If you like the smooth feel and other qualities of a single-cam bow but insist on the highest speeds, you’ll want to look closely at Diamond’s new Dead Eye. At an IBO rating of 343 fps it’s got speed to spare. Diamond’s new Throttle Cam Technology, touted as the fastest single-cam on the planet, places the bearing assembly on the limb tip. Among other things, this puts equal tension on the string and cable, all but eliminating creep while boosting speed. It’s no secret that Diamond borrows many of the design features of sister company BowTech, and the Dead Eye is no exception, beginning with a BowTech-developed limb design for enhanced efficiency, durability, and consistency. The FLX Guard Cable containment system, which flexes to reduce cam lean and torque, is also common to the BowTech line-up, as is the new Carbon Rod String Stop, Octane factory strings, and the In-Velvet finish. The rotating cam module, another BowTech design feature, allows for precise draw-range adjustments over a 6-inch range without the need for additional cams or modules. The Dead Eye offers an adequate brace height of 6 1/8 inches with a very comfortable weight of 3.95 pounds with an axle-to-axle length of 32 inches. Available draw weights run from 26 to 30 inches, draw weights are 60 or 70 pounds, and letoff is 80 percent. Available finishes are Black Ops and Mossy Oak Treestand. A RAK (Ready Aim Kill) option includes TruGlo sights, a Hostage Pro arrow rest, 1-piece 5-arrows Camo Ultra-Lite quiver, Comfort wrist sling, Alloy peep, and 7-inch Octane stabilizer. Suggested retail price for the Dead Eye alone is $749, with the RAK option it’s $849.
With a clear nod to today’s emphasis on the most value for the money, Diamond offers two new bows that come RAK-equipped, the Fugitive and the Outlaw. Both have a look and feel similar to the Dead Eye, with the same Throttle cams and the same RAK accessories (standard on both bows) except for a 5-inch Ultra-Lite stabilizer instead of the Diamond’s 7-inch Octane stabilizer. Both also share the 32-inch axle-to-axle length of the Dead Eye, as well as most of the same previously mentioned BowTech design features, but there are some significant differences. With a 6 1/2-inch brace height the Fugitive gains a little forgiveness at a slight cost in speed, coming in at a still-blazing-fast 337 fps compared to the Dead Eye’s gravity-defying 343 fps. Other specs are similar if not identical, but the Fugitive is available in 50-, 60-, and 70-pound draw weights. The Outlaw offers an even more forgiving 7-inch brace height, along with slightly longer draw length options of 26 1/2 to 30 1/2 inches. Top speed for the Outlaw is a relatively slower 330 fps—still impressively fast by any standard. At suggested retail prices of $649 for the Fugitive, $549 for the Outlaw, both these bows offer some high-end, cutting edge design features at a great price. www.diamondarchery.com
