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THE MAIN EVENT: INTRODUCTIONS

C O M P O U N D B O W S H O O T - O U T !

THE CHALLENGE:

If you've kept up with the bowhunting publications in 2003, you've certainly noticed that some compound bow manufacturers have been throwing some low blows and elbows in recent months. It's a highly competitive market, so negative ads and exaggerated claims are no surprise. But how many manufacturers would be willing to lay down all that hype, put on the gloves, and just bring their bow to the center of the ring? How many would be willing to duke-it-out fair and square against another serious competitor? Probably not many.

So I was shocked and thrilled when Champion Bow co-owner, Bob Shebaylo, called our shop and laid down one serious challenge. Bob explained that work has just been completed on the 2004 Champion Diablo ETS, their latest mid-axle length flagship bow - powered by their brand-new ETS hybrid cam system. And instead of lathering us in superlatives, Bob got right to the point.

"I'll put my new Diablo ETS up against ANY other bow on the market, at ANY price!"

Wow! Considering the serious competition in the "high-end" bow market, that was a pretty bold statement to make. So I paused a moment, leaned back in my chair, and looked through the office window out into the pro-shop. Hanging at the end of the bow rack, I could see the brand-new 2004 Bowtech Liberty VFT we just received a few days ago. I responded back, "ANY bow?". Bob quipped, "ANY bow!". I asked if he'd be willing to put the Diablo ETS up for a head-to-head online shoot-out with the Liberty, and he confidently said, "Bring it on!". Bob even went on to say he would refund our money if the Diablo ETS didn't win the challenge with the Liberty. So with nothing to lose, I asked Bob to send us a 70#/30" Diablo ETS for the shoot-out.

We've been selling Champion Bows for several years, and we've always been impressed with their thoughtful rugged designs and exceptional performance. So, even sight unseen, we know the Diablo is going to be a tough competitor and we're anxious for it to arrive. But this is no light challenge. Bowtech is a top-contender bow company; the fastest growing bow company in history in fact.. In just a few short years they have ascended the ranks to be one of the archery industry's heaviest hitters. And the Liberty is Bowtech's new flagship model for 2004. So this is no "tune-up" fight. The Diablo ETS is about to face a serious competitor.

I immediately contacted Bowtech Sales Manager, Jerid Strasheim, to see if he believed the Liberty was ready to rumble with the Diablo. Without hesitation, Jerid barked back, "I feel that we could go up against ANYBODY in the high end market. I would say absolutely, bring it on baby!". Oooohhh I love the sound of that!!! Our new Diablo arrived here in the shop a few days later, so now it's SHOWTIME. Let's introduce our warriors and take a look at the tale of the tape.

TALE OF THE TAPE

315 fps	- IBO Speed -	300-308 fps
35.625"	- Axle-to-Axle -	33.25"
7.25"	- Brace Height -	7.50"
26"-30.5"	- Draw Lengths -	25-30"
80% Standard	- Let-Off -	80% Standard
4.2 lbs (w/ISO Bars)	- Bow Weight -	3.875 lbs
ETS Hybrid Cams	- Eccentrics -	Freedom Single Cam
Reflex -Machined Alum.	- Riser -	Reflex - Machined Alum.
16" R/C Laminated	- Limbs -	13" CM Gordon Glass
2-Piece Hardwood	- Grip -	1-Piece Hardwood
Skyline Apparition	- Camouflage -	Mossy Oak Obsession
Lifetime	- Warranty -	Lifetime

THE STAGE IS SET:

So the deal is done. The warriors have been chosen and the time for smack-talkin' is over. But let's get one thing straight. This shoot-out will not be a marketing ploy to sell bows, nor will it be the usual praise-a-thon we see with most bow reviews. We're going to tell it like it is, good or bad, as we intend to put these bows through a real series of challenges and tough comparisons. And in the end, we'll see which one is still standing! If the loser doesn't like it, he'll just have to go back to the gym and pout.

THE RULES & SCORING:

This is no small task for us. This challenge will take many hours to conduct, document, and report. But first thing's first. In order for our shoot-out results to have any credibility, we'll need to establish a clear scoring methodology and a reasonable set of competition categories. For the attributes we can clearly measure and test (bow efficiency, nock travel, noise levels, etc.), establishing a winner will be easy. But what about the things we can't measure, like comfort and craftsmanship? Surely those things count too, but how do we measure that? We'll handle the subjective categories with some help from our friends at the East Kentucky Archery club. More on that later. But before each test, we'll clearly explain the separate rules, conditions, and methodology for finding a victor in each of the categories.

After some discussion, we've agreed on a competition format. If you haven't guessed it yet - given the obvious boxing motif thus far - we're going to divide the competition into 12 ROUNDS of separate tests like a boxing match. We'll use the standard 10 POINT MUST SYSTEM. That means that the winner of each round is awarded 10 points. The loser of the round is typically awarded 9 points unless he is DECISIVELY beaten in that round - in which case he may be awarded just 8 points. Easy enough!

THE CATEGORIES:

Each round is it's own separate contest in the following categories shown below. Subjective score categories are listed in yellow (R7-R12) and will be decided with help from our panel of shooters rather than just our in-house staff.
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R1: Specs & Speed R4: Bow Amenities R7: Aesthetics/Craftsmanship R10: Kick & Vibration

R2: Level Nock Travel R5: Strings & Cables R8: Balance & Comfort R11: Accuracy/Grouping

R3: SPL/Noise Levels R6: Bow Efficiency R9: Draw Cycle R12: Shooter Recommendations

So without further adieu............
Any questions from the corners?
All right! LET'S GET IT ON!!!
RING THE BELL -------_>
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