Bear Truth 2 Dark Horse

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Bear Archery worked with Team Primos, makers of Double Bull ground blinds, to create the all-new Truth 2 Dark Horse. Most ground blinds have a black interior, and it only makes sense that you and your gear be clothed in black to achieve ultimate concealment.

Of course, this is more than just any bow with a black finish -- it is still 100-percent Bear Truth 2. The bow features Bear's popular Flare Quad Limbs, a Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam with modular draw length adjustments, unique Dual ARC string suppressor and a nearly straight aluminum riser.

The Straight and Narrow
When it comes to riser configurations, there are three basic types: reflex, deflex and straight. Reflexed risers have noted speed advantages through an increased power stroke.

However, they have typically not been heralded for stability and forgiveness like deflex riser models. As you can imagine, a straight riser represents a middle ground in terms of performance characteristics. Bear's engineers designed the Truth 2 riser with a nearly straight design landing on the reflex side by only an inch. The result is a bow that produces a nice combination of very respectable speed and forgiveness. Another benefit of the straighter riser is a smaller profile, making it more maneuverable -- especially in ground blinds where the Dark Horse is most at home.

Among the Truth 2's most striking features are the 10€‰1„2-inch Flare Quad Limbs. This shorter, lighter parallel-limb design allows for more efficient transfer of energy to your arrow.

Mass weight is kept to a comfortable 3.9 pounds in this sleek overall riser design. The narrow dimensions are complemented by elaborate contours, pockets, cutouts, chamfers and flowing lines from top to bottom. The Truth 2 is a good-looking bow that handles well. I also found it was solid on the target and demonstrated good stability.

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Beyond Parallel Flare
Bear's 10€‰1„2-inch compression molded Fiberglass Flare Quad Limbs were designed using a computer simulation technique known as FEA, or Finite Element Analysis. In simple terms, this tool allowed Bear to easily determine limb stress points through simulated stress cycles (bending) without actually having to make the limb first. Bear hit the jackpot when they flared the width of the limbs approximately three-quarters of the way along the limb length, closest to the eccentric system.

The result is a short, lighter limb that evenly distributes stress during the draw and release and transfers energy to an arrow very efficiently.

The Truth 2 is a pleasure to shoot, and much of that can be attributed to the beyond parallel position of the limbs at full draw. Past parallel limb angles distribute the force from release in equal and opposite directions. The opposing movements of the limbs cancel out energy left over after propelling the arrow, thereby greatly reducing shock, vibration and shot noise. The test rig had little shock or vibration at the shot, and noise was minimal as well.

Smooth Speed
Bear understands that, all else being equal, most bowhunters want speed. Speed allows us to be off a yard or two in range estimation and still make a letahl shot. Speed also increases kinetic energy, which in turn increases penetration. The market, however, does not appear to want speed at any cost.

Bear gave its Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam a large diameter and shape that is designed to produce a relatively smooth draw cycle while still generating speeds ranging from 314-318 feet per second IBO. Modules provide draw lengths from 24-30 inches, with additional half-inch adjustment posts located on the cam.

A draw stop creates a super solid back wall, and the eccentric system generates 80-percent letoff. The Truth 2's draw cycle was the quality that impressed me most about the bow.

Dark and Deadly Quiet
The Truth 2 Dark Horse is all about concealment inside a blind. With very few exceptions, the entire bow is black. As the company states, "The inside of the ground blind is black, you're wearing black, your bow should be black."

Still, I wouldn't hesitate to take this bow into a treestand too. In fact, it is a good looking finish that would work well in many situations, such as standing in the shadows of a pine tree while hunting elk, tucked into a blowdown while hunting hogs or ambushing a bull moose from dense underbrush.

Editor's Note: Our standardized High Grade testing includes the use of the same equipment and test methods. All bows are tested with a draw length of 29 inches and a draw weight of 65 pounds. Speed tests are conducted with two different arrow weights — 375 grains and 425 grains. For more detailed information on the testing parameters, go to www.bowhuntingmag.com and click on "Bow Testing Parameters."