Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Legend XR is a genuine one-bow-for-the-household answer: a DHC-XR hybrid cam that spans 14 to 70 pounds and 18 to 31 inches, wrapped in a real 32-inch aluminum hunting chassis that launched at $459.99 bow-only and $559.99 as a ready-to-hunt package. It backs its 320 IBO with an honest 299 fps at a 350-grain arrow, holds a comfortable 85% let-off, and - most importantly - the adjustable cable slot keeps it crisp and solid even when you dial the weight way down, the flaw that sinks most grow-with-me bows. What I keep coming back to is how much bow this is for the money: aluminum limb pockets, a dead-in-hand shot, and a range that means a family buys it once and shoots it for years. An excellent bow for the household that wants a single rig to span a growing shooter and a full-weight adult, particularly strong inside 40 yards from a treestand or blind. Buyers who want the same wide-adjust concept in a shorter package should look at the Bear Legend 30, and those after the most compact grow-with-me bow should also 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...

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...

• Enormous adjustment span - 14 to 70 lb and 18 to 31 inch draw covers a youth shooter to a full-weight adult on one bow
• Adjustable cable slot holds performance and draw feel at low draw weights, so backing it down does not turn it sloppy
• Smooth hybrid-cam draw with a firm, defined back wall from the wide cable stop and a comfortable 85% hold
• Dead in the hand with little post-shot vibration for a mid-priced bow, thanks to KillerWave dampeners and the string stop
• Genuinely quick for its tier - 299 fps with a 350-grain arrow despite a 320 IBO rating, on an all-aluminum riser

• 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

• 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

• Shot noise sits at the upper end of the class at 98.1 dB - buyers stepping down from a flagship-quiet bow may notice, though it is dead in the hand and an added dampener tames it further
• The hybrid-cam draw is a touch firmer than Bear's smoothest EKO and single-cam bows - the 85% let-off eases the back end, and shooters who prize an ultra-soft pull can shoot one first

• 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

• 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