Table Of Contents
The Bear Archery Cruzer at First Glance
Welcome to our Bear Archery Cruzer compound bow review. Upon first glance, the first things an archer will notice about the Bear Cruzer is that it is short, lightweight, and has a dual cam system and it should be really fast.
With an IBO speed rating of only 310 fps, it is not exactly a speed bow. But, it does feature an adjustable cam module that is adjustable for both draw length and draw weight and, it comes with an awesome accessory package that makes the bow ready to hunt with right out of the box.
The Bear Cruzer retail price is within reach of most archers and it is an excellent choice for avid bow hunters.
The Bear Archery Cruzer Riser, Grip, Limbs
As mentioned previously, the Bear Cruzer is a relatively short bow due to its short, reflexed, riser made from machined aluminum with cutouts to lessen the overall weight while maintaining rigidity.
Unlike so many of the bows on the market today, the Bear Cruzer employs a pre-loaded limb design rather than a parallel limb design and the riser is less radically reflexed than some other compound bows.
Also, as is the vogue these days, it also features a slim, bare riser grip that is designed to prevent the shooter from torquing the bow.
The Bear Cruzer also features a pair of pre-loaded quad limbs that both reduce overall weight and help to counteract cam lean for increased accuracy.
Cruzer Cam System
The Bear Cruzer features Bear’s MV dual cam system which provides it with the speed necessary to compete on even ground with other modern compound bows.
Even so, it still generates a mere 310 fps (IBO rating) and it is somewhat slower than many other compound bows on the market today.
But, it is still plenty fast enough to provide a relatively flat arrow trajectory for those long shots.
Best of all, Bear’s MV cam system also features an adjustable cam module that enables the archer to adjust the bow’s draw length from 12 inches to 30 inches to accommodate archers of any size.
It also has an adjustable draw weight that can be adjusted from 5 lbs. to 70 lbs. and, both adjustments can be made without the need for a bow press which is a huge boon for archers who do not have an archery pro shop near by.
Cruzer Draw Cycle
Because the Cruzer was specifically designed to accommodate archers of all ages and physical statures, it was also purposely designed with a mild cam that provides a very smooth draw cycle that makes it easy for novice archers to master.
The smooth draw cycle does come at the cost of speed since mild cam designs simply are not capable of producing the same arrows speeds as a hard cam design.
Cruzer Noise and Vibration Level
While it is perhaps not the quietest compound bow on the market, the Bear Cruzer is certainly quiet enough that it will not spook game when you release the string nor startle your hunting buddy so bad that he nearly falls out of his tree stand!
In fact, the moderate cam design serves to eliminate the radical shock of hard cams and the Bear Curzer a very comfortable bow to shoot and the relative lack of vibration makes it easy to achieve pin point accuracy.
Cruzer Shooting Speed
By today’s standards, the Bear Cruzer is definitely not a speed bow with an IBO ranting of only 310 fps.
Because it was specifically designed to accommodate archers of all ages and statures, extreme speed was not part of the design goal.
Also, it is important to note that IBO speeds are somewhat deceptive because they are based on a draw weight of 70 lbs. shooting a 350 grain arrow but, they have no standard for draw length.
Bow manufacturers automatically use the longest draw length available in any given model. Your actual arrow speeds will likely be somewhat less than IBO speeds if you shoot a shorter draw length, a lighter draw weight, or a heavier arrow than the given IBO criteria.
Bear Cruzer Kinetic Energy Levels
It should be noted that the kinetic energy generated by the Cruzer will greatly vary depending on your draw length, draw weight, and arrow weight. But, here are some close estimates of what KE levels to expect from a couple of different parameters:
- 70 lbs. / 30″ draw / 350 grain arrows: 74.7 ft-lbs KE
- 70 lbs. / 30″ draw / 425 grain arrows: 90.7ft-lbs KE
Please Note: The results listed above are measured at a point-blank range.
In order to determine the Bear Cruzer’s kinetic energy output at different distances, you will need to subtract approximately 1.8 ft-lbs. for every 10 yards of distance from the target.
Using the Cruzer for Hunting
Designed by Bear’s engineers to be a hunting bow rather than a target bow, the Bear Cruzer is the perfect choice for both youth and novice archers who need a relatively short, lightweight, and reasonably fast bow for hunting that will enable the archer to keep the same bow as their stature grows and/or their skills improve.
With an axle-to-axle length of only 32 inches and an overall weight of only 3.6 lbs, it is an easy bow to carry on extended hikes and it easily maneuvered in both a tree stand and a ground blind.
| Kinetic Energy: | You Can Hunt: |
| < 25 ft-lbs | Small Game (groundhog, rabbit, wild turkey) |
| 25-41 ft-lbs | Medium Game (Antelope, Whitetail deer) |
| 42-65 ft-lbs | Large Game (black bear, wild boar, elk) |
| > 65 ft-lbs | Largest Game (Grizzly bear, Cape buffalo, Musk Ox, African elephant) |
Although the Bear Archery Cruzer is not a speed bow by today’s standards, it is a relatively fast bow that will deliver all of the kinetic energy you need to humanely harvest even the largest game species.
The short length and light overall weight combined with the relatively low retail price, make it an excellent choice for hunters who are purchasing their first bow.
Also, due to the adjustable draw length and draw weight, it can be shared by more than one archer or, it can accommodate a single archer as they grow.
As part of Bear’s Ready To Hunt series, it is available with a complete accessory package that provides an archer with everything they need to hunt with right out of the box.
If you or someone you know is in the market for their first compound bow, then the Bear Cruzer should be at the top of your list.
