Compound Bow Comparator

The Bowtech Carbon Zion did something rare in its 2021 debut and held it through 2025: it put a real carbon riser - the light, durable, corrosion-proof material usually locked behind $1,500-plus flagships - into a hunting bow that launched at $749.99 for the bare bow, with the fully-kitted Carbon Zion DLX at $1,099.99. At 3.3 pounds it carries and holds like nothing, the Synchronized Binary cams draw smooth to a firm 80-percent wall, and the 335 fps IBO is honest speed that lands in the low 240s with a heavy 500-grain arrow at a 60-pound hunting setup. It is not the quietest bow in the room out of the box, but that is a few-dollar fix, and everything the money did go toward - the carbon, the grip, the cam, the limbs - is the part that matters. What keeps me recommending it is simple: for the hunter who wants to carry carbon-light up the mountain without paying flagship-carbon money, nothing else at this price does the same job. An excellent bow for the treestand and backcountry hunter who values low mass and a steady hold over headline speed. Buyers who want a longer, more forgiving carbon bow should also look at the Diamond Carbon Cure, and those willing to trade carbon for a faster, more adjustable aluminum flagship should look at the Bear Redemption EKO. Read full review...

The Diamond Carbon Cure is a new hunting bow for the 2014 lineup. This rig is a 32" ATA, 7" brace height, single-cam bow that give the shooter an accurate shooting platform. It will work well on the 3D course, but is designed for hunting and fits excellently in a tree stand or ground blind. With a 325 fps, it is fast enough to meet any archery challenge, and feels good in the hand while doing it.Retailing at $650, it is priced right. It is also adjustable - 27" - 30.5" draw length and 50# - 70# draw weight. The bow is easily adjusted and can be done without a bow press. This is not a bow to overlook. Read full review...

At a $999.99 launch MSRP, the Bear Redemption EKO delivered a flagship's feature set - the EKO cam's four selectable let-off positions, an all-new Vibration Reduction System, the Align-Lok built-in level, and two included grips - in a maneuverable 31-inch aluminum package that undercut most flagships of its day. The 342 fps IBO rating translates to a real-world 288 to 301 fps with typical 400-to-460 grain hunting arrows, which is plenty for whitetail and hog out to normal hunting ranges. What sets it apart is not raw speed but control: the press-free adjustability across let-off, draw length, and draw weight means one bow fits a wide range of shooters and shooting styles. In my hands the standout was how quiet and dead the shot felt for a bow this fast, with the 90% let-off letting me hold at full draw almost indefinitely. Carried across 2021 and 2022 with identical specs, it is a strong used-market buy today for a hunter who values adjustability and a quiet shot over chart-topping fps. An excellent bow for the hunter who wants selectable let-off and flagship refinement without flagship money, and particularly strong for an older or patient hunter who holds at full draw waiting for the shot. Buyers who want the same speed in a slimmer, cheaper package should look at the Bear Inception, and those who need maximum draw adjustability for a growing shooter should look at the Bowtech Amplify. Read full review...

• Carbon riser at less than half the price of PSE and Hoyt carbon - warm to the touch, corrosion-free, and built to shrug off years of hard hunting weather
• Just 3.3 pounds on the scale, so a 70-pound draw carries up the mountain and holds on a treestand like a much lighter setup
• Smooth Synchronized Binary draw that flows to a firm limb-stop back wall with a shallow, forgiving valley
• New torque-eliminating grip that hands-on shooters rate among the most comfortable in the budget class

• Affordable
• Fast, forgiving, and accurate
• Solid back wall
• Light-weight

• Four selectable let-off settings (75, 80, 85, 90%) and a 26-to-30 inch draw range, both changed with a wrench and no bow press
• Quiet, low-vibration shot - the revised Vibration Reduction System and limb dampeners leave little in the hand, noticeably deader than the prior Status EKO
• Deep valley and a firm back wall - set at 90% let-off the hold weight drops far enough to wait out a slow buck at full draw
• Light and maneuverable at 4.1 pounds on a 31-inch frame, yet the long riser settles and holds steady on target
• Two grips in the box - a slim low-torque VersaGrip and a fuller NaroGrip - on a flat back that squares up center-shot setup

• Ships a touch loud with a little hand buzz - it goes without the string-silencing and dampening hardware of Bowtech's premium carbons, so a set of string silencers and stick-on limb dampeners quiets it for a few dollars
• Some owners note the cable-stop can occasionally drag on its rod - a dab of rail lube restores the slick draw, worth a quick check at setup

• Only comes in one camo pattern

• Some owners note a firm peak and a slight hump as the EKO cam rolls over into the wall - the trade for 342-class speed; a higher let-off setting and a deliberate draw settle it
• One hands-on owner reported a faint creak from the cable guard on the draw - not echoed elsewhere; a quick check of the roller glides and serving is an easy fix if it shows up on your unit