Compound Bow Comparator

At $1,199.99 launch, the Execute 30 is the bow that moved Bear into flagship pricing - and, for the compact-hunting buyer, largely justified it. You get a genuinely redesigned EKO cam with an unusually wide 75-to-90-percent let-off range, a 340 fps IBO rating that translates to a real 293 fps with a hunting-weight arrow, and a shot that is as dead-in-hand as anything Bear has built. The compact 30-inch frame maneuvers in tight cover while the 35-inch cam-to-cam spacing and wide limb stance make it aim and forgive like a longer bow. In my experience it is the adjustability and the quiet, settled shot that sell it - this is a set-it-and-trust-it hunting rig. It is an excellent bow for the whitetail and hog hunter who wants one highly tunable, low-vibration setup with a 26-to-30-inch draw, and it is particularly strong from a treestand or saddle in tight quarters. Buyers who prioritize DIY press-free tuning should also look at the Bowtech CP30, and those who want inline accessory mounting and a touch more speed should weigh the Hoyt Ventum Pro 30. Read full review...

The Bowtech CP30 is a compact hunting bow that punches above its 30-inch length where it counts - steadiness, quiet, and shootability - and stays honest about where it doesn't, which is raw speed. At a $1,199 launch MSRP it delivers the full Bowtech tuning toolkit: press-free DeadLock cam adjustment on the shooting line, a FlipDisc that swaps between a genuinely smooth 87% Comfort draw and a Performance setting worth about 10 fps, and an aluminum riser that brings the shot down to a quiet 95.3 dB with almost nothing left in the hand. Real-world chronograph runs land around 320 fps with a light arrow and hold above 270 with heavy hunting shafts - plenty for whitetails and Western game inside sensible range. What I keep coming back to is the draw: it rolls up and lets down without a single hump to fight, and the wide-limb platform plants on target the moment you settle in. It is an excellent bow for the mobile treestand and ground-blind hunter who prizes a quiet, forgiving, easy-holding compact over a chronograph number. Buyers who want the lightest DeadLock build should also look at the Bowtech Solution LS, and those prioritizing outright speed at the same price should look at the Hoyt Ventum 30. Read full review...

The Hoyt Ventum Pro 30, launched at $1,249 for 2022, is the bow that quietly argues you do not need carbon to get the carbon-flagship feel. Built on the same HBX Pro binary cam, In-Line accessory system, VitalPoint grip, and hunting finishes as the carbon REDWRX Carbon RX-7, it trades the first-ever carbon riser for a machined aluminum one and a half-pound of mass - and gives up surprisingly little for the saving. The HBX Pro cam delivers a 342 fps IBO rating that lands at real hunting-arrow speeds from 274 to 300 fps depending on shaft weight, a smooth no-creep draw, and a selectable 80/85% let-off you change with one screw. The shot is the highlight: zero hand shock and a measured 80-to-81-decibel report that put it among the quietest bows of its year, and the new VitalPoint grip is the rare factory grip owners actually keep on. The honest trade-offs are real but small - a back wall softer than a hard binary stop that firms up at 80% let-off, and an aluminum riser that chills faster than carbon on a late sit. Set those against everything that stays the same, and to my mind the aluminum makes the carbon premium look optional. An excellent bow for the serious hunter who wants flagship engineering and a forgiving, quiet hold without paying the carbon premium. Buyers who want that same engine with cold-weather warmth and the lightest possible mass should look at the REDWRX Carbon RX-7, while those who prize Mathews silence and module-based draw-weight changes should also consider the Mathews V3X 29. Read full review...

• EKO cam is one of the most adjustable in hunting - four let-off settings from 75 to 90 percent, module-based draw length, and a choice of limb-stop or cable-stop back wall
• Dead-in-hand shot signature - the SMS dampeners and parallel limbs kill vibration so completely most shooters feel almost nothing at release
• Aims like a longer bow despite the 30-inch axle - the 35-inch cam-to-cam spacing and wide limb stance steady the pin and forgive small errors
• Ships with two grips - a warm rubber Grizgrip and a slim Versagrip - so most hand sizes and cold-weather preferences are covered in the box

• DeadLock tuning moves the whole cam left or right with an Allen key on the shooting line - no bow press, and the tune holds all season
• Compact 30-inch chassis that holds and forgives like a longer bow, thanks to the big cam and a wide split-limb stance that balances beautifully
• Quiet shot with almost nothing left in the hand - 95.3 dB and no lingering vibration, even on the aggressive setting
• FlipDisc turns one bow into two - a smooth 87% Comfort draw for all-day holding, or a Performance flip for about 10 fps more

• Same shooting engine as the carbon RX-7 - identical HBX Pro cam, VitalPoint grip, In-Line system and 342 IBO - built in aluminum for several hundred dollars less
• Dead in the hand - owners consistently report no felt vibration, the riser settling instantly after the shot
• Quiet shot signature, measured at 80-81 dB on a meter, putting it among the hushed bows of Hoyt's 2022 line
• VitalPoint grip is tacky and thin, locks the hand in a repeatable spot, and stays warm where the old hard plastic grip went cold
• Let-off switches between 80% and 85% with one screw inside each module, so the same bow stays legal in states that cap it at 80%

• Flagship-tier money now - a real step up from the sub-$1,000 Bears many buyers remember, so bargain-first shoppers should know they are cross-shopping Hoyt and Mathews
• No Integrate or CORE-style inline accessory mounting - some owners moving from newer flagships miss it, though any standard rest and sight bolt on normally and tune fine

• The Performance setting buys its extra ~10 fps with a firmer draw and a shorter valley that wants to jump at let-down - hunters chasing the easiest pull just leave the FlipDisc on the factory Comfort 87% and lose nothing
• This is a comfort-first compact, not a speed bow - the 331 fps IBO tops out below dedicated speed rigs, so fps-hunters should flip to Performance or step up to Bowtech's SR350 platform

• Back wall carries a touch of the familiar Hoyt softness rather than a concrete stop - release-aimers who want a hard wall can firm it up by setting let-off to 80%, though most hunters find it comfortable as-is
• A half-pound heavier and quicker to chill than the carbon RX-7 twin - a grip wrap or gloves handles the cold, and it is the trade for paying several hundred dollars less