Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Surpass is the enthusiast's pick in a value lineup built mostly for beginners. At a $749.99 launch MSRP it is bow-only and the priciest bow Bear sold in its 2024 affordable line, but the money is visible in the right places - a cleanly machined, better-finished riser, a DHC hybrid cam tuned to a real 335 fps, a draw cycle smooth enough to make you forget it is a speed bow, and a grip that ships with two profiles so you can fit it to your hand. It gives up the integrated IMS and Picatinny mounting of its Paradigm and Alaskan XT siblings and asks you to bring your own accessories, which is exactly why it suits an experienced archer over a first-timer. Drawing and shooting it, what stays with me is how little the 335 rating costs you in draw feel - this is a fast bow that does not punish you for it. It is an excellent choice for the whitetail or mobile hunter who wants a compact, quick, nicely-built chassis and prefers to spec their own rest and sight. Buyers who would rather have everything in one sighted-in box, or who want the widest possible adjustment range for a growing shooter, should look at the Diamond Edge 320 or PSE Stinger MAX instead. 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...

• Unusually smooth draw cycle for a 335 fps speed bow - the hybrid cam builds weight gradually instead of stacking hard at the top
• Two interchangeable grips in the box - a flat straight-back and a filled palm-swell - over a tacky rubberized surface that still grips in cold weather
• Draw length changes with a couple of Allen keys on an inch-marked rotating module, 25 to 30 inches, no bow press and no extra parts to buy
• Quiet, settled shot from in-riser dampeners paired with KillerWave limb dampeners
• Cleanly machined, better-finished riser than the rest of Bear's value line, and built in the USA

• 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

• Sold bow-only at the top of the value-line price ladder, so there is no sight, rest, or quiver in the box - budget for your own kit, or step to the RTH Alaskan XT or Paradigm if you want everything bundled
• Conventional rest and sight mounting rather than the integrated IMS/Picatinny its Paradigm and Alaskan XT line-mates carry - no issue for most setups, but if you specifically want an integrate rest, the Alaskan XT offers it

• 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