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Every year we gather the best compound bows and shoot them head-to-head. This year, we included a bow that’s less than half the price of those premium options to see how it compared.
The results were surprising. Not only did the Bear Alaskan Pro shoot the same speed as our 2026 Editor’s Choice, the Elite Varos, but its average group size was also just 1 inch larger. There are some downsides to consider, but overall, this bow is an excellent value for your money.
Here’s a look at this affordable bow’s features and test performance.
The Industry Doesn’t Want You to See This: Budget Bow vs Flagship Bow
See It
- ATA: 33 inches
- Brace Height: 6.25 inches
- Draw Length: 25.5 to 30 inches
- Draw Weight: 45-60 pounds or 55 to 70 pounds
- Let Off: 80 or 85 percent
- Price: $630 (bare bow) or $730 (ready to hunt)
Draw Length and Draw Weight Adjustment
The Alaskan Pro has 15 pounds of draw weight adjustment or six limb bolt turns from the max setting. It’s adjustable from 25.5 to 30 inches in half-inch increments, and no bow press is needed to adjust draw length.
Accessory Mounting
Most premium bows come with some type of inline accessory mounting. The Bear Alaskan Pro also comes with that feature, and you can mount IMS arrow rests and Picatinny sights to the bow.
Pull Up Rope
The Alaskan Pro features a pull-up rope attachment on the top limb. This way you don’t have to tie off to your cam; you can clip a carabiner right to the rope loop.
Ready to Hunt Accessories
For an extra $100, you can get the Alaskan Pro as a turn-key package that includes a peep sight, 5-pin Picatinny sight, Snub-nose stabilizer, five-arrow quiver, wrist sling, and an IMS Whisker Biscuit.
Read Next: Are Flagship Bows Worth It?
Testing The Bear Alaskan Pro Alongside Flagship Bows
Three different archers accuracy tested the Alaskan Pro at 50 yards, and they shot six, five-shot groups that averaged 3.75 inches. The testers noted that if they spent more time getting used to the Alaskan Pro, they could certainly improve their accuracy. The overall group average for the seven flagship bows tested was 3.7 inches. The Elite Varos rose to the top of this year’s bow test with a 2.7-inch group average, and even when the test team made a less-than-perfect shot, the arrows still hit pretty close to where they were aiming. The Alaskan Pro doesn’t possess that supernatural ability, so your overall effective range will likely be closer. How much that matters ultimately depends on your skill and how far you can ethically shoot an animal.
The Bear Alaskan Pro set to 60 pounds and a 30-inch draw length shot a 389-grain arrow at 292 fps. The Elite Varos, set to the exact same specs, also clocked in at 292 fps. That’s impressive performance. But you should keep in mind that if you shoot the Alaskan Pro on the lower end of its draw-length adjustment range, there will be more disparity compared to flagship bows. That’s especially true for bows like the Hoyt Alpha AX-3 and Mathews ARC, which use draw-length specific modules rather than a rotating one.
Where things tipped back in favor of the flagship bows is in the shooting experience. Every premium bow had a smoother draw and less hand shock than the Alaskan Pro. The draw on this budget bow starts with effort, levels out, requires another bit of effort, and then the cams sharply roll over into the valley. By comparison, the flagship bows require a more consistent effort and have a smoother transition into the valley. Nearly all the best bows have nearly no perceptible hand shock, but you will notice the Alaskan Pro’s jump.
Final Thoughts
The average price of those flagship bows we tested this year is $1,517, which is more than double the cost of a Ready-to-Hunt Bear Alaskan Pro. A $1,500 bow is looking more like a luxury with gas and food prices surging. If you need a new bow for hunting, do you really need to spend that much to fill your tag? Based on our results, you can absolutely be successful with a bow like the Bear Alaskan Pro.
Read Next: The Best Compound Bows of 2026: Our Toughest Shoot-Off Yet
The Bear Alaskan Pro gives up helpful tuning features, forgiveness, and an overall exceptional shooting experience to this year’s best compound bows. But it doesn’t lag far behind in actual performance. It’s going to be very close in speed to bows, costing much more, and can rival them in accuracy, if you do your part.
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