Compound Bow Comparator

The Bear Paradigm is the value line's answer for the hunter who has been squeezed out of budget bows by draw length. At $629.99 when it launched in 2024 and $679.99 in current runs, it delivers a genuine 32-inch top end, a 333 fps IBO cam that turns in honest hunting numbers - 282 fps with a 400-grain arrow at 70 lb - and a shot quiet enough at 88.6 dB to sit in a treestand, all wrapped in an integrated Trophy Ridge package that arrives tuned and ready to shoot. What I keep coming back to is the access it provides: a 6-foot-3 hunter with a 31-inch draw finally has a complete, quiet, fast rig for well under $700 instead of being told to buy a flagship. The bare-aluminum grip and a couple of factory-accessory quirks are minor, cheap fixes on an otherwise strong, a-lot-of-bow-for-the-money package. It is an excellent bow for the near-adult-draw and long-draw hunter who wants a finished, quiet, ready-to-hunt setup without flagship pricing, and it is particularly strong as a treestand whitetail rig. Buyers who instead prioritize maximum adjustability, the lowest price, or a youth-to-adult family platform should also look at the Diamond Edge 320 and 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...

• Quiet on the shot for the price - in-riser dampeners and KillerWave limb dampeners hold it to a measured 88.6 dB, treestand-quiet
• Light and easy to carry all day - 4.4 lb bare and 5.2 lb fully rigged, one of the lightest bows in its bracket
• Reaches a true 32-inch draw in a budget package, giving taller shooters a long-draw option without stepping up to a flagship price
• Fully integrated mounting - an IMS rest dovetail plus a Picatinny sight rail milled into the riser keep the kit tight and easy to upgrade
• Ships genuinely ready to hunt - the Trophy Ridge sight, rest, quiver, peep, and D-loop are installed and tuned at the factory

• 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

• The factory Whisker Biscuit wears with use, and some owners swap to a drop-away such as the QAD HDX - the integrate dovetail makes that a bolt-on with no press work
• The bare machined-aluminum grip runs cold and a touch slick for some owners - a wrap of grip tape or an aftermarket side plate solves it for a few dollars
• Some owners have reported the factory peep and sight working loose early - worth a check-and-tighten after the first range session, or having a shop tie the peep into the string

• 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