Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Convergence was the brand's 2019-2020 answer to the one-bow-for-the-whole-household question, and at roughly $679 for the ready-to-shoot R.A.K. package it delivered something budget adjustable bows rarely do, a genuine limb-stop back wall and a Bowtech shot on a chassis that adjusts from 8 to 70 pounds and 21 to 31 inches without a press. The headline IBO is 330 fps, but the honest number is the 285 fps it chronographed at a 29-inch hunting draw, plenty for whitetail and hog inside normal ranges, and in my experience the smooth valley and hard wall matter more day to day than that speed anyway. It is quiet, it aims calmly on that narrow grip, and it forgives the small errors a growing or first-time shooter makes, which is exactly the job it was built for. The two honest limits are a slight jump on release that a stabilizer settles and a bottom end that is growing room rather than a true target weight, neither of which undercuts what the bow is for. Bowtech has since replaced it with the Amplify, so the Convergence now lives on the used market, where its adjustability makes it one of the smarter budget buys a family can find. It is an excellent bow for the household that needs one adjustable hunter to cover a short-draw teen through a full-weight adult, and it is particularly strong for the buyer who wants a real, defined back wall at a budget price. Buyers prioritizing the lowest possible entry weight and price should also look at the Diamond Edge 320, and those wanting the most compact, lightest platform should look at the Bear Legit Maxx. 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...

The Bear Legit Maxx delivers practical upgrades over its predecessor at a $499 launch MSRP and serves as the budget RTH option in Bear's adjustable lineup, carried over from 2025 into 2026 without spec changes. The addition of Integrate Mounting System rest mounting and a Picatinny sight rail brings setup convenience from higher-priced bows into the budget category. The 14 to 30 inch draw length and 10 to 70 lb draw weight ranges make this one of the most versatile bows in the lineup for families or growing archers, a single bow that genuinely works from teenager through adult. Performance specifications, 315 fps IBO, 6.25 inch brace height and 75 percent let-off, are competitive within this market segment, and chronograph testing across multiple measurement sessions confirms speeds from around 242 fps with heavy 500 grain arrows up to 278 fps with 350 grain shafts at the full 70 lb draw, sufficient kinetic energy for ethical whitetail shots at typical bowhunting distances. Shot noise lands at roughly 96.8 dB, quiet for the price tier. The 75 percent let-off is honest about its trade-off: a shorter valley and more holding weight at full draw, which is the central characteristic to weigh against the lower price. The Legit Maxx is the budget option in Bear's adjustable lineup and the shooting experience reflects that; it is not the smoothest or the quietest bow in the category, but it is well-rounded with modern features that make ownership easier. For families buying a single compound bow that needs to serve multiple purposes or multiple archers over many years at a $499 entry price, the Legit Maxx deserves serious consideration; buyers seeking the widest single-archer growth path should also weigh the Diamond Infinite Edge Pro, hunters past the 21.5 inch draw threshold who prioritize a more forgiving brace height and the lowest cross-brand entry might prefer the PSE Stinger Max, and Bear-ecosystem buyers seeking the lowest entry point should look at the Bear Limitless. Read full review...

• Adjusts from 8 to 70 pounds and 21 to 31 inches of draw, all by hand with no bow press, so one bow fits a short-draw teen, a partner, and a full-weight adult hunter
• Limb-stop back wall gives a defined, rock-solid stop that budget bows almost never deliver, where most cable-stop rivals feel spongy at full draw
• Draw rolls into an unusually clean valley, then settles hard on the wall, one of the smoothest into-the-valley transitions in the budget class
• Quiet on the shot with minimal hand shock, a soft twang rather than a slap even before you hang a stabilizer on it
• Narrow, slightly rounded grip sits low in the hand and aims easily, holding a repeatable position without fighting torque

• 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

• Wide adjustability range covers 10-70 lb draw weight and 14-30 inch draw length in a single bow, suitable for one-bow households and growing archers
• Integrate Mounting System dovetail accepts compatible arrow rests with tool-free, self-leveling installation
• $499 launch MSRP places the bow at the lower end of the adjustable-platform market

• Some shooters note a touch more jump on the shot than a flagship-quiet bow, though it never bucks the hand, and a heavier front stabilizer settles it in practice
• The 8 to 20 pound bottom end is growing room, not a true target weight, the wide limbs are lightly pre-tensioned that low, so plan the real work at 40 pounds and up

• 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

• 75 percent let-off creates a shorter valley and a higher holding weight at full draw; the bow asks the shooter to stay engaged on the back wall
• Some hand shock and post-shot vibration are present at the budget tier and are noticeable to anyone stepping down from a flagship build
• Cable slide rather than a cable roller is used on the cable arm, a cost-saving choice that affects perceived draw smoothness
• Bear no longer publishes an official mass weight; hands-on measurements settle around 4.2 lb bare bow
• Real-world draw weight ceiling drops with shorter draw lengths, so a 20 inch youth setup will not reach the published 70 lb peak