Top 10 Compound Bows

In recent years, most compound bows and especially hunting bows comparison focuses on flagship bows with a price tag starting at 900$ and up but there is far more to the industry than just that.  Many archers don’t want or can’t pay as high as those flagship prices. With those people in mind, I thought that it would be a good thing to put up a top 10 of the best affordable entry level compound bow packages on the market. The list is made with prices ranging from around 150$ to 700$ including accessories that make them ready to shoot or hunt. Let’s have a look at this Top 10 Compound Bows.

 

 

Diamond Edge SB-1 Compound Bow Package

Versatility at its best, the Diamond Edge SB 1 is highly adjustable and ideal to grow with you whether you are a beginner or a young archer. The draw length is adjustable from 15 to 30 inches while the draw weight can be adjusted from 7 to 70 pounds. Still, this bow is very good for more experienced archers. The Diamond Edge Bow comes in ready to shoot/hunt and can blast arrows at an IBO speed of 318 FPS (feet per second) with a brace height of 7 inches and a let-off of 80%. The bow is also quite easy to handle with an axle-to-axle length of 31 inches and a mass weight of 3.6 pounds

Pros:

• You can grow with your bow
• Very affordable for the quality
• Outstanding versatility (adjustable draw length and draw weight)
• Binary cam overcomes timing issues

Cons:

• The sight might be the first piece of equipment you may want to change.

 

Have a look at our complete Diamond Edge SB 1 Review.

 

 

SAS Rage Compound package

The SAS Rage offers nice adjustable settings in draw length and draw weight, the former can be set anywhere between 12 inches to 31 inches while the latter can be adjusted from 25 to 70 pounds draw weight by an increment of 5 lbs. The let-off for this bow is 70%. Note that the IBO Speed rating is much lower than other bows within this list with 270 FPS so if your intention is to hunt large games, this might not be the best option for you, plus the SAS Rage makes quite an amount of noise.  The axle-to-axle length is 35 inches and the weight is 4.4 pounds which are quite heavy. This compound bow is pretty accurate and draw cycle is smooth enough although it can get better from that standpoint. There may be a couple of setbacks but this bow is still in the top 10 since it can compete with a lot of more expensive bows and I felt that having a bow with a price tag as low as this one could be a good thing for the budget minded archer who wants to get into the sport without breaking the bank.

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Durable
• Good accuracy

Cons:

• A bit heavy. Can hardly be held in position for an extended period of time.
• Noisy
• Low speed

 

 

Diamond Infinite Edge Pro Compound Bow

The Diamond Infinite Edge Pro is the upgraded version of the standard Infinite Edge. The Pro version of this best-selling compound bow now offers an extended draw length going from 13 to 31 inches with a redesigned cam system allowing for a smoother draw cycle along with a solid back wall and the addition of a stabilizer. The draw weight can be adjusted from 5 to 70 pounds by increments of 5 pounds. Like all the other bows in this list, the Infinite Edge Pro comes in ready to shoot. The IBO speed rating is 310 FPS with a brace height of 7 inches and a let-off of 80%. The axle-to-axle length is 31.5 inches and the mass weight is 3.2 pounds.

Pros:

• Highly versatile
• Affordable
• Good for archers with a longer draw length

Cons:

• Not the best sight
• Could be quieter but can be resolved by adding silencers not included in the package

 

Have a look at our complete Diamond Archery Infinite Edge Pro Review.

 

 

PSE Stinger X

Light, fast and smooth, the PSE Stinger X is equipped with X-Tech split limbs and an SX cam system. The adjustable draw length is ranging from 21 to 30 inches and the bow is available in several draw weight adjustment options all the way up to 70 pounds. The Stinger X has an IBO Speed rating of 316 FPS with a brace height of 7 1/8 inches and a let-off of 75%. The bow can be handled pretty easily with a weight of 3.5 pounds and an axle-to-axle length of 32.5 inches.

Pros:

• Great limbs
• Nice adjustment in draw length and draw weight
• Smooth draw cycle

Cons:

• Average accessories
• A bit noisy

 

 

Bear Threat

The Bear Threat is a good looking bow with a nice finish. The draw length is adjustable from 25 to 30 inches and the draw weight comes in the options of 50-60 pounds and 60-70 pounds. The bow has a mass weight of 4 pounds along with an axle-to-axle length of 32 ¼ inches. Even with an 80% let-off, the Threat requires more strength to draw compared to the other bows in this top 10 which is understandable with an IBO Speed rating as high as 330 FPS with a short brace height of 6 ¼ inches. If speed is important to you, this bow could be a good choice.

Pros:

• Good speed

Cons:

• Requires more strength to pull back
• Unforgiving

 

 

Quest Forge Compound Bow Package

The Quest Forge comes equipped with very good quality accessories, probably some of the best you can get for a package in that price range. The sight even comes with a light. The Forge is equipped with a single cam which makes it for a smooth draw cycle and it also feels quite comfortable when holding the string at full draw for an extended period of time. The draw length is adjustable from 25.5 to 30 inches and the draw weight ranges from 40 to 70 pounds. The bow weighs 3.9 pounds and possesses an axle-to-axle length of 32 inches along with a brace height of 7 inches. The Quest Forge has an IBO Speed rating of 315 FPS.

Pros:

• Smooth draw cycle
• High-quality accessories

Cons:

• Grip rounded at the front which may cause hand torque if not paying close attention to your form

 

Have a look at our complete Quest Forge Review.

 

 

Bear Archery Cruzer G2 

Another great bow for the growing archer, the Bear Archery Cruzer offers great adjustability options with a draw length that can be set from 12 to 30 inches and a draw weight that can be adjusted from 5 all the way up to 70 pounds with a 75% let-off. This bow also offers decent speed with an IBO Speed rating of 310 FPS with a brace height of 6.5 inches resulting in a reasonable forgiveness. The bow has a light mass weight of 3.6 pounds and an axle-to-axle length of 32 inches which makes it easy to handle.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Great versatility
• Affordable

Cons:

• Quiver could be lighter

 

 

Genesis Original Bow Kit

 

The Genesis Bow Set features a single cam system which was designed to be easy to shoot by anyone. The Genesis is offered with zero let-off allowing for use with any draw length from 15 to 30 inches without a need for adjustments. Draw weight ranges from 10 to 20 pounds. This lightweight compound bow is very durable and can withstand a good amount of punishment. This bow got an axle-to-axle length of 35.5 inches and a brace height of 7 5/8 inches. I wanted to include this bow in the top 10 for the reason that it is simply one of the best bows for youth and the only one allowed in the NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program). The bow set includes flipper style arrow rest, nock point, tube quiver, arm guard, and (5) Genesis arrows.

Pros:

• Easy to shoot
• Smooth and forgiving
• Allowed in the NASP
• Available in a lot of coating colors
• Very affordable

Cons:

• Peak weight is 20 pounds (Not for hunting)

 

 

Bear Archery Attitude

The Bear Archery Attitude features quad limbs and a single EZ3 cam system with a rotating module which results in a very smooth draw cycle. The Attitude offers adjustable draw length that ranges from 25 to 32 inches, higher than many bows out there so it can fit archers with longer draw length. The bow comes in three different peak draw weights; 50, 60 and 70 lbs with 80% let-off. The IBO Speed rating is 310 FPS with a brace height of 7.25 inches. The mass weight is quite light with 3.7 pounds and the bow is short with 31 inches axle-to-axle. Like other single cams, this bow is easy to tune.

Pros:

• Smooth and reliable
• Easy to tune
• Forgiving
• Good for longer draw length (Up to 32 inches)

Cons:

• Quiver could be better quality

 

 

Diamond Deploy SB Compound Bow Package

The most expensive of the top 10 yet I wanted to include it because it is still affordable for the quality you get out of this bow. The Diamond Deploy is the most technologically advanced offered by Diamond Archery. Like the Diamond Edge SB-1, the Deploy also features the Binary Cam system exclusive to Bowtech. Available in 50, 60 or 70 pounds draw weight and a draw length that can be adjusted from 26 to 30.5 inches. The axle-to-axle length is 31.5 inches and the mass weight is a light 3.2 pounds. This compound bow has an IBO Speed rating of 330 FPS and a brace height of 6.75 inches. It goes without saying that this bow is great for hunting any kinds of game. You absolutely can’t go wrong when choosing the Diamond Deploy SB RAK package.

Pros:

• Good speed
• Smooth draw cycle
• Little noise
• Very light

Cons:

• Limited finishes

 

Have a look at our complete Diamond Deploy SB Review.

 

 

Conclusion

To conclude, these are only a few great bows available out there and this top 10 is based on preferences that may not necessarily suit everyone’s taste but I feel that you can’t go wrong by selecting any of them which will for sure result in a great shooting experience. See how you don’t need to break the bank to get a high-quality bow! So are you ready to get the best bang for your buck!?

Do not hesitate if you have any questions or leave a comment below. Meanwhile, if you would like a product to be reviewed, feel free to contact me so I can prepare a review on a particular bow of your choice.