
If you want to maximize your archery skills as a sport or just for fun, you will want is compound bow that fits your body in all aspects. So whether you are looking for a compound bow for a beginner, a woman or for your child, Reviews Bee will help you to make the right choice. We want to help lessen your confusion and assist you with vital information you may need in choosing the compound bow that is best for you.
Our team has analyzed compound bow reviews and put together this guide to help you feel comfortable purchasing your new compound bow and make sure you get exactly the one you want.
When it comes to choosing the best compound bow from different brands, there are certain factors and features you need to consider and focus on. Top rated compound bows generally come with a choice of 4 different types of cam systems (Single, Dual, Hybrid, Binary). The information below will help you to understand the differences so that you can make the right choice.
Often described as a Solocam or One Cam, the Single Cam system features a round idler wheel on the top of the bow and an elliptical shaped power-cam on the bottom. A huge advantage of this system over other styles is they do not have to be in sync with another cam. That is why the single cam is generally quieter and easier to maintain. If any stretch occurs in the string, the single cam will still be in sync with itself.
Single cam compound bows often have a longer string, which can be more expensive to replace. However, they are simple to tune, and have no trade-offs when it comes to speed and aim.
Like the name suggests, hybrid systems are a mix of what shooters like about single cam systems and dual cam designs all wrapped into a single package. The top and bottom cam of the hybrid setup are asymmetrical and work with each other. The bottom cam supplies the power, while the top cam operates to further control the cycle.
Hybrid cams claim to offer the benefits of straight and level nock travel, but without the timing and synchronization issues. Indeed, hybrid cams require less maintenance than traditional twin cams, but it’s probably a technical stretch to say that hybrid cams are maintenance free. They too, need to be timed properly for best overall efficiency and performance.
Dual cams are also known as two cam systems or twin cams. These systems have a cam on the top and bottom that are perfectly symmetrical in shape. When properly synchronized and tuned, nock travel is perfect, and the bow is able to shoot at really decent speeds and meet high performance standards. Like other types of cams, there are good and bad designs of this system, but when properly tuned they function very well.
Dual Cam bows are more difficult to tune, and archers need to be aware of their timing. This is not an issue for many seasoned archers, though it may be too much effort for fresh bow hunters.
Binary cams are different from the other three in that each cam works in relation to the other although they look like a dual cam on steroids. The binary cam bows were designed to solve the flaws that each of the previous designs display. The cams are connected to one another, ensuring that they function simultaneously. Even when the wheels are not synced, there is very little change in the level of the arrow when fully drawn. Many shooters have made the switch to this style based on their ability to further eliminate the dreaded string and cable stretch issue.
Choosing one of the best compound bows largely comes down to personal preference, but there are a few key considerations that will help you get the right fit.
Given an equal weight and other characteristics, a faster arrow is a more powerful arrow. This not only means it can hit its target with more force (good for hunting), but that it flies through a flatter arc over a given distance. The higher the weight, the larger the kill.
Small ones, like rabbits and foxes can be taken out with lightweight bows with a foot-pound rating of under 30. Large games, like elk or moose, require a higher rating greater than 45 foot-pounds.
Parallel limbs are considered to be the best bows for hunting these days. Instead of having the traditional “D” bow shape, those with parallel limbs have the bottom and top limb parallel to each other. Instead of the limbs moving forward, away from the shooter, they move away from each other. This cancels out most vibration that is felt by a more traditional limbed bow. The advantage of parallel limbs is that they’re quieter and have less recoil when you release the bowstring.
Power stroke is the distance the bow string travels from full draw to the rest position. The longer the power stroke the faster the arrow will fly at the same poundage. A person with a 30 inch draw will shoot faster than a person with 28 inch draw because of the 2 inch longer power stroke. The compound bow only needs a module change to make the draw length longer. This factor makes the bow propel the arrow faster and more powerfully.
The distance between the “throat” of the grip and the string, at rest is the brace height. The shorter this distance is, the longer the distance the string remains in contact with the arrow. The shorter the brace height, the longer the string applies power to the arrow, which is crucial for faster speeds. But, the longer the string remains in contact with the arrow, the longer movement from the shooter can be transferred to its flight, so shorter brace heights are less forgiving of shooter error. The best compound bow brands can launch arrows at slower speeds, which will forgive flaws in your stance and abilities.
Let-off refers to the percentage of weight that it absorbs. This percentage is subtracted from the peak weight of that specific model. Compound options with a lower let-off percentage will shoot at higher speeds, because the energy is still stored in the string. Those with a higher let-off percentage will shoot more slowly, but the archer will have an easier time holding it while it is fully drawn. Many expert archers believe that this loss of weight can cause beginners to shift in their form. However, as long as you practice often, and feel comfortable with it, this may not be an issue.
The total Reviews Bee rating sums up the overall picture of every product. Reviews Bee works tirelessly to ensure that we are providing the best product recommendations to you and your family. In rating the various Compound Bows available, we strive to give you the best information possible. Our algorithm includes information from both expert and consumer resources. There is no need to spend hours on researches, because Reviews Bee instantly gives all researches and analysis for you and creates a Top list to save your time and money.
Reviews Bee collects consumer review information from popular retail websites including Amazon, eBay, BBB, Yelp, Consumer reports, etc. In addition, Reviews Bee utilizes reputable market niche websites, to include in the product ranking decision. Using the feedback of actual customers in coordination with expert evaluations enables us to provide each product with a score that takes into account all trustworthy information available on that item.
We came up with the popularity score for every compound bow provider while analyzing 9 expert sites that are trustworthy. Based on our detailed evaluation, each compound bow is assigned an expert popularity score based upon how many times each product is positively mentioned by experts in the industry.
By analyzing all the expert review sites our algorithm summed up the average ranking for every compound bow in their rankings and that is how we came up with the final score for each compound bow brand.
We managed to gather more than 3890 reviews from 90 reliable sources and our algorithm calculated the average score for each brand.
In order to make our results authentic, we don’t limit ourselves to just the positive rankings factors but we also take complaints from all over the web into consideration and figure out how many customers were complaining about the product.
Through this, we show both sides of the product whether it’s positive or negative in nature. This then makes it a negative factor in our algorithm. This as a result makes the best compound bows reviews. That is why compound bows reviews not only have positive comments mentioned but also the negatives as well.