So I've had the bow for about a week now, with a good 500+ shots through it to really evaluate it and formulate some thoughts. Now that I have a good rough tune on it and quite a few shots, I think I can share my impression. First thing that went through my mind as I pulled it from the box.........the new Invelvet finish is sweet. I have already seen it on other bows in shops, but this is my first personal bow with the Invelvet finish. If it holds up and doesn't peel, it's the coolest thing since sliced bread. The camo dip on the bow came out really well too.....lots of the bark part of the pattern (Hardwoods HD) on the visible parts of the bow. Fit and finish is as good as anything I've seen before from any manufacturer, and certainly better than other bows in this price range. Draw cycle is as smooth, if not smoother than other single cam bows out there with similar specs (speed ratings). I took 1.5 full turns out of each limb pocket and the bow tops out at 64lbs according to my Pelouze digital scale. That's just about perfect for me on a hunting bow, and the bow is sooooo butter smooth at that weight. The bow tuned as easily as anything I've ever seen. Out of the box, I set the center shot at 13/16", nock height at 1/8" above center, tied on a loop, took 1.5 turns out of each limb, and the bow shot a bullet hole through paper on the first shot. I am yet to walkback tune the bow (a good 500 shots through it, but all at 10 yards in the basement), but we will see how that goes this weekend after I finish fletching up my final hunting arrows and have those available. I put the bow on the draw board, and am getting 16.2lbs of holding weight with a peak of 64.4. This is about 75% on the button, exactly as advertised. The bow is however drawing 30.25" AMO on a 30" cam. Keep in mind I have a full 1.5 turns out of the limbs when getting this measurement, so with them bottomed it would probably only be 1/8" longer than the module should be. It is a little longer than advertised, but much more accurate than 90% of the other bows on the market that tend to average a good 1/2" longer than advertised. On the advice of a few others that have this bow, I took the ShortStop suppressor off the bow immediately and instead setup a MeanV suppressor dipped in Hardwoods HD to match the bow. With nothing else other than the factory supplied limb supressors and a Doinker 7" stabilizer, it is SUPER quiet. Overall, I would give this bow 2 thumbs up. I think a LOT of people overlook the awesome simplicity and smoothness of a single cam bow. As most know, I have a LOT of experience with single cam bows and like them quite a bit. Compared to any other single cam I have experience with, this Diamond seems to be on par with anything I have seen in the past. Add in the price of this bow, and it becomes an awesome option and one of the best values on the market today. If your in the market for a new bow, I highly suggest at least shooting one at your local dealer. Also, I have to add a plug for these guys.......if your looking for a Diamond at a good price, give Gentry at Mountain Gunworks & Archery a call. He went well out of his way to make sure I was happy with this bow when I bought it. You can reach Gentry at 501-622-9505. And a few pics to remain compliant with Man Law. (no comments about the lack of baseboards. I'm 90% done remodeling this room )
That's a really good review. How fast are they shooting? and what's the weight of the arrows you're shooting. Do you know if they'll dip a bow in that invelvet finish?
One of the Bowtech Corporate guys can correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember Pat saying in the past on another thread that they will not dip an older bow in Invelvet. You can however purchase an 08-09 bow with it from the factory, and it comes on both the Diamond and Bowtech lines. I have not shot the bow through a chrono, however according to OnTarget2 (which is usually pretty accurate) I should be getting 280-285. My arrows are 437 grains, the bow is set at 64lbs and on a 30" draw mod.
Sharp lookin' bow and the inVelvet is one thing that definitely sets the bar when it comes to camo bow finishes. Thanks for the review. Finally got some CAA's ordered myself. Not to hijack, but did you ever get a chance to find a place to mount that Kwikee Kwiver bracket on your Badlands? I was looking into things tonight, if you pick up a spare screw-in bracket kit. The one that actually screws into a tree. Remove the screw, but screw the actual bracket that the quiver locks into back into the tree bracket (without the screw). From there, use two zip ties on each side of the bracket, and zip tie them to the webbing on the small compartment just in front of the main compartment. I would zip tie the bracket on upside down so the fletching is behind your head and not facing the ground. This is the only place I can find that is a logical place to carry a quiver on this pack using Kwikee brackets. If I have time, I would post my idea.
Bols: Haven't had time. I'm hopping on a plane to Chicago for work in a bit and maybe this weekend I will start to get things sorted with my hunting gear. I am still really behind the 8-ball with my gear, but hope to fix that this weekend and upcoming week. If you do find something out about this, please post and share it. Thanks Greg, I thought that was the case with Invelvet, but wasn't 100%. Also for anyone else......... Last night I decided to see what happened when you creep with this bow. It's something I try with every bow because reality is that even the best shooters will creep occasionally especially with bad angles/footing. I can hit the X ring on a vegas target at 10 yards anywhere within 1" or so of the peg hitting the limb. That is OUTSTANDING for a single cam bow, and should directly affect the forgiveness of this rig.
No reason in particular Jeff. I used Kwikee's bracket to get the quiver placed up a bit higher on the bow to keep the nocks out of the dirt, and that's just how it places the quiver. It actually is a good spot for it too, the arrows don't overhang any particular part of the bow right htere.
My Octane can't get completely vertical, due to my LH Viper. (ya the dovetail screw knob is different) It doesn't bother me, it actually follows the line of the bow.
I love my Marquis! Smooth as silk. Bought it for about $400 - $450 at Gander Mtn. at the end of the 2008 year. I'm looking to replace my factory strings and maybe install a smaller peep before this coming deer season. I'm in the process of getting new arrows. Any suggestions in the $100 price range for a dozen shafts? I've been looking at GT's XT Hunters, probably going to get camo with white crests and white/orange vanes. Good or no?
a little tough to desribe, but, it gives the bow a soft feel and a very flat finish... my Ross has the same finish, I REALLY like it... almost feels like the bow finish has texture that acts like insulation... does it help absorb more vibes or noise??? no idea... but it certainly feels cool
Nice review Matt and I concur. The Marquis is one fantastic bow and one of the hardest bows that I chose to give up. I honestly think I'll own another one.
