Compound Bow Comparator

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...

The Bear Inception was the fast-value pick of Bear's 2021 Legend Series - a compact 32-inch hunting bow that chased a 340 fps IBO rating and, on a chronograph with a heavy 400-grain arrow at 29 inches and 70 pounds, still delivered around 304 fps. It backs that speed with a quiet, low-shock shot from the ShockWaves dampening, a slim low-torque grip that owners keep praising, and a wide press-free fit range across 25.5 to 30 inches and a 15-pound weight window. The trade-offs are honest and clear: the hybrid cam draws a touch stiffer up front than Bear's EKO single-cams, and the let-off is fixed at 75 percent rather than adjustable. At a $599.99 launch MSRP for the full Ready-to-Hunt kit - and considerably less now on the used market, since it was a one-year 2021 model - it delivers a lot of hunting bow for the money. What I keep coming back to is how quiet and stable it feels for a mid-priced speed bow; that combination is rarer than the spec sheet suggests. An excellent bow for the value-minded hunter who wants real speed and a slim, quiet hunting rig without flagship money, and it is particularly strong as a compact treestand and thick-timber bow. Buyers who want maximum adjustment range for a beginner or a growing shooter should also look at the Diamond Edge 320, and those who want selectable let-off and flagship refinement should step up to the Bear Redemption EKO. Read full review...

The Bowtech Amplify is the rare budget bow that spends its engineering where a shooter actually feels it. At a $599 launch MSRP in 2021 and a $649 starting price in the 2026 lineup, it delivers a hard limb-stop back wall, an 85 percent hold that leaves only about ten and a half pounds in your hand at 70 pounds of peak, and real-world speed in the 290-to-326 fps range depending on arrow weight - all wrapped around an 8-to-70-pound, 21-to-30-inch adjustment range that genuinely carries a household from a child's first draw to an adult hunting setup. What I keep coming back to is how much bow this is for the money: the limb-stop wall and the PowerShift smooth-versus-fast switch are features shooters usually pay flagship prices for, and here they sit on a bow a first-timer can afford. It is quiet enough for the treestand, light enough at 4.0 pounds to carry all day, and adjustable enough to be the only bow a growing archer needs for years. An excellent choice for the budget-minded hunter and the grow-with-me household that wants one bow to last, particularly strong for the developing shooter who benefits from a light hold and a defined wall. Buyers starting a very young child at the smallest draw lengths, or those who prioritize the lowest price, should also look at the Diamond Edge 320. Read full review...

• 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

• Real hunting-weight speed for the money - rated 340 fps IBO, and even a heavy 400-grain arrow at 29 inches and 70 pounds still crosses the chronograph near 304 fps
• Quiet with little hand shock - the ShockWaves limb dampeners and rear string stop kill most of the vibration, so the shot goes quiet and dead in the hand
• Slim, low-torque grip that owners keep singling out - the narrow side-plate grip sits the hand deep and repeatable instead of perched high where torque creeps in
• Wide press-free fit range - a rotating module covers 25.5 to 30 inches of draw and a 15-pound weight window, so one bow sets up for a range of shooters without a bow press

• Hard limb-stop back wall - a defined, rock-solid wall that budget bows almost never give you, where most cable-stop rivals feel spongy at full draw
• Adjusts across a 62-pound span, from an 8-pound backyard setting to a 70-pound hunting weight, plus 21 to 30 inches of draw, all without a bow press
• PowerShift flip modules switch the same cam between a smoother draw and a faster one, so one shooter can retune the feel in minutes
• Quiet on the shot for its class - around 78 dB with the repositionable Orbit Dampener soaking up most of the residual buzz

• 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

• The draw starts a touch stiff up front - the hybrid cam ramps harder than Bear's EKO single-cams, the honest price of the speed; it settles into a defined valley, and shooters chasing the smoothest possible pull should shoot an EKO single-cam bow first
• Fixed 75 percent let-off runs lower than the 85 percent many rivals offer - you hold a little more weight at full draw, which some owners flag on long treestand waits; buyers who hold at anchor for extended periods may prefer an adjustable-let-off bow
• Some owners have reported the RTH package's Trophy Ridge quiver grippers arriving very stiff and hard to load - working them in or swapping in any aftermarket quiver solves it, and the Bow Only version skips the kit entirely

• Draw is solid rather than glass-smooth - the wide cam builds to peak quickly, so shooters chasing a plush pull should run the Comfort module setting or draw one first
• Some owners feel a touch more hand buzz than a flagship after the shot - repositioning the Orbit Dampener or running a stabilizer settles it in practice
• Fixed plastic grip rather than the interchangeable flagship Bowtech grip - its curved shape takes some owners time to warm to, and a stick-on aftermarket grip is an easy swap