Bear Escape Review: Made For Speed

Intro

Sometimes, all you need to feel that extra thrill of is a good dose of speed.  And while crazy amounts of speed is not a necessary requirement in basic archery by all means, it can very well be when you’re taking your bow for a hunt.  As they say,

“Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”.

And if that speed comes packaged with a superbly engineered piece of equipment, it’s definitely worth paying for it. If you’ve been looking for the fastest compound bows for hunting or you’re simply a speed freak, you won’t be disappointed by the 2016 Bear flagship Bear Escape. Pressured by the surge of new generation faster models among the competition, Bear has come up with a front-runner for engineering and power, capable of delivering arrows at a blasting 350 FPS IBO rating. Find below the feature of this fast compound bow in more detail.

Full Review

Materials and Design

As usual, Bear has gone the extra mile to reward its loyal shooters with extra-durable strong material of the supreme-st quality. Advanced 7075 aluminum riser technology is employed on this bow to evenly distributes limb load for extra balance and stability. Weighing in at about 4lbs, despite the sturdiness, the whole bow is also surprisingly light (although not as light as the Cruzer), so it’s overall a great compromise between strength and portability. With its 32″ AtA, the Bear Escape is also still very maneuverable in tight spots, while still keeping its kinetic potential.

Flexibility

The draw length on the standard Escape can be adjusted from 30 inches down to a minimum of 25.5 inches, which is okay for a pro hunters bow, but clearly won’t fit some of the ladies or young archers out there. This bow is available in two poundage configurations, 55-70 lbs and 45-60 lbs. However Bear has thought about the growing female hunters demand, and has designed the Escape SD specifically for huntresses. The SD is a version of the Escape with a cam system specifically designed for women and a draw length range of 23.5″ to 27.5″ and a draw weight of 40-55 lbs. If you need even more flexibility, check out the Bear Cruzer G2 RTH, which features plenty of weight and length adjustment room, and it’s an ideal choice for the smaller frames such as young archers and women, at least more so than the standard Escape.

Technology

Powered by the new H15 hybrid cam eccentric system design (something in between a single and a twin cam) the Escape offers easier and smoother draw cycle. Max-preload quad limbs have become now Bear’s trademark, and a guarantee of power and stability. A great add-on also are the limb pockets with high-strength barrel nuts for fully-adjustable pivoting movement. As for other bear compounds, this bow also features the Hinge Guard cable-guard system, which reduces lateral loads on the riser thus reducing the torque and improving the overall accuracy.

Speed and accuracy

Needless to say, the ​Bear Escape boasts a blazing 350FPS IBO, which puts it among the fastest compound bows out there. Performance accuracy and shooting comfort is top-range with a generous 75% let-off complementing the amazing power on this bow. The 6″ brace height can make you “beg for forgiveness“, if your release is not clean, as is even shorter than the 6.5 on the Cruzer. On the other hand, the shock-free and stable feel on this bow can do wonders in the accuracy department.

Hunting Features

The Bear Escape is a very quiet, lethal weapon which will please the bowhunters out there longing for speed and efficiency. Arrows fired at 350FPS can drop any game, and the rubber riser inserts help taming the noise by absorbing vibration and sound.

Pros and Cons

Bear Escape Review: Conclusion and Rating

Overall, we rate the Bear Escape highly and we recommend it to anyone who needs that extra punch, whether it’s for this year’s big hunt or for target and 3D. But if you were to purchase this bow, don’t do it just for its IBO rating. Besides the impressive speed, the Escape is a true flagship, backed up by a reputable brand famous for high standards of production and state-of-the-art limb and cam technology.