Compound Bow Comparator

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 Bear Young Gun is a genuine hunting bow shrunk to fit a growing archer, and that is what lifts it clear of the toy end of the youth category. Built on the adult Truth 2 platform with a cast machined aluminum riser, compression-molded limbs, dual string suppressors and axle-mounted dampeners, it delivers 270 fps at its youth-scale 27-inch, 50-pound rating and a 70-percent let-off that lets a young shooter genuinely hold and aim. Its 14 draw-length positions from 14 to 27 inches and a peak-weight range reaching 50 pounds are the real story: one bow, priced around $300 bare at its 2009-2010 launch, that follows a child from backyard foam targets to a treestand whitetail without a mid-growth replacement. In my experience the bows that teach kids to love archery are the ones that shoot like the real thing while forgiving a beginner's form, and the Young Gun's settled shot and light holding weight do exactly that. It is an excellent choice for the parent who wants their child learning on a scaled-down real bow rather than a placeholder, and it is particularly strong for close-range whitetail and hog hunting and years of backyard practice. Buyers who want a single bow a full-grown adult can also shoot at a 30-inch draw should look at the Diamond Infinite Edge, and those wanting the same idea in a slightly more compact Bear frame should look at the Bear Apprentice. 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...

• 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

• Real hunting-bow hardware in youth size - cast machined aluminum riser, compression-molded limbs and dual string suppressors carried down from the adult Truth 2, not a molded-plastic starter chassis
• 14 draw-length positions from 14 to 27 inches adjust with the included Allen wrench, so one bow follows a young archer through several growth years without a mid-childhood upgrade
• Peak weight tunes from a light 15-pound backyard start up to a 50-pound whitetail setting through the limb bolts (across its two peak-weight versions) - no bow press needed
• Ships as a complete ready-to-hunt package (Whisker Biscuit rest, 3-pin fiber-optic sight, peep, four-arrow quiver, stabilizer and sling) - shootable the day it comes out of the box

• 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

• 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

• The 27-inch maximum draw and 50-pound peak keep it in youth and short-draw territory - a fully grown adult drawing 28-30 inches will eventually move to a full-size bow, so it fits the childhood-through-mid-teens span rather than a lifetime setup

• Requires string silencers and vibration dampeners before hunting