goherd1111

Well guys over the holidays I got a chance to shoot the 3 bows that I was most excited about for 2007. I went to a proshop in Cannonsburg, KY (Border's hunting and fishing) while I was at home visiting my family in WV. I havn't been to Border's since I moved to IL in 03 but I knew from past experiences that they would have the complete 07 lineup. As I expected when I arrived he had every new 07 bow from Hoyt, Bowtech and Diamond. After looking over all he had to offer and drawing a few of them back I decided I wanted to shoot three bows. The Bowtech Ally, Diamond Black ice and the Hoyt vulcan. So, we proceeded upstairs to the range.

All the bows were 29" draw set at 70#,with a prong type arrow rest. I shot the same 355 grain arrow from all 3 bows. I shot the Vulcan first.To my surprise I noticed a good bit of hand shock and the bow also felt quite heavy compared to the other two. Also the draw cycle was a little harsh for my liking. However, I'm sure this was just because I had never shot a hoyt before and wasn't used to the way they draw. I shot this bow 3 times and got arrow speeds of 299fps, 299fps, and 298fps.
Next I shot the Ally. It was equipped with the smooth mods in case some of you were wondering. This bow was a sweet shooter with very minimal hand shock. In my opinion the grip has greatly improved over previous year models. The bow was noticeably lighter than the vulcan. I also shot this bow 3 times and got arrow speeds of 299fps, 305fps, and 304fps. All in all I was very impressed with this bow.
Last I shot the Black Ice by Diamond. This was the bow that I was least excited about shooting. However, after I shot it, I quickly change my mind. This bow was definately the best looking bow out of the bunch it was truely a beautiful bow. The riser design as well as the finish just made this bow stand out. Not only did it look good it was definately a sweet shooter. It by far had the smoothest draw cycle out of the three and also had the best grip. Not to mention itweighed less than the other two. The two side plates makes the grip on this bow unbelievable. Probably the best I have ever handled. I shot this bow 3 times at 70#and got speeds of 294fps, 293fps, and 293fps. Next we backed the bow down to 63-64 pounds and I shot it and got a speed of 274fps. this bow was a little slower than the others but all in all not to shabby.

Needless to say after shooting the bows I am undecided between the ally and the black ice. The vulcan will not even be considered in my decision making process. However, I believe I am gonna shoot a vectrix before I make my final decision. I believe the Black ice and the allegianceare neck in neck in what I am looking for in a new bow. While the black ice has the draw cycle and grip that I prefer the Allegiance has the speed I am looking for. Like I said I am still undecided. And plan on shooting a few more bows before I make my decision. I failed to mention that I shot a 07 tribute a while back and I prefer the allegiance. Sorry for the long post just thought some of you guys might find this helpful. Any opinions would be appreciated from others who have shot these bows. The retail prices on the bows were: Vulcan $749, Allegiance $699, Black Ice $649

goherd1111

Wow I thought more people would have something to say about these bows.

flyfishpj

I haven't gotten the chance to shoot any of the three, but based on looks (I doubt you are looking to show it off but after all, everyone has that little thought in the back of their head that it has to look cool around your friends) I would go with the Black Ice

Greg / MO

Goherd, what surprises me most is the Black Ice was only10 fps or so slower... I haven't chrono'd mine yet (that'll be one of my new toys I buy myself in '07 ), but it just seemed to be more of a difference than that to me.

You're right about that grip; it's awesome. The flat back is surely going to allow for a more consistent hand placement... I'd have my '07 Ally already if I didn't have the habit of special-ordering them in custom colors I'm REALLY looking forward to putting that bow through its paces...

muzzyman88

I've had my 07 Allegiance for about 2 weeks now and absolutely love this thing. Extremely fast, smooth and very quiet with very low hand shock to boot. The grip is much improved from the previous models as well. And, I'm finding, this thing is a real tack driver for me. I am still working on tuning it as its been busy over the holidays and I haven't had it outside too much to get a good feel for the tune. But so far, I like what I'm seeing in this bow. IMO, Bowtech has almost perfected the Allegiance.

Justice4all

It's interesting you point out a grip difference between the 07 Allegiance and the Black Ice. I thought they were the same.

Allegiance all the way! Muzzyman is right, Bowtech has come as close as possible to perfecting the Allegiance.

PABowhntr

Very nice little minicomparison of the three bows in question. I think you hit upon the key differences between each model. The Black Ice does have an exceptionally smooth drawing cam for the speed it puts out. I, too, am a little surprised at only a 10 fps speed difference but then again the Allegiance did have the smooth mods installed.

I do not think you can go wrong with either of those two bows. They are both excellent shooters!

in da woods

Goherd, I just bought the Black Ice last week. It does shoot nice. While at a proshop doing some fine tuning w/the B.I. I shot an 06 Ally. Now I 2 am in the same predicament. I really like the speed of the Ally, & it had the smooth mods on them. I can't imagine what it will burn w/the speed mods on. Which cams did u shoot w/on the Ally. I have to make up my mind by Sat, due to the proshop holding the Ally. Any one have any thoughts.The shop offered the Ally for $660.I can take the B.I. back, but it sure is nice. Any one got any ideas. I'm really torn between the 2![&:]

22 series

MATHEWSSWITCHBACK! you cant go wrong. Just kidding man i still think you should get the black ice it shot the best out of the three we shot that day. Let me know how the vetrix shot.

Justice4all

For $660 youare right there for an 07 Ally. That is waaaay too much for an 06 right now. You should expect to be paying around $525-550 for an 06 Allegiance, $699 - $750 for an 07, and about $649 for an 07 Black Ice.