Compound Bow Comparator

The AMS Hooligan V2 is the refinement of a bowfishing bow that already worked - a $449.99 launch-MSRP rig (or $599.99 as a ready-to-shoot kit) that keeps the original Hooligan's machined aluminum riser, 24-to-50-pound range, zero let-off, and two-post WRAP cam, then sharpens the shot itself. Heavy-wall deep-V cams hold the string in the valley on the frantic, off-form shots the sport is built around, cutting dry-fire risk and surviving one if it happens; a cable slide stop reins in over-drawing; and stainless barrel nuts keep years of field adjustments from ever stripping the riser. Its long 34 3/4-inch riser keeps finger pinch low, and everything still changes on the water with a single Allen wrench and no press. In my experience the deep-V cam is the upgrade you feel exactly when you need it - on the wild shot you had no business taking. Made in the USA and still AMS's current bowfishing compound, it fits everyone from a first-timer to a full-time fanatic on the same boat. An excellent choice for the bowfisher who wants the most forgiving, most adjustable rig in AMS's lineup; buyers hunting a smooth used-market bargain should look at the AMS Fire Eagle, and those after the lowest entry price should also look at the PSE Mudd Dawg. Read full review...

The AMS Fire Eagle was, in its day, one of the more refined bowfishing compounds on the water - a $369.95 bow that paired a smooth constant-force draw with perimeter-weighted cams hard-hitting enough that a 50-pound setup could out-penetrate a heavier recurve. Its long 35.5-inch riser keeps finger pinch low, its stainless hardware shrugs off the wet, and its 40-to-50-pound range spans an adult on big gar and a kid learning the sport. It is discontinued now, so buying one means shopping the used market, but the limb and cam durability that made it popular is exactly why so many are still shooting. If I were pointing a family at one secondhand bowfishing rig - something an adult and a teenager could share across a season on carp and buffalo - a clean Fire Eagle would be near the top of the list. An excellent choice for the bowfisher who wants a smooth, powerful, finger-friendly rig and does not mind buying used; anyone who prefers a new, warrantied, still-supported bow should look at the current AMS Hooligan or the PSE Mudd Dawg instead. Read full review...

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• Heavy-wall deep-V cams keep the string seated at the base of the cam valley through frantic, off-form shots - real dry-fire insurance for the reach-around shooting bowfishing is full of, and thick enough to survive one if it happens
• The WRAP cam's Rapid Adjustment Posts make it a true 40-pound bow and a true 50-pound bow in one - move the string between posts and full power holds at both, with no press and a single Allen wrench
• Stainless barrel nuts put the draw-weight threads in steel instead of the aluminum riser, so repeated field adjustments stay smooth and never strip out the riser over seasons of changes
• An integrated cable slide stop in the stainless cable guard curbs over-drawing, a genuine concern on a no-let-off bow ridden hard on the water
• Wide 24-to-50-pound and 22-to-32-inch range with a quality ready-to-shoot kit fits first-timers to full-time fanatics on the same boat

• Smooth, near tuning-free draw straight out of the box - owners consistently describe it as easy to shoot with little setup fuss
• Hard-hitting perimeter-weighted cams - one owner's 50-pound Fire Eagle out-penetrated his 60-pound recurve on big buffalo
• Long 35.5-inch axle-to-axle keeps finger pinch low, which finger-shooters and longer-draw archers notice first
• Wide 40-to-50-pound range cranks down far enough for kids and lighter shooters while still carrying fish-killing power

• Moving the string between the 40- and 50-pound posts still means backing the limb bolts off and rolling the string over - quick with the single tool and no press, but a deliberate swap rather than a flip of a switch
• Zero let-off holds the full peak weight through the shot - expected on a snap-shooting fishing bow, but a buyer stepping over from a let-off hunting rig should plan for the constant-force draw

• Some owners have reported the rubberized grip's adhesive letting go over time - a dab of contact cement or a simple grip wrap sorts it out permanently
• Out of production since around 2013, so it is a used-market buy - anyone wanting a new-in-box AMS bowfishing rig should look at the current Hooligan instead