Compound Bow Comparator

The APX is Xpedition's answer to a specific question: what does a mid-price bow look like if you stop trying to make it adjust for everyone and instead make it perform for one? The answer is a 340 fps IBO rating, a long and forgiving 33-inch axle-to-axle with a tall 6.75-inch brace, and a firm limb-stop back wall that genuinely feels like a flagship's - all on a bow that has come down to $599.99 as of 2026, well under where it launched. Real-world chronograph numbers land in the high 260s to mid-270s with hunting-weight arrows, the shot sits dead in the hand, and measured noise runs from about 92 to 98 decibels, mid-pack for the tier. In my experience a 33-inch bow like this settles the pin in a way shorter, faster hunting rigs rarely match, and that steadiness is the APX's quiet strength. The trade-offs are honest and easy to plan around: an adult-only 26-to-30-inch, 60/70-pound range, and a draw that firms up at the top end in exchange for its speed and wall. An excellent bow for the adult hunter who already knows their draw length and wants flagship-style performance and forgiveness without the flagship price, particularly strong from the treestand and on longer western shots where a steady hold matters. Buyers who need one bow to grow with a household across draw lengths and poundages should also look at the Bowtech Amplify or Diamond Edge 320. 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...

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...

• Flagship-tier speed for the money - a genuine 340 fps IBO rating, with hunting-weight arrows still crossing the chronograph in the high 260s to mid-270s
• Long 33-inch axle-to-axle paired with a tall 6.75-inch brace height, a forgiving and steady-holding geometry uncommon in this price tier
• Firm limb-stop back wall you can lean into - the kind of solid, defined stop usually reserved for flagship bows
• Dead in the hand after the shot, with little post-shot vibration even before dampeners and accessories go on
• Draw length adjusts from 26 to 30 inches with a rotating module and a couple of Allen wrenches, no bow press required

• 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

• 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

• The draw firms up noticeably toward the wall at 70 pounds and longer draw lengths - shooters set on a glass-smooth flagship pull should draw one first, and lighter or shorter setups feel distinctly smoother
• Some owners have noted the angled cable rod tightens fletching clearance - orienting the cock vane outward rather than up or down and checking rest clearance at setup clears it

• 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

• 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