Table of Contents
- 1 Top Compound Bow Brands
- 2 Overview Of The 10 Best Compound Bows
- 3 Best Compound Bow: Our Top Picks
- 3.1 XGEEK Compound Bow, 19-70 Ibs
- 3.2 Leader Accessories Compound Bow, 30-55 lbs
- 3.3 XGear Outdoors Compound Bow, 30-55 lbs
- 3.4 Diamond Archery 2016 Edge SB-1 Compound Bow, 7-70 lbs
- 3.5 Leader Accessories Compound Bow, 50-70 lbs
- 3.6 Diamond Edge SB-1 Compound Bow, 7-70 lbs
- 3.7 Bear Archery Salute Ready to Hunt Compound Bow, 50-70 Ibs
- 3.8 RAPTOR Compound Hunting Bow Kit, 30-70LB
- 3.9 XGear Right Hand Compound Bow, 50-70lbs
- 4 How To Buy A Compound Bow
- 5 Summary
If you just started compound bow hunting, there is a good chance that navigating all the options available has left you feeling overwhelmed and confused. There are hundreds of products in the market with different specifications and designed by various brands. This makes it hard, even for experts, to tell the difference between various compound bows.
There are so many features that one has to consider when shopping for a good compound bow and manufacturers don’t make this easier as they use technical terms in their product descriptions. The good news is that we make it our mission to wade through all the technical jibber jabber and break down the information to help you make an informed choice. Regardless of what manufacturers or retailers may tell you, there is nothing like a best option.
At the end of the day, your choice depends more on what you need and your personal preferences. Whatever you need, this guide will prove useful in helping you make a good investment.
Top Compound Bow Brands
If you want to ensure that you buy the best, knowing which brands are reliable and known for delivering quality hunting equipment is a good way to start your search.
The manufacturers reviewed below are known to be industry leaders for designing high quality, easy to use and precise hunting equipment.
- Bear Archery: This company has been a top brand for a long time. Bear Archery launches new products to the market every year and with each release, they score high scores. Their products have been known to feature in ‘best-of’ roundups every now and then in hunting periodicals.
- Bowtech: This is a brand known for serious innovations when it comes to designing and manufacturing hunting equipment, especially compound bows. They are famous for launching the binary cam system as well as the Powershift technology.
- PSE: They claim to be the best of the best and while that’s debatable, they are certainly famous for producing high quality compound bows. Their products don’t have much in the way of flashy design, but the high quality materials make up for that.
- Diamond Archery: This company is known to make some of the most adjustable and versatile compound bows on the market. Their bows set the standard so high above the rest because they feature Binary Cam technology and aerospace carbon risers.
Overview Of The 10 Best Compound Bows
We have put together a list of the 10 best compound bows based not just on their features and manufacturer’s word, but also on verifiable customer reviews on Amazon.
After all, there is no better way to determine a product’s performance than by knowing what kind of experience they offer.
Recommended reading:
Best Compound Bow: Our Top Picks
Read our reviews of the best products below:
XGEEK Compound Bow, 19-70 Ibs
Features:
- Draw length: 19-30
- Draw weight: 19-70 lbs
- Max. speed: 320 fps
- Price: Medium
Made from strong aluminum, this XGEEK Compound Bow is super durable and fully adjustable. Weighing just 3,85Ibs, this compound bow is super light making it easy to not only set up but handle too.
The fact that this bow is user-friendly, smooth and solidly built, it is perfect for a novice archer or a beginner who loves archery as a sport. XGEEK made sure that customers buy this bow with confidence hence why they added some amazing features.
To ensure that customers use this bow for a long time, they are advised to not dry fire this product because it can break and cause serious injury. Other than that, it is one of the best compounds bows one can buy.
Pros:
- Super durable and adjustable
- Very light, smooth, solid and easy to set up
- Perfect for beginners
- Comes with a manual for safe use
Cons:
- Can cause injury if not handled properly
Leader Accessories Compound Bow, 30-55 lbs
Features:
- Draw length: 19-29
- Draw weight: 30-55 lbs
- Max. speed: 296 fps
- Price: Low
Leader Accessories are known to make some of the best hunting equipment money can buy and this compound bow is one of their standout products. With an amazing draw weight of 30 – 55 Ibs and weighing in at 3.3 Ibs, this bow is very easy to handle.
You will get a good hunting experience when you use this now because it has a max speed of 296 FPS. Its slick design and strong material, this bow is super strong and can withstand a heavy amount of punishment.
If you enjoy hunting large game, this bow ticks all the boxes because it comes with a large variety of accessories. These accessories include a bow bag, arm guard, carbon arrows and more.
Pros:
- A very durable compound bow
- Provides you with an amazing hunting experience
Cons:
- Not the easiest bow to handle
XGear Outdoors Compound Bow, 30-55 lbs
Features:
- Draw length: 19-29
- Draw weight: 30-55 lbs
- Max. speed: 296 fps
- Price: Low
Third, on the list of best compound bows is the XGear Outdoors Compounds Bow 30-55 Ibs and this product is very pleasing on the eye. It has a slick green color giving it a wonderful appearance plus it comes with a variety of accessories.
It has a max speed of 296 FPS and weighs just 3.3 Ibs, there is no denying that this bow is light. The only downside of using this bow is, it is perfect for someone who is right-handed. If you are left-handed, this bow will be very uncomfortable to use.
Before you buy this bow, you’ll be happy to know that it does have some accessories you can buy. These include a drop away arrow rest, peep sight, fiber optic sight, release aid, D string loop and two pieces 30-inch aluminum arrows.
Pros:
- Good for beginners
- Draw circle is smooth
- At 3.3 Ibs, this bow is very light
- Strong because it is made from Aluminum
Cons:
- Not designed for left-handed people
Diamond Archery 2016 Edge SB-1 Compound Bow, 7-70 lbs
Features:
- Draw length: 15-30
- Draw weight: 7-70 lbs
- Max. speed: 318 fps
- Price: High
The Diamond Archery 2016 Edge SB-1 is for anyone who prioritizes versatility and adjustability. Whether you are a youth or a beginner, this bow will suit your needs for a variety of reasons.
A draw weight of 7-70 Ibs, draw length of 15-30 inches and a weight of 3.6 Ibs, it doesn’t matter your strength, size or shape, you can use this compound bow with ease. What makes this bow stand out is the certified Bowtech Synchronized Binary Cam system it is powered by.
This gives you better speed and accuracy when shooting. Hitting the bullseye is a breeze with this bow. It is a worthy investment however, it does have a few benefits and drawbacks which one must consider before buying.
Pros:
- Perfect for both beginners and pros
- Adjustable and versatile
- Powered by a certified Bowtech Synchronized Binary Cam system for better speed and accuracy
- Available for left and right-handed people
Cons:
- Having it tuned is needed most of the time
- A few parts might need to be replaced
Leader Accessories Compound Bow, 50-70 lbs
Features:
- Draw length: 25-31
- Draw weight: 50-70 lbs
- Max. speed: 310 fps
- Price: Medium
Just like the other leader accessories compound bow above, if you love hunting, this is another bow that should be on your list.this 50-70 Lbs model is perfect for anyone who enjoys shooting targets.
This bow is perfect to the last detail for target practice and outdoor hunting. On top of that, it’s durable, versatile, performs well and has high-quality features. Its max speed of 310 FPS and a weight of 4.4 Ibs, you are always in control when you use this bow.
Pros:
- Has a good draw circle
- Provides better shooting accuracy
- Durable
- Versatile
Cons:
- Some customers experience sighting problems
- Only right-handed people can use this model
Diamond Edge SB-1 Compound Bow, 7-70 lbs
Features:
- Draw length: 15-30
- Draw weight: 7-70 lbs
- Max. speed: 318 fps
- Price: Medium
People who love archery will have different needs when it comes to the compound bow they want. Performance and comfort are the two things many people look for and over the last 10 years, Diamond has been known to produce good quality bows.
The Diamond Edge SB-1 is a shooter’s dream bow because it provides adjustability, comfort, performance, and accuracy. At just 3.5 Ibs in weight, this hard-hitting bow fires arrows up to 320 FPS.
With a draw weight of 7-70 Ibs and draw length of 15-30 inches, its design makes offers easy visual verification as well as draw length adjustment. It is certainly one of the best compound bows on the market however, it is loud and does vibrate when you take a shot which many see as drawbacks.
Pros:
- Accuracy is improved massively
- A high-performance product
- Easily to adjust and set up
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Does vibrate when you take a shot
- It is loud
Bear Archery Salute Ready to Hunt Compound Bow, 50-70 Ibs
Features:
- Draw length: 20-30
- Draw weight: 50-70 lbs
- Max. speed: 300 fps
- Price: Medium
This compound bow has a draw length range of 20-30 inches and a draw range of 50 – 70 Ibs making it perfect for beginners. Weighing in at just 4 Ibs, this is bow is great for hunting because it shoots up to 300 FPS.
Just like a few bows on this list, the Bear Archery Salute Ready to Hunt Compound Bow provides adjustability, comfort, performance, and accuracy. The amazing dual cam system offers you the smoothest draw circle you can every find on a compound bow.
Lastly, customers love the fact that it is equipped with trophy ridge accessories. You will always be ready to hunt all the time plus the 7 ¼ inch brace height gives the user an incredible level of forgiveness.
Pros:
- A good bow for beginners and archers who are tall
- Great for hunting and comes with trophy ridge accessories
- Amazing compact design
- Value for money and amazing dual cam system
Cons:
- Most customers feel the quality of this bow is mediocre
RAPTOR Compound Hunting Bow Kit, 30-70LB
Features:
- Draw length: 24.5-30
- Draw weight: 30-70 lbs
- Max. speed: 315 fps
- Price: Medium
Eight on the list is the RAPTOR Compound Hunting Bow Kit, 30-70 Ibs, and this product brings so much to the table. Not only is this bow very versatile, but it is also extremely adjustable and offers top-quality performance.
Made from outstanding material, there is no doubt that this bow is very durable and even though you pay a premium for it, it comes with some good quality accessories. The accessories you get include a 5 pin sight with light and level, biscuit-style rest, stabilizer, 4 arrow quiver, and string stop.
With a draw length adjustable of 24.5-31 and draw weight of 30-70 lbs, this is an easy bow to use even if you are a novice. It allows 75% of the weight to be let off because of its amazing compound design. Below are the pros and cons you need to be aware of because you buy this bow
Pros:
- Comes with top-quality accessories
- Durable
- Compound design
- Adjustable and performs very well
Cons:
- Pay a premium price for it
- Some customers have said the cable guard becomes loose very easily
XGear Right Hand Compound Bow, 50-70lbs
Features:
- Draw length: 25-31
- Draw weight: 50-70 fps
- Max. speed: 310 fps
- Price: Medium
Last on the list of best compound bows is the XGear Right Hand Compound Bow 50-70 Ibs. This bow oozes class and very durable and sturdy thanks to the aluminum material it is made from. If you are a beginner, this is a good bow because it is lightweight coming in at just 4.4 Ibs, easy to set up and adjust.
Just like the other XGear compound bow on this list, unless you buy the complete kit, accessories like a drop away arrow rest, peep sight, fiber optic sight, release aid, D string loop and two pieces 30-inch aluminum arrows can be purchased separately.
What you get with this bow is a draw weight of 50-70 Ibs, draw length of 25-31 inches and a max speed of 310 FPS. This is certainly one of the best options you can pick up if you are looking for something that will give you value for your buck.
Pros:
- Very easy to assemble and great for beginners
- Very accurate when you take a shot
- You can adjust the draw weight and length easily
- Well-built and lightweight
Cons:
- Not for left-handed people
How To Buy A Compound Bow
Many manufacturers understand that the compound bow is a personal and professional tool. This explains why many brands design bows individual settings can be adjusted and tailored to meet a specific user’s needs. Regardless of your strength, size, skill level or shape, there is a professional-quality compound bow out there waiting for you. But how do you know which one is best for you? What should you consider when in the market for a compound bow?
- Brace height: This is the distance from the grip of the shooter to the bowstring. A direct correlation exists between how much work or physical exertion you must do to draw the bow back and how close the bowstring is to your wrist at rest. Shorter brace height leads to more store energy, which ultimately leads to more arrow velocity. It’s however important to note that novices should not use anything with a brace height of less than .5 inches, as any shooting technique flaws are amplified. A 7-inch brace height or higher is best for beginners.
- Left off: This is the percentage of the peak weight that you hold at full draw. Lower let off translates to increased arrow velocity while higher let off means reduced arrow velocity. While too much let off can result to a bad shooting form, it can prove useful in situations where one has to wait for the perfect shot.
- Draw length: This is the distance between the position of the bowstring at full draw and at rest. It’s important that you match the draw length to your physical stature to ensure that you achieve your full shooting potential. To determine the best draw length for you, divide your full arm span by 2.5. Some compound bows come with adjustable draw lengths, which is useful if you don’t want to do the above calculation.
- Draw weight: This refers to amount of weight that one feels when retracting the bowstring. Opt for a bow with a maximum draw weight if you want to increase the velocity and amount of energy from each stroke. Note that if the draw weight is too high, it can result in poor shooting techniques as controlling the aim becomes a challenge.
- Speed: This is the most important factors that should be considered when purchasing compound bows. It is measured in feet per second, and the general idea is to get a compound bow with the fastest speed as this makes it difficult for the prey to react to your shot.
Summary
Archery is widely popular nowadays and this can be evidenced by blockbuster movies such as Avengers and Hunger Games or TV shows like Revolution. Compound bows are popular and understandably so. They are compact, powerful weapons that can be utilized for hobbies like hunting or target shooting. This guide tells you everything you need to know about shopping for compound bows.