Best Compound Bow for Beginners

The short answer for a first compound bow

A first compound bow has one job before it has any others: fit the person holding it. That means two numbers. Draw length is how far you pull the string back, in inches. Draw weight is how many pounds of force it takes to get there.

Both of those change in your first year as your form and back muscles catch up. So every bow on this list is stated to adjust both numbers without a bow press, which means you or a shop can change them with hand tools instead of sending the bow out.

Nine of the ten are sold as ready-to-hunt packages, with accessories on the bow or in the box; the tenth is a bowfishing kit. Archery 360 says these kits are highly adjustable so they grow with the archer.

What sets each beginner bow apart

These labels come straight from the specs in the table above. They describe each bow; they don't rank them.

Bear Archery Legit: the widest draw-length range on this list

The Bear Archery Legit RTH package lists a draw weight from 10 to 70 lb and a draw length from 14 to 30 in. That 16-inch length span is the widest on the page, and 14 in is the shortest listed draw. The listing calls it a package for adults and youth, sold right-handed. The trade-off: it doesn't state let-off or IBO speed. For a shorter archer who will grow, the span is the point.

Ameyxgs 30–70 lb kit: the highest stated IBO speed

The Ameyxgs RTH kit rated 30–70 lb lists a draw length from 23.5 to 31 in; that 31-inch top end ties for the longest here. It states 75% let-off, tied for the highest, and an IBO speed of 325 fps, the highest stated on this list. It uses a dual cam and is sold right-handed in the version listed. The trade-off: the shortest draw it lists is 23.5 in, so very short draw lengths fall outside it.

Ameyxgs 30–55 lb kit: a 30-lb floor and a 55-lb ceiling

The other Ameyxgs kit tops out at 55 lb and starts at 30 lb, which ties its sibling for the highest starting weight here. Its listed draw length runs from 24 to 29.5 in. The listing gives 70% let-off, a dual cam and an IBO speed of 310 fps. The title says it comes in left- and right-handed versions; the one on this list is right-handed. The trade-off is the ceiling. If you expect to want more than 55 lb later, this bow can't follow you there.

CenterPoint Typhon X1: the only bowfishing kit on this list

The CenterPoint Typhon X1 is a different animal, or rather a different fish. Its title describes a compound bowfishing kit with 200-lb Dyneema line and a Cajun retrieval system, and the listing says it ships with arrows. The listing states press-free adjustment but no draw weight, draw length, let-off or IBO speed. If your plan is carp in June, read on. If your plan is whitetail in November, look at the other nine.

Pandarus Youth and L1: a youth bow and a 0–70 lb bow

The Pandarus Youth lists 15 to 29 lb and a 19 to 28 in draw. Its 29-lb peak is the lowest on this page, and its 65% let-off and 260 fps IBO speed are the lowest stated. That's the trade-off and the point: it's built small.

The Pandarus L1 lists 0 to 70 lb, a 19.25 to 31 in draw, 75% let-off and 320 fps. The 0-lb bottom is the listing's figure; your manual sets the lowest weight it says to shoot.

sanlida Dragon X8 and X9: an 18–31 in draw

Both sanlida RTH packages list an 18 to 31 in draw length, a 13-inch span second only to the Bear. The Dragon X8 adds a listed 0 to 70 lb draw weight and 310 fps. The X9's listing states no draw weight, let-off or IBO speed, so the table shows dashes, and you'll need the maker's figures before comparing it.

SAS Supreme Youth and Scorpii 55: two lighter packages

The SAS Supreme Youth lists 10 to 40 lb, a 17 to 27 in draw, 75% let-off and 290 fps. Its 27-inch top is the shortest maximum here. The Scorpii 55 lists 11 to 55 lb and a 19 to 29 in draw; its listing gives no let-off or IBO speed.

How to choose a compound bow for beginners

Here's what actually changes from one bow to the next, starting with the rule's own specs.

Check that your draw length sits inside the range, not at the edge

Draw length is the one setting that has to be right. Archery 360 compares a wrong draw length to a golf club that doesn't fit, and says even a 1-inch mismatch makes consistency hard.

To get a starting number, measure your wingspan fingertip to fingertip in a T and divide by 2.5. Archery 360 gives the example of a 60-inch wingspan coming out at about 24 inches. Then confirm it at full draw. When it's right, the string touches the corner of your mouth and the tip of your nose.

Quick math for this list: the lowest listed minimum is 14 in, and the highest listed maximum is 31 in. If your number lands near one end of a bow's range, pick a different bow. A setting at the very edge leaves no room to fix a measurement that was off by an inch.

Pick the draw weight that leaves your form intact

My one opinion on this page: most beginners should pick a draw weight light enough that their form still holds at the end of a long practice session, not the number they want to brag about. The reason is in Archery 360's list of common mistakes. New archers often have the strength to pull a heavy bow but not the coordination, and they push through it with bad habits like rushing the release. Their fix is to start at a weight that's easy to draw and hold.

That's why the range matters more than the top number. On this list the listed starting weights run from 0 lb to 30 lb, and the peaks from 29 lb to 70 lb. A bow that starts low lets you set it where your form is today. (I'm a physical therapist. I've met a lot of shoulders that bought the 70-lb setting first.)

Draw weight on most compounds moves with the limb bolts. Bear's owner's manual gives roughly 2 to 4 lb per turn, both bolts turned equally, never more than two turns apart, and never backed out past the number of turns your model allows. Your own manual has that number. Read it before you pick up the hex key.

Before you hunt, check your state's minimum draw weight. Archery 360 notes that states set one. Check your state wildlife agency for the current rule.

Ready to hunt means accessories included, not tuning done

A ready-to-hunt package, or RTH, is a bow sold with the basic accessories it needs. What's in the box varies by package, and the table shows each one's package type as stated. Archery 360's budget guide says these kits include most of what you need. Most is the honest word there. You'll still need arrows that match your draw weight and draw length, and a target you can shoot into.

Archery 360 says to settle your draw weight and draw length first and choose arrows to match. Arrow fit is covered on the compound bow arrows page.

Let-off is how much the pull eases at full draw

A compound's cams roll over near the end of the draw, so the weight you hold drops below the peak. That drop is let-off, stated as a percent. Archery 360 says bowhunters commonly shoot 50 to 70 lb but hold only about 5 to 10 lb at full draw on high let-off bows.

Quick math: at 75% let-off and a 70-lb peak, you hold about 17.5 lb. At 70% let-off and 40 lb, you hold 12 lb. Holding weight is what your arm feels while you wait for a deer to step out, so it's worth doing the math for the setting you'll actually use.

IBO speed is a lab number, so read it as a comparison

IBO speed is the arrow speed a bow makes under a standard test, in FPS (feet per second). Archery 360's spec guide says the test uses an 80-lb draw weight (plus or minus 2 lb), the longest possible draw length and a 400-grain arrow. Grand View Outdoors describes the IBO test as a 30-inch draw, a bare string and 5 grains of arrow weight per pound of draw weight. Either way, few beginners shoot at those settings.

Grand View walks through how a bow rated at 340 fps falls to roughly 280 to 290 fps once it's set up for hunting. So the 260 to 325 fps figures in the table tell you how bows compare under the same test. They don't tell you what your arrow will do at 24 inches and 40 lb.

Walt's take on speed: "A fast bow just misses sooner." He's not wrong, and he's not shooting a 31-inch draw.

Match the bow's hand to your dominant eye

A right-handed bow is held in the left hand and drawn with the right. Every bow on this list that states a hand is listed as right-handed. Archery 360 says the choice is easy when your dominant eye and dominant hand match. If they don't, you're cross-dominant, and you either aim with your dominant eye and draw with your other hand, or close that eye and stay with your strong hand.

The FAQ below has the 10-second test. (My grocery spreadsheet has a column for which eye each crew member uses. Danny asked why. I said "for science," which was mostly true.)

Respect the minimum arrow weight

A bow puts its energy into the arrow. If the arrow is too light, the energy goes back into the bow. Bear's manual says the IBO allows a minimum of 5 grains of arrow weight per pound of peak draw weight (a grain is a small unit of weight, 437.5 to the ounce). Quick math: at 55 lb that's 275 grains, and at 70 lb it's 350 grains. The manual adds that underweight arrows have the same effect as dry-firing.

Safety with a new compound bow

Never draw and release a bow without an arrow on the string. That's a dry-fire, and Archery 360 says it can snap the string, damage cams and limbs and send parts toward your face. If it happens, don't shoot the bow again until a shop has inspected it.

Who should skip this list

If you've already been fitted at a shop and your draw length won't change, you don't need a bow that adjusts across 16 inches. A bow set to your number is fine, and the compound bow page covers the wider type.

If the archer is a child still growing, the Pandarus Youth and SAS Supreme Youth are here, and the youth compound bow page covers more. If you want to start with fewer moving parts, a recurve is the other path; Archery 360 notes it can hunt deer too if it meets your state's minimum draw weight.

And if you're a left-eye-dominant lefty, every bow here that states a hand is right-handed. Check the listing for a left-hand option before you buy.

How this list is built

The rule is in the box above: ready-to-hunt compound bows whose draw weight and draw length adjust without a bow press, as stated by the maker or the Amazon listing. The CenterPoint kit is on the list because its listing states press-free adjustment; its package is described as a kit with arrows.

Every value comes from the maker's page where one exists, otherwise from the Amazon listing, marked in the table; right now they're all from listings. If neither states a value, you get a dash, not a guess. Nobody at Hemlock Run shot these bows for this page.

The list is re-checked every week, so bows can drop off and new ones that meet the rule can show up.

The best beginner bow is the one that still fits after your first 500 arrows. Write your draw length in pencil. You'll be erasing it once.