I hunted my first two seasons with a diamond edge xt. You can get a ready to hunt package with arrows and release for well under $500. You’ll probably want to upgrade the sight pretty quickly, but it’ll kill deer (if that’s what you’re after).
All of them are fine if they’ve got good strings. I’ve yet to encounter a budget bow with what I’d call good strings. All of them suck with strings that constantly stretch. Whatever you buy, I’d factor in another 150-200 for a good set of strings.
I'd recommend a leftover new or unregistered Prime bow if you're looking to save money. A used Prime Revex is leftover new at $700 and comes with FREE strings every 2 years for LIFE to the original owner. 4 years later you'll have a flagship bow but paid budget price.
Dont buy someone elses problem prime makes a decent mid range bow or my personal favorite the Darton consequence. Simple, forgiving, and super well priced without the worry of a used rig.
Check craigslist and ebay. It is crazy how much you can save on a 3+ year old bow. Throw some new strings on it and you will be good to go. You will not see any difference in performance on a bow a few years old vs a 2025 bow.