Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Alaskan Pro is the most refined bow in the Alaskan line and, at a $659.99 launch price, a lot of premium feel for the money. Its EKO2 cam brings a genuine 80-or-85-percent let-off choice to a value bow, its Bear Paw rubber grip is pulled from Bear's flagship hunters, and its 33-inch reflex riser keeps it stable and steady on aim. It pushes the family's speed to a 339 fps IBO rating and delivers real hunting numbers - 312 fps with a 400-grain arrow - inside a shot that reads about 94 decibels with almost no hand shock. What stayed with me is the let-off choice: being able to flip to 85 percent for a long treestand sit or 80 percent for a firmer hold is a flagship trick at a value price. The draw stacks a little into the back rather than rolling like a top-end bow, but the forgiving valley and rock-solid wall more than make up for it. It is an excellent bow for the hunter who wants Bear's better cam and grip without flagship money, particularly strong as a quiet, adjustable treestand rig. Buyers who want the lowest entry price should also look at the PSE Stinger MAX, and those wanting the widest budget adjustability at the Bowtech Convergence. 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...

The Bowtech Convergence was the brand's 2019-2020 answer to the one-bow-for-the-whole-household question, and at roughly $679 for the ready-to-shoot R.A.K. package it delivered something budget adjustable bows rarely do, a genuine limb-stop back wall and a Bowtech shot on a chassis that adjusts from 8 to 70 pounds and 21 to 31 inches without a press. The headline IBO is 330 fps, but the honest number is the 285 fps it chronographed at a 29-inch hunting draw, plenty for whitetail and hog inside normal ranges, and in my experience the smooth valley and hard wall matter more day to day than that speed anyway. It is quiet, it aims calmly on that narrow grip, and it forgives the small errors a growing or first-time shooter makes, which is exactly the job it was built for. The two honest limits are a slight jump on release that a stabilizer settles and a bottom end that is growing room rather than a true target weight, neither of which undercuts what the bow is for. Bowtech has since replaced it with the Amplify, so the Convergence now lives on the used market, where its adjustability makes it one of the smarter budget buys a family can find. It is an excellent bow for the household that needs one adjustable hunter to cover a short-draw teen through a full-weight adult, and it is particularly strong for the buyer who wants a real, defined back wall at a budget price. Buyers prioritizing the lowest possible entry weight and price should also look at the Diamond Edge 320, and those wanting the most compact, lightest platform should look at the Bear Legit Maxx. Read full review...

• Flagship-grade cam at a value price - the EKO2 cam lets you choose 80 or 85 percent let-off by flipping the draw-stop peg, a hold-weight choice this price class almost never offers
• Bear Paw rubber grip comes standard - the warm, low, over-molded grip from Bear's premium bows, filling the hand repeatably where value bows usually ship a bare-metal grip
• Quiet with almost no hand shock - a hunting arrow reads about 94 decibels and the shot dies into the riser, with owners calling the vibration virtually nonexistent
• Forgiving valley and a rock-solid wall - the cam settles into a generous valley and a firm, repeatable back wall, more forgiving than several bows in its bracket
• Press-free tuning - let-off and draw length adjust from screws and a flip-peg on one side of the cam, so most setup changes need no bow press

• 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

• Adjusts from 8 to 70 pounds and 21 to 31 inches of draw, all by hand with no bow press, so one bow fits a short-draw teen, a partner, and a full-weight adult hunter
• Limb-stop back wall gives a defined, rock-solid stop that budget bows almost never deliver, where most cable-stop rivals feel spongy at full draw
• Draw rolls into an unusually clean valley, then settles hard on the wall, one of the smoothest into-the-valley transitions in the budget class
• Quiet on the shot with minimal hand shock, a soft twang rather than a slap even before you hang a stabilizer on it
• Narrow, slightly rounded grip sits low in the hand and aims easily, holding a repeatable position without fighting torque

• The draw stacks a little into the back end and drops in rather than rolling - not as buttery as a top-end bow, the price of 339 fps; running the 85 percent let-off softens the hold if you want a gentler finish
• Sold only through authorized Bear dealers, so it may not appear at big-box stores - worth calling a local pro shop rather than expecting it on a big retailer's shelf

• Does not have any flagship model technology
• Not the best accessories in the package

• Some shooters note a touch more jump on the shot than a flagship-quiet bow, though it never bucks the hand, and a heavier front stabilizer settles it in practice
• The 8 to 20 pound bottom end is growing room, not a true target weight, the wide limbs are lightly pre-tensioned that low, so plan the real work at 40 pounds and up