Best Compound Bows for the Money in 2021
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We reviewed the top compound bows and categorized them. See our favorites for a complete kit, for beginners, and for hunting.
What is the best compound bow for the money?
We believe that the best compound bow for the money is the Dragon X8. Sure, it’s an unknown brand, and the accessories are basic. But it performs equally to bows twice the price.
That being said, there are other wonderful bows available on a budget. All the bows we listed here stand out based on quality, reviews, and, most important, price.
Our favorite picks:
- Best complete kit: Topoint Archery
- Best for beginners: Dragon X8
- Best for hunting: Bear Cruzer G2
Best Complete Compound Bow Kit
Pros
No hefty brand price tag
#1 best selling compound bow kit
Includes everything you need
Cons
Lacks a well-known brand
Our Review for the Topoint Compound Bow Kit:
Good quality overall
The Topoint kit includes literally everything you need to get started with archery. That means a compound bow, sight, arrow rest, stabilizer, arrow release, arrows, and more.
Think all the accessories and extra’s are poorly made? Think again. Sure, they aren’t of superior quality, but they will perform and hold up perfectly fine for regular use. In fact, the arrows themselves are of good overall quality. If I had to put a price on them, it would be about $4-6 each. That’s about a $100 value in arrows alone.
If you do decide on upgrading the bow sight, here is our list of best compound bow sights.
Highly adjustable bow
Accessories aside, the bow is highly adjustable. You can modify the draw weight from 19lbs to 70lbs. The draw length can be adjusted from 19″ to 30″. That means that this kit works for virtually anyone.
Whether you buy this compound bow kit for a teenager, adult male or female, or senior, this bow will likely meet their needs.
88% of people love this bow
One part of the research we conduct at Shopaholly when writing about a product is reading reviews of people who purchased the item. And while mixed reviews are always a given, about 88% of people rate this kit very good or excellent.
Overall, people love the adjustability and overall quality of the bow, as well as the accessories.
Best Compound Bow for Beginners
Pros
No hefty brand price tag
#1 best selling Compound Bow
Performs equal to bows twice the cost or more
Cons
Lacks a well-known brand
Our review for the Dragon X8:
Big bang for your buck
The Dragon X8 costs about $50 to $100 less than the Topoint complete kit mentioned above. While it’s not a complete kit, it does include the essentials. It also includes an arrow release and quiver, aside from the bow, sight, and stabilizer.
If you already have a quiver and arrow release, you can opt for the model without these items and save about $60.
This bow is very versatile. You can adjust the draw weight from 0 to 70lbs and the draw length from 18” to 31”. And adjusting is quick and easy. This wide range of draw weight and length makes the bow a perfect fit for virtually anyone.
I have shot this bow for about 12 hours total now and haven’t had a single problem. The bow and the accessories it came with have performed wonderfully. I love how easy it is to change the draw weight and length. The 5-pin sight, while basic, has performed very well too!
You save money because you’re not paying for the brand name
If you ask any archer or archery group/forum/store, they’ll likely raise an eyebrow when you mention the Dragon X8. The name is virtually unknown. But if you’re ok with buying an unknown brand, the Dragon X8 won’t disappoint.
People more experienced than me say that this bow performs equally to bows twice the cost.
88% of people love this bow
As far as customer reviews, this bow is tied with the Topoint compound bow kit. Most people rave about the bang for the buck that this bow offers. They say it’s easy setup, easy to adjust, and worth twice the cost or more.
Best Compound Bow for Hunting
Pros
Excellent bow quality
Trophy Ridge accessories
Well-known and respected brand
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Cons
You pay extra for the brand name
Our review for the Bear Cruzer G2
Top-quality bow and accessories
If you need a bow to harvest game, reliability is a must. And that’s exactly what the Cruzer G2 from Bear brings to the plate. It delivers up to 315 feet per second.
But aside from reliability, I love how it looks! My personal favorite is the Moonshine Toxic, but it’s also available in blue, pink, blank, and camo.
This bow includes 4-pin sight, stabilizer, whisker biscuit, a 5 arrow bow-mounted quiver. Each of these accessories is made by Trophy Ridge, well-known for quality and durability.
The Bear Cruzer G2 offers an adjustable draw weight ranging from 5 to 70lbs. The draw length can be adjusted from 12″ to 30″. Like the other bows featured in this article, a bow press is not required to make these adjustments.
A compound bow made for hunting
Let’s see how this bow stands out for hunting. It offers a 70% let-off. This means that if your draw weight is set at 60lbs, you’re only holding 18lbs at full draw.
The cam system is extremely smooth, and the advanced grip design eliminates hand torque for enhanced accuracy.
Additionally, the RockStops offset string suppressor eliminates noise and vibration for stealthy shots.
And lastly, as previously mentioned, this bow features reliable accessories. All in all, you can’t go wrong with this bow.
92% of people love this bow
While mixed reviews are always expected, the Cruzer G2 truly gets a ton of love. What do people like most? It’s a toss-up between the overall look and feel, quality, accuracy, and value for the money. In short, they love everything about it, and I can’t blame them.
What’s important when shopping for a compound bow
1. Draw weight and length
Whether you’re a beginner, an expert, young, or old, it’s a great idea to opt for a bow that offers a wide range of draw weights and lengths.
Having a wide range of weights and lengths is beneficial for:
- Beginners
- Children
- Households
Beginners
When I bought my first compound bow, I was clueless about what draw weight and length were right for me. And while I could have gone to an archery shop to get a recommendation, I prefer doing things myself. So I started by shooting the bow and kept fine-tuning until it felt right for me. And having a bow that allows this is great.
Children
If your teenage child wants to pick up bow shooting, you’ll be happy to know that they won’t outgrow it with the right bow. At the same time, you can dial the initial weight way back. This way, the weight won’t be too much where your child could grow to dislike bow shooting.
Household
Lastly, once your loved ones see you shooting a bow, chances are likely they’ll want to give it a try. With a highly adjustable compound bow, you can dial it for your kids, your spouse, perhaps even your parent-in-law!
2. What parts are included
The total price of a compound bow is partially affected by the parts that are included. It’s a good idea to buy a bow with at least a bow sight and arrow rest. You may have to pay a little more than you initially budgeted for, but you could save money doing so.
Buying a bow that’s $50 cheaper, but lacks these 2 items, would cost more in the long run. Not to mention, you won’t really be able to shoot your bow until you get these items.
For complete beginners, the complete kit by Topoint is pretty extraordinary in value. It includes every single item that enhances bow shooting.
3. Wants and needs
Testing the waters and backyard shooting
If you want to see if shooting a bow is something for you, you may consider buying a bow in the $100 or below range. But honestly, bows in this price range are typically so unreliable that you won’t enjoy bow shooting to its fullest potential.
Instead, doubling that budget for the Dragon X8, or Topoint kit we mentioned above, will make a world of difference.
Hunting
If you want to hunt deer or a similar game, you’ll want a bow that’s up for the task. A 60lb $200 bow can kill a deer just as good as a 60lb $500 bow. But ultimately, you’ll want to harvest game as humanely and efficiently as possible.
If bowhunting is what you plan on doing, paying an extra $100 or $200 is a good idea. The increase in accuracy, speed, and reliability could mean the difference between a kill-shot and missing the target entirely.
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