. Its 19 to 31 inch draw and 7 to 70 lb range, all adjustable at home without a press, let one bow fit a young beginner and a grown hunter and every stage in between, while the 80 percent let-off keeps each of them steady at full draw. The 305 fps IBO figure marks it as a capable rather than a blistering bow, which is the right balance for a platform built around fit and forgiveness instead of raw speed. What I keep coming back to is how light it is for how much it adjusts, 3.3 lb bare on a 32 inch frame, which is what makes it genuinely holdable for the smaller shooters it is meant to grow with. It is an excellent bow for the household or the developing archer who wants one adjustable, pro-fitted bow to start on and keep, particularly strong for the parent equipping a child who will still be shooting it as an adult and the petite adult who wants a real 70 lb setup that also comes down far enough. Buyers who need to reach a genuinely small first-year child or who want to spend less should also look at the Bear Legit Maxx, and shooters who want the lowest package price might prefer the PSE Stinger MAX.