New Budget Bows & Crossbows for 2020

Bear Archery Royale

When you’ve got champagne tastes and a domestic beer pocketbook, bow shopping can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are companies out there like Bear Archery, which released the Royale this year. This RTH (Ready To Hunt) rig can generate arrow speeds of 290fps, weighs only 2.7 pounds (bare), and offers youth and smaller-stature shooters a huge range of draw weights and lengths. And since it is a RTH bow, you’ll get all of the accessories you need to go from the bow shop to the range, which can make the whole process of buying a new bow not only easy on your bank account, but short, sweet and efficient.

Bear X Intense CD

Measuring only 10” wide when cocked, the new Intense CD is an excellent choice for cash-strapped hunters who spend their fall in the confines of treestands and ground blinds. This crossbow can produce bolt speeds in the 400fps range thanks to its just-under-13” power stroke. For the price, the bare bow would be a screaming deal but it’s actually sold as a package that contains three TrueX arrows, a scope, a quiver, cocking rope and string and rail lube. MSRP: $350 | beararchery.com

Diamond Archery Edge 320

One of the best bow deals out there comes your way via Diamond Archery in their Edge 320. Offering draw lengths of 15-31 inches and draw weights of 7-70 pounds, this bow can be a perfect fit for a huge range of bowhunters. At the top end, this 32-inch bow will fire arrows at speeds in the 320fps neighborhood and since it sports a 7.25-inch brace height and Synchronized Binary Cam System, you know that it’s not only buttery smooth to draw and shoot, but easy to tune and capable of serious accuracy. MSRP: $449 | diamondarchery.com

Hoyt Nitrux

Hear me out, because the price on this bow may or may not fit your personal definition of a budget rig. Value is all about what you get for price, and with the new Nitrux from Hoyt, you get A LOT of bow and a lot of value. This 31.5-inch bow will produce chrono readings of up to 333fps, weighs just over 4 pounds, and boasts a whole litany of Hoyt technologies that you used to be able to find only on their top-line offerings. From the StealthShot dampers, X-Act grip, to the adjustable cams and Fuse custom cables and strings, this bow is just a smoking deal. MSRP: $849 | hoyt.com

Mission Archery MXR

Designed around the Crosscentric Cam technology, hopeful bowhunters could do a lot worse than picking up a new MXR from Mission Archery. Not only is this bow efficient and powerful (324fps arrow speeds), but it’s perfectly sized at 30 inches between the pins. With a 7-inch brace height, 80-percent letoff, and bare bow weight of just a smidge over 4 pounds, the MXR is an excellent choice for anyone looking to take the whitetail woods, the elk mountains, or anywhere in between. MSRP: $499 | missionarchery.com

Quest Centec

Quest makes some of the best bows on the market for the price, which is due in no small part to the bow line being owned and produced by G5 Outdoors. Their latest, the Centec, is a sweet rig that you can have for half the price of most flagship offerings. The 32-inch Centec weighs just shy of 4 pounds, sends arrows downrange at speeds up to the mid-330s, and is built with Center Grip Technology. This is a little engineering magic that helps shooters keep a consistent grip and aim easier, which results in tighter groups and more in-field grip-and-grins. MSRP: $500 | questbowhunting.com

Rocky Mountain 405

Tipping the scales at less than 7.5 pounds and measuring just 14.5 inches wide when cocked, the new Rocky Mountain 405 could be the sweetest deal in the crossbow market. It’s not only capable of generating bolt speeds of 405fps (you see what they did there?), but also features the DFS System (Dry Fire Safety) that auto engages when the bow is cocked. Each 405 comes in a package that includes a quiver, three Carbon Express PileDriver crossbolts, some rail lube, and an illuminated 4x32 scope. MSRP: $300 | feradyne.com

Wicked Ridge Invader 400

New crossbows can run you upwards of two grand, which is a lot of cheddar. Fortunately, there are companies out there like Wicked Ridge that are creating offerings like the Invader 400. This 185-pound bow is extremely lightweight (6 pounds), measures 35.5 inches in length, and as you probably guessed, will send bolts downrange at speeds up to 400fps. This ready-to-hunt crossbow kit contains the ACUdraw cocking device, a TenPoint scope, three bolts, and a quiver. MSRP: $570-$670 | wickedridgecrossbows.com