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Published April 26, 2018 in Product InfoBy P.J. Reilly
Five Great 2018 Hunting Bows for Under $700
We understand.Not every bowhunter can afford to – or wants to – plunk down $1,000 for a new compound bow. It’s just not in the budget.Fortunately, you don’t have to. Bow manufacturers are recognizing that the $1,000 plateau is just too high for some customers to climb, and so they are offering quality compounds for about a third or more less than that.Rest assured, these are bows that will give bowhunters the performance they need to succeed in the field, whether they’re hunting deer, bears, elk or anything else.Here are our five picks for killer bows under $700 in 2018.1. Hoyt PowerMax, $599 Here’s a 31-inch bow that features a 6 ¾-inch brace height and an IBO speed rating of 328 feet per second (FPS). It offers draw length options of 24-30 inches on the standard model and 26.5-31 inches on the long draw version. Maximum weight options stretch from 40-70 pounds in 10-pound increments.The PowerMax has split limbs mounted on a TEC-Lite riser that’s designed to carry vibration away from the grip, so it’s comfortable to shoot. The PowerMax Cam & ½ system is smooth to draw, but produces plenty of speed.Fuse strings, Limb Shox and the Stealth Shot string shot help this bow be whisper quiet.2. Quest Thrive, $649.95 A division of G5 Outdoors, which makes Prime bows, Quest took some of the best features Prime uses in its top-end target and hunting bows, and built them into this bow. The riser is 82X aluminum, making it one of the stiffest on the market. That translates to rigidity in the draw cycle and minimal vibration at the shot. It’s also got the Flexis AR cable roller guide, which allows for smooth drawing and adjustability to get fletching clearance and fix horizontal tuning problems.The bow measures 33 ¾ inches, has a 7-inch brace height and is rated to 330 fps. Draw lengths are 26-31 inches, with all the draw length mods included in the box. Max draw weights are 50, 60 and 70 pounds.3. Obsession Turmoil RZ, $699.99 This is one of the fastest mid-price bows on the market, with an IBO speed rating of 350 fps. Obsession built this 30-inch bow with a 6 ½-inch brace height, and powered it with the big Hybrid RZ cams.The cams feature rotating mods, so draw lengths can be adjusted in ½-inch increments from 24.5-26 inches or 26.5-30 inches. Max draw weights are 50, 60, 65 and 70 pounds.A cool feature of this bow is the anti-torque cable rod, which reduces cam lean and cable-induced torque.4. Elite Enlist, $699.99Elite's legendary shootability at an affordable price. No question those are the main calling cards of this bow. The draw cycle is smooth as butter, and the valley at the back end is very deep. When you reach full draw, you'll think you can hold the string back all day. And when you release that string, the shot is virtually vibration free.This is a 33 1/2-inch bow, with a 6 7/8-inch brace height, and an IBO speed rating of 325 fps. The high-performance cam is mod-based, offering draw lengths in half-inch increments from 27-30 inches. Max draw weights are offered at 60 and 70 pounds.5. PSE Drive X, $499.99 PSE got into the value-priced, performance bows back in 2013, with the Drive. For 2018, PSE redesigned the riser of its popular Drive bow to create the Drive X. The new riser is more stable than its predecessor.The Drive X is a 30-inch bow, with a 7-inch brace height and an IBO speed rating of 332 fps. Draw length options are 25-31 inches, and changes can be made to the draw length via rotating mods. May draw weight options are 50, 60 and 70 pounds.Weighing in at just 3.7 pounds, the Drive X is a bow that’s value priced, stable to shoot, light to carry, fast and accurate. That’s everything a bowhunter could ask for.
Here’s a 31-inch bow that features a 6 ¾-inch brace height and an IBO speed rating of 328 feet per second (FPS). It offers draw length options of 24-30 inches on the standard model and 26.5-31 inches on the long draw version. Maximum weight options stretch from 40-70 pounds in 10-pound increments.The PowerMax has split limbs mounted on a TEC-Lite riser that’s designed to carry vibration away from the grip, so it’s comfortable to shoot. The PowerMax Cam & ½ system is smooth to draw, but produces plenty of speed.Fuse strings, Limb Shox and the Stealth Shot string shot help this bow be whisper quiet.2. Quest Thrive, $649.95 
A division of G5 Outdoors, which makes Prime bows, Quest took some of the best features Prime uses in its top-end target and hunting bows, and built them into this bow. The riser is 82X aluminum, making it one of the stiffest on the market. That translates to rigidity in the draw cycle and minimal vibration at the shot. It’s also got the Flexis AR cable roller guide, which allows for smooth drawing and adjustability to get fletching clearance and fix horizontal tuning problems.The bow measures 33 ¾ inches, has a 7-inch brace height and is rated to 330 fps. Draw lengths are 26-31 inches, with all the draw length mods included in the box. Max draw weights are 50, 60 and 70 pounds.3. Obsession Turmoil RZ, $699.99 
This is one of the fastest mid-price bows on the market, with an IBO speed rating of 350 fps. Obsession built this 30-inch bow with a 6 ½-inch brace height, and powered it with the big Hybrid RZ cams.The cams feature rotating mods, so draw lengths can be adjusted in ½-inch increments from 24.5-26 inches or 26.5-30 inches. Max draw weights are 50, 60, 65 and 70 pounds.A cool feature of this bow is the anti-torque cable rod, which reduces cam lean and cable-induced torque.4. Elite Enlist, $699.99
Elite's legendary shootability at an affordable price. No question those are the main calling cards of this bow. The draw cycle is smooth as butter, and the valley at the back end is very deep. When you reach full draw, you'll think you can hold the string back all day. And when you release that string, the shot is virtually vibration free.This is a 33 1/2-inch bow, with a 6 7/8-inch brace height, and an IBO speed rating of 325 fps. The high-performance cam is mod-based, offering draw lengths in half-inch increments from 27-30 inches. Max draw weights are offered at 60 and 70 pounds.5. PSE Drive X, $499.99 
PSE got into the value-priced, performance bows back in 2013, with the Drive. For 2018, PSE redesigned the riser of its popular Drive bow to create the Drive X. The new riser is more stable than its predecessor.The Drive X is a 30-inch bow, with a 7-inch brace height and an IBO speed rating of 332 fps. Draw length options are 25-31 inches, and changes can be made to the draw length via rotating mods. May draw weight options are 50, 60 and 70 pounds.Weighing in at just 3.7 pounds, the Drive X is a bow that’s value priced, stable to shoot, light to carry, fast and accurate. That’s everything a bowhunter could ask for.