Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Escalate is the mainline bow that got the flagship's cam. For a $779.99 launch MSRP - bow only, with a Ready-to-Hunt package also offered - the buyer gets Bear's EKO system with selectable 75-to-90-percent let-off, an honest 300-plus fps with hunting-weight arrows against a 339-fps IBO rating, and a 2022 vibration package that leaves the bow clearly calmer in the hand than older Bears, mid-pack for noise in the low-to-mid 90s dB. Add two grips in the box, an optional limb stop for a firmer wall, five finishes, both hands, and a 45-to-70-pound, 26-to-30-inch fit window, and you have a bow that punches into flagship territory on the two things that matter most in the field: how it holds and how it shoots. What keeps coming back to me is the let-off dial - being able to set a firm, fast 75 percent for a target session and a nearly weightless 90 percent for a treestand sit, on the same bow, is a luxury this price point almost never includes. It is an excellent choice for the whitetail and mule deer hunter who wants flagship-grade adjustability and speed without paying flagship money, particularly strong on long treestand sits where holding at full draw is the whole game. Buyers who want the lowest-cost complete kit should look at the Bear Resurgence, and those who need one bow to fit a growing child and an adult should look at the Diamond Edge 320. Read full review...

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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...

• Same EKO cam family as Bear's Refine flagship, dropped into a mainline bow - owners consistently rank it a standout value
• Selectable let-off (75, 80, 85, 90%) lets you trade holding weight for speed to match how you hunt
• Real speed for the tier - 339 fps IBO, and a measured 306 fps with a 400-grain arrow at 29 inches and 70 pounds
• The 2022 Vibration Reduction System, KillerWave dampeners and string-catch dampener noticeably cut post-shot buzz versus older Bears
• Ships tunable to your hold - two grips in the box plus an optional limb stop for a harder back wall

• 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

• Some shooters note residual buzz and a faint echo at the shot, felt in the grip hand - checking cam timing and adding grip tape help, though flagship-quiet bows like the Whitetail Legend Pro still damp a touch better
• Some shooters note the draw stacks a little on the back half before the wall - dialing let-off down to 75% eases the pull-through if you want a softer finish

• 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