Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Effect is a straightforward answer to a specific need: a complete, ready-to-hunt, two-cam rig for the adult who wants to hunt this season without assembling a bow one accessory at a time. It pairs a 325-fps IBO H13 hybrid cam with a forgiving 7-inch brace and a rugged 6061 aluminum riser, all at 4.2 pounds bare, and ships as a full Trophy Ridge Ready-to-Hunt package that launched in the low-$600s. What I keep coming back to is how honest the bow is about who it serves - it skips the youth range other package bows chase and simply hands an adult a real 50-to-70-pound setup that holds tune and shoots quiet enough to hunt. It is not a target bow and not a grow-with-you kid's bow, and it never pretends to be either. An excellent choice for the adult hunter stepping up to a complete hunting rig, particularly strong as a shoot-it-the-week-you-buy-it whitetail setup. Buyers who need one bow to fit a growing child, or who want the lowest possible holding weight, should also look at the Diamond Edge 320. Read full review...

The Diamond Edge 320 earned its place as one of the best-selling grow-with-you hunting bows of its run for a simple reason: it does more things well at once than a $449 launch price has any right to. It is the longest and steadiest-aiming bow in Diamond's Edge family, adjusts across a class-leading 7-to-70-pound weight range and 15-to-31-inch draw entirely without a press, and holds a high 85 percent let-off for a light, long aim. The Synchronized Binary Cam System delivers real speed to match the name - a true 320 fps at the top setting and 309 at the 30-inch IBO mark on a chronograph - and the shot is quiet and calm in the hand in a way that usually costs more. What I keep coming back to is how little this bow asks of the shooter: an even draw, a wall that holds, a light hold, and a clean release, all on a frame forgiving enough to teach good form. Produced from 2019 to 2022 and now found on the used and closeout market, it was succeeded by the current Diamond Pro 320, so the platform lives on. It is an excellent bow for the grow-with-you household, the beginner who wants a bow they will not outgrow, and the value hunter who still wants genuine speed and a steady frame. Buyers who need to start a smaller, lighter beginner should also look at the Bear Legit Maxx, and those who prefer a tall, forgiving brace at the same tier should look at the PSE Stinger MAX. Read full review...

For a fully set up bow, with a package price of $449, it is really hard to beat a rig like the Stinger Max. Although entry level models are often geared toward a younger shooter, PSE was conscious in making the Stinger Max available to all ages and shooter sizes. Almost anyone in the bow market can be set up to fit in the 30-inch axle-to-axle rig, and the single cam draw force curve is amazing for those just getting started in the world of archery. The Stinger Max shoots well, but when considering the value, the Stinger Max really shines. PSE also did a great job giving the bow enough finish options to meet the entire range of potential buyers offering patterns for anyone and any purpose. Anyone interested in getting started in archery with a frill less bow, at a great price, needs to seriously consider the PSE Stinger Max. It may be one of the best values in the compound bow market for 2020. Read full review...

• Ships as a complete Ready-to-Hunt package - Trophy Ridge Whisker Biscuit rest, four-pin sight, quiver, stabilizer and sling installed, so it hunts straight out of the box
• The package sight glass holds usable brightness in low light, better than most kit optics - real help in the first and last minutes of legal shooting light
• Draw length adjusts across 27 to 31.5 inches with a hex wrench and the rotating H13 modules - no new parts to buy as your form settles
• Aluminum-alloy riser and zero-tolerance limb pockets give it a rugged, tune-holding feel that shrugs off knocks in the field

• The name is the speed and it nearly holds up - 320 fps IBO on paper, and a real chronograph reads 320 at the top draw setting and 309 at the 30-inch mark, fast enough for any whitetail range
• One bow spans a child to a grown hunter - 7 to 70 pounds and 15 to 31 inches, all set on the limb bolts and a rotating module with an Allen wrench, no press required
• Smooth draw into a back wall that holds - the cam rises evenly to peak and settles into a wall firm enough to anchor against, easy to let down
• Quiet and dead in the hand - minimal post-shot vibration and hand shock for a budget bow, the kind of calm shot that usually costs more
• Complete R.A.K. ready-to-hunt package plus a high 85% let-off - everything to start hunting in the box and a light holding weight at full draw

• A redesign of a popular model from previous years
• 2 limb options cover a draw weight range of 22-70-pounds
• Has an accessory package
• Decent starter bow for any shooter

• The advanced grip runs slim and forces a set hand placement - shooters used to a fatter grip may find it awkward at first; consistency comes with reps, and aftermarket wraps or side plates add fill if wanted
• Draw length starts at 27 inches, so shorter-draw and youth shooters fall outside the range - the Effect is built for adult draw lengths, not a grow-with-you starter

• At peak weight it draws about a half-inch short of the marked length, and the 15-inch floor sits on the cam's B cable setting rather than the default A - back the draw weight off or move to the B setting and the full range opens up
• Plastic limb pockets and a barebones Tundra sight mark the price point - the whisker-biscuit rest and 3-pin sight get you hunting, but shooters who grow into the bow often swap the sight for a brighter multi-pin later

• Does not have any flagship model technology
• Not the best accessories in the package