Buying Guide
Best Bow For Beginners
The best bows for beginners, tested and ranked — with fit, budget and forgiveness criteria explained so you can buy once and buy right.
Archery gear guides, reviews and setup tools
Independent buying guides, product reviews, comparisons and free calculators for compound, recurve and traditional archers.
Also worth your time
How-To
How to Tune a Compound Bow (Complete Walkthrough)
The full compound tuning sequence — timing, center shot, paper tune and broadhead tune — in the order that actually…
Explainer
Compound Bow vs Recurve Bow: Which Should You Choose? (2026)
Compound bow vs recurve bow, explained in plain English. Compare power, accuracy, cost, and ease — plus which bow is…
Buying Guide
Arrow Spine Guide: How to Pick the Right Spine Every Time
What arrow spine means, why it makes or breaks accuracy, and exactly how to choose the right deflection for your…
Browse by gear
Pick a category for buying guides, reviews, comparisons and setup help.
Start here
Not sure what you need yet?
Answer a few quick questions about your goal, experience, budget and fit. The gear finder suggests a starting setup — bow, arrows and accessories — to research further.
What the gear finder asks
- What you want to do — hunt, shoot targets, practise or compete
- Your experience level and draw strength
- Your budget and preferred bow type
- Who the setup is for, draw length and dominant hand
Suggestions are a starting point, not a fitting. Have a pro shop confirm draw length and draw weight before you buy.
Buying guides
Where to start when you are choosing a bow, arrows or accessories.
Compound Bows
Best Compound Bow Under $500
The best compound bow under $500, ranked after hands-on testing — including what budget models sacrifice and which one is…
Recurve Bows
Best Recurve Bow Under $200
The best recurve bow under $200, ranked after hands-on testing — including what budget models sacrifice and which one is…
Arrows
Best Hunting Arrows: How to Build the Perfect Arrow Setup
The complete hunting arrow guide: spine, weight, FOC and our tested shaft picks for whitetail through elk.
Bow Sights
Best Bow Sight for Hunting: Single-Pin vs Multi-Pin Explained
Single-pin vs multi-pin hunting bow sights compared: which is best for treestand whitetail vs spot-and-stalk, how many pins you need,…
Releases
Best Release Aid for Compound Bows: Wrist Strap vs Handheld Thumb Release
Wrist-strap vs handheld thumb release aids compared: which is best for hunting, target, and curing trigger punch — plus what…
Targets
Best Archery Target for Backyard Practice: Bag vs Foam vs 3D
Bag vs foam vs 3D archery targets compared: which to buy for field points, broadheads, or hunting practice — plus…
Latest gear reviews
One product at a time: key specs, strengths, limitations and who it suits.
Compound Bows
Bear Archery Cruzer G3 Review: The Best First Hunting Bow?
The Cruzer G3's massive 12–30" / 10–70 lb adjustment range makes it the lowest-risk first hunting bow on the market…
Recurve Bows
Samick Sage Review: Still the Best Beginner Recurve?
A decade of "best beginner recurve" lists exists for a reason: swappable limbs, a forgiving 62" length and a massive…
Arrows
Gold Tip Hunter XT Review: The Hunting Arrow Benchmark
The Hunter XT's reputation for durability is earned — these shafts shrug off impacts that retire competitors, and the spine…
Bow Sights
Trophy Ridge React 5-Pin Review: Auto-Calibration That Actually Works
Sight in your 20 and 30 yard pins and React technology spaces the remaining three mathematically — and in our…
Releases
TruFire Hardcore Buckle Review: The Set-and-Forget Release
Adjustable trigger travel, adjustable length, a quiet fold-back design and a buckle that hits the same spot every time —…
Rangefinders
Vortex Diamondback HD 2000 Review: The Bowhunter’s Rangefinder
Class-leading glass, sub-second angle-compensated readings and Vortex's unlimited VIP warranty make the Diamondback HD 2000 the safest rangefinder buy under…
Card photos are representative of the product category, not the reviewed item. How we assess and score products
Head-to-head comparisons
Two comparable options, side by side, so the trade-offs are easy to see.
Compound Bows
Bear Cruzer G3 vs Diamond Infinite 305
Which Adjustable Bow Wins?
Broadheads
Rage Hypodermic vs QAD Exodus
Mechanical vs Fixed Broadhead for Deer
Releases
TruFire Hardcore vs Scott Sigma
Index vs Thumb Release
Targets
Morrell Yellow Jacket vs Block Classic
Bag vs Foam Target for Practice
How-to and tuning
Step-by-step help with setup, tuning and practice, grouped by experience level.
Beginner
Getting started
Intermediate
Building skills
Advanced
Fine tuning
Bows store a lot of energy. Never dry-fire a bow, stay within the manufacturer’s limits, and ask a qualified bow technician or instructor when a job needs a bow press or you are unsure.
Calculators and tools
Free calculators for draw length, arrow spine, arrow weight and more. Results are estimates — have a qualified bow technician confirm your setup before you shoot it.
- Gear Finder Quiz Answer a few questions and get a suggested starting setup to research.
- Draw Length Calculator Measure your wingspan fingertip to fingertip, and we'll calculate your draw length using the industry-standard wingspan…
- Arrow Spine Calculator Enter your draw weight, arrow length and point weight to get a recommended carbon arrow spine…
- Kinetic Energy Calculator Enter total arrow weight and speed to calculate kinetic energy (ft-lbs) and momentum — then see…
- Bow Size Calculator Get the right recurve bow length (AMO) for your draw length, or a compound axle-to-axle recommendation…
- FOC Calculator Calculate your arrow's Front of Center balance percentage — the key spec for penetration and broadhead…
- Arrow Weight Calculator Add up your arrow components to get total arrow weight and grains-per-pound (GPP) — and check…
- Draw Weight Calculator Get a recommended starting draw weight based on age, build and experience — the #1 mistake…
Archery explained
Plain-English answers to the questions archers ask most.
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