Bow Package Contents
The iGlow comes fully assembled and strung. It’s available only in a right-handed version (means you hold it in the left hand and pull the string back with your right hand!) and has no extras included – which means you don’t need to switch out a lot after buying it. Usually
Contents
included items like quivers, peep sights or stabilizers are not of the best quality if the price of the iGlow is already as low as in this case. So yeah, this is not a big disadvantage. Just expect to pay for some additional upgrades that you need for shooting this bow successfully.
The iGlow bow is produced by the same manufacturer as the SAS Rage, Man Kung (looks like the same model, by the way, it just has a different color and name). Man Kung is based in Taiwan and has been producing high quality parts for some American big brands for years (they have been in business since 1988), so I would not see it as a disadvantage or sign of low quality just because it was produced overseas by a taiwanese company.
Alternatives
| Infinite Edge Pro | SAS Rage | AW Pro | Leader 50-70 |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| RH & LH | RH Only | RH Only | RH Only |
| 5 - 70 lbs | 55 - 70 lbs | 20 - 70 lbs | 50 - 70 lbs |
| 13" - 31" | 26" - 30" | 17" - 29" | 26" - 30" |
| 310 fps | 270 fps | 320 fps | 310 fps |
| Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
There is a sight that comes with this model but it looks very cheap and won’t get you good results while shooting. I would replace it with an aluminum three or five pin sight as soon as you can. Same goes for the included arrow rest. It’s just cheaply made and nothing of quality. Get a good one like a Whisker Biscuit or a drop-down rest. The sight and the arrow rest are two important parts of a compound that will affect accuracy while shooting the most.
The three arrows (length of 30″) that come with the iGlow compound seem to be pretty heavy. You should get a bunch of additional arrows in a professional shop as there are a few factors that go into the decision about which arrows to choose. These are your personal draw length and your personal draw weight (which depends on your draw length and the draw weight of the compound). According to these a professional will recommend an arrow with a certain spine (degree of stiffness of the arrow) to you, that fits you and your compound. As this can be a bit difficult to understand – especially if you are a beginner – you should go to a bow shop to get the right arrows. These are critical to get good consistent results while shooting, so I would not skip this step, as it is one of the most important concerning archery. If you want to learn more about arrows please read my guide here => Choosing The Right Arrows For A Compound Bow.
What else you will need to get?
An adequate stabilizer that takes the vibrations out of the iGlow, thus making it more quiet and accurate, supporting the string stop that comes already with this model.
A peep sight for aiming. For serving a peep sight in you need to have enough knowledge and skills. You don’t want to mess this up as it needs to be positioned to fit your stature and your way of shooting. So if you are in doubt, go to a professional shop. They will set it up for you together with the D-loop and other things you might need for a small fee.
The D-loop for pulling the string back with a release aid. The D-loop needs to be installed where the nock point would be on the string, if you would finger-shoot your iGlow. Which is not recommended at all, as compound bows were designed to be shot with a mechanical release aid. Because when pulling and releasing with your fingers you risk influencing the string and therefore the arrow might not hit the target as well as it could have. A release aid (think glove) is attached to your wrist. It has a clip for the D-loop and a trigger for releasing the string with less influence as possible, resulting in very accurate shots. So I would recommend that you get a release aid as well.
You might get a wrist sling too. Especially as the iGlow is rather on the heavy side with its weight of 4.4 pounds. While shooting you should have more of a relaxed grip. That means after shooting you should not have to hold it (it will fall forward a bit) as this might result in a loss of accuracy. With a wrist sling the compound is attached securely onto your wrist which means you can relax your muscles and grip after shooting.
A quiver for transporting your arrows. A lot of guys will go for a bow mounted model. Especially those that go hunting. You can choose whichever wou want as this choice is not critical for the overall performance of this or every other model out there.
I want to mention a carry case for storage or transport as well. This is not something you might need as critically as a peep sight, but it is worth a thought too. Where will you keep your compound when not shooting it? Don’t leave it in a hot car (extreme temperature) or a wet cellar (moisture) as this could damage it irreversably. You should not put it on one of its limbs for a longer time period either, or those could be damaged to a level where you need to replace them. So a case would be a secure option for storage or transport. A bow rack would work as well.
One last warning: Wax the string and cables before shooting the first time! I found several cases where the string broke because of not being waxed. All in all you should wax your string and cables regularly, especially if you shoot a lot.
Another tip: Don’t you ever dry-fire your iGlow. This means don’t you ever shoot without an arrow in place as the energy is releaved into it after shooting. If there is no arrow the energy goes right back into the compound and will do its damage! Want to know more about dry firing? Then read my article here => Dry Firing A Compound Bow.
Noise Level / Handshock Of The iGlow Compound Bow
You absolutely need a good stabilizer and string silencers to make the iGlow model quiet enough, at least in my opinion. Especially if you want to go hunting with it. The string stop that comes with it is not bad at all, but further measures are needed, to get the noise level down. You should also check if there are any loose screws. Those might increase the vibrations while shooting as well, thus resulting in a significantly louder bow. If you find any you can fix them with loctite after tightening.
I felt no hand shock at all while shooting and I think that is because of its weight of 4.4 pounds which is rather heavy. This means also that you might get tired after a while carrying it (for example while hunting). On the other hand this weight is good for accuracy while shooting as it is more forgiving than a lighter model. When adding all the extras the weight can go up to around 6 pounds. So keep that in mind while deciding about the extras you will buy for the iGlow.
Bow Specifics / Limbs / Riser / Grip / String
The net weight of the iGlow is 4.4 pounds. Its axle to axle length (ATA) is 31.5″ which makes it a rather short model (good for hunting) and it is only available in a version for right-handed archers.
The split limbs are positioned parallely and are made out of durable and inexpensive fiberglass. They look very well made and sturdy, as does the whole model, to be honest. There are back pivoting limb pockets holding the limbs in place resulting in better accuracy while shooting.
The riser has a very modern look due to the cutouts that were made during the manufacturing process. It is very smooth with a sturdy feel to it. The grip felt quite comfortable, which is no wonder as I liked the grip of the SAS Rage as well. And as they are nearly the same models (maybe they are the same, but I was not able to make that a 100% sure) I did not expect to see a different experience in this case. Some guys like the grip, some don’t. But that’s more of a personal taste.
The dual cam system works like a charm and I had no problems at all while shooting. So nothing more to say from my side.
Draw Cycle / Shootability Of The iGlow Compound
The iGlow was relatively smooth to draw. I needed some time to get used to it but after that it felt great and I’d say it has a smooth draw cycle. The let off (75-80%) is good enough for beginners and exact enough for seasoned shooters. Back wall and valley felt okay for me, so no complaints from my side here. I felt no humps or so. Its weight makes it a very forgiving compound, by the way. So being heavy must not be a disadvantage, just so that you know 🙂
It comes with a draw weight set to between 60-70 lbs and a draw length of 29″.
The draw weight can be adjusted from 30-70 lbs which is quite a range. Imagine your kid growing up with this model for some years. There seems to be a lot of colliding opinions out there if it is possible to bring it down to 30 lbs at all (due to false information given by the seller, iGlow, in this case). To reach the 30 lbs you need to set the draw length to 25″. Then turn the bolts for the draw weight 6.5 times in total (counter-clockwise). Before doing so I would set it to its maximum draw weight and start from there. As there is a lot of tension on every compound you won’t want to loosen the bolt too much or the thing can end up in your face, which you obviously don’t want to happen.
The draw length can be set from 25″ to 31″. An Allen wrench for adjusting is included. If you don’t know what you are doing I would again recommend you to go to a professional shop for the initial set up. It is not worth to risk damaging your new iGlow because of a lack of knowledge. After you have seen it once you can surely do it yourself the next time when adjustments are needed. There is no bow press needed for adjusting (device that takes the pressure out of the model while adjusting the draw length).
Shooting Speed
The maximum shooting speed is 310 fps (given by the manufacturer). As there is no more informations given I don’t think this result is related to the IBO speed rating standard which assumes testing with 70 lbs draw weight, 30″ draw length and 350 grain arrows. So take it with a grain of salt.
Proper For Hunting / Kinetic Energy (KE)
Without knowing how the maximum speed was measured you cannot make any conclusion about the Kinetic Energy, which is the most important factor for hunting. Just look at the Easton’s Kinetic Energy Recommendation Chart to get an idea how much KE is recommended for which game.
Assuming the 310 fps were done with 70 lbs and 350 grain arrows it would have a Kinetic energy of 74.4 which is definitely good for going after large, medium and small game. But note that most hunters use 425 grain arrows for hunting because they have greater impact. This reduces the Kinetic Energy. In case you need to lower your draw weight the KE will go down as well. If you want to know more about Kinetic Energy please read my guide here => Kinetic Energy For Bowhunting.
I truly believe that bowhunting should be done in a humane way (one shot, one kill) so please go hunting only with the appropriate gear (bow, arrows), draw weight and therefore enough KE.
Proper For Bowfishing
As you should be able to install a bowfishing reel to the iGlow and because it has enough firepower to penetrate the water there should be no problem bowfishing with it. I did not try it as I prefer recurve bows for bowfishing as I can shoot faster and with a higher frequency. So it’s up to you to ry it out if you want to 🙂
Pricing Of The iGlow Compound
To be honest you won’t find many models of American brands in this affordable price range. This is the trade-off you must be willing to take when choosing a no-name model that is manufactured overseas. But really, that does not need to be a bad thing. As long as the compound is manufactured well – which it is in this case – there is no reason why you shouldn’t save some bucks especially if you are on a budget or just starting out in archery. A compound with this quality for around 200 bucks is just phenomenal (just take a look at the higher priced Diamond Infinite Edge Pro, the Bear Archery Cruzer or the Apollo Tactical). Just saying. And I found lots of opinions that compare it with higher priced models in a more than positive way. So if you decide to give it a try I don’t think you will regret it.
Pros & Cons
Pros
– very affordable price point
– well made, sturdy model
– wide adjustability, therefore fitting lots of age ranges
Cons
– no accessories included
Summary
I really liked shooting the iGlow. As with similar models in this price range you need to invest in some goodies to make’em great shooters, which should be expected. For me it is an advantage that I only have to replace the arrow rest and the sight and not several more items, that often come with other models. That leaves me free to choose what I want and what not. I know that it may seem daunting when you have not much or no experience at all with compounds and don’t get a full package that has everything included, but remember that these items are often of a minor quality.
If you don’t know what to do, just go to a professional shop and let them set it up for you. Get the other extras there as well and you will have a great compound that will last for years. Due to its wide adjustability it will fit tweens, teens, females and males. I would recommend it especially for teens or beginners, as it literally is able to grow along with them. It is well made and feels very sturdy when you hold it in your hands. When taking the awesome price into account there is not much you can do wrong when getting one. Wish you a lot fun while shooting it.
Thanks for reading and shoot straight!
Leave A Comment