I had a Rivers Edge recurve and spent a lot of time with it this summer as it was my go to 3-D bow. They are very nice bows and perform as well as all others I have shot.. I ended up trading it for a 1pc MAO Black Widow. Performance is very close between the two, but the widow is much smoother and and is more quiet. Both bows were right at 50@27..
I never really cared for Black Widow, but this old MAO has changed my mind, I love the way it shoots! It'sa work horse of a bow and fits my hunting needs perfectly.
You really cant go wrong. Also, send the guys at Rivers Edge an email about instock bows they have. I picked up a absolutely beautiful all bocote recurve for $400. It was sent in on a trade and they had a great price on it.
To answer your question, I don't believe any bow out there is $500 better than the Rivers Edge, but you can find great prices on some used bows that may have a few nicer qualities...
My days of paying $1,000 for a bow are over. I've got $400 in this widow and it shoots as good as all the others I've owned.
Ok, end of rambling.....
