Looking for a new compound bow for the 2026 hunting season? Here are great options

Modern hunting bow speeds have largely plateaued in the mid-330s fps, with most flagship models landing between 330 and 350 fps which is plenty fast for hunting without sacrificing forgiveness.

Brace heights have trended shorter too, settling around 6 to 6.5 inches compared to the 7-inch standard that once defined a “forgiving” bow. That shift matters less than it used to because advances in cam design, limb technology, and integrated dampening systems make today’s shorter-braced bows surprisingly shooter-friendly right out of the box.

Whatever your brand loyalty, do yourself a favor and visit your local pro shop to shoot a few of the bows below. You might be surprised.

Mathews Archery – ARC 30

Brace Height: 6” | Axle-to-Axle: 30” | Let-Off: 80% or 85% | Speed: 348 fps (IBO) | Weight: ~4.0 lbs

The ARC 30 is Mathews’ most ambitious 2026 bow with a ground-up redesign built around the new SWX-2 cam with Perimeter Weight Technology.

By redistributing mass to the outer cam edges, Mathews dramatically reduces felt recoil and post-shot vibration while still sporting a 348 fps IBO rating. The riser is entirely new, with a reinforced geometry that integrates a Silent Connect anchor and Bridge-Lock V-Bar mount directly into the body, eliminating loose accessories and cutting noise at the shot.

At 30 inches axle-to-axle and under 4 pounds, the ARC 30 is sweet for tight-quarters hunting, ground blinds, dense timber, and saddle setups. An optional SWX-Z mod offers an alternate draw force curve for shooters who want a smoother draw with a modest speed trade-off. Let-off is 80% or 85%. Draw length runs 25” to 30.5”; draw weights span 55 to 80 pounds.

mathewsinc.com

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Hoyt Archery – Carbon RX-10

Brace Height: 6 ” | Axle-to- Axle: 30.5” | Let-Off: Adjustable | Speed: 342 fps (ATA) | Weight: 4.1 lbs

The Carbon RX-10 construction is lighter, stiffer, and more vibration-absorbent than aluminum, delivering a noticeably quieter shot at 342 fps, while keeping mass weight to just 4.1 lbs.

The standout 2026 innovation is Hoyt’s patent-pending XTS Tuning System, which resolves both left/right and high/low tuning issues without a bow press- a genuine industry first. The HBX Gen 4 cam allows quarter-inch draw length adjustments and lets shooters fine-tune let-off and back wall feel to suit their style.

Four configurations are available: RX-10, Ultra, Ultra LD (long draw), and SD (short draw), covering virtually every adult shooter. Draw weights run 30 to 80 pounds.

Hoyt.com

Bowtech Archery – Alliance

Brace Height: 5¼” (eff. 6½”) | Axle-to-Axle: 30.5” | Let-Off: 70–85% | Speed: 338 fps (IBO) | Weight: 4.09 lbs

The Bowtech Alliance arrived at the 2026 ATA Show and left with the Best New Bow award – earned on the strength of a completely reimagined riser and upgraded DeadLock Cam system.

The cam features double-locking security, larger screws, finer micro-adjustments, and laser-etched reference marks for repeatable setups. Let-off is adjustable across four settings: 70%, 75%, 80%, and 85%, giving every shooter a personalized back wall.

The new riser pairs Bowtech’s CenterMass technology with a lower stabilizer dampener in what the brand calls the Stability and Balance System: the bow sits level naturally, resists torque, and settles quickly on target. The GripLock adjustable grip lets shooters dial in grip angle with a simple Allen wrench rather than swapping panels, a detail that pays dividends in consistency, over a long season.

Draw weights are available in 50-, 60- and 75-pound options; draw length runs 25 to 30 inches.

Bowtecharchery.com

PSE Archery – Sicario Carbon FDS

Brace Height: 5¼” (eff. 6½”) | Axle-to-Axle: 33” | Let-Off: 85% (fixed) | Speed: 357 fps (IBO) | Weight: 3.9 lbs

At 357 fps IBO, the PSE Sicario Carbon FDS is a screamer and is one of the fastest from any manufacturer in 2026. The secret is the FDS (Fixed Draw Stop) cam system, which locks the draw stop position rather than relying on a traditional module, unlocking up to 10 additional fps over conventional cam designs at the same draw weight.

The result is a crisper, more defined back wall with zero creep and a fixed 85% let-off that holds comfortably at 80 pounds peak draw weight. A carbon fiber riser keeps mass weight to just 3.9 pounds which is exceptional for a 33” axle-to-axle platform.

The effective 6½” brace height provides adequate forgiveness for hunting situations despite the aggressive cam geometry. Draw length adjusts from 24.5 to 30 inches; draw weights are available in 50-, 60-, 70- and 80-pound options.

Psearchery.com

Mission Archery – Stryde 30.5

Brace Height: 6.5” | Axle-to-Axle: 30.5” | Let-Off: 80% | Speed: 323 fps (IBO) | Weight: 4.0 lbs

Mission Archery’s 2026 Stryde 30.5 brings back one of archery’s most beloved designs: the solocam. Equipped with the all-new Mission Solocam, the Stryde delivers a smooth, controlled draw cycle with a solid back wall engineered to maximize efficiency across every draw length and setup.

It’s a compelling choice for hunters who want a singlecam’s simplicity and timing-free maintenance without sacrificing modern performance. At 30.5 inches axle-to-axle and 323 fps, the Stryde sits firmly in hunting-capable territory while the 6.5-inch brace height adds a welcome measure of forgiveness.

Draw length runs from 22 to 30 inches without a bow press, and two limb options make the platform unusually inclusive: standard limbs cover 50–70 lbs for serious hunters, while Stryde Lite limbs span 30 to 50 pounds for youth and developing shooters.

Missionarchery.com

Diamond Archery – Infinite Edge Pro Legacy

Brace Height: 7” | Axle-to-Axle: 31” | Let-Off: 80% | Speed: 310 fps (IBO) | Weight: ~3.1 lbs

With over one million units sold, the Diamond Infinite Edge Pro is one of the best-selling compound bows in archery history – and the 2026 Legacy Edition honors that legacy while reaffirming everything that made it great.

No other bow on the market matches its adjustability: draw length from 13 to 31 inches and draw weight from 5 to 70 pounds, all without a bow press. This is genuinely the same bow for a child picking up archery for the first time and an adult hunter heading into elk country.

The cam system is tuned for smooth, forgiving performance over raw speed. The 310 fps IBO rating is more than sufficient for any hunting scenario, and the 7-inch brace height ensures form imperfections; common with newer shooters, do not translate into flyers. The 80% let-off makes holding at full draw comfortable across all draw weight settings.

At approximately 3.1 pounds it is one of the lightest hunting bows of 2026. The Legacy Edition includes upgraded cosmetics and hardware and comes with a full ready-to-hunt accessories package.

Diamondarchery.com

Darton Archery – TriTech 31

Brace Height: 6 ” | Axle-to-Axle: 31 3/16” | Let-Off: ~80% | Speed: 335 / 341 fps* (IBO) | Weight: 4.5 lbs

Darton has been building compound bows since 1946, and the 2026 TriTech 31 reflects eight decades of accumulated knowledge packed into their most technically aggressive platform yet.

Three patent-pending technologies define the bow. The dual-function Micro Adjust Roller Guard improves cable tension consistency and fine-tuning capability, and the Perfect-Timing Adjustable Yoke Hanger system lets shooters achieve precise cam synchronization quickly, without heading to the pro shop.

A Perfect-Tune Adjustable Limb Pocket System enables quarter-inch draw length adjustments and an optional speed mod swap that bumps IBO speed from 335 to 341 fps without a bow press. The 31 3⁄16-inch axle-to-axle fits comfortably in a treestand or blind and the 6-inch brace height balances forgiveness with speed.

Draw length runs 25 to 30.5 inches in quarter-inch increments.

Dartonarchery.com

Elite Archery – Varos

Brace Height: 6 ” | Axle-to-Axle: 32” | Let-Off: Up to 90% | Speed: 338 fps (IBO) | Weight: 4.55 lbs

At 338 fps with up to 90% let-off, the Varos delivers specification-sheet performance while maintaining the smooth draw cycle Elite shooters expect.

The 90% let-off is a real-world advantage: a measurable reduction in holding weight that translates directly into longer, steadier holds at full draw. The aerospace-grade aluminum riser maximizes torsional stiffness while keeping the profile clean and snag-free.

The 32-inch axle-to-axle is long enough for a stable, forgiving platform yet short enough to manage in a treestand without difficulty. A 6-inch brace height provides meaningful forgiveness without costing speed and draw length runs 25.5 to 31 inches.

Elitearchery.com

Bear Archery – Legend 30

Brace Height: 6.5” | Axle-to-Axle: 30” | Let-Off: 85% | Speed: 320 fps (IBO) | Weight: 4.0 pounds.

The Bear Archery Legend 30 is part of Bear’s dealer-exclusive Legend Series — bows built to carry on Fred Bear’s legacy of craftsmanship at a level above the brand’s mainstream lineup.

The DHC-XR Hybrid Cam system drives arrows to 320 fps with a smooth, consistent draw cycle and a rock-solid back wall, and at 30 inches axle-to-axle, it’s a genuinely compact hunting platform. It sports a 6.5-inch brace height and the 85% let-off for long holds at full draw.

The range of adjustment here is exceptional: draw length spans 18 to 31 inches and draw weight runs from 14 to 70 pounds.

Beararchery.com