2007 Bow Review: The Bear TRUTH Bow By Jason Balazs
Jun 20, 2007 - 7:14:45 AM
EVALUATING THE TRUTH
RISER AND GRIP
The TRUTH Bow from Bear Archery is machined from 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum for lightweight yet ultimate strength. There are numerous cutouts along the riser to reduce the overall weight. There are also Sims dampening modules in the riser to reduce vibration and noise. The two-piece wood grip has a slim profile that is ergonomically designed to decrease hand torque during grip, enabling a repeatable grip for consistent hand placement and consistent results, shot after shot.
Pivoting limb pockets ensure that the limbs are always secure within the pockets, keeping the limb alignment stable and true across the entire range of draw poundage adjustments. The Machined aluminum pockets also feature a special liner so limbs are wholly isolated from the pocket. Isolation protects the limb material from damage that could occur during release, thus also reducing noise and vibration between the limb and pocket during release.
LIMBS AND CAMS
The Truth is outfitted with beyond parallel limbs that reduce the overall shock and noise upon release. The Compression molded quad limbs are Continuous uncut fibers that "pack" energy in the limb fibers during draw - transferring more energy through the arrow during release. Uncut fibers prevent extensive release of energy into the limb at concentrated pressure points, allowing unsurpassed lifetime. Bear technology advances limb performance to the "state of the art," far beyond what is capable with laminated technologies still in use by other manufacturers.
The Truth is set up with an Elliptical, Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam. This NEW single cam is the main source of increased speed and efficiency. Perimeter weighting cancels force and reduces vibration during limb deceleration. This cam is equipped with stainless steel sealed ball bearings, creating a whisper-smooth draw and a release that more efficiently transfers energy into arrow speed. A modular cam design allows The TRUTH® to adjust to virtually any draw length, with a setscrew adjustment for infinite fine-tuning to fractional inches.
STRING AND CAMOUFLAUGE
One thing I want to mention is the look of the Truth. The cams are forest green in color with the strings being Tech Twist Green and Orange. Combine that with Mossy Oak Break-up and you have an awesome hunting bow.
TESTING THE TRUTH
GRIP TEST
I drew the Truth 10 times and while changing the grip every time. I am not a fan of thin-necked grip bows, but the Truths new Ergonomic grip ensured that my hand placement would not change. Thus this resulted in zero torque on the bow or the string.
DRAW TEST 70lbs
First I ensured that the poundage was set correctly by using my Apple Bow Tuning/Drawing Tool. Then, I drew the bow 10 times. For a bow set at 70lbs, the truth was as smooth as silk. I had to recheck the weight just to ensure that the bow was set at 70lbs. To tell you the truth (No pun intended), it felt as if I were only drawing 60lbs versus 70lbs. The draw also stopped dead at 29" with an impressive 80% let-off that would allow you to hold the bow for a while if needed.
SPEED/NOISE TEST
For testing the speed I shot through my Chronograph from Competition electronics 10 times. The average speed of all ten shots using the same 365-grain arrow was 280 fps. Now this is not screaming fast, but the pay-off is the smooth draw and zero recoil upon the release of the arrow. Along with zero recoil the Truth had little noise. This is not only because of the parallel limbs, but the Sims factory installed string leaches and noise dampeners.
CONCLUSIONS
With the combination of the Primos Team and the Bear Archery bow technicians, you know you are going to have quality. When I tested the Instinct last year I knew that Bear Archery was back in the big leagues.
In between shooting and writing this review, I have watched the Truth in action. I bought the video Truth 10, Big Bulls (My yearly get pumped for elk season DVD) and from all the elk shots I viewed, the Truth performed miraculously. The folks at Bear Archery have built another amazing product that is a must for hunters that are looking for a reliable bow that will not break your checking account. Once again, they receive both thumbs up from me for making a quality product that feels natural with great performance, and that is the Truth!! Specifications
Draw Length 23˛-30˛
Axle-to-Axle 33˛
Draw Weight 60-70#
Let-Off 80%
Mass Weight 4.2 lbs
Brace Height 7˛
Cable Guard Straight carbon rod with Teflon® slide
