PABowhntr
November 20th, 2007, 06:17 AM
A tale of four bows…..
It has been quite awhile since I really had the desire to do a bow report. My last report was on the Bowtech Old Glory and bow design has come a long way in the last few years especially with regard to Bowtech and Diamond. This past year I had the privilege to own and shoot the Bowtech Guardian and Commander and the Diamond Black Ice. Each bow possesses some unusual combinations of design and shooting characteristics. Each was also a pure dream to shoot. Out of those three bows I have to say that my favorite was the Diamond Black Ice. Making that determination is just not as easy as looking at specification on a piece of paper or even test firing each bow down at the shop. My decision was based on months of shooting each bow and toting at least two of them into the deer woods this fall. The Black Ice’s overall feel in my hand while both trekking through the woods and during the shot are a perfect combination of portability and smooth shooting. The bow’s balance and shooting characteristics really feel “just right” to me. I love picking the bow up. It just feels solid and fun to shoot.
Enter the 2008 production year and a whole new crop of bows from Diamond and Bowtech. Half way through this hunting season Bowtech released their new product line for 2008. In it are a variety of bows to turn most folk’s heads. At the top of the list are some real barn-burners in the 82nd and 101st Airborne. Both of these bows display some of the typical features found on many of today’s bows…parallel limbs, long risers, etc… to help promote low levels of recoil. However, they also have some new features in the roller-style cable guard and shortstop string suppressor. They are also two of the fastest bows on the planet with IBO speeds in excess of 330 and 340 fps respectively. It should come as somewhat of a surprise then as I chose neither bow to review here. Instead I chose another of Bowtech’s 2008 offerings, the General.
The General is a short, 31 inch, axle to axle length bow with a very generous, 8.5 inch brace height. It furthers the technology that Bowtech introduced last year in the Center Pivot limb design. This design provides for an extra support “strut” from the bow’s riser to the center of the limb. The thought behind this is that it provides extra support and more equal stress distribution over the entire limb. From personal experience it also greatly reduces vibration and noise levels. Both the Guardian and Commander were two of the quietest bows I have ever shot and vibration levels truly have reached a new low. Believe me when I say that the General takes this to an even lower level. It does it through a variety of different improvements. Lets look at each of them.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/binary2.jpg
Center track on the General's Binary Cam
First, the General has limbs that are actually beyond parallel at brace. At full draw the limbs actually pivot even closer together. Second, like the Airborne models, the General utilizes the roller cable guard and Shortstop string suppressor. The latter does an excellent job at reducing string twang and significantly deadening overall bow vibration during the shot. It is also fully adjustable and quite replaceable. Third, both this version of the Binary Cam and the bow’s 8.5 inch brace height promote a super smooth and forgiving draw cycle. Though this does sacrifice a bit of speed compared to a bow like the Guardian it also creates a super quiet and smooth shooting bow. You really have to shoot it to appreciate it. Shooting it directly against the Black Ice really makes you understand what an eye-opener this bow is. There is no comparison between the two in terms of recoil or vibration levels and that is saying quite a bit when you consider how well the Black Ice handles both categories.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/centerpivot.jpg
Center Pivot support "strut"
The General also has a few other accuracy enhancing characteristics going for it. For starters the Center Pivot Design itself provides the bow with a more neutral riser geometry. Since a bow’s geometry is determined by where the back of the grip is in relation to the limb pockets the General has a fairly “straight” design. The center pivot effectively moves the limb/limb pocket contact point back further up the limb. This makes the bow much more difficult to torque and therefore provides a more inherently accurate design. In addition, the bow’s mass weight is also a bit heavier than other models in its class. This extra weight provides the shooter with an immediately more stable platform to shoot from. The combination of weight and the center pivot design are a potent combination for accuracy. More on that later.
Enough on the General for now let us look at the other bows in this comparison. From the Diamond lineup I chose two new models … the Marquis and “The Rock”. Both of these models are new introductions into the Diamond lineup.
The Marquis is similar to the Black Ice in overall design with a longer riser and slightly more aggressive cam design. It features the same roller guard and Shortstop string suppressor as the General but is of the more conventional long riser/parallel limb design. Overall balance on this model is very good with a somewhat top heavy feel. The bow feels somewhat reminiscent of one of the previous Bowtech offerings, the Patriot VFT. The difference is that the Marquis has a slimmer grip, more parallel limbs and an overall better shot feel. The shot feel is very much like the General in this regard. Noise levels are exceptionally low and the bow displays next to no recoil during the shot. It does exhibit slightly more vibration than the General but it is still significantly less than the average bow. The surprising aspect of this is how fast the bow is throwing arrows. As mentioned, the Marquis is quiet and practically recoil/vibration free but it is also capable of generating some screaming arrow speeds. My bow arrived with a birth certificate of 324 feet per second at IBO specs. This model would make an excellent 3D bow in my opinion because of its combination of speed and inherent accuracy. Ofcourse, it would also be an excellent model to hunt with if you are expecting the need for longer range shots when you do not have the time or convenience to pull out a rangefinder. The bow is very stable at full draw because of the solid back wall and the bow’s long riser.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/cprgmarquis.jpg
Shortstop string suppressor and rollerguard on the Marquis
“The Rock” is Diamond’s mid-priced bow typically retailing right around the $400 price point. The head-turning aspect of this model is that it combines some very attractive characteristics at that price point. One example of this would be the very respectable speed rating of 310-318 fps but with a 7 inch brace height to boot. Two, though not as parallel in design as the Marquis or Black Ice it does offer more of a parallel limb design than other bows currently on the market. This does help to significantly cut down on overall felt recoil compared to many other bows I have shot in recent years. Third, the overall weight of the bow is exceptionally low. Compared to the Black Ice, Marquis or General it feels like the Rock weighs about half as much. Also, because of its’ slightly more conventional riser/limb design the bow also feels much more compact than any of the other models. I feel like I could put this bow in my back pocket and forget it is there.
Last but not least is the Diamond Black Ice. As I mentioned earlier I have been shooting this bow for most of the past year and had chosen it as my primary hunting bow for the 2007 season. As I attempted to relate earlier this bow possesses the perfect combination of weight, length, geometric design, shot feel, speed and accuracy for my typical hunting excursions. I truly enjoy picking this bow up and shooting it. Recoil, noise and vibration levels on this bow are much better than average. Speed is very respectable though not as ‘barn-buring” as the Airborne models. Accuracy, in my hands, is very good in large part because of the combination of the long riser and 7.5+ brace height. Also attractive is the bow’s draw cycle. It is very consistent without a “ramp up” to peak weight or a sudden drop-off into a short valley. This model has also survived a very important “test”. It continues to remain in the Diamond lineup for the 2008 model year. In this day and age of constant improvements that says a lot about a bow not to mention one at the front of the company’s lineup.
As for a technical comparison of the bows’ specifications on paper, here you go:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/allfour.jpg
All four bows side by side
General
Brace Height: 8.25 inches
Draw Weight: 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 31 3/16th inches
Speed Mod IBO speed: 307-315 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 77.13 fpe
Adjustable letoff: 65-80%
Marquis
Brace Height: 7 inches
Draw Weight 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 34.5 inches
IBO Speed 316-324 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 81.6 fpe
Adjustable letoff: 65-80%
Black Ice
Brace Height: 7.5 inches
Draw Weight: 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 32 inches
IBO Speed: 310-318 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 78.61 fpe
Adjustable letoff 65-80%
The Rock
Brace Height: 7 inches
Draw Weight: 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 31 9/16ths
IBO Speed: 310-318 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 78.61 fpe
Adjustable letoff: 65-80%
Now those are the advertised specs for each bow. I found the actual specifications to coincide with them for the most part. There are obviously going to be minor fluctuations in some areas such as brace height, axle to axle length etc… All of the actual bows I am currently comparing are 70 pound peak weight models set at 65 pounds with their number 1 (30 inch) draw length module installed. Individual accessories on each bow are very similar with the exception of a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest being utilized on the Black Ice instead of the prong style rests I have chosen for the other bows. All bows were setup using a simple Lazer Center shot tuning gauge, a T-square and a bubble level kit. All bows were then group-tuned at 20 yards.
Noise level:
This was a fairly close race between the Marquis and the General. With the new shortstop string suppressor both bows were noticeably quieter than both the Black Ice and the Rock. Both bows have to be the quietest adult, compound bows I have ever shot. I think I would have to give the General a slight edge though over the Marquis as the Center Pivot arm seems to help further dampen the bow’s noise level. All of the bows are above average in my opinion. I believe the Hush Kit supplied with each bow is a big part of this.
Ranking:
1. General
2. Marquis
3. Black Ice
4. The Rock
Vibration:
The General was the clear winner here in my opinion. The vibration level on this bow really has to be felt (or not felt as it is) to be believed. The only issue this bow controls better is recoil. More on that later. The Marquis and Black Ice are pretty much tied for second in this category. The Marquis might be slightly better but I think it is an issue for debate. Both bows deliver unusually low levels of vibration with my typical hunting setup. The Rock is not far behind in this category either. If not for its lighter than average weight I would expect it to be right in with the Marquis and Black Ice in its level of felt vibration. Again, this can also probably be attributed in large part to the factory installed Hush Kit.
Ranking:
1. General
2. Marquis
2. Black Ice
4. The Rock
Recoil:
This category ranking pretty much went hand in hand with the vibration one. The General displayed literally no recoil during the shot. The Marquis was almost as good but still has the ever so slightest bit of lower limb “kick” found on a single cam bow. Most folks would find it as non-existent as the General in this regard but after having shot many single cam bows in recent years I still tend to pick up on it. The Black Ice faired much the same with very little noticeable recoil. The Rock displayed a bit more than the Black Ice but by no means was “bad” in the grand scheme of things. I would most certainly rate it as “low” especially considering how lightweight of a bow it is.
Ranking:
1. General
2. Marquis
3. Black Ice
4. The Rock
It has been quite awhile since I really had the desire to do a bow report. My last report was on the Bowtech Old Glory and bow design has come a long way in the last few years especially with regard to Bowtech and Diamond. This past year I had the privilege to own and shoot the Bowtech Guardian and Commander and the Diamond Black Ice. Each bow possesses some unusual combinations of design and shooting characteristics. Each was also a pure dream to shoot. Out of those three bows I have to say that my favorite was the Diamond Black Ice. Making that determination is just not as easy as looking at specification on a piece of paper or even test firing each bow down at the shop. My decision was based on months of shooting each bow and toting at least two of them into the deer woods this fall. The Black Ice’s overall feel in my hand while both trekking through the woods and during the shot are a perfect combination of portability and smooth shooting. The bow’s balance and shooting characteristics really feel “just right” to me. I love picking the bow up. It just feels solid and fun to shoot.
Enter the 2008 production year and a whole new crop of bows from Diamond and Bowtech. Half way through this hunting season Bowtech released their new product line for 2008. In it are a variety of bows to turn most folk’s heads. At the top of the list are some real barn-burners in the 82nd and 101st Airborne. Both of these bows display some of the typical features found on many of today’s bows…parallel limbs, long risers, etc… to help promote low levels of recoil. However, they also have some new features in the roller-style cable guard and shortstop string suppressor. They are also two of the fastest bows on the planet with IBO speeds in excess of 330 and 340 fps respectively. It should come as somewhat of a surprise then as I chose neither bow to review here. Instead I chose another of Bowtech’s 2008 offerings, the General.
The General is a short, 31 inch, axle to axle length bow with a very generous, 8.5 inch brace height. It furthers the technology that Bowtech introduced last year in the Center Pivot limb design. This design provides for an extra support “strut” from the bow’s riser to the center of the limb. The thought behind this is that it provides extra support and more equal stress distribution over the entire limb. From personal experience it also greatly reduces vibration and noise levels. Both the Guardian and Commander were two of the quietest bows I have ever shot and vibration levels truly have reached a new low. Believe me when I say that the General takes this to an even lower level. It does it through a variety of different improvements. Lets look at each of them.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/binary2.jpg
Center track on the General's Binary Cam
First, the General has limbs that are actually beyond parallel at brace. At full draw the limbs actually pivot even closer together. Second, like the Airborne models, the General utilizes the roller cable guard and Shortstop string suppressor. The latter does an excellent job at reducing string twang and significantly deadening overall bow vibration during the shot. It is also fully adjustable and quite replaceable. Third, both this version of the Binary Cam and the bow’s 8.5 inch brace height promote a super smooth and forgiving draw cycle. Though this does sacrifice a bit of speed compared to a bow like the Guardian it also creates a super quiet and smooth shooting bow. You really have to shoot it to appreciate it. Shooting it directly against the Black Ice really makes you understand what an eye-opener this bow is. There is no comparison between the two in terms of recoil or vibration levels and that is saying quite a bit when you consider how well the Black Ice handles both categories.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/centerpivot.jpg
Center Pivot support "strut"
The General also has a few other accuracy enhancing characteristics going for it. For starters the Center Pivot Design itself provides the bow with a more neutral riser geometry. Since a bow’s geometry is determined by where the back of the grip is in relation to the limb pockets the General has a fairly “straight” design. The center pivot effectively moves the limb/limb pocket contact point back further up the limb. This makes the bow much more difficult to torque and therefore provides a more inherently accurate design. In addition, the bow’s mass weight is also a bit heavier than other models in its class. This extra weight provides the shooter with an immediately more stable platform to shoot from. The combination of weight and the center pivot design are a potent combination for accuracy. More on that later.
Enough on the General for now let us look at the other bows in this comparison. From the Diamond lineup I chose two new models … the Marquis and “The Rock”. Both of these models are new introductions into the Diamond lineup.
The Marquis is similar to the Black Ice in overall design with a longer riser and slightly more aggressive cam design. It features the same roller guard and Shortstop string suppressor as the General but is of the more conventional long riser/parallel limb design. Overall balance on this model is very good with a somewhat top heavy feel. The bow feels somewhat reminiscent of one of the previous Bowtech offerings, the Patriot VFT. The difference is that the Marquis has a slimmer grip, more parallel limbs and an overall better shot feel. The shot feel is very much like the General in this regard. Noise levels are exceptionally low and the bow displays next to no recoil during the shot. It does exhibit slightly more vibration than the General but it is still significantly less than the average bow. The surprising aspect of this is how fast the bow is throwing arrows. As mentioned, the Marquis is quiet and practically recoil/vibration free but it is also capable of generating some screaming arrow speeds. My bow arrived with a birth certificate of 324 feet per second at IBO specs. This model would make an excellent 3D bow in my opinion because of its combination of speed and inherent accuracy. Ofcourse, it would also be an excellent model to hunt with if you are expecting the need for longer range shots when you do not have the time or convenience to pull out a rangefinder. The bow is very stable at full draw because of the solid back wall and the bow’s long riser.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/cprgmarquis.jpg
Shortstop string suppressor and rollerguard on the Marquis
“The Rock” is Diamond’s mid-priced bow typically retailing right around the $400 price point. The head-turning aspect of this model is that it combines some very attractive characteristics at that price point. One example of this would be the very respectable speed rating of 310-318 fps but with a 7 inch brace height to boot. Two, though not as parallel in design as the Marquis or Black Ice it does offer more of a parallel limb design than other bows currently on the market. This does help to significantly cut down on overall felt recoil compared to many other bows I have shot in recent years. Third, the overall weight of the bow is exceptionally low. Compared to the Black Ice, Marquis or General it feels like the Rock weighs about half as much. Also, because of its’ slightly more conventional riser/limb design the bow also feels much more compact than any of the other models. I feel like I could put this bow in my back pocket and forget it is there.
Last but not least is the Diamond Black Ice. As I mentioned earlier I have been shooting this bow for most of the past year and had chosen it as my primary hunting bow for the 2007 season. As I attempted to relate earlier this bow possesses the perfect combination of weight, length, geometric design, shot feel, speed and accuracy for my typical hunting excursions. I truly enjoy picking this bow up and shooting it. Recoil, noise and vibration levels on this bow are much better than average. Speed is very respectable though not as ‘barn-buring” as the Airborne models. Accuracy, in my hands, is very good in large part because of the combination of the long riser and 7.5+ brace height. Also attractive is the bow’s draw cycle. It is very consistent without a “ramp up” to peak weight or a sudden drop-off into a short valley. This model has also survived a very important “test”. It continues to remain in the Diamond lineup for the 2008 model year. In this day and age of constant improvements that says a lot about a bow not to mention one at the front of the company’s lineup.
As for a technical comparison of the bows’ specifications on paper, here you go:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c308/PABowhntr/allfour.jpg
All four bows side by side
General
Brace Height: 8.25 inches
Draw Weight: 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 31 3/16th inches
Speed Mod IBO speed: 307-315 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 77.13 fpe
Adjustable letoff: 65-80%
Marquis
Brace Height: 7 inches
Draw Weight 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 34.5 inches
IBO Speed 316-324 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 81.6 fpe
Adjustable letoff: 65-80%
Black Ice
Brace Height: 7.5 inches
Draw Weight: 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 32 inches
IBO Speed: 310-318 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 78.61 fpe
Adjustable letoff 65-80%
The Rock
Brace Height: 7 inches
Draw Weight: 50, 60, 70 pound peak
Axle to Axle length: 31 9/16ths
IBO Speed: 310-318 fps
Kinetic Energy at peak settings: 78.61 fpe
Adjustable letoff: 65-80%
Now those are the advertised specs for each bow. I found the actual specifications to coincide with them for the most part. There are obviously going to be minor fluctuations in some areas such as brace height, axle to axle length etc… All of the actual bows I am currently comparing are 70 pound peak weight models set at 65 pounds with their number 1 (30 inch) draw length module installed. Individual accessories on each bow are very similar with the exception of a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest being utilized on the Black Ice instead of the prong style rests I have chosen for the other bows. All bows were setup using a simple Lazer Center shot tuning gauge, a T-square and a bubble level kit. All bows were then group-tuned at 20 yards.
Noise level:
This was a fairly close race between the Marquis and the General. With the new shortstop string suppressor both bows were noticeably quieter than both the Black Ice and the Rock. Both bows have to be the quietest adult, compound bows I have ever shot. I think I would have to give the General a slight edge though over the Marquis as the Center Pivot arm seems to help further dampen the bow’s noise level. All of the bows are above average in my opinion. I believe the Hush Kit supplied with each bow is a big part of this.
Ranking:
1. General
2. Marquis
3. Black Ice
4. The Rock
Vibration:
The General was the clear winner here in my opinion. The vibration level on this bow really has to be felt (or not felt as it is) to be believed. The only issue this bow controls better is recoil. More on that later. The Marquis and Black Ice are pretty much tied for second in this category. The Marquis might be slightly better but I think it is an issue for debate. Both bows deliver unusually low levels of vibration with my typical hunting setup. The Rock is not far behind in this category either. If not for its lighter than average weight I would expect it to be right in with the Marquis and Black Ice in its level of felt vibration. Again, this can also probably be attributed in large part to the factory installed Hush Kit.
Ranking:
1. General
2. Marquis
2. Black Ice
4. The Rock
Recoil:
This category ranking pretty much went hand in hand with the vibration one. The General displayed literally no recoil during the shot. The Marquis was almost as good but still has the ever so slightest bit of lower limb “kick” found on a single cam bow. Most folks would find it as non-existent as the General in this regard but after having shot many single cam bows in recent years I still tend to pick up on it. The Black Ice faired much the same with very little noticeable recoil. The Rock displayed a bit more than the Black Ice but by no means was “bad” in the grand scheme of things. I would most certainly rate it as “low” especially considering how lightweight of a bow it is.
Ranking:
1. General
2. Marquis
3. Black Ice
4. The Rock