Compound Bow Comparator

The Darton Cyclone is a quietly excellent value hunter: 330-335 fps from a forgiving 30-inch chassis, a DualSync cam you can retune on your own bench with nothing but hex keys, and a Ready-to-Hunt package at a $949.99 launch MSRP (or $689.99 bare) that does not cut the corners these kits usually cut. It holds its tune, holds on target better than a fast bow has any right to, and shoots smoother than it draws. The only real asks are a draw cycle that is deliberate rather than glassy and a brand you may have to seek out at a specialty shop, now that it is discontinued. In my time with it the thing that stuck was how planted it stayed on the shot - fast bows are usually busy, and this one simply is not. An excellent bow for the deer and hog hunter who values speed, forgiveness, and do-it-yourself tuning over a famous name, and particularly strong from the treestand and the ground blind. Buyers who need a wider draw-length or draw-weight range to fit a growing or shared household should also look at the Diamond Edge 320. Read full review...

Bear has always produced bows for every single shooter on the spectrum of hunting bows. The 2018 Species is designed to be an entry-level bow for adults wanting to give hunting a try, and it does not disappoint. For only $399, shooters get a great bow, backed by an outstanding name to help them get started in a sport where personal preferences force an endless number of options. Bear takes out all the guesswork, by giving shooters a fully rigged out bow with some pretty great shootability characteristics. Are the accessories the best offered on the market? Probably not, but it allows shooters to get started and get comfortable just shooting a bow, and upgrades can easily be made later on. Bear knew what they were doing in offering an entry-level bow in a single cam offering due to the smooth draw cycle and ease of shooting. However, the 320 feet per second speed rating is not too thrilling. For someone just getting started in the world of bow hunting, it would be tough to find a better package deal for $399. 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...

• Keeps speed up where most value bows give it away - a 330-335 fps IBO class that genuinely outruns its price tier in hands-on shooting
• Forgiving to aim for a 30-inch bow - the 7-inch brace height and steady hold draw repeat shots cleanly
• Draw length changes with hex keys only - rotating DualSync modules move in half-inch steps with no bow press needed
• Two back-wall stops built in - run the cable stop or the limb stop and set the wall feel you prefer
• Ready-to-Hunt package punches above the usual kit - a third-axis sight, drop-away rest, lightweight quiver and carbon stabilizer that are actually worth keeping

• Entry-level single cam bow for adults
• Compact 31-inch axel-to-axel measurement
• High let-off of 80%
• Suggested retail of only $399 fully loaded with accessories

• 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 is purposeful rather than buttery, the trade a speed cam makes - leaning into the firm back wall settles it, and the dual-stop setup lets you dial the wall you want
• A smaller-name brand with a thinner dealer network, now discontinued - short-draw mod changes and warranty go easiest through a Darton-savvy pro shop, worth lining one up before you buy used

• Accessories may need to be upgraded for some
• 320 feet per second is a little on the slow end of performance

• 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