Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Tech 29 is a compact, single-cam hunting bow built from 2001 to 2003 - a 29.5-inch, 3.6-pound frame named for its axle-to-axle length and tuned for speed, posting a 314-320 fps IBO rating that was quick for a sub-30-inch bow of its era. It draws easily, shoots gently, and has accounted for a lot of whitetails in the hands of owners who liked its light, maneuverable feel in a treestand. The PF single cam keeps tuning simple, and the 24 to 29-inch draw range with 50/60/70-pound peaks covers most hunters short of the long-draw crowd. The one thing it asks in return is form: the short frame makes a steep string angle, so a release aid and a consistent anchor matter more here than on a long bow. BowTech never published a launch price that survives in the manuals, so this is a used-market proposition today - fit it with fresh strings and a tune and you have a fast, handy deer bow for little money. If I were setting one up, I would run a mid-60s peak weight, a good release, and string silencers, and treat it as the compact stand bow it was born to be. An excellent choice for the whitetail hunter who values a short, fast, lightweight bow and will shoot it with discipline. Buyers who want more forgiveness in a compact frame should look at the PSE Firestorm, and those who want the lightest, cheapest compact single cam should look at the Bowtech BlackHawk. Read full review...

The BowTech BlackHawk is one of the more likeable budget hunting bows of the early 2000s - the shortest, lightest single cam in BowTech's catalog of its day, carried at a $499 launch MSRP that put it hundreds below the flagships while still handing the shooter the continuously-tunable InfinityCam and a genuine low-310s IBO rating. Its whole case is compactness without compromise: under 29 inches and under three pounds, yet quick, quiet, and reported by owners as nearly free of hand shock even shot bare. It asks one thing in return - a soft, honest grip, because a bow this light will not hide a torqued hand the way a heavy target rig does. What stays with me about it is that contrast: a sub-three-pound bargain bow that still sits dead-still at the shot. For the treestand or ground-blind hunter who prizes a bow that comes up fast in tight cover and holds easy through a long sit, and especially for anyone restoring a clean used example with a fresh custom string, it remains a rewarding little bow. Hunters who would rather have the steadier hold of a longer, more forgiving frame should look instead at the BowTech TomKat or the PSE Firestorm - same era, same value spirit, a calmer aim in exchange for a touch of the BlackHawk's speed and handiness. Read full review...

The PSE Firestorm is a compact and good shooting bow that was manufactured and evolved for 8 years. With a short axle to axle length and very generous brace height, this rig is very forgiving, maneuverable, and lightweight. The bow is a good choice for tree-stand or blind hunting. While it's not a speed monster, the Firestorm is very quiet and smooth to draw as noted by many owners. Although it could have better quality strings and a bigger sight window, overall this is a decent quality bow for the money. Read full review...

• Compact and light at 29.5 inches and 3.6 pounds - easy to carry and swing in tight cover or from a treestand, and owners have taken plenty of deer with it
• Genuinely fast for its size - a 314-320 fps IBO rating from a sub-30-inch single cam puts real arrow speed in a small package
• Single-cam PF simplicity with an easy-drawing feel - one cam to keep in tune and a gentle pull even at heavier peak weights that owners appreciate on long sits

• Pocket-sized and under three pounds - the sub-29-inch frame swings up fast and holds easy from a treestand or inside a cramped ground blind where a long bow fights you
• Dead in the hand for a value bow - owners report little to no hand shock even shooting it bare, without hanging a stabilizer on the front to quiet it down
• High, dial-in let-off - the InfinityCam's continuously adjustable 65-to-80% hold lets you trade holding weight for aiming steadiness, and owners favored the 80% setting for all-day hunting

• Very forgiving bow with generous brace height
• Good choice for tree-stand or blind hunting
• Modular-adjustable eccentric system
• Smooth draw cycle
• Decent quality for the money

• The short 29.5-inch axle-to-axle makes a steep string angle that is less forgiving than a longer bow - a release aid and consistent form handle it, and it is simply the trade a compact bow makes
• Discontinued after 2003 and found only on the used market - budget a fresh set of strings and cables plus a shop tune on any example you buy

• The short 28 7/8-inch axle-to-axle rewards clean, relaxed form; shooters who want a more forgiving stance at full draw, or who draw long, may prefer a longer-riser bow such as the TomKat
• A long-discontinued model, so factory InfinityCam draw modules and string sets are special-order today - a used buyer should budget a shop-built custom string and have the cam timing checked before hunting it

• Factory strings could be of better quality
• Smaller sight window