Best Budget Compound Bows of 2023: Top 10 Cheaper Bows Reviewed

Do you know what exactly you need to check when you are fishing for the best budget compound bow? If you have just stepped into compound bows, it is obvious that you won’t know much. But that’s totally fine and we are here to help you with that.

From construction material to price, there are a dozen of things that need attention when choosing affordable compound bows.

Take a quick look at our listicle of the 10 best cheap compound bows that come with everything that an ideal compound bow must-have.

Top-notch construction material, stability, suitable weight, good speed, and fair price, these compound bows tick all the boxes.

So without further ado, let’s dive right into it!

10 Best Budget Compound Bows – Quick Summary

1. Best Overall: PANDARUS Archery Compound Bow

"When it comes down to archery, stability plays a major role. And here, this compound bow is one of the most stable bows available in the market right now. It is lightweight, has a soft pull and decent draw length, just what you need for a perfect shot."

2. Top Rated: Sanlida Archery Dragon X8 Compound Bow

"Professional archers need power, durability, and accuracy. And this Sanlida Archery Dragon X8 comes packed with all of them."

3. Best for Beginners: XGeek Archery Adjustable Compound Bow

"This XGeek archery compound bow comes with everything a beginner will need to get started. Decent draw length and weight, stability, adjustability, durability, and good price, it offers all."

4. Best Versatile: Topoint Archery M2 Junior Compound Bow

"The manufacturer has designed this Topoint M2 junior compound to serve both beginners and professionals. And the package comes with all the accessories needed for the practice."

5. Best Premium: Southland Archery Supply Outrage Compound Bow

"Southland archery outrage compound bow is a perfect medium for shifting from intermediate level to professional. It is designed in a way that is easier to use for both professionals and intermediate archers."

6. Best for Youth: WUXLISTY Ghost Hand Compound Bow

"The nice mixture of affordable price and top-notch quality is what brought this WUXLISTY ghost hand compound bow here. Doesn’t come with a very heavy draw weight but still offers 320 fps IBO speed."

7. Best for Adult Only: SAS Siege Compound Bow

"With decent draw weight, length, and IBO speed, this SAS Siege compound bow is exactly what an adult beginner needs. On top of that, it offers great stability as well!"

8. Best for Hunting: iGlow Archery Hunting Compound Bow

"Searching for the cheapest compound bow for hunting that offers decent performance? You got it! The iGlow Hunting Compound Bow comes at a very low price and yet shows impressive performance."

9. Best for Training: Genesis Original Multi Use Compound Bow

"Are you afraid to give a powerful bow to your kid? All parents and trainers are. And that’s exactly where this Genesis Original compound bow comes in. It has a very light draw weight, small draw length, and less than 160 IBO speed."

10. Best Customizable: SA Sports Vulcan DX Compound Bow

"It's a blessing to be able to customize something according to your need. And this compound bow allows you to adjust the draw length and weight according to your comfort which will result in better shots."

In-Depth Reviews of 10 Best Budget/Cheap Compound Bows

1. Best Overall: PANDARUS Archery Compound Bow

The Pandarus archery has been around for quite a long time now, producing compound bows that meet archer's expectations. And the Pandarus Archery compound bow is no different.

It comes with 15-29 lbs. draw weight and 19-28-inch draw length. And the bow length is 29-inch which makes it a suitable one for beginners. That being said, professionals also find this one pretty useful for them.

Thanks to the metal modules, large wheels and CNC machined cams, that makes drawing easy and enables you to aim better.

The IBO speed of this bow is 260 fps which is a good speed. On top of that, the speed doesn’t cause the bow to vibrate and make noise.

It is constructed with high-quality PA66 plastic material which makes it both, durable and lightweight. If you hate walking around carrying a heavy bow, then this one seems perfect for you.

With this package, you get some other needy stuff as well which includes, an instruction manual, bow sight, arrow rest, 5-branches, arm guard, quiver, target paper, and 12 arrows.

This compound bow is available in 5 different colors, black, pink, red, green, and blue. Lastly, the manufacturer recommends not firing the bow without an arrow, it can damage the bow. 

• The draw length and weight is suitable for beginners
• Constructed with high-quality plastic that offers good durability
• Produces very low vibration which helps to aim better
• Doesn’t make any noise at all
• The plastic construction makes it pretty lightweight
• Available in 5 different colors

• Poor arrow quality with the package comes in

2. Top Rated: Sanlida Archery Dragon X8 Compound Bow

This Sanlida Archery Dragon X8 is a powerful bow for professionals. That being said, it can be a suitable unit for intermediate archers as well. It is not for youth, designed only for adults. 

The draw weight is 0-70 lbs and has a draw length of 18-31-inches which is definitely not an option for beginners. Even though the draw length and weight can be adjusted but the power and size makes it best for the experts.

Adjusting the weight and length is smooth, anyone with a little experience can do the required adjustments easily.

It has a max IBO speed of 310 fps, that’s pretty fast. And the high IBO speed doesn’t cause much vibration or noise.

If you were looking for a lightweight bow, it isn’t for you. This bow weighs around 3.8 lbs, it’s not a lightweight bow. But if you want to step up the game, sooner or later you will have to deal with such weight.

This bow features a stabilizer that works exactly how it should.

It is heavily constructed with 6061 T6 aluminum for optimum durability and the cams are 100% CNC machined. When it is about sanlida Archery dragon X8, durability is the last thing you should worry about. 

And compared to the other bows of its league, this sanlida bow comes at a better price.

The package includes everything an archer will need such as a stabilizer, arrow rest, 5-pin sight, allen keys, and peep sight.

• 310 fps IBO speed makes it a powerful compound bow
• Heavy-duty aluminum construction makes it durable
• Allows adjusting the draw length and weight for suitability
• It comes with every accessory, even with Allen keys
• A stabilizer makes the bow pretty stable

• Weak wrist sling
• It's not easy to shoot for youth

3. Best for Beginners: XGeek Archery Adjustable Compound Bow

A beginner needs a compound bow that will be lightweight, comes with decent draw length and weight, decent IBO speed, and great stability. Those are exactly what this very compound bow has to offer.

Have a look at this XGeek archery compound bow, if you are thinking of getting into archery, you don’t want to miss out on this bow. 

It is a right-handed compound bow that comes with 20 -27 adjustable draw length and 0-40 lbs draw weight, exactly what a beginner needs. On top of that, the IBO speed of this bow is 290 fps.

The bow is constructed with 100% aluminum, no plastic materials were used. Thanks to the heavy-duty construction, it is an incredibly durable compound bow, ready to withstand all wear & tear coming from beginners. 

It is available in three different colors, green, Red, and Blue. And the set includes 12 arrows, three-pin bow sight, an arm guard, allow puller, arrow rest, target paper, quiver, and Allen keys. 

Everything a beginner archer needs to get started, this very bow packs all of them.

• It features adjustable draw length and weight
• Heavy-duty manganese aluminum construction makes it durable
• The package includes all the needed accessories
• It comes at an affordable price
• Offers 290 fps IBO speed which is enough for beginners
• The stability helps beginners aim better

• This bow is a little noisy.
• The bow vibrates a bit while firing
• Only right handy archer can use it

4. Best Versatile: Topoint Archery M2 Junior Compound Bow

Doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or expert, the way this Topoint M2 junior compound bow is designed, it is suitable for everyone. But if you are looking for high power, then you better skip this one. 

With a draw length of 10-27-inch and a weight of 10-40 lbs, this compound bow holds the ability to satisfy both expert and beginner archers. The IBO speed is 290 fps which enables you to use it for both target shooting and hunting.

It weighs only 2.54 lbs. which is pretty lightweight and that makes carrying this bow very convenient.

The manufacturer has used 100% aluminum in the construction so that it lives up to the user's expectations. Plus, the bow got powder coating as well which makes it corrosion-resistant.

In order to help beginners aim better, the bow comes with a rubber stabilizer which also helps in reducing the vibration. 

The package includes 1 three-pin bow sight, allow rest, stabilizer, quiver, bow release, bowstring wax, Allen keys, and 6 pc 28-inch carbon mix arrows for training.

• Highly durable compound bow
• Powder coating makes it corrosion-resistant
• Decent draw weight makes it easy for young archers
• The package includes carbon mix high-quality arrows for practice
• The stabilizer helps archers aim better
• Multiple colors choices ensure versatility

• Not a suitable bow length for adults
• Not suitable for Left handed archers
• Comparatively less power for experienced archers

5. Best Premium: Southland Archery Supply Outrage Compound Bow

If you are an intermediate archer and thinking of getting into the big game, then the Southland archery outrage compound bow might come in handy. It is a right-handed compound bow that comes with a little heavy draw weight. 

It comes with 30-70 lbs draw weight and an intermediate archer should be able to deal with that. The draw length of this bow is 25-31-inch, it is a decent length, suitable for both hunting and target shooting. 

Having that said, hunting with this compound bow could be a little tiring due to its weight, this bow weighs around 4.4 lbs. Those who can deal with the weight will surely have fun with it.
Professionals can roam for hours with twice more weight but intermediate archers might find it a little hard since they are not used to it.

Moving on!

The manufacturer has used aluminum for construction which makes it is a long-lasting durable compound bow. It also features CNC machined cams and fiberglass limbs, these make the bow function smooth. 

There isn’t much color option for this one, it comes in black!

• This bow offers decent power
• Heavy-duty construction for durability
• Heavy draw weight imparts high power to the arrow
• Decent draw length helps aim well
• It comes at an affordable price
• It comes with different colors and packages 

• Sometimes it vibrates while shooting
• Creates more noise compare to other items in the list

6. Best for Youth: WUXLISTY Ghost Hand Compound Bow

If you are looking for the best affordable compound bows, this WUXLISTY ghost hand should not get out of your sight. It comes at a very low price and the best part is, that doesn’t even reflect on the quality of this bow. 

It is a right-handed compound bow, designed for youths. But if adults find it comfortable they can also use it. This bow comes with 15-45 lbs. draw weight which is not very heavy, so it’s an option for beginners as well. 

18-29-inch draw length allows you to take faster shots. Not only that, the speed of this bow is pretty amazing too, it boast of 320 fps IBO speed. The thing that makes this bow more powerful is the black fiberglass board hunting limb. It is well organized and smooth. 

If we talk about the construction, the riser is constructed with aluminum alloy and it offers optimum durability. Plus, there isn’t any plastic material to slow the performance down. 

It features a rubber handle to give the user a good grip and comfort. Talking about comfort, this bow weighs 3.6 lbs. It is a decent weight but those who have never used professional bows might find it a little tiring at the beginning. 

This bow doesn't offer many color options, it only comes in camo color, and trust us, it looks good. The package includes all the accessories from 5-pin bow sight to a rubber stabilizer silencer. And you get a user manual as well. 

• Long-lasting and strong compound bow
• It comes at an affordable price
• Features adjustable draw length
• Rubber stabilizer helps to aim better
• Very less vibration and no noise
• Offers 320 fps IBO speed that is higher

• Cheap arrow rest
• Only single color option, is black. So, if you like other color, you may skip this item

7. Best for Adult Only: SAS Siege Compound Bow

Here comes another one for beginners, the SAS Siege compound bow. It is designed for adults, not a bow for youth because the bow length is 42-inches. . That being said, if the youth can handle this much length, then there’s no problem using it. 

The bow is constructed with aluminum and the limbs are made of compressed ABS, such heavy-duty construction makes the bow strong and long-lasting.

It comes with a very decent draw weight and length. The draw length is 29-inch and the weight is 40-55 lbs. But the IBO speed is very low, it is only 206 fps. Actually, that is what makes it perfect for beginners.

This bow is ready to be fired right out of the box. The package includes a bow, an accurate sight, and a paper target. No! The package doesn’t include arrows that is to be purchased separately. 

• Aluminum and ABS construction make it durable
• It has a decent draw weight and length
• Low IBO speed which is perfect for beginners
• Ready to be fired right out of the box
• Very stable to shoot
• Less vibration and no noise

• A little heavy
• Doesn’t come with arrows

8. Best for Hunting: iGlow Archery Hunting Compound Bow

Looking for cheap compound bows for hunting? Then you don’t want to miss out on this IGlow archery hunting compound bow. It has already secured a spot on many best budget hunting compound bow lists.

With 30-55 lbs. draw weight and 19-29-inch length, this very compound bow is a suitable unit for both target shooting and hunting. On top of that, it delivers 296 fps IBO speed.

The riser is constructed with aluminum and limbs are constructed with compression molded fiberglass which makes them strong and extremely durable.

This bow doesn’t come with all the needed accessories, the user needs to purchase them separately.

It is available in three different colors; black, camouflage camo, and green.

• Inexpensive compound bow than other hunting bow
• Comes with good power, offers 296 fps IBO speed
• Aluminum and fiberglass construction adds durability
• It is a lightweight bow, which makes it easy to handle
• Available in three different colors

• Doesn’t come with needy accessories
• A little bit shorter than other hunting compound bows

9. Best for Training: Genesis Original Multi Use Compound Bow

The Genesis original compound bow is the official bow of NASP. It is also a suitable compound bow for newcomers but if professionals find good use of it, then they surely can use it.

This is not a powerful compound bow at all. In terms of power, this compound bow is below average. The draw length is 15-30-inch and the weight is 10-20 lbs. you cannot expect high power from such low draw weight and length!

Plus, it comes with a zero let-off design. 

Overall, the features of this unit make it best for newbies. It is safe due to less power and will help users aim better. This compound bow is available in more than 8 colors, so you have a lot of color options to choose from.

• It comes at a reasonable price.
• Heavy-duty aluminum construction.
• The low power makes it safe for youth.
• Available in various colors.
• It is a very stable compound bow. 

• Weighs 5 lbs. It is a little heavy for youth
• No add-ons come with the bow

10. Best Customizable: SA Sports Vulcan DX Compound Bow

And finally, our last pick, the SA Sports Vulcan compound bow! Anyone looking for the best inexpensive compound bow, here is the grab. It is a suitable pick for growing archers. 

The draw weight and length of this bow are adjustable. You can adjust it according to your need. It comes with a pretty decent draw weight and length, the weight is 15-45 lbs and the length is 21-27-inches. 

With the package, you get 2 hood quivers, adjustable 3-pin sight, and an arrow retainer. It is constructed with acrylic material which adds strength to the bow. If treated well, it should last for years. 

However, this bow is a little bit heavy. Adults will be able to manage the weight but would be hard for youth archers.

• It comes with adjustable draw weight and length
• Top-notch acrylic construction makes it strong
• Decent IBO speed makes it suitable for youth beginners
• It is an inexpensive compound bow
• The package includes quivers, 3-pin sight, and an arrow retainer

• The bow is relatively Heavyweight
• Sometimes it is hard to adjust

Considerations While Buying Cheap Compound Bow

Choosing an ideal compound bow is a little hard but with the right trick, it’s a matter of a few minutes.

What’s the trick then? Well, it is just a bunch of factors that you will need to check before making a purchase decision, that’s all. And that’s enough to help you get your hands on the best cheap compound bows.

Bow weight

The very first thing to check in a bow is the bow weight. The shooting performance largely depends on this. For beginners, it is recommended to choose a lightweight bow. Heavier bows are hard to handle and that’s not a beginner's cup of tea.

Lightweight bows might make more vibration and sound, but we think beginners can deal with that.

Axle to Axle

It is the distance from the nock point of the bow to the limbs. And when you are out there choosing a compound bow, this is the most important thing you should consider checking after bow weight, because it has a lot to do with bow stability.

The longer the axle-to-axle length is, the more stable the bow will be. When the bow is stable, it becomes easy to shoot and hit the target. So if you are a beginner, you would want to go for a compound bow that has a long axle-to-axle adjustment.

Draw Length

When you fully draw the bow, the distance from the nock point to the back of the grip is called the draw length.

How much power will be delivered to the arrow mostly depends on the draw length and weight! We will be discussing draw weight in the latter section.

Higher draw length will result in faster arrow speed. Long-range shootings require more power and if you are planning to take that route, you better get yourself a bow with a higher draw length.

But that being said, dealing with higher draw length isn’t easy, it takes experience to be able to shoot accurately with a higher draw length. And it is not at all a suitable option for beginners.

Draw Weight

Draw length and weight do pretty much the same thing, they transmit power to the arrow. The amount of force needed to fully draw the bowstring is called draw weight.

If you have used a compound bow before you know that, some bowstrings are easy to draw meaning they have light draw weight and some are hard which is a symptom of heavy draw weight.

The heavier the draw weight, the faster the arrow will be. And for long-range shootings, you will need to check both, the draw length and weight.

Many archers try to pick bows with heavy draw weight since that delivers faster-shooting speed. Unless you are an expert, you should stick to decent weight.

Heavy draw weight will lead to stress when drawing and stress can lead to shakiness and weak focus which are enough to make you take wrong shots.

Let-Off

Only compound bows come with a feature that lessens the draw weight at a point. When you are fully drawing a bowstring, the weight at the initial phase of the draw will be heavier than the last phase. And it is called the Let-off. Expert archers recommend choosing around 75 - 80% let-off.

Brace Height

When the bow is in a resting position, the distance between the bow grip and the string is called brace height. Different brace heights come with their own set of pros and cons.

Bows with low brace height will allow you to produce a faster shot but it also makes the bow less stable. On the other hand, a higher brace height might be a little slow to make a short but offers great stability.

If you are a beginner, you should stick to high brace height.

Speed

If you are a beginner you shouldn’t worry much about the speed, stability is something you should focus on instead.

The speed of the arrow is measured in FPS (feet per second). Though arrow speed largely depends on the draw weight and length which we discussed before. Apart from these two, there are some other factors as well that influence the speed.

• The strength of the archer.
• Arrow weight and design.
• Wind condition. 

Noise and Vibration

Everyone wants a bow that doesn’t make any noise while shooting, isn’t it? But compound bows make a little noise. The reason is when shooting, the stored energy on the bow gets transferred to the arrow. But some energy doesn't get transferred and produces vibration. And the vibration is what makes the noise.

Fortunately, now there are bows that come with advanced-technologies that can mitigate the loss of energy. Plus, there are options for installing vibration dampeners that reduce the noise.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is 70 lb draw too much?

The suitability of the draw weight depends on users. Some are comfortable even with 90 lbs. draw weight and some find it difficult to deal with even 30-50 lbs. But most adults choose between 50-70lbs draw weight.

2. How do I know my draw weight?

There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on a number of factors, such as your height, weight, strength, and experience.

However, a good rule of thumb is to start with a draw weight that is approximately 20-30% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., a 30 lbs. draw weight should be good enough to start.

3. Are compound bows hard to pull back?

Compound bows can be hard to pull back, depending on the weight of the bow. The heavier the draw weight, the harder it is to pull the string back. But the let-off of the bow makes it easy to hold when the string is fully drawn.

4. Is a recurve or compound bow better for beginners?

A recurve bow is better for beginners since compound bows require good techniques and strength. You can check some popular beginner recurve bows going through this article.

Conclusion

For those who are looking for the best affordable compound bow, the listicle we have provided is definitely an easy way out. The models we have reviewed are promising and user seem to be pretty satisfied with these as well. Hope it helps!

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