Bear Legion Review

Editors' review

The 2012 Bear Legion is a great value bow. You get a lot for your money in terms of quality, options, speed, and smoothness. Bear engineering has impressed the past few years by making a come back in the high end archery market, which also trickles down to their more economic bows, like the Legion. The Legion continues to improve and takes the place of the Srike. The company claims, and puts a lot of stress on how they are taking into account customers' requests and recommendations for bow engineering. Although most of the attention from Bear is focused on the new Anarchy, the rest of their line is still under-rated by most. This bow is smooth, quick, quiet, and has a light feeling draw.

Finish

Different color choices are not available for the Legion, and the only color available is Realtree APG. It appears to have a semi-gloss finish, although does not glare, and is sturdy. The color can be best described as falling somewhere between glossy and matte. There have been no complaints about the finish cracking. Although there is only one color choice for the Legion, it will still impress.

Riser/Limbs

The Riser on the Legion measures 30.5" axel to axel. It is short and compact while only weighing in at 4 lbs. The riser has that classic bear look to it which is uniform and solid with nice looking cut outs. The dual offset string suppressers are integrated into the riser which is an upgrade from last year's Strike. It has a stainless steel stabilizer bushing. The limbs are connected with the Zero Tolerance Limb Pockets. These pockets lock the limbs to the riser yet they can move and pivot independently. This helps to eliminate vibration. The riser and limbs on the Legion create a 7" brace height. This bow produces a nice shot especially for being as compact as it is. Although it can be a little less forgiving that some of the longer ATA bows it is a trade off for it being short and easy to maneuver. It does have some noticeable recoil.

Grip

The grip on the Legion has a thin neck, complete with side panels. It is a simple concept that is found on all of Bear's more economic bows. However, it has changed in shape from the Stride and now has less torque. There isn't much for hand warmth when it comes to hunting in colder weather. It feels sturdy in hand and has decent balance.

String Suppressers

The dual string suppressers on Bear bows are unique in nature and are very efficient. The Dual Arc Offset String Suppressers that exist on the Legion have vibration dampening boots on the ends where the string makes contact with them. It does lack the set of rubber vibration dampening boots where they attach to the riser like the Anarchy has. These dual string suppressers not only help to silent and eliminate vibration, but they have a mean look which is another update from last years Strike.

Eccentric System

The cam on the Bear Legion is not definite, and allows for an accommodating draw length with .5" increments from 26" to 31". Similar to the Anarchy, the Legion has 80% let off and is available in 50, 60, and 70 lb. draw weights. The Rotating Modular E2-Cam is faster that the Strike's E2 cam and also has a lighter feel. It does not require a bow press or any additional modules to change the draw length, making it very convenient. The idler wheel has dual stainless steel bearings. It comes equipped with Contra-Band strings and cables. The published IBO speed is 318 fps. This seems a little higher than the actual speed as most other Bear bows, but very close. It has decent speed for a single cam bow.

Draw Cycle/Shoot Ability

The overall draw on this bow is smooth, with a bit of a hump before the valley. It is harmonized at full draw with some recoil at the shot. The Legion has an extensive valley at full draw, probably 1/4" to 1/2", with additional room to creep without a surprise. The back wall is sturdy and easy to hold. A stabilizer would improve the balance on this bow, but it is already very quiet without one. However, stabilizers never hurt on any bow. The dual string suppressers are fantastic at reducing vibration. This bow uses a slide type cable guard system which does what it is intended for; however, it is not nearly as smooth as newer roller guard systems. It does well at keeping the cables out of the way.

Silencing Package

Given its price range, this bow is especially quiet. The dual string suppressers work perfectly in order to deaden the sound and vibration. The string contains no add-ons, and will not slow it down. The limb pockets have two functions, in that they allow independent pivoting, and also serve to silence this bow.

Comparisons

Bow	Bear Legion	Bear Encounter
Version	2013	2013
Picture
Brace Height	7 "	7.75 "
AtA Length	30.5 "	30.5 "
Draw Length	26 " - 31 "	27 " - 32 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	318 fps	310 fps
Weight	4.0 lbs	3.7 lbs
Let-Off	80%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$244.99 Compare prices	$200 to $404.68 Compare prices
	compare more bows

The Bear Legion is a step above the Bear Encounter in their line of bows. The major difference is the riser. The Legion riser is equipped with the Dual Arc Offset String Suppressors, while the Encounter uses the standard single string suppressor on the bottom half. The brace height is .75" shorter on the Legion, but has an IBO of 8fps faster. The Encounter is .3lbs lighter at 3.7lbs, but the ATA is the same. Most of the other options on these two bows are nearly the same. The Encounter has a MSRP of $100 less, but doesn't have as good of a look and is a little slower.

Perfect Usage

This is a great hunting or recreational shooting bow. It will do more than enough to make a perfect harvest shot on just about any wild game and would also satisfy the urge of a lot of recreational or 3D shooters. With its ease to adjust, speed, and comfort entry level or budget archers would enjoy this bow. Many youths could also get use out of this bow with its range of adjustments.

Value

The Bear Legion has "value" written all over it. You will get a lot of bow for your money. With the upgrades that it has received this bow is getting lots of positive feedback from its owners. Even for the serious hunter it will do nearly everything needed. Bear/Trophy Ridge has excellent customer service and they really stand behind their products. It is second to none.

Summary

This is a great budget bow. It is the faster, smoother brother to the Strike with several improvements made. With a new grip and updated suppressers, among other changes, it has taken one of Bear's most popular bows to a new level. The single cam technology and engineering from Bear is continuing to climb the ladder over the past few years and their entire line is showing it. It has decent speed for a single cam bow and has a very comfortable brace height creating a nice value package. The Legion has some hand shock, but not enough to make it uncomfortable to shoot. The alluring dual string suppresser style is unique to Bear bows. The Legion accommodates a wide range of shooters, including youth, with all of the available weights and an adjustable draw length with ease. With an MSRP price tag of only $399 this bow should fall within many budgets and satisfy the majority.