bowhuntn87

Ross Cardiac vs. Bowtech S.W.A.T.

Brace Height 7.1257.125
Poundage70 70
A. to A. length34 34
Speed 312322
Letoff 65-80% 65-80%


guys, in a few weeks i'll be purchasing a new bow, and it looks like it'll be tossup between these two. as you can see the difference between the two is pretty negligible. the price of both bows are 650. the speed on the SWAT is just a bit more, but nothing i'll be able to tell the difference with much i don't think. i'll be shooting both of these bows in a couple weeks, but i wanted to get some feedback on here as well.
just wondering if anyone has shot these bows, and how draw cycles are as compared to other bows, as well as hand shock, forgiveness, ect. ect. the main difference between the two is that the bowtech is a binary cam system and the ross is a single cam. right now i have a single cam, but i was wondering if someone could explain the benefits and drawbacks of each type? i have never shot a binary cam before... was wonderinghow they compete with the single cam....

JeffB

I have not shot either of them, but there are a whole mess of BT guys around here who could prolly give ya some insight.

In general, any hybrid (binary) cam bow will have better nock travel and speed (assuming a similar amount of stored energy- there are exceptions as regards to nock travel-Mathews bows generally have extremely good nock travel.

Some people find the Hybrids draw smoother, but IDK- I think it's really dependant on the design of each individual cam. I've drawn some really hard binary/hybrids, and some smooth ones. Same with singles. Single cams are still a bit more maintenance free/easy to set up- with todays great strings and cables after you get a hundred or so shots on the bow you set the cam rotation. On the one cam it easy peasy and then you can basically forget about it. Binarys/Hybrids require a little more tinkering initially to get both cams in proper position. If you have a good pro-shop, they should take care of this for you. Bottom line- very little maintenance required after string/cable(s) are shot in for either system.

Personally having quite a bit of experience with hybrids/cps and now having some binaries, I still think I prefer a single cam- they hold better for me, have a bit less thump/recoil,and noise. But the differences are not huge assuming a top end single and a top end hybrid- Pick whichever bow feels best to YOU, and don't sweat the details of the cam designs

bowhuntn87

thanks jeff, also i was wondering, is there any difference in tendency to have cam lean? do the binary cams lean any more than the solo cams do?

MeanV2

The Best thing to do is shoot the bows and then buy what feels best to you. The Cardiac is going to be smoother, but that's understandable since it's also slower.

The Binary cams are as easy to tune as a single cam and they will stay in tune as well maybe even better than a single cam.

Throw a Ross Carnivore (it has a hybrid Cam system)in there and shoot it as well. I have the Ross Carnivore 34and it has done nothing but impress me. I killed 2 Fall Merriam Gobblers with it at 20 degrees below zero.It shot spot on and gave me No trouble even at those extreme temps.

Good luck!! Have Fun choosing

Dan

JeffB

I'm not nearly familiar enough with the BT Binary cams- other than having shot the newer models.I did not notice any lean on the CP riser bows I messed with. I have seen some people( here and on AT) talk about lean being an "issue" with BowTech at some point in time. I can only say for sure there is no lean on my GT-500 and the new Bowtech CP risered bows I shot.

PABowhntr

Jeff,

It has been my experience that cam lean is not an issue with any of the CP style bows. Even the non-CP riser model Binary Cam bows do not display significant cam lean at this point. When the binary cam originally debuted there were a few cam lean issues but not to the point where it significantly affected accuracy or the general shooting experience....at least not with what I utilized at the time. Bowtech has since incorporated several design changes to help alleviate any past issues.

Bowhunt,

In all honesty I have not handled either of the two models in question. From a practical perspective it is going to come down to which "fits" you better in terms of your preferences for draw cycle, shot feel, etc... I think you could be happy with either considering their construction and performance. However, like Dan and not knowing how you came to decide on just those two modelsI feel the need to suggest some of the other models as well. My two "favorites" up to this point are the Diamond Black Ice and the Ross Carnivore 31. I think they are my favorites simply because they combine such perfect specs (for me) in certain areas. I find the length, weight and overall balance of each bow to be ideally suited for the bowhunting situations I put them into. They aren't too light, too heavy, too long, etc...

In addition, and probably the most importantly in my book, I love the draw cycle of each bow. As was mentioned recently in another thread there is a very gradually transition from the start of the draw cycle up to peak weight and then down into the valley. It all seems very natural and it is very reproducable in hunting situations. I think that is probably the biggest selling point to me...the fact that each bow is so easy to use in the actual hunting environment. That draw cycle is critical because the last thing you would want is to make alot of movement or, heaven forbid, actually not be able to draw the bow at the moment of truth.

Lastly, though neither bow is a "barn burner" I think both produce more than satisfactory levels of speed and would probably fall right into the middle of the two bows you have listed above.

Hope this helps somewhat.

muzzyman88

I can't say about the Cardiac, but I did get to handle and shoot the SWAT. It's a nice bow. Very stable and plenty quick enough. One thing that sticks out for me with this bow is the smooth draw cycle. It simply felt good to draw compared to the other new Bowtech's I shot.

The Cardiac seems to be getting great reviews and I'd bet these bows will be very close. Best thing to do is shoot them both, side by side and decide for yourself which you like better.

JeffB

I figured as much. Hence why I put "issue" in quotes in my post. As we both know, most "issues" are blown way out of proportion. I saw no lean at all in the CP riser bows nor did I notice any on the SWAT model.

muzzyman88

I defintely have lean in my Allegiance. So much that for whatever reason, it seems to lean the arrows right where I aim.