Adam Scepaniak 08.06.24
The right beginner compound bow can ignite a lifelong passion for archery.
Before my father trusted me with a knife or fire, he placed an Oneida compound bow in my hands, which, at the time, typified high quality at an attainable price point. It was exhilarating to feel that trust, the power a compound bow can produce, and the responsibility that was bestowed upon me as a child.
I cut my teeth on arrowing carp while standing up in a canoe (and never tipping it once). I chased mule deer in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming as a teenager, stalked pronghorn antelope in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and honed my shooting prowess in the hardwoods of Minnesota.
That Oneida compound bow led to a career as a writer in the outdoor industry. After a decade in the business—four of those being the editor for AllOutdoor—I understand how important a beginner compound bow can be, and what to shop for.
In this article, I’ll share the best beginner compound bows, buying tips, and essential features to help you choose the perfect starter compound bow.
The Best Beginner Compound Bow for Kids
The PSE Mini Burner RTS (Ready to Shoot) Bow Package is the best compound bow on the market today for its feature set, adjustability, and value. At $219, it gives you an adjustable draw length range of 16” to 26½” and a draw weight range of 4 to 40 pounds, so it can grow alongside a beginning archer.
Additionally, the PSE Mini Burner RTS includes everything you need to get started: A 3-pin sight, arrow rest, arrow quiver, stabilizer, and three carbon arrows. This bow can serve a child all the way through early adulthood. The wide draw weight range could support a 5 year old to a 20 year old, boy or girl. Also, with 10 ½” of draw length to work within this should fit any beginner archer regardless of stature.
The Best Beginner Compound Bow for Adults
The Bear Archery Royale RTH (Ready to Hunt) Extra is more aimed at adult beginners, priced at around $419. This compound bow is slightly heavier at 2.7 pounds and nearly double the price as our top pick for kids, but with a wider draw weight range (5 – 50 pounds) and more adjustment for draw length (12” – 27”). As the name implies, this compound bow is ready to hunt and it gives you an assortment of essential accessories to learn the sport of archery (whether you intend to hunt or not):
- Trophy Ridge Mist sight
- 5-Spot quiver
- Whisker Biscuit arrow rest
- Fletcher Archery No Tie Peep and a nock loop
- 5 Trophy Ridge Wrath Arrows precut to 27” with install inserts with 100 grain field points
- 5 loose inserts
- Trophy Ridge Release
Instead of purchasing a bare-bones compound bow that needs several hundreds of dollars of accessories added to it to make it serviceable, this bow is ready to go once you leave the archery shop.
How We Picked
The way that we came up with our list of the best beginner compound bows is by leaning on reputable name brands within the archery industry as well as seeking out characteristics that would benefit new archers as they learn and progress. Some of the stalwart names in archery are:
- .30-06 Outdoors
- Bear Archery
- Diamond Archery
- Elite Archery
- Hoyt Archery
- Mission Archery
- PSE
- Quest Archery / G5 / Prime Archery
An honorable name not mentioned on our list is Mathews Archery. Their quality is high, but so are their prices. Most of their bows are $1k – $2k in price which isn’t realistic for most people looking to outfit a beginner in archery. If your pockets are deep, by all means, give them a look as well.
Some of the traits we were hunting for:
- Adjustability: Important because beginner archers are either young (will presumptively grow and their stature will change), or beginner adults may change their draw length and draw weight repeatedly over a period of months as they find their “sweet spot.”
- Available accessories: As a beginner, you want as many options as possible to custom-tailor your bow, because you probably don’t know exactly what you need or want yet. You want a bow that has a ready assortment of accessories like sights, quivers, dampers, and other items.
- Price: If you are footing the bill for a new archer (including yourself), you don’t want to overinvest on a hobby they may not be interested in 3 months from now.
Can a Beginner Start with a Compound Bow?
Absolutely. In most instances, a compound bow is going to offer a much easier learning curve for a beginner compared to a recurve or longbow because of the let-off, which lets you hold the bow at full draw without having to muscle the full draw weight.
With the let-off component built into compound bows, a beginner archer does not need to hold the full draw weight (e.g. 20 pounds) the entire time they are aiming. The let-off for hunting bows can be on the order of 75% – 85% of the full draw weight. So if the draw weight is 20 pounds, keeping the bow drawn only requires 5 pounds of pull, making it easier to aim.
Conversely, recurves and longbows force the shooter to maintain the full draw weight the entire time they aim until they release their arrow, which is much more difficult for beginners.
How to Choose the Right Compound Bow for a Beginner
Choosing the right compound bow for a beginner is like fitting a glove to your hand—fitment means everything. You need to take into account the archer’s arm length and their height. These both go hand-in-hand and typically correlate to determining one’s draw length.
For a lasting investment, also consider how they will grow over time and how much the bow can be adjusted to accommodate them. If the archer has particularly stout or tall parents, that’s something to take into consideration.
While the first compound bow someone receives most assuredly will not be their last, we want it to last them the longest period of time possible by fitting them appropriately. A longer time frame for familiarity is important in learning this new hobby and it also makes your dollar go further.
Features to Look for in a Beginner Compound Bow
When you are looking for a beginner compound bow, bear in mind that this is for a beginner. This should be self-evident, but you need features to accommodate someone who is learning, growing, and “doesn’t know what they don’t know.” They will inevitably make mistakes and could wreck things along the way.
Here are the features to shop for:
- Adjustable Draw Length: Ensure that the bow will fit not only now, but well into the future.
- Bare Necessity Accessories: Support items like an arrow rest, arrows, bow sight, and quiver can make beginners feel fully kitted out and ready to hit the archery range.
- Reputable Name Brand & Warranty: Bows are fragile and beginners could break it as they learn. A warranty can cover your investment.
- Wide Draw Weight Range: Account for the need to increase speed (your draw weight directly affects your arrow’s velocity); thus, draw weight over time
Other Beginner Compound Bows
Our list of the best beginner compound bows runs the gamut from affordable to expensive and tricked out to simplistic. Your budget and the budding archer you’ll soon have in training will dictate which one of these 10 might be best for your beginner.
However, spending more money will not always mean a better investment. We don’t give Ferraris to new drivers because expensive tools often require more training, care, and respect. That’s also true in archery.
Upgraded Compound Bow for Kids and Adults: Diamond Archery Pro 320 Limited Edition
The Diamond Archery Pro 320 Limited Edition is fit for someone who just got out of diapers all the way up to an aspiring bodybuilder. With a price tag of $549, this compound bow has a draw weight range from 7 – 70 pounds and a draw length that can be adjusted from 15” – 31”. You receive accessories like a quiver, bow sight, stabilizer, and arrow rest to get you off and running as well.
- World-renowned Synchronized Binary Cam System for unmatched accuracy.
- EZ-Adjust System for simple draw weight adjustments.
- Ultra-versatile and adjustable featuring a 63 lbs draw weight range. Perfect for youth to adult, beginner to avid archer.
- Fast arrow flight of 320 feet per second to conquer any challenge
The wide draw weight range makes this compound bow versatile for all ages and stature sizes of archers. The price might be limiting for some people who are ultra price conscious, but it is still in the realm of affordability for most. With a reputable name like Diamond Archery, this compound bow would serve many archers well.
Ergonomic Upgrade Pick for Adults: Mission Archery Switch
The Mission Archery Switch is another strong contender at an MSRP of $449. This bow is more driven for adult beginners as it tips the scale at 3.84 pounds, but it is highly adjustable with a draw weight of 11 to 70 pounds and a customizable draw length of 18” to 30”. With multiple finishes and good ergonomics, this is a solid pick for a beginner.
- Brace Height: 7 1/8”
- IBO Rating: Up to 305 FPS (Feet per Second)
- Axle-to-Axle: 31″
- Let-Off: Up to 80%
The Mission Archery Switch features their Fast Fit Cam Technology which is a highly-adjustable cam system with Fast Fit mods for solid performance at every draw length. It is meant to be easy to adjust with just the turn of a screw. The redesigned grip on the new Switch is thinner, more streamlined, and ergonomic for consistent hand placement for reduced torque and enhanced comfort.
Top Cabela’s Pick: BlackOut Faze Compound Bow Package
The best place to buy a bow is from your local archery shop, where an expert can guide you in selecting and setting up your bow. Unfortunately, those are getting harder to come by. A good off-the-shelf option is the BlackOut Faze Compound Bow Package, which is sold at Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop stores and are typically contracted or manufactured by Diamond or Bear Archery. The $299 price makes them desirable for a lot of beginner archers as well.
- Compact performance compound bow for smaller-framed bowhunters
- Versatile design – wide adjustment range fits a variety of hunters
- Wide ranging draw weight – easy-to-pull 5 lbs. up to 60 lbs.
- Easy draw length adjustment – 13″-28″
- Easy-to-adjust design – no bow press needed
- Powerful – up to 300 fps
- Smooth draw cycle with 75% let off
- Easy to handle and maneuver bow – 29 1/4″ axle-to-axle
- Package includes: Trophy Ridge Mist sight, 5-Spot quiver, BlackOut Whisker Biscuit, peep, and a nock loop
As mentioned above in the specs, this bow is kitted out with everything an aspiring archer would need to get started. It is adjustable, has economy accessories, and is assembled as a package so there is no Ikea assembly once you get home. Fairly straight-forward and intuitive, whether you are an avid archer or not assisting a new archer into the sport, this package will be easy to deploy.
Runner-Up Beginner Compound Bows
Here are some more excellent compound bows that didn’t quite make it to our winner’s circle.
Elite Archery Basin RTS Package
The Elite Archery Basin RTS (Ready to Shoot) Package is a great quality compound bow for beginners, and it might have scored higher on our list, if not for the weight and price point. This bow weighs 3.9 pounds and bills out at $749. With high adjustability as well as right- and left-hand offerings, it can fit a multitude of new archers.
- Axle-to-Axle: 32.375″
- Brace Height: 6.6875″
- Draw Length: 16” – 30”
- Draw Weight (Lbs): 20 – 70
- Let-Off: Up to 80%
- IBO Speed: 315 FPS (Feet per Second)
Elite Archery touts the Basin RTS package as pound-for-pound one of the best in its class, and they have a strong argument for it. The RTS (Ready to Shoot) Package affords you a sight, stabilizer, quiver, and full containment arrow rest from CBE (Custom Bow Equipment).
Prime Archery NXT
The Prime Archery NXT compound bow is dubbed “the bow you can grow with.” It is not as adjustable as our top picks with a draw length range of 19” – 26 ½”, but it remains light at 2.8 pounds and is touted for its stability while shooting; a great aid for all beginners. This one will set you back $429.
- Aluminum Limb Pockets
- Fully Machined Aluminum Riser
- Center Grip Riser Design
- Axle to Axle: 26″
- IBO Rating: 270 FPS (Feet per Second_
- Draw Length Range: 19” to 26” (1/2” increments)
- Overall Weight: 2.8 Lbs
- Draw Weight Range: 15 – 45 Lbs
Even with its small draw length range, it has an ample draw weight range for beginning archery to competition or hunting, and a compact footprint with an axle-to-axle length of just 26”. Again, this is a decent choice; thus, it makes the cut for your list.
Hoyt Archery Kobalt
The Hoyt Archery Kobalt delivers on weight (2.8 pounds), price ($449), and adjustment as a beginner grows into this compound bow. The draw length is 18” – 28” and your draw weight can be modified from 7 to 45 pounds.
- Axle-to-Axle: 29 1/4″
- Overall Weight: 2.8 Pounds
- Draw Length Range: 18 – 28″
- Draw Weight Range: 7 – 45 Lbs
- Upgraded Kobalt/FUSE Package: FUSE ProFire™ 3-Pin Sight, FUSE Maxxis™ 4-Arrow Quiver, Whisker Biscuit™ Rest
As a base model compound bow, this is a rock solid choice except for your necessary trim elements that are missing (quiver, arrow rest, sight, etc). Those pieces can be had from Hoyt as a part of their Kobalt/FUSE Package, but at an unknown upcharge price. Running through Hoyt’s Custom Bow Builder function on their website tallies your price about $100 over the standard $449 MSRP selecting an entirely black colorway option. If you go for more hip camo patterns, that’ll bump your price even more.
.30-06 Outdoors Courage Compound Bow Package
The .30-06 Outdoors Courage Compound Bow Package rounds out our Top 10 list for beginner compound bows. The draw weight range begins at a heavier weight for beginners (20 – 70 pounds) and the bow is a touch heavier at 3.8 pounds, but overall it is still a quality ready-to-go package at $379.
- No Bow Press Needed For Adjustments
- Axle-to-Axle Length: 30”
- IBO Rating: 310 FPS (Feet per Second)
- Aluminum Cams, Sealed Cam Bearings, Gordon Glass Limb Material, BCY String Material
- Package Includes: 5-Pin Fiber-Optic .019 Pin Sight, LED Sight Light, Peep Sight, Wrist Sling, Full-Containment Arrow Rest, 5″ Rubber Dampening Stabilizer
If you want a buttoned up bow package from an online retailer because small archery shops aren’t available to you, then the .30-06 Outdoors Courage Compound Bow Package might be for you.
Tips for Getting Started with a Compound Bow
Make the experience safe, fun, and easy to digest. Similar to shooting firearms, you need to impress upon the beginner archer that there are safety rules to archery.
- Never draw your bow when others are down range.
- Never point your bow at others.
- Never dry-fire your bow. Dry-firing a bow will ruin it.
- Know what is behind your target and beyond.
These are the basics, yet they are invaluable to follow for a safe shooting experience. Next, make it fun. Archery is a method of hunting and sport that has spanned millenia. Enjoy the process, its primitive nature, and the success of striking the target. Finally, make learning archery palatable. With anything new, don’t overwhelm beginners with too much info or too much high-level thinking. Start with the basics, the fundamentals, and build from there.
FAQs
What is a good draw weight for a beginner compound bow?
This invokes the classic attorney response of, “It depends.” If we’re looking at youth shooters, their strength, stature, and size can vary wildly. Adult shooters who might be beginners could draw back quite a bit more, but the real question is how quickly will the beginner fatigue and accuracy and safety go out the window. The aim should be for the beginner archer to be able to shoot 20 – 30 practice arrows per day. If a youth shooter can handle 5 – 20 pounds while an adult beginner archer can draw back 20 – 40 pounds repeatedly, then those would be appropriate draw weights, but again, it can vary.
Is archery an expensive hobby?
Archery can be as expensive as you want to make it, but expect to spend around $300 for a beginning bow package and up to $100 for a quality target. If your goal is to introduce a beginner into archery and have it be affordable for you while they decide if this is something they want to continue pursuing or not, it can be cheap. Also, if you see this as a lifelong passion and want to compete at the highest level – either amongst your friends or professional archers – this can be an expensive hobby.
What size bow should a beginner use?
One that can be supported with an extended, single arm for 30 seconds at full draw and can be fired repeatedly to practice (20 – 30 times per day at minimum). For many beginner archers, this will equate to a compound bow that is moderate in weight, not overly long (minimizes weight), has those aforementioned features of adjustability over time and a wide draw weight range.
How much does a good compound bow cost?
The sky is always the limit for any hobby if you’re willing to pay it, but the beginning threshold is around that $200 – $500 mark if you are getting a quality compound bow from a reputable American manufacturer with a trustworthy warranty and customer service. The last thing you want is to invest money in archery for the curious beginning archer in your life, their bow breaks, and then you have no support and need to start all over.
Conclusion
All of the compound bows that made our list are new, currently manufactured models. So, nearly all of them are going to carry a warranty to protect your investment and they are near the cutting edge in technology and what is available for archers today. Bargains can always be found in the used market, but caveat emptor – buyer beware. If that $100 beginner compound bow on Facebook marketplace looks too good to be true, trust your gut and give it a hard pass.
The ability to tweak and modify your compound bow to ever evolving needs is key, and you will want to leave room in your budget for necessary, complimentary accessories. After all, nobody wants a shiny new toy, but we can’t afford batteries.
