The Best Compound Bows for Target Shooting

The Bear Cruzer G2 is a popular compound bow for bowhunters. But it can also be utilized as a target bow. It is because it has a high IBO speed rating and is customizable.

The Cruzer G2 bow offers a 12-to-30-inch draw length and a 5-to-70-pound weight range. It’s a terrific bow for young archers who haven’t reached adulthood because it can grow with them, saving money on an adult bow later.

One of the best features of the Cruzer G2 is that you can make adjustments at home without using a bow press. You can change the draw length by removing two screws from the cam modules, rotating them to the desired position, and tightening the screws. The G2 can be customized to fit any archer in minutes.

This dual cam compound bow is also notable for its outstanding performance. The Cruzer G2 has an IBO speed of 315 FPS, which is remarkable. As a general rule, the faster a bow is, the flatter an arrow’s trajectory will be. It can be precious when the archer misjudges a distance when shooting targets in a 3D competition.

Key Specs

• Speed: 315 FPS
• Axle to Axle: 30″
• Draw Length: 12″-30″
• Draw Weight: 5-70 LBS

The Diamond Infinite Edge Pro is a versatile hunting bow that can also be used as an excellent target bow. This bow is adjustable, which means it can be made to fit anyone. Diamond Archery was one of the first companies to create flexible bows, so they know what they’re doing.

The Infinite Edge Pro bow is adjustable to fit people of different sizes, ages, and experience levels. This bow can be adjusted to have a draw length of 13 inches to 31 inches and a draw weight of 5-70 pounds.

This bow is also impressive because it shoots arrows at 310 FPS. It is a good speed for a bow at this price. The bow is also forgiving to shoot because it has a 7-inch brace height. It means the bow is easier to shoot correctly. The Binary Cam System makes tuning the bow easy.

The Infinite Edge Pro comes in a bow package. It means that it is already outfitted with quality accessories when it ships. The package includes:

• A 3-pin Apex Sight.
• Octagon Brush arrow rest.
• Octane Bantam 5 quiver.
• Octane Isolate 6 stabilizer.
• Tube peep sight.
• String loop for use with a bow release.

Key Specs

• Speed: 310 FPS
• Axle to Axle: 31 ½”
• Draw Length: 13″-31″
• Draw Weight: 5-70 LBS

The Original Genesis Compound Bow has been a popular choice for competitive archery for many years. This bow was initially made available as an indoor competition bow and continues to serve as the program’s official bow. With Genesis’ deep involvement in these programs, it doesn’t look like this bow will soon lose popularity.

The Genesis Compound Bow does not have a set draw length. It might seem strange initially, but it is designed this way so that any archer can use it without making any adjustments. An adult can fire the bow immediately after a child without adjusting. It allows a mentor to teach a child the finer points of things like anchor points and form.

The Genesis Original Compound Bow is a good choice for beginning archers. It is not one of the faster bows but very easy to shoot. It also has a generous brace height, which makes it forgiving.

The Genesis Original is available in many colors, so everyone can find a bow they like. This bow has accessories, including a belt quiver to store arrows, an armed guard to protect your arm while shooting arrows, and five aluminum arrows. If you want to, you can also order specialty carbon arrows.

Key Specs

• Speed: 170 FPS
• Axle to Axle: 35 ½”
• Draw Length: 15″-30″
• Draw Weight: 10-20 LBS

The Diamond Prism is a good bow for people getting ready to graduate to a more precise bow. It has many features that make it adjustable, like the length of the draw and how heavy the bow is. This bow is also suitable for teenagers and small adults because it has respectable performance figures.

While Prism’s 295 IBO speed may not be blazing quick, it is fast enough for hunting should a target archer decide to broaden their horizons. The Prism’s 7-inch brace height also makes it quite forgiving to shoot, which can benefit both on the range and in the woods.

The Diamond Prism has a draw weight range of 5-55 pounds. It means that people with different amounts of strength can use it. The draw length range is 18 to 30 inches, meaning people of different heights can use it.

The Prism has a lot of features to mention. One feature is the bow’s accessory package. It comes with a 3-pin sight, arrow rest, quiver, peep sight, and string loop. It allows archers to use the bow much quicker than most people think.

Key Specs

• Speed: 295 FPS
• Axle to Axle: 31″
• Draw Length: 18-30″
• Draw Weight: 5-55 LBS

Bear Archery has released a new bow that many targets and competition archers find very good. The Bear Divergent EKO is one of the industry’s first compound bows to have an adjustable let-off. It means you can customize how it feels when you hold it in the valley.

The Bear Divergent bow lets you choose between 4 different let-off settings. It is done by making a few quick adjustments to the bow’s cams with an Allen wrench. The EKO bow has 75, 80, 85, and 90 percent of let-off settings. The highest let-off setting of 90 percent should be popular with target shooters because it minimizes arm fatigue.

The Bear Divergent EKO is a swift compound bow. It shoots arrows at 338 FPS. This bow is perfect for 3D archers. Its arrow trajectory is very flat, so you won’t have to worry about guessing the distance wrong. Even though it is a powerful bow, it still has a brace height of 6 ½ inches, which most archers will find forgiving.

Some people might find a problem with the Divergent EKO’s lack of adjustability for drawing length and weight. The EKO has a range of 26 “-30” for draw length and 45-60 pounds for draw weight. It will be good for most adults, but Divergent might not be the best choice for children.

Key Specs

• Brace Height: 6.5″
• Axle-to-Axle: 30″
• Draw Length: 26″-30″
• Draw Weight: 45-60 LBS

The SAS Outrage is an excellent bow for people who want to start target archery but have a limited budget. This bow uses dual-cam technology to shoot arrows quickly. It might not be the fastest bow out there, but it’s still fast enough to help you enjoy the range.

The SAS Outrage is an excellent choice for most adult archers, with an adjustable draw length range of 25 to 31 inches and a draw weight range of 55-70 pounds. However, it may not be the best choice for youth or small-framed archers.

It has a long axle-to-axle measurement. It means the bow is not very compact. But this is okay if you plan to use it for target practice or archery competition. If you plan to use the Outrage for hunting, keep in mind that it might be limited in its use in tight spaces.

Although the SAS Outrage is marketed as a low-cost compound bow, its construction and finish are comparable to those of more expensive models. Back pivoting limb pockets have been developed to the tightest tolerances on the Outrage.

Key Specs

• Speed: 270 FPS
• Axle to Axle: 35″
• Draw Length: 25″ – 31″
• Draw Weight: 55 – 70 LBS

The PSE Stinger Max is a trendy compound bow on the market. People like it because it is very reliable and durable. It has also been updated recently to be more compact but still perform well.

Even though the Stinger Max is not as adjustable as some other bows on the market, it is still versatile. Enough to be used by all archers, from adolescents to adults. This bow has an adjustable draw length range of 21 ½ to 30 inches and a draw weight range of 40 to 70 pounds. This range of adjustments makes the Stinger Max suitable for target archery and hunting scenarios.

The PSE Stinger Max is a powerful bow that can shoot arrows at 314 FPS. This speed is possible while still having a 7-inch brace height. It reduces the time the arrow spends in contact with the bowstring, which minimizes the impact of poor form on an arrow’s flight.

The Stinger Max comes with a 5-pin sight, Whisker Biscuit-style arrow rest, 5-arrow quiver, FX4 stabilizer, Mongoose peep sight, and nocking loop. These extras significantly increase the value of buying a Stinger Max. There aren’t many packages with this many high-quality goods.

Key Specs

• Speed: 312 FPS
• Axle-to-Axle: 30′
• Draw Length: 21 ½” – 30″
• Draw Weight: 55-70 LBS

The blackOut began making a bow with an adjustable let-off at about the same time Bear started making the Divergent EKO. This bow is called the Epic. It is a top-tier bow that allows archers to customize how their bow feels when they pull it back. It also has enough performance to make people who love speed happy.

The BlackOut Epic has four different let-off settings, each representing a different percentage. These let-off settings go from 75% to 90%, increasing by 5% each. The Epic’s 90% let-off setting is good for people who want to avoid arm fatigue.

The BlackOut Epic has a speedy speed rating of 340 FPS. It means that it will shoot arrows more accurately than other bows when you are trying to hit targets at unknown distances.

One factor to consider is that the BlackOut Epic bow might not be as adjustable as other bows when changing the draw length. The Cruzer G2 bow’s draw length and weight range from 12 to 30 inches and 5 to 70 pounds, respectively. It makes it an excellent bow for young archers who are not yet adults because it can grow with them as they age. It saves them money because they won’t have to buy an adult bow later. Although Epic’s draw weight range is suitable for people of all ages and sizes, this might not be the case when adjusting the draw length.

Key Specs

• Speed: 340 FPS
• Axle to Axle: 32″
• Draw Length: 26″-30″
• Draw Weight: 20-70 LBS

When purchasing a compound bow, it is essential to think about several factors. These include how the bow will be used, how often it will be used, and what type of shooter you are. Considering these factors, you can choose a bow that will provide maximum enjoyment for years to come.

Forgiveness

You will need a bow that you are proficient with in order to begin practicing the technique of shooting arrows at a target. The brace height of a bow is the single most critical factor that determines how accurately you can fire it.

The brace height of a bow is measured as the distance between the string and the place on the grip where it is the deepest. When the brace height is shortened, an arrow stays in touch with the bowstring for a longer period of time after it is released. It gives the improper form of an arrow more time to have an effect on the flight of the arrow.

A brace height of approximately 7 inches is common on many forgiving bows. This indicates that the bow will be able to withstand more shots than one that has a brace height of 6 inches.

Let-Off Factor

When you practice shooting bows at targets, you often do so multiple times. Your arm, back, and shoulder may become fatigued as a result of this. Your form will deteriorate as your muscles become fatigued, leading to an increased number of errors.

If you choose a bow that has a high let-off percentage, you can reduce the amount of weariness you experience from using it for extended periods of time. Many bows with let-off values of 80 percent or greater have been released by manufacturers in the most recent years.

However, there are now bows available that have let-off values that can be adjusted. You can personalize your shooting experience by adjusting the amount that the bow lets fly with certain bows, such as the Bear Divergent EKO and the BlackOut Epic.

Adjustability

Before buying a bow, you must consider how well it will fit your needs. If you’re looking for a bow for a young or small-framed archer, ensure that it can be altered to meet their draw length and weight.

It is an important issue for some people, but not for others. Many bows can be adjusted to fit the average-sized archer. Still, those who are very tall, or have not finished growing yet, need to be careful when choosing a bow.

There are now many bows available that offer a lot of adjustabilities. It means that they can fit the needs of most archers. These bows often have a draw length range of 15 inches and a draw weight range of 50 pounds or more.

Speed

The IBO speed of a bow can vary depending on the type of competition. For example, the faster the IBO speed of a bow, the flatter the arrow’s trajectory becomes when competing in indoor league shoots. However, this is not usually true when competing in 3D projections.

Officials set targets at different distances when shooting outdoor 3D courses. It is up to the competitor to guess the distance and aim for the shot. Even the best archers sometimes think wrong about how far away a target is, seeking either high or low.

Using a bow that shoots arrows faster than 300 FPS, you can be less careful when judging your target within five yards. The arrow will hit very close to where you aimed. If you are using a slower bow, it is essential to be more accurate. When judging your target within five yards, the arrow will hit farther away from where you aimed.

By the end of this post, you will have a thorough understanding of compound bows, including their features, the measurements you’ll need to select a bow that fits you, and the equipment you may wish to utilize to hone your talents. It is a helpful guide for novice archers and an excellent review for experienced beginners and intermediates. Let’s start from scratch:

Features of a Compound: The Basics

Compound bow features explained. We’ll go through each feature bow makers use to characterize their bows and explain why it’s significant (or not).

Important first feature:

Axle-to-Axle Length: The pulley mechanism of a compound bow holds the bowstring and gives it extraordinary power. The separation between the centers of the cams is known as the axle-to-axle length.

Why axle-to-axle length matters: Longer compound bows are easier to shoot and more precise. Target archery typically requires a longer bow, 34 inches or more.

Bowhunting requires shorter compound bows. Their shorter axle-to-axle length makes them easy to maneuver in thick forests and bush, and they shoot arrows faster and with more force.

Bow hunters don’t require the same pinpoint accuracy as target shooters because they’re shooting for important organs on deer, elk, or boar, not the bullseye. Bow hunters value arrow speed and force from a shorter bow. Axle-to-axle, hunting bows are 28 to 31 inches.

Brace Height: Brace height is the distance from the back of the grip to the bowstring (when the bow string is not drawn).

Brace height is a crucial bow dimension. Shorter brace height bows shoot arrows quickly, while longer brace height bows shoot slower but more accurately.

Again, every archer must choose between speed and precision. Target archers who need pinpoint accuracy but not arrow speed choose a bow with a higher brace height, while bow hunters need arrow speed but not precision.

Hunters prefer a six- to seven-inch brace height, while target shooters want seven inches or more.

Feet Per Second. FPS measures how fast arrows fly. FPS is crucial to bow hunters, who want their arrows to reach their game before they can run away. Target archers would prefer to shoot a slow arrow properly than a fast arrow with less precision. 270 FPS is decent, 300 is very good, and 310 is exceptional.

For bow hunters, average shot distance affects FPS needs. If you hunt game at 20 yards or less, you may be able to get away with a lower FPS, but at 30 yards or more, you’ll want a higher FPS.

Let-Off Percentage. The draw weight drops when you’re ready to shoot with a compound bow. This percentage decrease is called “let-off.” If you’re using a 50-pound bow with an 80% let-off, it will seem like you’re only drawing 10 pounds at full draw (80% of 50 pounds = 40 pounds; 50 pounds minus 40 pounds = 10 pounds).

Let-off is critical for target shooters because it gives them time to aim, but it’s vital for bow hunters who may have to wait seconds or minutes for a clear shot.

Let-off varies greatly from bow to bow; 65% is fair, 70% is excellent, and 80% or more is superb.

Cam Design. Cams are the wheels on each limb. These cams are spherical or ovoid (aka elliptical, aka egg-shaped). These shapes determine the “feel” of the draw cycle, how rapidly the bow shoots arrows, and the let-off at full draw.

If cams confuse you, skip to the next feature. Many current compound bows contain a hybrid or dual cam, so if you’re a novice or intermediate, don’t overthink it.

Single Cam: A beginning bow with a perfectly round “idler” wheel on the top limb and an elliptical/egg-shaped “power cam” on the bottom limb; easy to draw, easy to tune, but not particularly strong;

Hybrid Cams: Modern compound bows and hunting bows frequently have two egg-shaped, asymmetrical cams, with a control on the top limb and a “power cam” on the bottom limb. These cams are straightforward to draw, simple to tune, and highly strong.

Twin / Dual Cams: a bow with two perfectly matched cams, either round or elliptical; twin cams are high-speed and accurate but difficult to tune and require frequent maintenance; and finally, a bow with a single cam.

Binary Cams: identical to twin cams, but the cams are attached instead of the bow’s limbs; exceedingly fast, tremendously accurate, incredibly difficult to tune and maintain; extremely uncommon (and none of the bows we review have binary cams).

“Soft cams” are easy to draw, whereas “hard cams” are challenging.

If cams seem elusive, don’t worry too much—it’s an advanced concept, and by understanding the rest of the bow’s attributes (especially the let-off percentage and the FPS), you get a solid sense of the bow if it’ll satisfy your needs.

Included Accessories: It’s easy to think archery is just bows and arrows, but there’s a lot of gear involved, and it might take time to gather it all—and to figure out what you need.

Many bows come with an arrow rest, bow sight, and stabilizer (which is fantastic); others come with everything you need, including arrow rest, bow sight, stabilizer, bow release, arrows, a target, a carry case, etc. These are helpful for beginners who aren’t sure what they require.

Compound bow attachments are detailed below.

Actual Bow Weight: The bow’s weight, not draw weight. Premium bows cost less. Target archers, who fire arrows repeatedly, prefer lighter bows, but bow hunters may overlook a heavier bow if it has other benefits.

Colors / Design: Mass-market target bows come in a dozen or more hues and patterns, and there’s no need to pick one over another. Bowhunting bows are commonly made in black, grey, and camouflage designs. If you’re hunting game, consider the environment.

Draw weight, draw length, and dominant hand/eye are needed to choose a compound bow.

Draw Weight. A lower draw weight bow is easier to pull back but shoots slower arrows; a heavier draw weight bow shoots quicker arrows. More arrow speed equals more accuracy, but a heavier draw weight bow demands more strength and can tire you out.

Kids can pull 15 or 25 pounds, teens 30 or 40 pounds, and adults 30 to 75 pounds or more. Most states demand a 35/40/45-pound bow for bow hunting; 30 to 50 pounds is suitable for target shooting.

Some compound bows allow you to modify the draw weight. You can start with a modest draw weight and raise it as you develop strength and skill.

A #35 bow has a 35-pound draw weight because some manufacturers use the hashtag “pounds” in place of the word “pounds.”

Draw Length. How far you can comfortably pull the drawstring when shooting an arrow is called the draw length.

Knowing your draw length is critical since it assures you’ll be able to pull the bowstring to the same anchor point every time you shoot. If you want consistent shots, drawing your bow string the same way every time is vital.

Using a draw length indicator, most accurately measure your draw length at a pro shop or outfitter. It’s an inch-long arrow.

Spread your arms wide, measure the distance between your left and right hands in inches, and divide by 2.5. Usually, that’s your draw length.

Let’s pretend you’re 5-foot-10 and measure your wingspan. That says you’re 70 inches tall (12 inches per foot x 5 feet + 10 inches = 70), which divides into 28. Wallah! 28-inch draw length.

Higher-end bows have fixed draw lengths, although most beginner and intermediate bows have adjustable draw lengths.

Dominant Hand Vs. Dominant Eye. Last measurement. If you’re right-handed, you buy a right-handed bow (the one you pull with your right and hold in your left), and if you’re left-handed, you buy a left-handed bow (one that you draw with your left hand and hold in your right hand). Archers choose a bow based on their dominant eye, not their hand.

Let’s clarify.

Like a dominating hand, you have a dominant eye. One eye does most of the focusing, and that’s your dominant eye.

There’s no apparent method to tell which eye is dominant, but you can test it by folding your hands into a triangle. After that, look 10 to 20 yards away—a doorknob, something across the room, or out the window.

Close your left eye, then your right, when you see an object like a doorknob. One eye can see the doorknob, while the other can’t. This is your dominant eye. You are right-eye dominant if you can see the doorknob with your right eye.

If you have a right-eye dominant eye, choose a right-handed bow. So you can aim accurately.

Most right-eyed people are right-handed, and most left-eyed people are left-handed.

But what if not? Left-handed yet right-eye dominant?

Cross-dominance means you should use a bow that matches your dominant eye.

If you’re right-handed with a dominant left eye and shooting a left-handed bow, or left-handed with a dominant right eye and shooting a right-handed bow, it may seem awkward at first, but it makes shooting more accurate. Cross-dominant archers can’t aim with a bow that doesn’t make their dominant eye.

If you say “screw it” and acquire a bow that matches your dominant hand because it feels more comfortable, you’ll need to close the eye that’s not behind your bowstring when you shoot. Your vision will be impaired, but many successful archers do it.

Standard practice is to use a bow that matches your dominant eye, although many archers use a bow that matches their dominant hand and close the other eye when aiming.

Since recurve bows only have two limbs, a riser, a bowstring, sometimes an arrow rest, and a bow sight, they are lightweight, strong, and widespread among beginning archers.

On the other hand, compound bows are a LOT more intricate and contain many more pieces.

Here, we’ll give you a (very) quick rundown of each possible compound bow attachment. It’s enjoyable to dress up a compound, and as you learn more and gain experience, you’ll be able to construct a bow that suits your requirements.

The Bow Sight: Compound bows have fixed-pin and single-pin sights.

Fixed Pin Sights: This fixed-pin bow sight features three pins with adjustable distances. Many archers set their top pin at 20 yards, middle pin to 30 yards, and bottom pin to 40 yards. If they’re shooting beyond 40 yards, they’ll buy a 4-pin or 5-pin model.

Single Pin Sights: A single-pin bow sight contains one pin, which may be adjusted using a dial. The draw length pertains to how far you can comfortably pull the drawstring when shooting an arrow.

A Bow Stabilizer: They’re bow rods. They look simple, but there’s a lot of science behind them. They’re dual-purpose:

1. Stabilize your bow. By adding weight below the grip, they increase stability and keep your bow erect, allowing you to target;

2. To absorb arrow vibration. This is good for target archers who want their bows to shake as little as possible and for bow hunters who don’t want to frighten their prey.

Target shooters, especially in competition, choose as long a stabilizer as the competition allows since it helps accuracy and precision (recurve archers at the Olympics use several feet long stabilizers). Bow hunters would go crazy if they had to use a long stabilizer—it would get snagged on everything as they plod through the woods, and it would be hard to shoot in close, tight quarters.

An Arrow Rest. There are two main arrow rests for compound bows: containment rests and drop-away arrow rests.

Containment Rests: These spherical tools hold the arrow when you draw the bowstring back; they’re perfect for bow hunters who shoot from awkward angles and tree stands. Whisker biscuits hold arrows with soft bristles. When the bowstring is let go, the bristles are flexible enough to allow the arrow and fletchings to pass through while still being powerful enough to hold the arrow in place.

Drop Away Arrow Rests: Drop-away arrow rests are used on compound bows. Drop-away arrow rests allow bow hunters and target archers to shoot without touching the bow release (for example, check out this slow-motion capture of a drop-away rest in action). A non-contact arrow is less likely to be deflected and more likely to land where you desire. Containment rests may come in contact with an arrow’s fletchings. While that’s not a problem—many archers use them successfully—some desire every edge available.

A Bow Release. Due to the enormous draw weights that compound bows can have, using just your fingers—or even a glove—to draw one would be 1) excruciatingly uncomfortable and 2) less accurate than using a bow release. Therefore, archers rarely use their fingers to draw a compound bow. Bow releases reduce part of your fingers’ tension on the bowstring, resulting in more precise shots, consistency, and groups.

Trigger Releases: A trigger release has a wrist strap and a caliper or hook that attaches to the D-loop on your bowstring. Pull the trigger to release an arrow after drawing back the bowstring. Easy to use, comfy, and perfect for bow hunting because you can use your hands.

Thumb Releases: You pull or push a button with your thumb to release an arrow. These are more accurate than trigger releases, but because they are not connected to your wrist, they are more challenging to operate when bow hunting.

We’ll save hinge releases for another post because they’re less common and harder to explain.

A Peep Sight: On your bow string’s upper half, you may see a bead. You may line up the peep sight on the string with your bow sight on the riser for more accurate shots.

A String Silencer. Bowhunters need these. Potential energy is produced when you release an arrow; most of it goes to the arrow, but some remains in the bow and causes vibrations. When hunting a buck that’ll bolt at the slightest disturbance, you want to be as quiet as possible.

An Attached Quiver to the Bow: Another essential bowhunter component. A bow quiver makes arrow retrieval easier when hunting. Target shooters avoid attachable quivers because they add weight to the bow and prefer hip quivers.

Arrows: A skillful archer would choose a bad bow with excellent arrows over a fantastic bow with shoddy arrows. Arrows are a vital component of the equation, and believe it or not. They’re more complicated than bows. We wrote a piece about how to pick and use arrows.

To choose arrows, know your draw weight, arrow length, and stiffness. Add two inches to your draw length (if you’re a beginner) or one inch (if you’re an advanced beginner or intermediate) to get your arrow length.

Too long arrows fly unpredictably, while too short arrows fall off the arrow rest when you draw them (and you can shoot them into your hand).

After determining your draw weight and arrow length, use a chart to determine arrow stiffness.