Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Whitetail Legend is a study in doing one thing deliberately: it puts a smooth single cam and a firm Draw Stop into a complete ready-to-hunt package that launched at $479.99 in 2021 and $499.99 by 2022. The headline IBO is 320 fps, but the honest hunting-arrow numbers of 265-291 fps tell the real story - this bow trades speed for a draw cycle your shoulder will thank you for. What I keep coming back to is how quiet and easy it is to shoot well early: a new hunter can buy it, set it up, and be confident with it inside a week, and that matters more than a chronograph bragging right at this price. It is a genuinely light, maneuverable, low-maintenance rig with a back wall that outclasses its tier. An excellent bow for the first-time whitetail hunter and the shooter who prioritizes a comfortable, quiet draw over raw speed, particularly strong inside 40 yards from a treestand or ground blind. Buyers who want adjustable let-off and more speed should also look at the Whitetail Legend Pro, and those chasing maximum shooter-to-shooter adjustability should look at the Diamond Edge 320. 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...

• Single cam draws unusually smooth, stacking gently into the valley with no late hump at full draw
• Draw Stop delivers a firm, defined back wall you rarely feel on a single-cam bow
• Complete Trophy Ridge ready-to-hunt kit under the $500 tier, no add-ons needed to get in the woods
• Quiet, low-vibration shot from the limb dampeners, tame for an entry-tier hunting rig
• Light and compact at 4.3 lb and 31 inches, easy to carry and swing in tight cover

• 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

• Single cam trades top-end speed - 265-291 fps with hunting arrows lands behind faster dual-cam bows in the tier, so speed-first buyers may want to factor that in
• Let-off is fixed at 80% with no field adjustment - shooters who want to dial holding weight up to 90% should step up to the EKO-cam Whitetail Legend Pro

• 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