Updated March 2023
If you have ever walked into an archery shop, you may have felt overwhelmed by all of the different bows on the racks. Whether you are a beginner archer looking for your first bow or an experienced bowhunter wanting to upgrade, there are a lot of competing brands out there which can make choosing a bow a difficult decision. With so many archery companies on the market, it is important to compare the quality and value of each. This article will provide background and information on the best compound bow brands for hunting.
What Makes a Good Hunting Bow?
A good hunting bow should be comfortable to shoot, fit you correctly and feel like a quality product. A quality bow should also be accurate, reliable and durable. Hunting bows have come a long way over the years and a lot of the newer bows out there shoot just like target bows. Many of the companies list below have innovative products that deliver unparalleled speed and functionality.
New hunting bows are not cheap, and many hunters save up their hard-earned cash to buy the best bow they can afford. Most bowhunters keep a bow for at least a few years and some keep bows even longer. The price for a new name brand bow will usually run in the $800 – $1,200 range with some hunting bows retailing for over $1,500.
Choosing a new hunting bow ultimately comes down to personal preference. A lot of companies offer very similar products with comparable features. Some bowhunters favor certain brands over others because they have had great success with a brand in the past. The eight companies listed below are some of the most popular bowhunting brands out there that offer some of the best products available.
8 Best Compound Bow Brands
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1. Mathews Archery
Motto: Elevating the Archery Experience
Mathews Archery is based in Sparta, Wisconsin and has been around since 1992. Mathews became well-known for their Solocam technology and the precision craftsmanship of their products. Other bow innovations from Mathews includes their Engage Grip, designed to reduce bow torque, and their Switch Weight technology, designed make adjusting draw weight easier. The VXR is Mathews’ 2020 flagship bow that comes in 28 and 31.5 ATA sizes. Mathews’ other popular bows include the Halon, Triax, Traverse and Vertix. Expect to pay around the $1,000 price mark for a new Mathews bow. Many top archers and hunting celebrities shoot Mathews bows including Levi Morgan and Lee and Tiffany Lakosky. Mathews also owns Mission Archery and Mission Crossbows. Mission Archery offers quality crafted bows at lower prices which are perfect for the beginner bowhunter. Having come from small beginnings, Mathews has transformed into one of the leading archery brands in the world that makes leading state-of-the-art products.
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2. Hoyt Archery
Motto: Get Serious. Get Hoyt.
Hoyt is another leading archery brand that make some of the lightest and most durable hunting bows available. Hoyt has been around since 1931 and continue to be a leader in quality craftsmanship and innovative designs. Their headquarters are based in Salt Lake City, Utah in a world-class 150,000 manufacturing facility. Hoyt is well-known for their high-end carbon hunting bows that retail for $1,500+. Hoyt’s 2020 flagship bows are the Carbon RX-4 Alpha and the Axius Alpha. A lot of western hunters prefer Hoyt bows because of their longer axle-to-axle lengths which offer more forgiveness and increased accuracy at longer ranges. Other popular models from Hoyt are their Helix Turbo and Nitrux. Many big names in the bowhunting industry use Hoyt bows including Cameron Hanes, Michael Waddell and Travis “T-Bone” Turner. You can expect to pay top dollar for a new Hoyt bow but they are worth every penny. If you are considering a new bow, you should take a serious look at Hoyt.
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3. Bowtech Archery
Motto: Refuse to Follow
Bowtech has been around since 1999 and have made a name for themselves with their advanced and innovative bows. Bowtech is headquartered in Eugene, Oregon and employs a staff of over 300 team members. Bowtech’s flagship bow for 2020 is the Revolt. Other popular bows from Bowtech are their Reckoning and Realm models. Many popular hunting personalities trust Bowtech bows including Jim and Eva Shockey and even the Steeler’s own Ben Roethlisberger has been known to sport a Bowtech hat. Bowtech is a solid brand but expect to spend up words of $1,000+ for a new Bowtech bow. Bowtech is also the parent company of Diamond Archery, Stryker Crossbows and Excalibur Crossbows. For beginner bowhunters, Diamond Archery makes affordable bows with the trusted craftsmanship of the Bowtech brand.
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4. PSE Archery
PSE, or Precision Shooting Equipment, is a long-standing archery company with roots back to their start in 1970 in central Illinois. PSE is now headquartered in Tucson, Arizona with a facility the size of a city block. PSE is known for their strong and lightweight bows that are used by top bowhunters including John Dudley of Nock On Archery and Mark and Terry Drury of Drury Outdoors. PSE’s 2020 flagship bow is their Evo NXT that is totally quiet for a dead-in-hand feel and their Evolve remains one of their best-selling bows. Many hunters trust PSE bows because of their high-speeds and quietness. Some PSE bows retail for over $1,000 but they also have many models that fall below that price range. PSE also makes a variety of precision target bows that are used by many competition archers. As one of the longest-standing bow companies out there, you can’t go wrong with a PSE bow.
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5. Elite Archery
Motto: Makers of the World’s Most Shootable Bows
Elite Archery is a newer bow company and have gained popularity due to their quality products. Elite Archery was formed in 2005 and is based in Rochester, New York. Elite bows are known to be very quiet, smooth and accurate. Their most popular bow models include their Ritual, Ember, Kure, Rezult and Impulse. Elite Archery is owned by the parent company, The Outdoor Group, LLC which own other popular bowhunting brands such as Scott Archery, Custom Bow Equipment and Slick Trick Broadheads. New Elite bows hover around the $1,000 price range. Elite bows are available at most archery shops and are an excellent choice for any bowhunter.
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6. Bear Archery
Bear Archery is named after the legendary bowhunter Fred Bear. Bear Archery was started in 1933 by Fred Bear and is currently based in Evansville, Indiana. Bear Archery is owned by the parent company, Escalade Sports, which owns many other popular hunting brands including Trophy Ridge and SIK Broadheads. Some of Bear’s popular models include the EKO line, Divergent and their Cruzer G2. The price of a new Bear bow ranges anywhere from $400 to $700 with a few models retailing for $700+. A lot of hunters have relied on Bear bows for years. If you are looking for a quality bow at an affordable price, Bear is a great option.
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7. Prime Archery
Prime Archery is another popular bow company that is owned by the parent company, G5 Outdoors, which also owns Quest Archery. Prime Archery is a newer company and are based out of Memphis, Michigan. Prime prides themselves on their quality bows that boast perfect balance and strength all in one. Prime’s 2020 Black Series bows are some of the sleekest looking hunting bows out there. Another popular bow model from Prime is their Logic series. Prime bow run around the $1,000 price range. Prime Archery is a great all-around brand that is trusted by many other bowhunters from all over.
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8. Quest Archery
Quest is also owned by the parent company G5 Outdoors and are known for their affordable and durable bows. Quest bows are great for the beginner bowhunter as they are both accurate and have a quality construction at a cost-effective price. Some of Quest’s most popular bow models include their Centec, Thrive and Forge bows. Quest bows are generally priced slightly lower than their sister company, Prime Archery. You can pick up a new Quest bow for around the $300 to $600 mark. If you are looking to buy your first bow, Quest bows are a great option.
Summary
As you can see, there are many archery brands on the market with a variety of different types and styles of hunting bows. All of the brands and bows listed above are some of the most innovative and quality products out there. You cannot go wrong with any of these well-respected brands. For more articles and buyer’s guides, please check out other posts from Bowhunting Depot!