Matt / PA

I just finished reading the newest comprehensive bow review as done by Outdoor Life magazine:
REALLY interesting stuff! Now that we've beat the Bowsite shootout to a froth here is the skinny on Outdoor Life's version of a "Bow Shootout"

This wasn’t a completely subjective blindfold style test like the last one discussed here…..After setting each bow up identically and to the exact same draw weights they used a Spot-Hogg shooting machine and a button activated release to do all of the Objective tests: The following equipment was used to grade the bows in the shooting machine:

Speed: A Pro Chrono digital chronograph
Noise: A calibrated Vernier sound level meter
Vibration : 2 calibrated Vernier 25g accelerometers were used to read horizontal and vertical vibration for each bow!!

Objective tests were overseen by Dr. Daniel Woodard who is a research engineer at the Kennedy Space center![:-]
These objective readings made up 60% of the testing

The remaining 40% of the grading was made up by 5 Outdoor Life editors and one of the country’s top bow technicians (Ed Schlimme).
The bows were evauated on:
1. Fit/Finish,
2. Balance/Grip (overall comfort level),
3. Smoothness(Ease and efficiency of draw cycle),
4. Full Draw comfort,
5. Shootability (how the bow feels during and after the shot)

The 21 bows tested are as follows in Alphabetical order:
Alpine SVX
Archery Research AR-34
BowTech Liberty
Browning F-5 Tornado
Cabela’s PL-1.5
Champion Scorpion
Concept 99
CSS Contender
Darton EXT
High Country TSSR
Hoyt Xtec XT
Jennings CK 3.5
Kodiac Bow Logic 32
Martin SlayR SE
Mathews Outback
Parker Phoenix 34
Pearson Dagger
Pro-Line Stalker
PSE Scorpion
Reflex Grizzly
Renegade TR-4

How they finished:

#1 The BowTech Liberty finished 1st with a high score of 92 out of 100 and earned the ‘Editor’s Choice” award.(“Teflon Smooth” draw cycle, very little vibration and second quietest to the Xtec)

#2 Mathews Outback finished a close second (did well in every category)

#3 Hoyt Xtec came in 3rd (quietest by 3 decibles and least overall vibration)


The rest of the top 10 in no particular order, consisted of:
High Country TSSR
Kodiak Bow Logic 32
Pearson Dagger
Proline Stalker
PSE Scorpion
Renegade TR-4
Reflex Grizzly (was named the editor’s ‘Great Buy’ with many of it’s scores exceeding bows that cost twice as much.)

Rangeball

Interesting stuff. Is the article up on the web anywhere yet? Would love to read it, no place around here to get OL

Matt / PA

Range,
I don't think it's on the web and I'm not getting in trouble for scanning it here!
I have heard about this review for a few days now and just got my copy of Outdoor Life in the mail today.
Interesting read!

Rangeball

Guess I'll have to scrounge for an issue of it.

As for scanning, worst case you go to prison. As long as they let you take your ASAT leafy suit, you could probably safely drop the soap

adams

Interesting. Was this in the July Outdoor Life? I'd like to read the complete article.

Rangeball

On the speed testing, was it a who's fastest or who actually gives you what is advertised?

Matt / PA

Adams, the newest August issue.

Range......prison is not an option ASAT suit or not. [] The speed appears to be fastest as tested by AMO standards (30"/60# 540gr arrow)

One of the coolest things they did was list the actual vibration measurements (both horizontal and vertical seperately) and decible meter levels for every bow so you can see exactly how well each model did.

muzzyman88

Very interesting
One thing is for sure... they seem to have all grounds covered as for technical measurements. From a technical standpoint, you can't get much more accurate. I mean using scientific equipment to measure sound and vibration really does get to the bottom of all the this bow is quieter, more vibration free than that bow. I didn't see the article yet, but how close were the results in each catagory?

pretty cool, pretty cool

CBM SC

Blasphemy !!!!!! [:@] I know the Outback is number one........the test was flawed.........the editors are biased and paid by Bowtech..........this is an outrage.......rediculous..........!!!!!!!!!!![:'(]

Just kiddin' !! []

No ,really it seems to back up what most of us have been saying all year........the Liberty , Outback, and X-tec are close company .......and it seems in both test they rank accordingly out of the pack ! The Liberty and Outback are getting ranked so close it's kind of funny !!

RTA47

Matt i read the same artical you did in outdoor life! they called it the 2004 bow shootout! they sead they put 21 bows through the ultimate test! All bows were shot with a 60-pound draw and a 540-grain arrow? They did say that the outback from mathews finished a close second to the bowtech libery? And the bowtech liberty was listed the editor`s choice[8D]