Choosing the right compound bow can be tough, thankfully there are many sources for compound bow reviews. Personally my go to source for compound bow reviews is Hunt hacks. They always have up to date reviews and how to guide. When choosing a compound bow, you always want to read the reviews before you buy. A lot of companies will make claims, but not all of them will back it up. That’s why I like getting an unbiased opinion. When choosing your bow you want to keep in mind what you are looking for (Compound Bow Selection Guide - Hunter's Friend Archery). Generally, a good target bow will not always be the best hunting bow. However, a good hunting bow usually makes for just as good as a target bow. You also want to be able to grow into your bow. If you can pull back 50 pounds now, there is a good chance that with some practice 50 pounds will soon be too easy and you will want to move up to 60 or 70 pounds. This is why I like buying adjustable draw weight bows since you could move the draw weight up and down after you buy it and make changes from there. You also want to keep in mind the draw length. Usually your draw length will not go up unless you are still growing. So if you plan on buying a bow for a youth archer then make sure you get them a compound bow that will be able to grow with them. There are also many great package deals out there. I advise taking advantage of these, especially if you are a beginner or don’t want to buy accessories for your bow. All of the bells and whistles can be very confusing at first, that is why package deals are so popular among beginners. If you don’t get a package deal, then you should keep the price of the bow in mind when you are on a budget. Nothing is worst than spending $1,000 a compound bow with no accessories and then having to go and spend another $500 on sights, quivers, and slings. Also keep in mind that the prices of compound bows go up around hunting season and so do your options. Many hunters wait till the last minute to get their bows before the fall hunting season, and the pro shops know that. Often times prices can increase 10% by the time August rolls around. I found a great source on Cabelas. It is a bow buyers guide and goes over everything you need to know before purchasing. I covered mostly everything, but if you got lost anywhere then I highly recommend checking it out. Thanks for reading!
I don't know about your target vs hunting bow assessment but welcome to the forum. IMO the best review of a bow is when I go shoot and get my hands on it in the local bow shops. I havent gad good luck at big box stores like Cabelas at all. Most of the employees seem like they dont even want to help, you make eye contact and they look away like they have some other important thing to do besides customer service.
