“I can’t make Bear bows cool. Our designers have to do that.” A then-recently-hired guy in Bear’s marketing department told us that on a hunt a few years ago. We’ll guess he’s happy these days because Bear’s designers have indeed made Bear bows cool. The parallel and past-parallel limb construction, together with a pair of Bear’s sharply curved string dampeners, has created a distinctive look that says “Bear” at a glance. And looks aside, these are high-performance bows by any standard.
The most radical new Bear design for this year’s line-up is the Carnage. The fastest bow in Bear’s line-up at a lightning-fast 345 fps, this single-cam model relies on the new Skeleton Cam and Idler Wheel, machined from lightweight 7075 aluminum with a Tungsten Carbide perimeter weight, to produce what Bear boasts to be “…the smoothest and most efficient single-cam on the market.” A length of 32 inches means it’s not super-compact. It also means it’s a little better balanced and a little more forgiving, especially at longer ranges. A friendly brace height of 7.25 inches adds to that quality. Rounding out this bow’s features are the Max Pre-Load Quad Limbs and Bear’s 4X4 Roller Guard with eight sealed ball bearings. The grip is Bear’s One-Piece Synthetic Grip. Adding to the sharp, cutting-edge look of the Carnage is a choice of Realtree APG camo finish, or the all-black Shadow Series finish which is great for ground blinds, or just for looking scary. Suggested retail price for this bow is $850.
Another bow new in Bear’s line-up for 2011 is the Mauler, which shares the Max Pre-Load Quad Limbs of the Carnage but relies on Bear’s E-Cams to generate a top speed of 328 fps. The E-Cams, like the Skeleton Cam found on the Carnage, can be adjusted in one-inch increments without a bow press, and in half-inch increments with a press. The Mauler has a slightly shorter length of just under 32 inches, and a skinnier brace height of 6.75 inches. The feel is similar to that of the Carnage. Suggested retail price for this bow? $500.
Ernest Hemingway was famous for, among other things, perfect titles. We’ve got to give Bear credit for perfect names. What better name for a hunting bow than Carnage or Mauler—unless maybe it’s Home Wrecker. Aimed at the growing market of women bowhunters, the Home Wrecker is all about light weight and perfect fit. With a top speed of 280 fps this is no barnburner—but then again Fred Bear himself didn’t generate that kind of speed when he took game from jack rabbits to moose and grizzlies with his original recurves. With a weight of 3.2 pounds, an axle-to-axle length of 29 3/4 inches, draw lengths from 22 to 28 inches, a 50-pound maximum draw weight, and a hint of pink in just the right spots, this is a serious hunting bow for the person who really wears the pants in the family—and who values a super-light, quiet, smooth-shooting bow that gets the job done. The Home Wrecker carries a suggested retail price of $400. www.beararcheryproducts.com
