I would highly recommend the 2005 Fred Bear and Jennings lines as far as price/durability are concerned.

Let me start off by saying that I've been a college student for the past 7 years (including grad. school), and my budget was tight. I hunt hard, and I hunt a lot. I bought a Jennings Airmaster (308 IBO) 7 years ago for a little over $300.

It's survived a full-draw dryfire,a 26 foot freefall into hard dirt under my treestand.

It's spent a few nights in the woods, been frozen about a 50 times, fell out of the bed of a truck at 20 mph on a gravel road, and I've had that bow (60-70#) maxxed out at 78 pounds since the day I got it. Those limbs are buried in the pockets and the screw has rusted into place. You couldn't lighten it up if you tried.

I'll have the Jennings out this year again, and I couldn't even tell you how many deer I've killed with it, but I plan on killing a few more. Now, it's not pretty, it's not a competition bow, but it's a really nice hunting bow.

I'm really hard on gear, and I don't baby anything. This bow is the real deal. My best friend is a Hoyt pro shooter, and he refuses to sell me a Hoyt, b/c he says that I will break it for sure.

Jennings/Bear is still using the same limbs that I have, and I can attest to their durability.

I can't see spending $1000.00 on a bow, no matter how much money I make. I'll be in the market soon again, and I'll be looking at the Buckmasters G2SQ (400),or the SQ32 (slightly more expensive - 500). In the $250 range, check out the Reflex Excursion.

You don't need an expensive bow to kill deer, believe me.The hardest part is getting a good shot at a good deer. Hitting it is easy.