Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Epic Extreme is not a bow you chase for modern refinement - it is one you appreciate for being quick and light decades before that combination was common. Across 2000 to 2002 it delivered a genuinely fast single-cam hunter, near 303 fps IBO, on a machined-aluminum riser that still comes in under four pounds, and it did the job well enough that plenty are still hunting today at used-market prices that amount to pocket change. Its honest limitations are the flip side of its age: the modest let-off by modern standards means real holding weight, the mounting is old-school drilled-and-tapped, and every example is a twenty-plus-year-old used bow that deserves a careful inspection and a fresh string before the season. But the same simple single cam and stout metal riser that date it are also why it survives, stays easy to tune, and shoots quick out of the hand. What I keep coming back to with these early-2000s single cams is how much honest hunting performance they still deliver for almost nothing, provided you set them up thoughtfully. It is an excellent pick for the vintage-Bear enthusiast, the hunter breathing new life into an inherited bow, or anyone who wants a light, fast, close-range freezer-filler on a shoestring. Buyers who want modern adjustability, quiet, and out-of-the-box warranty support should look instead at the Diamond Edge 320 or the PSE Stinger MAX. 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...

• Light in the hand - owners and used listings point to a sub-4-pound mass, unusually low for a machined-aluminum riser, so it carries easily on long walks and hangs light on a treestand hook
• Quick for its era - the single cam pushed a genuinely fast IBO for a turn-of-the-millennium hunter, flat enough for typical whitetail ranges without a heavy arrow
• Simple and durable - one cam to time, a solid metal riser, and a standard-length AMO string mean these turn up decades later still shootable and cheap to re-serve

• 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

• Older-generation let-off - you hold a higher fraction of peak weight at anchor than a modern 80-to-90-percent bow, so setting poundage a notch conservatively and staying conditioned keeps long holds comfortable
• Used-market only and 20-plus years old - condition varies unit to unit, so inspect the limbs, cam, and cables before trusting it in the field; a fresh 86-and-three-quarter-inch AMO string is an inexpensive refresh

• 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