20 Best Hunting Bow For Beginners (2023 Updated)

What can I say, it’s everything they claim it to be. Shootable out of the box, easy draw length adjustment and easy draw weight adjustment. It does not come with a peep or kisser but putting arrows on target at 20 yards right out of the box was not an issue.

Had my local(ish) Bass Pro install peep and kisser at about $15 for the pair, sighted the 30 and 40 pins and she’s ready to hunt. Draws smooth, shoots straight, looks good and loaded with accessories for under $400.

Zero complaints.

Was looking for a starter bow and noticed the 320 from Diamond. Thought it would be a great deal due to its adjustability. I was wrong however, this bow does not adjust its full specs. I took it to multiple shops and the most we could get out of it was a 30” draw and 67lbs.

Me being 6’3 was banking on that draw length adjustment to 31”. Customer service had no solutions to the problem. Even after all the adjustments the bow was ridiculously loud after the shot due to the polymer spacers between the riser and limbs.

It was probably 5 times as loud as any bow at the range. This is a great bow for kids or a wife but not meant to be a serious bow. Very disappointed in Diamond and how cheap it is made and not meeting the listed specs.

Nice package, even better when on clearance! This bow isn’t the fastest or the smoothest, but it’s a great package and I think it would make a solid backup bow. But it isn’t truly “ready to hunt” out of the store.

The 70 pound listed draw weight is at the 30 inch draw length (this is what their published manual states); note that the limb decal says it’s set up at 28-inches and 70 pounds, NOT so. If you try to adjust it to that you will have an 80 pound draw weight at 30-inch draw length which is out of spec.

Speaking of the manual, only the last page of it is specific to this twin cam bow. The only issue I’ve noted with this bow is the string and cable quality isn’t that great. The center serving on my string is loosely wrapped, which I discovered because the D-loop kept on moving and pinching the arrow nock no matter how tight I made it.

Upon closer examination I noticed how loose the serving is, and was able to shift/compact it by about 1/4 inch. Another thing to note is that this is not truly ready to hunt. The string peep sight is shipped loose in the bag with the instruction manual.

You will need a bow press to install it or else you will need to visit a pro shop. The peep is a trio style peep. The string on my is so tight and has so many twists that I would not recommend you try to use a string separator tool in lieu of a bow press.

For shootablity I like this bow. I am a short 26-inch draw length. With limb bolts fully tight, it maxes out at around 56 pounds. The valley feels short compared to my other bows, but it hits a very nice and solid back wall.

One advantage of this bow is that it has adjustable limb stops, so the back wall is rock solid compared to bows that use the draw module flats as stops. You will need a draw board or a pro shop to safely set the draw stops.

The draw length modules are polymer (plastic). There is also a constant draw setting, which I guess means that it will pull like a recurve or long bow and not be tied to a specific draw length, like if you had a bunch of people over that wanted to shoot.

I have my own bow press, and this bow took minimal tuning. I only had a very slight bottom cam lean that was easy to clean up. The whisker biscuit shipped mounted, but not set to center shot (was moved way left, probably for shipping purposes.

The bow doesn’t come with any tools, so you will need a standard (inch) hex wrench set. Bow is made in Taiwan, but has Bear’s warranty per the manual; lifetime on riser and cams, with 5 years on limbs, (prorated 50% thereafter).

I thought I was getting a bargain, all I got was a headache. I drove an hour to buy the first one. When I got home and opened it, I had to drive an hour back to exchange it because the cam was bent. The replacement lasted a week before the string started to fray.

I returned it and ordered a replacement online. What I received was a bow that someone else had returned and had the same issue as the ast one I bought. Returned that one, received a new one. I opened the box, removed the thin bubble wrap that was it’s only protection in the package, pulled the string and it made a noise.

The cam was cocked and the cable was popping off, again, just like the first one. I returned and ordered a PSE, which I will not get until the second weekend of hunting season. What a truly horrible experience and a piece of garbage bow.

I’m a new hunter and this is my 1st bow. Absolutely Love it. I tried several bows, looked at plenty. but the vast was it. Being new I had to have it set up at the field in stream on Long Island. Couple minor issues that were quickly adjusted.

Would say the peep could have been a little better but it works. The trophy Ridge sight is awe sold especially the light. I have it sighted at 20 gonna and it’s dead on. Overall I love it.

I am 75 and haven’t shot a compound bow in over 20 years. I am primarily a rifle hunter but I wanted to spend more time afield ( MI archery season runs for 3 months) so I decided to purchase a bow. I looked at crossbows, but the the prices far exceeded what I wanted to pay.

I’ll shell out 4 figures for a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 bolt rifle but not a “string gun. ” So, I looked at compounds. Again, the prices were “up there” as well as the poundage. I used to be able to draw 50 pounds when I was younger, but an arthritic shoulder makes that impossible nowadays.

Then, I found the “Limitless. ” It had everything I was looking for…. and I do mean EVERYTHING: it was fully equipped with all the necessary accessories, it was adjustable to fit my length of pull and draw weight, and the exceeding reasonable price tag sealed the deal.

It is an exceptional value and I am very impressed with it’s quality. Thank you, Bear Archery, for making it possible for me to continue to hunt. This is my 50th year afield.

I bought this a few months ago I went to a pro archery shop to get my arrows sized for me and they said this is the wrong bow first off the draw length increments are in full inches they need to be half of in inch.

2nd of all poor build quality and for younger kids for sure. People all over say good now for teens if ur 13 or older don’t buy it I’m a smaller 15 year old and I’m 5 6 my my draw is 26. 5 I think but yea don’t buy this bow.

Poor quality go with something bigger axle to axle. The guys at the shop recommended me to a mission switch. It’s made by matthews but it’s not that bad of a deal 400 with nothing on it 650 with all the accessories.

Don’t buy this bow.

This is a great bow for anyone, regardless of experience, not just youths. have a pinched nerve in my neck that limits my ability to pull a lot of weight so I opted for this bow as it maxes at 50lbs but still has a good yardage and the price point was much better than others.

And it’s size is extremely close to a full size bow, the axle length being within 3 inches of several of Bears full size bows. I actually didn’t know it was considered a youth bow until googling it. I’ve been shooting archery for years but not a whole lot with a compound bow, so I got this for hunting and also for fun/hobby and so far it’s great.

But if you’re planning to hunt exclusively, maybe opt for a 75 pound bow to get you a better kill radius.

I bought this bow in March 2020 and it came a day early. I had to get arrows before I could shoot it, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed when I finally could. The first thing I had to do was attach the stabilizer, quiver, and sight.

They weren’t hard to put on as instructions were provided. The draw length is super easy to adjust. No bow press needed, just loosen two screws on one of the cams and turn the module to the correct position.

The draw weight is also easy to adjust with an Allen wrench. The bow is easy to draw if your draw weight isn’t too high, and the draw weight goes down to about thirty pounds. It is decently quiet for a modern compound, and fast.

It is definitely not a Matthews VXR, so if you can already hit a milk jug at 90 yards, get a better one. On the other hand, It is good enough for the average Hunter and will do it’s job if you do yours.

The sight is a $25 factory sight, so it’s pretty junky. It works, but isn’t easy to precisely adjust. When I was tightening the sight after I sighted it in, the aluminum threads inside the sight stripped out, so I put a Trophy Ridge Fix 5 on it and it works perfect.

My only problem was that when I lengthened my draw length a half inch to account for growing, I had to paper tune and sight in the bow again. The draw length module is only on one cam, so it affects string movement.

One cool thing about this bow is that it pretty much has a built-in bow press. If you loosen the limb bolts enough, the string becomes loose and you can tune it. I figured this out when I was seeing how low the draw weight would go.

I works good when you have to put the string back on because you dry-fired it (don’t dry-fire it, it’ll ruin your string and maybe the whole bow). Overall, this is a very good bow for the beginning archer.

I got it on sale for $350 dollars, and as I write this, it is on sale for $320. PSE doesn’t make this bow anymore, so Sportsman’s is probably trying to get them off the shelves. I say this bow is worth $500, so if it is still on sale and you need a good budget bow, get it.

If you have $500 to spend on a bow and it isn’t on sale, still consider buying this.

I am new to bow hunting so I was looking for something budget-friendly but adjustable and ready to shoot. This bow has been great with one exception: The three pin sight is cheap and falls apart easily.

The day I got it home and attempted to make small adjustments to the pins to get it sighted in and noticed that one of the fibers was not attached to the tip of the pin as it should be. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the end of the fiber was actually broken so it was no longer able to be used.

I reached out to PSE about a replacement pin. They got back to me right away via email and said that they would replace the pin and asked for my address so they could ship it to me. That was a month ago.

I still have not received my replacement pin. I set two of the pins that remain so that I could still go hunting. Hopefully, I’ll get my pin someday. This is a very light and comfortable bow that is a lot of fun to shoot.

Its quiet, too and the Mossy Oak makes it blend in with the background easily in the tree stand. If you get one, I highly recommend replacing the sight ASAP. Just can’t say anything good about something that breaks the first hour you own it.

I like the bow good power but the techs have something less to be desired……. after 60 shots the stops on my cam loosened and popped mid draw……I suppose the techs never heard of a torque wrench. I would by the bow again either from another dealer or just take to another company to work on my bow.

This was bought in Boise Idaho. The unfortunate thing is this has messed up my plans in going hunting now and I live two hours away from any bow tech…. thanks Cabela’s.

Got this for my 7-year-old as an introductory bow. As a very first bow, it serves. The unit is built well enough. The poundage is adjustable, but don’t expect the arrows to all penetrate the target every time even when you crank it down.

The arrow rest is like an afterthought. If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to see if your youngster is going to dig archery, this bow will do that job. But if they do, you’ll be looking for another bow in fairly short order.

Bought this as a Christmas gift for my 8 year old. It was delivered 4 hours ago and I’ve already made my mind up that her toy bow that shoots suction cup arrows is better. It’s cheap plastic, Horrible quality.

Shipping it back to cabelas right now. Can’t believe PSE put their name on this bow.

While this is probably marketed as a beginner’s bow (and the only left handed option at the time I went bow shopping) it would probably be more accurately classified as a discount bow for the expert archer / bowsmith who loves having to maintain their bow closely and often.

The biggest problem I notice is with cam / bowstring alignment. My string has been fraying consistently on the sharp inner guide rail of the upper cam, due to being pulled too far off centre by the middle rail which pulls the string off centre for arrow clearance (forget the technical term).

I discovered that the hole into which this bowstring guide bar is (just below bow sight attachment) inserted is misaligned, and so in order to prevent dangerous fraying, you must only insert the string guide bar through the first of two holes, which reduces the angle, allowing less fraying at that top cam.

I am serious about the Allen keys also. Most screws come loose slowly over time, including the cam screws which secure that sharp top guide rail. if you hear any buzzing / vibration while shooting, be sure to check your screws before the bow blows up on you.

Additionally, the peep site is held in place by poorly tied factory knots. Better manufacturers leave these knots loose intentionally to allow for peep site positioning before being firmly secured. this is easily fixed by moving them into position, and then tying some proper knots with the correct fine string at the end of these slidable factory knots.

The bow sight adds no value to the bow in my opinion. the level of vibration that rattles through it with each shot made it impossible to cinch down tight enough to prevent it moving with each shot. I missed my first shot at a grouse because it had slipped almost completely out of its bracket, which it did after my second shot at said grouse.

So if you buy this, tighten everything down within reason, and think about upgrading your bowsight immediately. It does shoot fairly well. It is weighted nicely, and produces a repeatable flight with good technique.

Just look after it, especially if you don’t have a large budget for repairs. I may be needing a new string soon, which apparently is only available from specialty string-makers, not the manufacturer themselves.

I purchased this bow only two months ago and have had 2 issues occur that should not have happened this early in the life of this product. After the first month the string began to fray aggressively to the point where I had to replace it for safety’s sake.

No more than 50 arrows in to the new string the cam draw length modules gave out (in the middle of hunting season for me nonetheless). All tune ups and installations to the bow were conducted by a highly reputable archery shop with decades worth of experience.

I understand that this bow is geared more towards the entry level or budget friendly consumer, however I don’t thinks it is unreasonable to expect the parts of this bow to hold up for at least more than a season.

The only satisfactory part of the experience thus far was the customer service readily replacing my broken parts. And to be fair the bow shot like a laser for a limited time when it was tuned up and working properly.

If I had a time machine I would have just saved my money and bought a bow with higher quality materials. The money I’ve spent replacing, installing, and tuning this thing would have already bought me a better bow from the start.

Ultimately, you get what you pay for.

To start, I’m an experienced bow hunter for over 45 years. I’ve bow hunted whitetail and elk for years. I started with a longbow, then recurve before moving on to compounds. Three years ago I had two complete shoulder replacements and a left rotator cuff surgery.

Not much left of the left rotator, so I was seeking a light bow with adjustable draw length and adjustable draw weights, the 70 lb. Hoyt no longer an option. I wasn’t ready to give up and go to the crossbow, and I wasn’t ready to stop bow hunting.

The last two years I used a Browning Micro Midas youth bow I had purchased for our son several years ago just to get by. I hadn’t been able to find a good option at my local pro shop, but found the Cruzer G2 at Cabela’s.

I tried it and a couple of other options they had. The Cruzer was by far the smoothest and easiest on my wasted shoulders. I’m still getting comfortable and fine tuning, but it was very well setup from the start and truly not a lot of adjusting.

If you’re in a similar shoulder situation and not ready to give up being a bow hunter, I would suggest you give this option a shot.

The bow is great. (5-stars) however, the description on the website is incorrect! Beware!!! The item has 2 options when the viewer is looking for this. The options are as follows: -Bear Archery Cruzer G2 RTH Compound Bow – Shadow – Right Hand or Bear Cruzer G2 RTH (Fred Bear) this is the camo option If you select the camo option, it WILL SHIP TO YOU AS A LEFT HAND BOW! The supplier, Archer Full Throttle, LLC.

(Angie) was amazing to work with and promptly corrected this by sending out the right handed version and supplied a return shipping tag to send the incorrect product back. Archer Full Throttle has tried to get Walmart.

com to correct this and they have not done so. Because of this I am writing this review to assist future buyers to make sure if you need a right handed bow to confirm it is in fact, RIGHT HANDED! Happy hunting with this product!!!.

Purchased this bow i didn’t think it would be as good as my bear bow. I had to make some adjustments order few things to bring it up to date a little. The D loop was off less then 1/4 inch so I replaced and lined up new D loop Adjusted the draw 50 lb draw.

tuned and lined up the bow this bow surprised me. I have 89 yards shooting distance in my back yard. I started at 12 ft hitting bullseye moved back every 12 ft on each shot. After getting back to about 28 yards I had to adjust the site which is common.

Started hitting about 2 -3 inches Wright side of the center point. Time i got to 30 yards i was hitting 1 1/2 ” above bullseye. To me thats not bad for cheaper compound bow. I did bring the draw up to 55 lb but I can say I’m not going to miss my shot.

Any bow can be set up to perform for hunting and target practice. Anyway last week at 24 yards I made a fox kill with this bow arrow went Wright where I wanted it to hit. Using a 315 blood sport arrow with 125 gr broudhead.

3 blade point. So yes I do recommend this bow for a beginner and work your way up the ladder. I’m thinking about buying my son one to start with.

Got the bow pulled it out of the box, fitted all the accessories on and noticed it is a very lite abs comfortable bow to handle. Took it outside and began shooting at my target. Just a couple of adjustments and felt like i have had this bow for years.

A great bow for anyone beginner or pro. Very well made and strong for now. I save the rest of my opion for awhile after i shot it for some time. Thanks for a great product at a reasonable price.

Do not let the made in China mark worry you, this bow is fantastic. It comes with a good amount of starter accessories than can be easily switched out or upgraded when the time comes and the ease at which even a novice can adjust the cams and weight makes it perfect for those just getting into the sport.

The arrows that come with it are fairly decent range arrows though you will want to replace them after a few times practicing or if you’re going to use this for hunting. It came perfectly sealed in a nice wooden crate insulated by Styrofoam which also doubles as a halfway decent case and worktable if needed.

For the price and with what comes with it, this bow will make an amazing addition to any collection as it easily stands alongside its more expensive brothers.

Easy set up and shoots well. Only con would be you may need to tighten up things. We had the cable slide come off during a shot. The set screws backed out and it got so loose that it just fell off. This could have been hazardous.

Also the peep was tied in. this was not the right position for my son so had to undo, reposition and re tie. We had the equipment and knowledge to do this but most would have to take it to a bow shop.

The Raptor is an excellent bow for beginning and intermediate shooting. It is my first compound bow, and I find it to set up and is easy to adjust to my shooting style. It is well worth the price.

bought this for my 16 year old son. Great bow! a little assembling, and it was ready to use. im thinking of replacing my old pse with this one.

So I got this bow as a Christmas gift in 2020. I’ve been going to the range as often as time allows, and have been very happy with this bow. To be honest, up until then, I was more familiar with recurved, because when I was 13, I used one for Boy Scouts and the Archery Merit Badge.

But this compound bow was a pleasant surprise come Christmas Day. Definitely a solid bow to get back into archery with, and even when my sights haven’t been properly adjusted, my grouping seems to be fairly consistent.

I have hardly any issues with the whisker biscuit, but it’s a little too bright orange for my taste. That and it looks like it won’t last too much longer, especially as often as I’m going to the range.

Hoping to invest in a recurve sometime, so I can practice with both, but the overall experience I’ve had with this bow has been great, and it’s definitely good for someone who’s just starting archery, or someone like me who hasn’t done it for years, but wanted to get back into it.

My only complaint is that the technique involved with using a compound bow is quite unfamiliar to me, but I know that’s not just specific to this bow. In fact, I’ll probably get better at that as I use it.

Peep sights kind of are difficult for me to use, since I need to wear glasses for my near-sighted vision, and every so often I find myself taking my glasses off at the range. Not sure I’d have that problem with a recurve, but this compound bow is hands-down a blast to use, even with some of its difficulties and maintenance.

The Refine EKO is my favorite bow to date. The Refine is built with top-tier specs for a really reasonable price. I got my Refine on a Thursday and took it turkey hunting on Saturday. I have literally never done that with a bow (owned less than 48 hours and taking it hunting) but the Refine tuned exceptionally well and with the Trophy Ridge React technology, I had it hitting where I was aiming in no time.

Although I didn’t get a turkey within 48 hours of owning it, I did knock down my second bird of the spring with the Refine. I’ve shot 3D with it and scored well (won the Advanced Bowhunter Class in it’s first shoot of the season) and will have it in the Iowa timber this fall.

The 33″ ATA is perfect – it’s easily maneuverable while hunting but very forgiving for long-distance practice or 3D. It shoots flat and consistent – I can’t recommend this bow enough. If you’re in the market for a bow, shoot this one and you’ll likely be taking it home with you.

Before I bought this bow I have owned two hoyt bows. The Faktor 30 and the Ignite. I decided this year a couple days before season it was tile for something new. I was looking for a mid-priced bow that had a good quality and feel.

I did my research on Bear bows and looked at their new 2022 lineup and saw this one. Had good reviews so I decided to give it a try. Ordered it through Amazon on sale for $391. Paired it w/ a trophy ridge one pin & 6” stabilizer, along with a QAD dropaway.

Just got back from the shop getting everything set up and shot it for the first time. This thing is dead quiet and it shoots quick. I love this bow. More than both of the Hoyt’s I have owned in the past.

The Faktor was a 1000$+ bow. If your thinking about getting this one, you should. The only very slight complain I have is the paint finish. I have a few super small spots where it has chipped a little but you can barely tell whatsoever.

We will see how the finish does in the future. I’ve never owned a bear bow but I am utterly impressed to say the least. I may stick with them forever.

Bought this bow last week and maybe have 80-100 arrows through it but went and had a fall away rest put on at local dealer and I asked him to check draw weight because it felt “easy”. He checked it and made sure limb bolts were all the way in and it only read 62.

4lbs with a 28inch draw length. He checked everything and said everything g was within spec. But he’s never seen anything like it before. Currently waiting to hear back from Bear now. Shooting same FPS as my older bow which is rated 15fps slower.

So far I’m disappointed. Season starts in a few weeks and it’s hard to find time to set up a new bow already. But if it has to go in for warranty then my bow season is over before it’s started. In terms meaning this disappointment from what I considered a good brand.

We’ll see….

I first shot this bow a couple years ago when it came out and my friends had it. I immediately knew I had to have one! I love the draw cycle and firm wall. I don’t have a crazy long draw length so this bow gives me the extra push I am looking for in speed and distance.

I was able to harvest a mountain lion with this bow and it died within seconds. A couple added bonuses that Bear offers are: lots of different color/camo finishes and 2 different grips options! Overall this has been my favorite bow I have ever had!.

Bought this bow for my son. The build quality is fantastic and he’s able to shoot it at his age (8) and can grow into it with the adjustable poundage. i bought this bow because his school system has an archery program and they use this bow.

The Genesis is particularly innovative because it’s not like a recurve that draws heavier with longer draw lengths, and not like a compound because the Genesis has no let-off. It stays the same draw weight from low to high draw lengths.

Making it very versatile for use my lots of different youth archers. It’s also far better than the cheaper novelty bows that look cool but can be frustrating to shoot with.

Got our kids bows for Xmas – a Genesis for the most interested and Bears for the mildly interested. There is hardly a comparison. If you can afford it, skip the cheapie stuff and just get one of these.

Its a real pleasure to use, the only caveats being: – its either RH or LH, so establish eye-dominance before buying; – its heavy for petite kids (3 lbs. ) – there is a Mini version (2lbs. ) which may be more appropriate.

– pull weight ranges 10-20 lbs. (The Mini 6-12 lbs. ) Other than that, get a full kit, a big ole target and get out there shooting! The kit includes an Allan key, a nice quiver and five arrows from Easton.

This is the original Genesis bow. It is perfect for teaching kids how to shoot. It is a good all around bow that kids and adults can use to shoot. This came as a kit with arrows and a quiver, just the things you need to get started.

Purchased this bow after not shooting about ten years since high school. Has the same feel as my older Hoyt Xt2000 from 2001. Does have a smooth draw and flat backwall. has been quiet for the time being.

The most convenience from this bow is probably the option to change draw lengths easily. The rth package is okay. Can’t do much with 4 pins, the stabilizer is real basic and needs an upgrade, the strings are frayed already after 2 weeks, the peep hole is extremely large so there’s no consistency with shooting, the hand grip is fairly small and awkward to hold steady, the d loop is really thin which made me switch releases.

Although Trophy Ridge products make this bow a good looking package it’s not quite the package needed for ready to go into the woods. Going to see if Cabela’s will take back as easily as they force you out the door with it.

For the money I rather buy a bow with nothing and create my own build.

I bought this bow for possibly using for deer hunt and target shooting. It will be adjustable enough for my kids to use if they become interested in archery later. This Bear Legit came with a quiver, small stabilizer, wrist strap, 4 pin sight and the new style V Whiscker Biscuit rest.

The rest and sights were already mounted when it arrived. It already had a D-loop tied in and the peep sight was installed as well. I adjusted the draw length and weight, that was a little difficult to due for my draw length (26.

5″). the limb is just in the wrong place to get the screw for the mod back in at this draw length. takes a little flexing the cables to get it just right, but easy at most other draw length positions.

I had to adjust the cables a little to get the stops timed and adjust the yokes to get a little lean out of the top cam. but some adjustments are always needed for a new bow after adjusting draw length.

After a few minor adjustments to the rest and peep it shot a nice group at 20 and 30 yards. It is a nice bow with a lot of adjustability for someone just starting archery. especially a kids bow.