The archery and hunting industry has unintentionally created many invalid barriers to bowhunting entry. Gear is one of the most prevalent. The market brims with “solutions.” There’s this for that, and that for this. Someone looking from the outside in could easily misconceive that it will cost $2,000 (minimum) to buy everything from scratch and get started.

Nonsense. Bowhunting ambassadors like those from the hit YouTube channel, The Hunting Public, are proving that you need only a modest bow setup and a hunting license to go bowhunting. And not only do they hunt with minimal gear, but they do it very successfully.

Assure new customers looking to try bowhunting that it can be stripped down to merely buying an accessorized entry-level bow, like the Bear Archery Legit RTH I’m about to review, and a hunting license. After that, all they need to do is find a place to hunt — public lands abound in most states — and then go hunting. It’s that simple. Barriers to entry are baloney.

Initial Impressions

Unboxing the Legit, my hand found the grip incredibly comfortable and difficult to torque. In fact, it’s more comfortable than those of several high-end bows I’ve tested over the years. I also immediately noticed that, with all accessories installed, the Legit balances beautifully.

I love that its cams are marked with draw lengths for easy reference when adjusting the modules. I was able to rotate the modules to 28 inches in just a couple of minutes and without a bow press. By the way, the Legit has a rainbow of draw-length and draw-weight adjustability. It goes from 14 to 30 inches, and the draw weight adjusts from 10 to 70 pounds, meaning nearly anyone can shoot it.

While the Legit RTH (Ready To Hunt) package includes a peep sight, I quickly noticed that the tie-ins above and below it easily slid up and down with minimal effort from my thumb and finger. Archery mechanics: I recommend that you carefully remove these tie-ins, set the peep height for your customer, then tie it in yourself so the peep sight isn’t prone to movement.

Even though the Bear Legit RTH is an accessorized bow, that doesn’t mean a customer can grab it off the shelf and take it out the door as is. You should take it through its paces and get everything set just right for your customer. As you would on any bow, check all screws and bolts to ensure they’re tight, check for cam synchronization and adjust if needed, and also verify that the included D-loop is positioned perfectly.

Overall, the Trophy Ridge accessory package is about what you’d expect from a value-priced bow. The kit includes a four-pin Joker sight, 5-Spot quiver, Whisker Biscuit rest, a wrist sling and Blitz stabilizer. The kit complements the bow well, and all accessories delivered on expectations. There’s nothing glitzy about it; it just works. With that, let’s delve into the shooting experience the Legit provides. 

Shooting the Legit

With the bow set up exactly for my specs and preferences, I walked out to my backyard and started sending carbon. Within three shots, I was on with my top pin at 20 yards. At that range, the Legit stacks arrows tightly. Stepping back to 30 yards, I made a minor pin adjustment and was sighted in and grouping well there, too.

Can a budget bow shoot well at 40 yards? I stepped back to find out. Within two shots, the 40-yard pin was on, and my first 40-yard group impressed me quite a lot. I gave the fourth pin a try at 50 yards. I’ll note that while the Legit is fully capable to shoot at that distance, the stability that you’d get from Bear’s high-end bows wasn’t there. And that’s fine because most customers shopping for a value bow are likely 30-yard-and-in bowhunters, anyway. The Legit delivers great accuracy at those ranges and even beyond, as my 40-yard groups proved.

Besides shooting accurately, the Legit draws very smoothly. The test bow was marked 70 pounds on the limb and on the bow-spec card in the box, but mine topped out at 66.3 pounds on my Last Chance Archery digital scale. Regardless, I’m not kidding when I say that it draws like a 60-pound bow. Bear really aced that category with the Legit.

The Legit has just a few downsides worth mentioning, but they’re minor things that value-bow buyers can live with. The bowstring is fine, but peep twist would certainly be an issue if you installed a peep without a rubber hose. The Legit also has more hand shock than you’d experience with a flagship model. If I wasn’t a high-end-bow shooter, it would’ve been less noticeable. If your customers can’t live with that, they might consider walking up the ladder to a higher-end Bear. The Legit has a modest 315-fps spec rating, which the manufacturer finds with a 350-grain arrow, 30-inch draw length and 70-pound draw weight. Set to the specs listed in the accompanying sidebar, the Legit pushed my 468-grain Easton 6.5mm Acu-Carbon 340 arrows at 244 fps, yielding 61.807 foot pounds of kinetic energy. Yes, it’s a bit slow compared to Bear’s higher-end bows, but it’s more than plenty of punch to take down just about any big game animal.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Bear Legit RTH is a nice-performing value bow. It can be purchased in both right- or left-handed variations. Further, it’s available in 11 finishes that would appeal to anyone from an adult male down to a 5-year-old girl. Yes, there’s a flavor for everyone.

Unlike the notions that beginners often get when they look into bowhunting gear, getting started with bowhunting doesn’t need to drain a bank account. For $449.99 (MSRP) plus some inexpensive arrows, broadheads and a hunting license, entry-level bowhunters can head afield, create memories and stuff freezers full of venison. What more could a beginner ask for?

Test Bow Specs

• Axle to Axle Length: 30 inches
• Brace Height: 6 inches
• Draw Length: 28 inches
• Draw Weight: 66.3 pounds
• Let-off: 75%
• Bow-only Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Accessorized Total Weight: 5.03 pounds
• Velocity: 244 fps (with 468-grain Easton 6.5mm Acu-Carbon 340 arrow)
• Kinetic Energy: 61.807 foot-pounds
• Finish: Veil Stoke
• MSRP: $449.99
• Contact: www.beararchery.com

Additional Notes: This test bow was set up using a Last Chance Archery EZ Green Bow Press and EZ Green Bow Vise, and draw weight was calculated using Last Chance Archery’s Digital Bow Scale. A Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph measured the 468-grain Easton 6.5mm Acu-Carbon 340 arrow’s velocity.

In-the-field photos by Darron McDougal.