Behind the Bow with Bear Archery’s Ryan Shutts

Ryan Shutts from Bear Archery joins the Okayest Hunter Podcast to pull back the curtain on what actually goes into designing and developing a modern compound bow.

With Bear Archery preparing its 2027 lineup, Ryan explains how a new bow goes from customer feedback and an idea to engineering, testing, manufacturing, and eventually the bow shop. We get into why bow manufacturers release new models when they do, how much compound bow technology has changed over the years, and why some of the most important improvements are things the average bowhunter may never even notice.

Ryan also breaks down Bear Archery’s return to the target archery market with the new Paramount and Paramount Pro, including the thinking behind creating a more accessible target bow. We talk EKO² cam technology, limb and pocket design, string stops, adjustability, tuning, materials, efficiency, and the tiny engineering changes that can make a compound bow quieter, smoother, and more enjoyable to shoot.

The guys also spend some time talking about the Bear Redeem, micro-diameter arrows, quiver problems, 3D archery, youth archery, getting new shooters into the sport, and Bear’s philosophy of keeping archery accessible—a philosophy that goes all the way back to Fred Bear.

If you're a bowhunter, archery gear nerd, or you've ever wondered what actually happens behind the scenes before a new compound bow hits the rack at your local pro shop, this episode gives you a look inside the process from someone directly involved in building them.

In this episode:

Bear Archery’s 2027 compound bow lineup

Ryan Shutts and the bow development process

How customer feedback influences new bows

Bear Paramount & Paramount Pro target bows

Bear Redeem compound bow

EKO² cam technology and adjustability