This has come up a few times here and elsewhere, and it's a reasonable question: what are you getting when you buy a more expensive riser?
Like all things in the past two years, prices for archery equipment have shifted and fluctuated. I'm only going to discuss full priced products here. If you find a riser for significantly less, it's a deal (or a scam, so stick to reputable retailers).
Under $100, you're looking at risers aimed at youth archers and beginners on tight budgets. These are still going to be better than most mass produced wooden risers, but their cut costs are evident by looking at them. Common features amongst these risers are:
- Die-cast construction. Either from aluminum or magnesium.
- Painted finish instead of anodized. Since paint fills, the machining marks get covered up. This requires fewer finishing steps and accommodates looser quality control.
- Plastic grip. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I'd also note that after market grip options will be limited (or cost nearly as much as the riser).
- Weight limit. Even when not stated, I wouldn't generally put more than 40# on a die-cast 25" riser. Shorter risers can handle more weight because the limbs have reduced leverage. Many of them will feel/perform noticeably different above 35#. I also wouldn't load up the stabilizer bushings.
- Limited weight/stabilizer attachment options. Often these will only have one actual stabilizer bushing. This really isn't a big deal, as that's all most archers actually need/use, but it's worth noting.
- Light weight. It's a selling point for new archers and children, although intermediate and higher archers—especially barebow archers—often prefer a heavier riser.
- Fewer left-handed options. A left-handed riser is, from a machining perspective, a different product. Many companies cut costs by just not offering them.
Going up to about $150 is kind of a transition price point. Many of these risers will have more in common with the sub-$100 price point, but you'll also find risers on sale, discontinued and discounted risers, or just benefit from fluctuating exchange rates. Costs will be cut somewhere (painted, no LH model, shorter riser, limited production). You can find good deals here, but you'll have to compromise on something. You used to be able to find good forged risers in this range. Basically recommending something specific in this range is a moving target.
$150-200 is what I would recommend most beginners budget for a riser. Risers in this price range still have compromises, but they only really come into play at moderately high (40 or 45+) draw weights. Most archers would not be able to see a performance difference between these risers and more expensive ones at lower draw weights, and they'll hold their own at 50 and 70m.
- Extrusion-CNC construction. Most risers in this price range use this manufacturing process. It's cheaper and faster than forging, although it doesn't really work-harden the riser. Still it's much less likely to introduce structural flaws than casting, so while the aluminum doesn't get stronger it doesn't really get weaker either. You might find a forged riser in this price range, but this will be the dominant manufacturing process.
- Open limb pockets. A lot of these designs will incorporate these, which makes it much easier to mix and match limbs, measure how far in or out the tiller bolts are turned, and make the bow lighter—which isn't always a benefit, remember. They do make these bows a bit louder though. This also reduces costs, as it's basically all machined in one plane. That, I'm sure, is the real reason they do it.
- Simple cutout geometry. Since these get their shape from machining, the patterns will be simple and often repetitive as it lowers manufacturing costs. In theory, this can result in more vibration. Basically the designs are optimized for ease of manufacturing rather than with performance as the first priority.
- Greater set-up variety. Every riser in this range should have full limb bolt adjustment (usually a simple, but effective system rather than a more complex but potentially more precise dowel or shim system) that is easy to use. They'll basically all have multiple stabilizer bushings on the front, often all reinforced. Rear bushings are rare.
- Anodized finish. Very few, if any, of these models will be painted, so the manufacturers aren't able to hide their machining sins. This typically means a better looking riser, cleaner threads, and better QC. You'll sometimes find models with a dipped pattern finish (don't get these if you shoot barebow).
Basically the costs are cut in ways that are obvious if you know what to look for, but not intrusive. Kinetic and WNS dominate this price point, but there are a few other good options too.
All of the above options are going to be made in China, even if by/for Korean (WNS), American (Galaxy), or European (Kinetic) companies. It's just a fact of the global manufacturing scene: if you're super budget conscious, you're going to outsource.
$200-300 is an interesting price point. There are some really good values there and some funky, weird risers. These risers typically move rigidity/strength higher up the priority list, and you can comfortably load most of them up with as much weight as you like (a good rule of thumbs is to look at what weights that brand makes limbs in: the riser isn't designed for or tested above their highest available limb weight). A few of them really try to stand out with a specific, attention grabbing feature. If you have more competitive aspirations, but are on a budget, you can probably find an option that meets your needs in this price range.
- You'll start to see full CNC machining here, which uses a single billet for the riser and typically results in higher rigidity/stability. The designs are still simple, but often more complex than you see at the previous price point.
- Forged risers are more common in this price point, allowing for more rigid risers with lower material costs.
- You see greater variety in limb pockets here.
The benchmark in this price point is the WNS Motive FX. u/nusensei called its predecessor the Samick Sage of target archery. This riser has been around for several years and has been used to place on national podiums and even set a few world records. Every JOAD coach in the US has a student shooting one. It's not the best riser in the world (it's not even necessarily the one I'd choose in this price point), but it's one worth comparing to.
The number of archers reading this that are actually capable of regularly outshooting it can probably be counted in the single digits (Hi Jenn and Matt). So why not just recommend this to everyone? There are things that are really difficult to quantify like feel, aesthetics, balance, shot reaction, etc. If you don't like the bow that you're shooting, you won't shoot well with it. You might also just want a bow that doesn't look like a third of the other bows on the shooting line.
It's also worth noting that it's been around for more than a decade, so there are competitors that have learned from and improved on elements of this riser. Or who have heard what people don't like about it and produced comparable risers that address those complaints.
Finally, if you need a 27" riser because you have a long draw length (over 30"), you're going to want to start here. Sorry.
$300-500 is where, in my opinion, you can get a riser that will last your entire shooting career. These aren't intermediate risers anymore. These risers are typically proven designs reduced in cost when a manufacturer released a new flagship model. The wide price range is partially because the country of origin of these risers varies a lot.
- Full CNC from a single billet. You might find a forged riser in this price point (forging is technically capable of making a stronger riser), but the vast majority of options will be fully machined without any stretching or altering of the structure of the aluminum used.
- Carbon risers. If you want a carbon riser, and all of the feel, vibration dampening, and difference that entails, you can find some options in this price range.
- Performance driven design. Risers in this price point are generally designed with performance, aesthetic, and feel in mind. They stick around because the manufacturer was able to reduce manufacturing costs, but they typically weren't designed for a budget.
In some ways, it's difficult to recommend that a beginner start here. I don't say that because I think you need to "grow into" a riser by buying a cheaper one first. Absolutely not. Really, it's that the differences between risers in this price point are so subjective and so based on preference. There is a riser that anyone can shoot well here, but that's not necessarily the same riser person to person. Still, if you can afford it there are risers here that you'll never need—or even want—to replace.
So what about more expensive risers?
Above this price range, you're looking at companies' latest and greatest. These are the best that they could come up with. They were often designed to solve a specific problem or to introduce a new feature. Additionally the fit and finish on these shouldn't just be good: it's often excellent. Every market has a premium segment and this is it. This is what the pros shoot (although they typically didn't pay full price for it). These risers are super personal for a lot of archers. You get one because you're chasing a specific look or feel. Honestly, there's a fashion element to some of it. Additionally, for archers that travel a lot for tournaments the cost difference between "the best" and "good enough" looks smaller than it does to the rest of us. They're spending thousands on airfare and hotel every year, so an extra $200 isn't a huge deal.
I hope that helps.
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