Compound Bow Comparator

The original Browning Micro Midas is the first-generation, pre-PSE youth compound that pioneered the grow-with-me idea a decade before it became standard - a die-cast magnesium riser, solid-fiberglass Youth XP limbs, and a Micro Maximizer cam that adjusts draw length without a press, all wrapped around a 15-to-45-pound draw-weight range and brackets reaching from 15 to 27 inches. Browning never published a brace height or an IBO speed for it, which is an honest artifact of how 1990s youth bows were marketed rather than a shortcoming - at these poundages the point was a controllable, confidence-building draw, and that is exactly what the roughly 65% let-off and smooth cam deliver. In my experience, the combination of a rigid metal riser and press-free draw adjustment is still the right recipe for a child's first real bow, which is why the modern market eventually caught up to what this bow was doing in 1997. It sold in the youth and entry tier of its day, as the bow alone or as a combo with a sight and quiver, and today it lives as a collector's piece and an occasional serviceable used find. An excellent first bow for the small-frame or growing shooter and the household that wants one bow to span several seasons, particularly strong as a durable, adjustable platform a child learns real form on. Buyers who want a current, warrantied, ready-to-hunt youth bow with the widest adult-reaching adjustment should also look at the Bear Apprentice and the Diamond Infinite Edge. Read full review...

The Bear Apprentice earned its long run by being honest about what it is: a light, durable, fully-equipped youth bow that adjusts across a 15-to-27-inch draw and a 20-to-50-pound weight range at home, no bow press required, and reaches a legal 50-pound hunting weight when the shooter is ready. It shoots gentlest in the lower two-thirds of its range where kids actually use it, ships Ready-to-Hunt in Realtree APG HD or Pink Camo at an entry-level package price, and, per repeated owner reports, holds up for years of hard backyard use. What I keep coming back to is the service life: families describe six seasons on one bow before a kid finally outgrows it, which is the whole promise of a grow-with-me design delivered. The one thing to understand going in is the coupled draw weight and draw length, so you set it up correctly for your shooter's size. An excellent first compound for the household where a young archer will grow from backyard targets to a first whitetail on the same bow, and it is particularly strong as a complete, tool-free-adjustable hunting setup on a budget. Buyers who want a single bow that stretches all the way to a full 70-pound adult draw should also look at the Diamond Infinite Edge, and those wanting a slightly larger frame or a bow-only option should look at the Bear Young Gun. Read full review...

The Diamond Infinite Edge has revolutionized the bow market. The bow is easy to shoot whether the shooter is 5-years old or 55-years old. Without a bow press, and with only a couple of wrenches, the Infinite Edge can easily be adjusted from five pounds to 70 pounds draw weight and 13" to 30" draw length making it an excellent choice for any shooter. With a speed up to 310 fps and a RTH price of only $479, this bow is definitely affordable. The dual-cam setup is not too aggressive, making it easy to draw. The 75 percent let-off makes it easy to hold on target even for the inexperienced shooter. Read full review...

• Genuinely wide growth range - 15 to 45 lb of draw weight and three cam-swappable draw brackets from 15 to 27 inches let one bow follow a child for years
• Die-cast magnesium riser gives a real-metal handle a child won't outgrow or snap, closer to an adult hunting bow than a plastic youth toy
• Micro Maximizer cam adjusts draw length without a bow press, so a parent can re-fit the bow at the kitchen table as the kid grows
• Smooth, forgiving 65% let-off hold that suits a young shooter still building form and back tension
• Choice of Micro Maximizer or Whisper Plus cams on the same chassis, plus a combo package that ships with a sight and quiver

• Draw length adjusts across 15-27 inches at home with no bow press, so one bow keeps fitting a growing kid
• Genuinely light at 2.9 pounds, easy for a small shooter to hold steady and aim
• Ships as a complete Ready-to-Hunt package that shoots straight out of the box
• Tops out at a legal 50-pound hunting weight, so it grows from the backyard to a first deer season
• Owners report years of use with the bow still tight and shooting well, strong value for the money

• Versatile to meet any archery situation
• Adjustable from five to 70# draw weight
• Draw length adjustable from 13" to 30"
• Good speed with regards to draw specs; tops out a 310 fps
• Affordable

• Long discontinued and only found used - parents buying one today should confirm the string and cables are serviceable, as a fresh Fast Flite set is a straightforward re-string at any pro shop
• The 32.5-to-36 inch axle-to-axle and sub-3-pound mass are built around small-frame shooters, so a taller teen at the top of the range may want to step up to an adult platform sooner

• Draw weight and draw length are linked: the 20-pound floor exists only at the shortest 15-inch draw and climbs as you lengthen it (around 27 pounds at a 20-inch setting), so plan the setup around your shooter's size
• Not every owner loves the factory Whisker Biscuit rest, though any standard aftermarket rest drops in if you prefer a different feel

• Requires string silencers and vibration dampeners before hunting