Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Alaskan is a lot of hunting bow for its $529.99 launch price, and it holds up well as a used or closeout buy years after its 2022-2023 run. It pairs a 335 fps IBO rating with a draw that pulls like a lighter bow, a shot that reads a hair over 95 decibels and goes nearly dead in the hand with a stabilizer, and a back-wall system - cable stop or limb stop - that hands the shooter a tuning choice the price class almost never includes. Add the two 15-pound draw-weight modules, the 25.5 to 31 inch draw span, and machined aluminum limb pockets, and you have a bow that fits a whole household and takes any North American big game at honest hunting range. What I keep coming back to is the value math: aluminum hardware and a real wall choice at a price where composite pockets and one spongy wall are the norm. It is an excellent bow for the value-minded whitetail hunter and the family that wants one bow to grow into, particularly strong as a quiet, forgiving treestand rig. Buyers who need the widest child-to-adult adjustability should also look at the Diamond Edge 320, and those chasing the lowest entry price at 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...

• Draws far lighter than the scale reads - even near a 70-pound peak it breaks over like a much lighter bow, one of the smoothest pulls in the sub-$550 class
• Uncommon back-wall choice - run the cable stop for a deep valley, or set the top limb stop for a rock-solid wall, a tuning option most mid-price hunters never offer
• Grows with the shooter - two 15-pound draw-weight modules (45-60 and 55-70) plus a 25.5 to 31 inch draw span cover a short-draw teen up to a full-weight adult on one bow
• Quiet and dead in the hand - the KillerWave limb dampeners and aluminum pockets settle the shot with only a faint tick of buzz once a stabilizer is on
• Built tougher than its price - machined aluminum limb pockets where most bows at this tier drop to composite, and a slim low-torque machined grip

• 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

• Some owners find the cable-stop back wall a touch soft - setting up the top limb stop instead gives a rock-solid wall, so it is a two-minute setup choice rather than a flaw
• Runs a little over its listed weight - Bear lists 3.9 pounds but it reads closer to 4.2 bare; the removable KillerWave limb dampeners pull out for shooters counting every ounce on a long pack-in

• 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