Best Beginner Compound Bow for 2020 [Our Reviews and Comparison]

Of all the sporting activities in the world, archery may be the one longest in the making; it is practiced as a pastime at least as far back as the Bible and has since then undergone one serious renovation after another to take it from a purely utilitarian field of hunting and warfare to being a highly competitive sport on the world stage.

Everything about archery, from the bow and arrows to the places in which it is practiced, has evolved generation after generation to make it a more accessible sport; the basic principles, however, remain the same and continue to draw new fans every year.

Arguably, the first innovation to make archery more accessible to the masses was the invention of the longbow, which made archery into a profession as opposed to a simple skirmishing technique employed along with many other short-range missile weapons in medieval warfare. With the advent of archery becoming the soldier’s sole profession as opposed to one of several weapons a soldier might be expected to master, people were able to focus on archery as an exclusive means of hunting and sporting skill.

After that would come the creation of the crossbow, which used simple machinery to create a bow with a trigger mechanism and the forerunner of the modern rifle stock, Allowing even unskilled archers to take a relatively long time aiming and achieve otherwise impossible accuracy with each shot. The use of a metal bow as opposed to the yew wood favored by longbow manufacturers could give the crossbow far greater range than would ever be achieved with an ordinary longbow.

The longbow and crossbow were considered so evenly matched that many armies included corps of both weapons, and each was equally usable when attempting to find any game in a civilian setting. The longbow was considered the cheaper, faster, and shorter range of the two; the crossbow allowed archers to strike targets nearly twice as far away and could power a bolt through plate armor.

A much larger bow known as the ballista was also created around this time, using the same principles as the crossbow but on a greatly increased scale; ballista arrows were often several meters long and intended as siege weapons rather than any kind of civilian use. In some cultures, the word ballista would eventually come to be used to mean a crossbow of any kind rather than the giant weapons it originally denoted.

Both weapons saw a drop in popularity with the rise of gunpowder; as better range weapons developed, bows fell out of favor with the vast majority of the military world. Still they remained a viable option for hunting and were the preferred weapon for many cultures where gunpowder had not yet been discovered or introduced for some time after the gun had been created.

Best Beginner Compound Bow Comparison Table

Product	Features	Latest Price
1. PSE RTS MINIBURNER	Draws up to 40 pounds 65 percent let off Draw length 16 to 26.5 inches Integrated three-pin sight	Check Price
2. Genesis Original Kit	Aluminum construction Draws 20 pounds There is no let off Draws between 15 and 30 inches	Check Price
3. TOPOINT ARCHERY M2	Draws up to 40 pounds 75 percent let off Draws 17 to 27 inches Bow weight 2.5 pounds	Check Price
4. Predator Archery Raptor	The bow weighs 3.5 pounds Five-pin sight Four-round quiver 75 percent let off	Check Price
5. Bear Archery Apprentice	Draws 13.5 pounds 27 inches axle to axle Draw length 13 to 24 inches Made of composite materials	Check Price
6. SA Sports Vulcan DX	Draws up to 45 pounds Up to 27 inches draw length Quiver carries four arrows Three-pin sight	Check Price
7. Diamond Archery Youth Atomic	Draws 5 pounds Single-pin sight Two-point arrow rest The bow weighs 5 pounds	Check Price
8. Southland Archery Supply SAS Outrage	Draws 70 pounds Draws up to 31 inches The bow weighs 4.5 pounds 35 inches axle to axle	Check Price
9. Barnett Archery Outdoors BAR1105MO VORTEC	Draws up to 45 pounds Draw length up to 27 inches Integrated arrow rest D-ring preinstalled	Check Price
10. Gamo Daisy	60 percent let off Single-pin sight Draws 19 pounds Fully ambidextrous model	Check Price

As materials for creating bows became more advanced, and the science behind archery group more refined, more kinds of bows began to make their appearance on the world’s archery fields; primary among these was the recurve bow, which uses a bow with extra bends in it to drastically increase the amount of energy it can store and to reduce the size of bow that an archer needs to carry to achieve the same release speed as a longbow.

Recurve bows also introduced the idea of making your bow able to break down into several individual components, making it easier to carry and reducing the amount of space needed to properly store a bow between uses. The recurve bow rapidly became the bow of choice for most sporting events, thanks to the heavy draw and compact nature of the bow that made it both exceptionally accurate and small enough to pack in a single suitcase when collapsed.

Although the recurve bow has become the sporting bow of choice as far up as the Olympic Games, there are still other bows out there to be used by an archer looking to expand their portfolio. Archery is not, after all, restricted to organized shooting contests; it can also be used as one of the most natural means of hunting game available to the modern woodsmen.

Bowhunting is a common pastime in many countries and is viewed as an alternative outlet for those who enjoy archery but do not have the means, motive, or opportunity to enter and organize shooting contests to prove their skill. Although just as venerable a pastime as competitive shooting, bowhunting is naturally practiced under very different conditions and requires a very different equipment list as a result.

One of the first pieces of equipment that most bowhunters will look to get is the compound bow, one of the most advanced types of a bow that is currently on the market. Modern compound bows use the same principles as the recurve bow to store far more energy in a smaller frame, plus modern metal or plastic engineering to add more tension than a wooden bow of the same size could achieve.

The real genius of a compound bow is in the string, where a pulley system is used to drastically increase the release weight of any given arrow far beyond the power that even a crossbow or recurve bow would provide. This makes it the ideal starting choice for bow hunters, as it allows an archer to put out the force needed for downing big games without using a larger or more awkward bow.

Because of the added complexities included in using a pulley system instead of a plain draw, it is recommended that novice bow hunters start training on the compound bow as soon as possible and that they practice with it regularly until they have full control over the compound bow’s workings. To help you choose a bow that will be a reliable training aid for learning how to shoot a compound, we’ve put together a list of the best compound bows you can get for a new archer to help them take their best shot at learning to shoot compound bows.

Our Best Beginner Compound Bow Reviews and Comparisons

1. PSE RTS MINIBURNER

Product Highlights

This bow comes with everything you need to get started shooting and keep going well into the future, with adjustable limbs and three carbon arrows included.

Features

• Draws up to 40 pounds
• 65 percent let off
• Draw length 16 to 26.5 inches
• Integrated three-pin sight

What We Like About PSE RTS MINIBURNER

An easy single-knob adjustment system makes this bow grow with young archers, and the whole kit comes with great forest camouflage to make it ready to take into the woods right away.

What We Don’t Like About PSE RTS MINIBURNER

The included arrows are of substandard quality and do not have a standard head size, making it hard to properly adjust the bow unless they are replaced.

2. Genesis Original Kit

Product Highlights

This bow has earned itself the coveted title of Amazon Best Seller for being the most common choice in its category for people all over the world.

Features

• Aluminum construction
• Draws 20 pounds
• There is no let off
• Draws between 15 and 30 inches

What We Like About Genesis Original Kit

This bow is such an incredibly simple and forgiving model that it is the official recommendation of the National Archery in the Schools Program, an initiative intended to promote sporting spirit through competitive shooting.

What We Don’t Like About Genesis Original Kit

For a bow designed specifically for young archers, this bow is both larger and heavier than most young children will comfortably be able to use.

3. TOPOINT ARCHERY M2

Product Highlights

Use this bow for a serious introduction to archery, with a wealth of attachments and improvements to help you get off to a good start.

Features

• Draws up to 40 pounds
• 75 percent let off
• Draws 17 to 27 inches
• Bow weight 2.5 pounds

What We Like About TOPOINT ARCHERY M2

Despite being festooned with all manner of advanced shooting aids, this bow still stays fairly light and maneuverable even when fully assembled.

What We Don’t Like About TOPOINT ARCHERY M2

The many additional pieces of this bow can make it relatively vulnerable to damage and more complicated to use than a beginner’s compound bow should be.

4. Predator Archery Raptor

Product Highlights

This bow uses metal only in all components, making sure that everything is as sturdy as possible right from the very first draw.

Features

• The bow weighs 3.5 pounds
• Five-pin sight
• Four-round quiver
• 75 percent let off

What We Like About Predator Archery Raptor

With this bow’s high let off, you can draw up to 70 pounds with no need for a bow press or any mechanical aids.

What We Don’t Like About Predator Archery Raptor

This bow does not include arrows, you will have to supply your own shafts.

5. Bear Archery Apprentice

Product Highlights

This bow is a simple and straightforward model meant to let younger shooters ease into archer for the first time.

Features

• Draws 13.5 pounds
• 27 inches axle to axle
• Draw length 13 to 24 inches
• Made of composite materials

What We Like About Bear Archery Apprentice

With no extras to distract the user and with relatively low draw weight, this bow is intended to be suitable for archers as young as five years old.

What We Don’t Like About Bear Archery Apprentice

This model is only available in right-handed configurations and is not adjustable to grow with the shooter.

6. SA Sports Vulcan DX

Product Highlights

This bow focuses on being adaptable to any archer’s needs, with fully adjustable draw weight and length and easily expandable limbs.

Features

• Draws up to 45 pounds
• Up to 27 inches draw length
• Quiver carries four arrows
• Three-pin sight

What We Like About SA Sports Vulcan DX

Each piece of the shooting experience with this bow can be fine-tuned to the changing needs of the archer using it.

What We Don’t Like About SA Sports Vulcan DX

Fiberglass limbs are not as strong as metal ones and are more prone to breakage.

7. Diamond Archery Youth Atomic

Product Highlights

This bow features an exceptionally light draw weight to make it easy to use and learn without sacrificing the experience of a full compound bow.

Features

• Draws 5 pounds
• Single-pin sight
• Two-point arrow rest
• The bow weighs 5 pounds

What We Like About Diamond Archery Youth Atomic

This bow is carefully proportioned to be the same as a competitive or hunting compound bow but is weighted to make it easy for even child archers to use.

What We Don’t Like About Diamond Archery Youth Atomic

This bow is missing a number of things that most bows have, including a peep sight and a D-ring for an external arrow release.

8. Southland Archery Supply SAS Outrage

Product Highlights

This bow is made for the adult student just getting into archery and looking for a forgiving bow to start their interest in the sport.

Features

• Draws 70 pounds
• Draws up to 31 inches
• The bow weighs 4.5 pounds
• 35 inches axle to axle

What We Like About Southland Archery Supply SAS Outrage

This bow includes all the features you would expect from a professional bow, with an adjustment knob that can make it deceptively easy to draw and aim for new archers.

What We Don’t Like About Southland Archery Supply SAS Outrage

This bow edges into the competitive sector, making it too heavy a draw for those looking for a more sedate start to the sport.

9. Barnett Archery Outdoors BAR1105MO VORTEC

Product Highlights

This bow provides a great platform for learning about a wide variety of accessories that one might use with more advanced bows.

Features

• Draws up to 45 pounds
• Draw length up to 27 inches
• Integrated arrow rest
• D-ring preinstalled

What We Like About Barnett Archery Outdoors BAR1105MO VORTEC

This bow makes for a great transition from youth bows into larger, more professional bows later on in your career.

What We Don’t Like About Barnett Archery Outdoors BAR1105MO VORTEC

Most of the attachments and extras included with this bow are considered fairly low quality, and may need to be replaced for optimal performance.

10. Gamo Daisy

Product Highlights

This is a simple bow that makes a good introduction to archery for youth and adult students alike.

Features

• 60 percent let off
• Single-pin sight
• Draws 19 pounds
• Fully ambidextrous model

What We Like About Gamo Daisy

Shoot-through riser makes it easy to sight and shoot from either side, eliminating the need for a separate set of equipment for different students.

What We Don’t Like About Gamo Daisy

This bow does not support most of the more common attachments and needs to use arrows from the same manufacturer or an adapter.

Final Verdict

Diamond Archery Youth Atomic

This bow gives the best on-ramp for beginner archers of all ages, allowing new shooters to test their capabilities and comfort zones before taking a deeper plunge into the sport.