Quest, along with Prime, is one of two G5 companies that have produced some very innovative and successful bows in recent years. The Radical is Quest’s entry into a growing segment of bows aimed primarily at young bowhunters or beginners, and which feature a very wide range of draw lengths and draw weights. These bows tend to be low- or moderately priced and user-friendly, with adjustments that do not require pressing the bow or changing cams or modules.

This is certainly the case for the Radical, which offers a draw-length range starting at 17.5 inches adjustable all the way out to 30 inches, and draw weights from 15 all the way up to 70 pounds. The draw range is adjustable in half-inch increments, and changing it is as easy as unscrewing a small bolt, moving the rotating module to the desired draw length, and screwing the bolt back in. And the designers at Quest have hit on a novel idea: Instead of rotating the module to a letter or other indicator that corresponds to the desired draw length as indicated on a chart somewhere, on the Radical cams the desired draw length itself is simply etched under the correct hole in the module.

Draw weight is adjusted in the typical manner of tightening or loosening limb bolts, although a set screw must be loosened first, then retightened. The compact axle-to-axle length of 29.5 inches, along with the mass weight of 3.25 pounds (making this among the lightest compound bows in production), also suggest a youth market. Finally, though there is room for debate about whether or not brace height affects forgiveness, the relatively wide 7-inch-plus brace height of the Radical is certainly less likely to snag on clothing or slap the wrist of a shooter whose shooting form is not yet consistent.

The Radical features the industry standard 6061 aluminum riser, along with quad split limbs, as well as a string stop. The cable guard slide employs proven, if not the most modern, design, and there are no limb dampeners or speed nocks, all of which no doubt help keep the cost down. It’s a good-looking bow in either Realtree AP or Realtree AP Purple and boasts a DuraCoat finish for extra durability and enhanced appearance. This is a nice feature for an entry-level bow; DuraCoat has long been used to protect firearms, and it works well on Quest’s bows, too.

Shooting The Bow

In addition to the Radical’s versatility, it’s clearly designed to be user-friendly. A tag hanging from the riser illustrates how to adjust draw length, which is a very quick and easy process, as previously mentioned. The limb bolts turn fairly easily despite some minor chattering. Set screws must be loosened and retightened, but neither draw weight adjustments nor draw length adjustments are likely to prove challenging for most youngsters. The limb bolt setup makes the end of the limb bolts clearly visible; that is a setup I like for any bow, but especially for a bow aimed at youngsters or beginners, since it shows at a glance that the limb bolts have not been backed out dangerously far.

The extremely wide draw weight range necessitates a long limb bolt. When backed out to achieve lower draw weights, a significant amount of the bolt is exposed in the widening gap between the limb and the riser. This is not a problem, but would probably require some attention to keep the area clean, as well as some lubrication, particularly after exposure to wet weather.

I set the bow up using our standard accessories without difficulty and started with centershot at 13⁄16 inch from the riser. I tweaked that a little and was quickly getting good arrow flight.

The grip on the Radical is synthetic—not particularly skinny, but not too wide for any but the very smallest hands, and comfortably ergonomic. It also covers enough of the riser to be warm in cold weather. The draw force is a little steep initially but quickly plateaus to a smooth, even pull that drops off gently to a measured letoff of about 75 percent. The valley is comfortably wide; the back wall is not rock-solid but is adequately firm.

At the shot there is a very slight vibration and no real recoil or hand shock. Noise levels are slightly higher than I’d expect for a bow shooting at these velocities—or, looked at another way, noise levels are comparable to those of most compound hunting bows currently on the market.

Overall, the Quest Radical does exactly what it was designed to do: It delivers a solid, reliable, good-looking bow with a sufficient range of draw lengths and draw weights to grow with a young or beginning bowhunter, taking him or her from the earliest efforts in the back yard or on the range to a bow that is suitable for hunting deer, pronghorns, turkey, or black bears. It does this while offering smooth shooting, and it’s reasonably quiet. Add the very affordable cost, and this is a bow that will not only introduce a lot of youngsters to the sport, but will keep them interested.

Quest Radical Specs

Letoff: (not stated)

Brace Height: 7.125 inches

Weight:  3.25 pounds

Axle-To-Axle Length: 29.5 inches

Speed: 295 fps

Draw Lengths: Cam-specific 17.5 to 30 inches, on one rotating module

Draw Weights: 15 to 70 pounds

Options: Finishes in Realtree, Realtree AP Purple, or Custom GFade Options

Suggested Retail: $330 bow only, $400 Ready-to-Hunt package

Objective Tests  (30 Inches Draw)

Peak Hold*: 70 pounds

Weight, Full Draw*: 24.0 pounds

*Rounded to nearest half-pound

At 70-Pound Draw Weight

At 60-Pound Draw Weight