RE: Which bow to buy...
When trying out bows, try out as many pro shops as possible as well. You are going to have different experiences with different shops. The time they take to set up the bows for you to try out might just effect your opinion of them. For instance when I was shopping for my new bow I compared a Mathews and a Hoyt. They are both amazing bows, but with similar set ups on an indoor range, the Hoyt was the most quiet of the two. In fact everyone who hears my bow (or sees me shoot but doesn't hear my bow) comments on how it is the quietest bow they have every seen.
This really does not help you with your budget of 500 bucks, but bottom line, do not go by our opinion, go shoot as many bows as you can and buy the one that fits you and your budget. We all bought our bows for similar reasons, but personal preference is the deciding factor.