5 Best Compound Bows for Beginners
- Wandering Wild
- Mar 31
- 9 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Getting into archery can be overwhelming…
With all of the bows on the market it can be hard to figure what's the best fit to get yourself started.
In this post you'll learn the advantages & disadvantages of a beginner compound bow, how to choose the right compound bow for you and what the best beginner compound bows are...
Buckle up!
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How To Pick A Bow For Beginners
What pound (lb) bow should I start with?
This is a tough one because there's a lot of variables here…
But a general range would be 40-60 pounds.
This range goes up a little for men, especially for someone who plans on bowhunting.
One of the problems with this is that there's a lot of beginners who don't have the strength built up to be able to shoot the draw weight they want to right away without sacrificing their shooting form.
Ultimately this creates more problems long term in their accuracy and ability to use higher draw weight.
To avoid this problem, I suggest starting with a beginner bow that has a wider range of draw weights so you can start with a lower draw weight and move your way up as you build strength.
What Are the Advantages of a Beginner Compound Bow?
There's a handful of advantages that make beginner compound bows stand out…
The biggest is the adjustability and versatility.
Most beginner compound bows have a wider range of draw weights and draw lengths than other bows to help beginners find what works for them.
This is especially helpful for kids' bows because a kid can use 1 bow for almost their whole childhood!
Another big advantage is that you can get beginner bows in packages with 90% of the things you need to get started so you can spend less time getting gear and more time shooting your bow.
Lastly, beginner bows are less expensive than higher end bows
Beginner bows are much more affordable to get started with.
What Are the Disadvantages of a Beginner Compound Bow?
With all the advantages of beginner bows, there has to be some drawbacks, right?
It shouldn't be a surprise that beginner bow aren't as fast or as quiet as higher quality bows.
They usually aren't as precise either.
That's not to say they aren't accurate, but you're not likely to win a national title with a beginner bow.
Think of beginner bows as a jack of all trades, but master of none.
Another disadvantage is that beginner bow tend to be heavier than higher end bows (unless they're specifically kids bows)
Does any of this mean beginner bows are bad?
No!
It just means you need to know what trade offs you're making by getting a beginner bow.
Best Beginner Compound Bow for Hunting
Bear Adapt 2+ RTH - $819
The Bear Adapt 2+ was designed with the guys over at The Hunting Public for everyday bow hunters.
With the whole focus being getting the job done without breaking the bank.
Single cam is designed to have a smooth draw and requires less tuning than a dual cam bow
The first most obvious feature of this bow is that it's a single cam bow, that gives it a smoother draw cycle and it's going to require less tuning in the long term than a dual cam bow, which is perfect for beginners.
Even though it’s only a single cam, it's rated up to 320 FPS which is plenty of speed for a beginner bowhunter
They put a intermediate brace height on here coming in at 6.5”
What I mean by that is, it's not the shortest brace height you're going to find but it's not the longest
So a shorter brace height normally means the bow shoots faster, longer brace height means the bow is more forgiving…
They put this in that sweet spot right in the middle to keep the speed but make it more forgiving for beginners
80% let off is ideal for those situations where you have to hold at full draw for an animal to give you the right shot
It's on the shorter side for axle to axle length.
Coming in at 31” axle to axle, this is great for hunting out of a tree stand or a saddle because it’s more maneuverable than longer bows that are closer to 34” axle to axle.
So what does the plus stand for?
The plus is Bear's upgraded accessories package, that includes a two-pin slider sight, a lighter quiver and a longer stabilizer than the standard Adapt 2 RTH package.
The upgraded sight is one of the things that sets this package apart from the rest of this list
With this site you take a few shots to figure out what sight tape you need and then once that's set up you can shoot from 20 yards out to 100 yards with the turn of a dial
Specs -
Draw Lengths: 24"–31"
Draw weights: 45–60 lbs. or 55–70 lbs
Axle to Axle: 31”
Speed: 320 fps
Weight: 4.2 lbs
Letoff: 80%
Like the Adapt 2+, but want to see what other options it can come with?
Best Compound Bow for the Money
Blackout Epic NT Package - $649
If you're truly a beginner the blackout epic NT is going to give you the most bang for your buck.
Right out of the gates, the biggest thing that's going to stand out is the speed of this bow…
It's at the top end of what you can expect out of a “beginner bow” coming in at 333 FPS!
From there the next big thing is the axle to axle
You're looking at 33” axle to axle which isn't so long that it's the pain but it does give you two notable benefits.
First big benefit with a longer axle to axle bow is that it's more stable especially in windy conditions so it helps you be more accurate when you're shooting out at longer ranges.
We're talking 50 yards plus it's going to help you keep your groups tight
The second big benefit is going to be for people who have longer draw lengths
(generally this is people who are taller)
The longer axle to axle lets this bow go all the way out to 32 inch draw length
If you have a longer draw like you know how hard it can be to find a bow that gets out that far
That also means with how fast this bow is, if you do have let's say a 31” or 32” draw length this bow is going to be flying!
A couple other things to note, it does come with integrated setups for the sight and the arrow rest.
Basically what that does keeps everything mounted more in line so you have less weight offset to one side and, especially for beginners, that's going to help you be more accurate without needing a side stabilizer
And last but not least, they added in a few built in strings silencers just help you keep the noise down, especially for a bow that's shooting this fast
So if you're a true true beginner, you're just wanting a bow that you can pick up and start shooting but you want to get the most bang for your buck…
This is going to be the bow for you
Specs -
Draw Lengths: 27” - 32”
Draw weights: 45-60 lbs or 55-70 lbs
Axle to Axle: 33”
Speed: 333 fps
Weight: 4.2 lbs
Letoff: 80%
Best Compound Bow Package for Beginners
Diamond Deploy SB - $799
Diamond Archery is the entry level brand of Bowtech Archery, so they are able to get some features from higher end bows that Bowtech makes and put them into entry level bows to give you the most bang for your buck.
The Deploy SB is a perfect example of that!
Designed to be
For starters it’s pretty fast for a beginner bow, coming in at 330 FPS on its IBO rating.
On top of that, it’s one of the lightest bows you’ll find in this price range at 3.2 pounds!
But where the Deploy SB really shines is its cam system.
Carrying over some features from Bowtech, it has a synchronized dual cam system that never lets the cams get their timing off.
That gives you the extra speed & power of a true dual cam bow without the headache of keeping your cam timing right, so you always have consistent nock travel and ultimately consistent accuracy.
Another feature they added in on the cam system is rotating modules which let you adjust your draw length without a bow press making sure you can get dialed into the perfect draw length for you.
The Axle-to-Axle length is right in the middle of everything at 31.5” making it a Jack of all trades, but master of none.
It’s not the shortest you can find, but it's not super long either…
Just long enough to add a little bit of stability but not so long that it makes it a pain to use in a tree stand or a saddle.
You can get this in a 50-60 lbs or 60-70 lbs model.
One piece of advice on this, if you’re right on that line in between draw weights, a good rule of thumb is to go to the lower draw weight bow, so you’re at the max draw weight.
Bows are more efficient at the top of their draw weight range…
For example, if you shoot 60 lbs, you’ll get more speed & power at that draw weight shooting on the 50-60 lb bow than you would on the 60-70 lb bow.
With this coming as a complete package (sight, quiver, and stabilizer are included) if you wanted to make this bow even better you can get more out of it with a longer stabilizer.
The stabilizer that comes on it is more focused on dampening sound & vibration, not so much shot stability.
So jumping over to a longer 8” or 10” stabilizer would help improve accuracy greatly.
Specs -
Draw Lengths: 26"-30.5"
Draw weights: 50-60 lbs or 60-70 lbs
Axle to Axle: 31.5”
Speed: 330 FPS
Weight: 3.2 lbs
Letoff: 80%
Best Budget Compound Bow
Diamond Edge XT Package - $399
Diamond’s Edge XT is a great budget bow for someone just getting started.
Like a lot of beginner bows it comes as a full package so you have your site you have an arrow rest you got a quiver a stabilizer all you need is an arrows and release and you're ready to go
Being a budget bow it's obviously not going to knock your socks off with speed or how quiet it is but it's a great starting point!
One of the reasons I like this as a beginner bow for adults is it's adjustability
You have a draw length range from 19” to 31” which is pretty big and that's what a lot of beginners need…
For the most part when you're new to archery you really don't know what your exact draw length is going to be.
There's some ways to get pretty close but it's something that you definitely, as you start shooting, will realize you need to make some adjustments…
Maybe add a half inch, maybe lose half inch, to get you the right Anchor Point so you can shoot consistently and this gives you that adjustability.
The other thing I really like is that the draw weight goes from 20 lb to 70 lb
Here's why I think that range is important…
The biggest thing people do when they start archery that hurts them the most is just starting with too heavy of a draw weight.
What happens is you end up sacrificing your form to be able to pull a heavier draw weight.
The reason that's an issue is most bows only have a 10 or 20 lb range for their draw weights.
So if you know eventually you want to shoot at 70 lb , most people have to at least start at 60 pounds, which may be too much for them and then they don't have as good of form which long term hurts their accuracy
With the Edge XT you can start as low as you need to shoot comfortably & consistently…
Then over time increase the draw weight to get where you want it to be at.
Overall, if price is your absolute biggest concern, then the Diamond Edge XT is the bow for you!
Specs -
Draw Lengths: 19"-31"
Draw weights: 20-70 lbs.
Axle to Axle: 31"
Speed: 300
Weight: 3.7 lbs.
Best Compound Bow for Kids
Bear Archery Royale RTH Compound Bow Package - $319
This bow is great for kids because it grows with them.
The lowest draw weight is 5 pounds and the maximum draw weight is 50 pounds!
On top of that, it comes as a kit with everything you need to start shooting except for arrows and a release!
The bow itself weighs in at 2.7 pounds, making it light enough for even the smallest archers out there.
Specs -
Draw Lengths: 12"-27"
Draw weights: 5 - 50 lbs.
Axle to Axle: 27"
Speed: 290
Weight: 2.7 lbs
Letoff: 75%
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much should I spend on a beginner bow?
This can be a tough one because everyone has a different budget and different preferences…
But as a general rule, the $500-$700 range is a good place to start for most beginners on a budget.
This will get you a decent bow and you can usually get a bow in a bow package in that range.
If you're someone that's completely committed, you can obviously go above this range and get into the higher end bows.
Aside from cost, the big drawback you start to run into is the intermediate and higher end bows don't come in packages, so you'll have to buy all the accessories like a sight, arrow rest and things like that.
What is the most forgiving compound bow?
Longer axle to axle bows are more stable and ultimately more forgiving
Any bow in the 33” to 35” range is going to be the most forgiving.
Like the Lift X 33”
What draw weight do most bowhunters use?
Most bowhunters use a draw weight in the 50-70 pound range.
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