Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Epic is not a bow you buy for numbers - Bear never published most of them, and the ones that mattered belonged to a different era. It is a bow you appreciate for a specific character: a long, forgiving single-cam platform from 1999 and 2000, built for stability rather than speed or compactness, on a machined-aluminum riser durable enough that plenty are still shootable today for used-market pocket change. Its honest limitations are the flip side of that length - it is a handful in tight quarters, it is slower and louder than anything current, and it comes with little documented spec data, so every example deserves a careful inspection and a fresh string. But the same long geometry and simple single cam that date it are exactly why it forgives a relaxed hold, stays easy to tune, and keeps hunting decades on. What I keep coming back to with long single-cam bows like this is how much they flatter a shooter, hiding the small mistakes a short, fast bow would punish. It is an excellent pick for the vintage-Bear enthusiast, the hunter reviving an inherited bow, or a shooter who wants a stable, forgiving close-range platform for next to nothing. Buyers who want modern speed, compactness, quiet, and out-of-the-box warranty support should look instead at the Diamond Edge 320 or the PSE Stinger MAX. 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...

• Long, forgiving geometry - the extended riser-and-limb layout makes it stable and easy to aim, the kind of platform that hides small form errors at hunting ranges
• Simple, durable single-cam - one cam to time and a machined-aluminum riser keep maintenance trivial, which is why so many still turn up shootable decades later
• Cheap to own and run - as a discontinued used-market bow it costs little, and a standard service string keeps it inexpensive to refresh and hunt

• 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

• Long platform is less handy in tight spots - the axle length that makes it forgiving is a handful in a cramped ground blind or compact climber compared with a modern short-ATA hunter
• Used-market only with little published spec data - condition varies and Bear never published its full numbers, so inspect the limbs, cam, and cables and plan on a fresh string before trusting 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