Bear Anarchy Review

Editors' review

The 2012 Bear Anarchy is an amazing bow that is receiving a lot of attention from consumers. Bear engineering has been very impressive the past few years and making a huge come back in the high end archery market. With the Anarchy they have continued to impress. The company claims and puts a lot of stress on how they are really listening to customers' requests and recommendations for bow engineering. This bow is long, light, well balanced, and dead in the hand. It has nearly everything the archery public is requesting.

Finish

The color options for this bow are Realtree APG and Shadow (black). It looks slightly semi-glossy and seems to be durable. It isn't glossy enough to glare, but it isn't completely flat in texture either. There have been no complaints about flaking or chipping of this finish. Both of these color options look great on this bow.

Riser/Limbs

The Anarchy has an all new riser and it measures 35.25" axel to axel. It is 3.5" longer than last years Carnage yet .2 lbs. lighter weighing only 3.8 lbs. The riser has a smooth and rounded look without any sharp edges and it has some cool shaped cutouts. The dual offset string suppressers are integrated into the riser. It has a stainless steel stabilizer bushing. The long riser on this bow allows for shorter limbs that create less reflex. The limbs are connected with a Zero Tolerance Cup. 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 Anarchy create a 7.25" brace height. The long ATA produces a smooth shot and is more forgiving when it comes to any torque. Although it seems lengthy for a hunting bow the Anarchy more than makes up for it with the quality shot it produces. It is dead in the hand.

Grip

The grip on the Anarchy has a skinny neck that comes with the new rubber mold over design or with side panels. The mold over grip has a better feel and the large Bear trademark emblem on it is an eye catcher. It has a thicker feel and is warmer in cold weather. It feels steady in hand, well balanced, and has virtually no torque. With the side panels the brace height decreases to 7.125".

String Suppressers

The dual string suppressers on several of Bear's bows have a look of their own and seem to be very effective. The Dual Arc Offset String Suppressers that are present on the Anarchy, have an added set of rubber vibration dampening boots where they attach to the riser. These not only help to silent and eliminate vibration, but they have mean look.

Eccentric System

The Bear Anarchy is not cam specific and allows for an adjustable draw length with modules in .5" increments from 25" to 31.5". It has 80% let off and is available in 50, 60, 70, and 80 lb. draw weights. The Flat Top Cam and lightweight Skeleton Idler Wheel help in shaving weight on this bow. The advertised IBO speed is 340 fps. This seems a little higher than the actual speed, but very close. It has excellent speed for a single cam bow.

Draw Cycle/Shoot Ability

The draw on this bow is extremely smooth with little stiffness and no torque. It feels very well balanced at full draw with no recoil at the shot. The Anarchy has a long valley at full draw, probably 1/4" to 1/2", and there is quite a bit of room to creep without it catching you off guard. The back wall is solid and comfortable. A stabilizer is not required on this bow for balance or sound although they never hurt on any bow. The dual string suppressers do a great job of reducing vibration. This bow uses the 4x4 Roller Guard system which helps to increase the smoothness of the draw. It also keeps the cables separated and out of the way.

Silencing Package

Although this is far from a loud bow it is not completely silent either. The dual string suppressers do a great job of deadening the sound and vibration. There is nothing added to the string for silencing which also won't slow it down. The limb pockets that allow independent pivoting also aid in silencing this bow.

Comparisons

Bow	Bear Anarchy	Bear Carnage
Version	2014	2012
Picture
Brace Height	7.25 "	7.25 "
AtA Length	35.5 "	32 "
Draw Length	26.5 " - 31.5 "	25.5 " - 30.5 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	330 fps	345 fps
Weight	4.0 lbs	4.0 lbs
Let-Off	75%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$550 to $625 Compare prices	$55 Compare prices
	compare more bows

The Bear Anarchy is the best bow made by Bear in years and maybe ever. It is definitely their top of the line bow. Everyone thought this about last year's Carnage and they have again out done themselves. It is 3.5" longer axle to axle than the Carnage and yet .2 lbs. lighter. It is a little better balanced and more forgiving. Although the advertised IBO of the Carnage is 5fps faster it could be debated. The MSRP of the Anarchy is $50 more than the Bear Carnage, but probably well worth it. The Anarchy is pricey with a $900 MSRP and many think it is too high for Bear while they are still rebuilding their reputation compared to other manufacturers with similar or even lower prices.

Perfect Usage

This is the perfect all around bow and could be used for top shooters, 3D competition, or hunting. With its ease to shoot and speed combined it is the perfect package for either. Some may think that it is a little too long for the ideal hunting bow, however, that is all mostly subjective to the hunter and dependant on stand location.

Summary

This is an amazingly smooth and fast bow combined. The single cam technology and engineering from Bear is continuing to climb the ladder over the past few years. It has excellent speed for a single cam bow and has very comfortable brace height creating a nice package. The Anarchy is dead in the hand at the shot and fun to shoot. The sweet new riser combined with Bear's unique dual string suppresser style is attractive. This bow can handle a wide range of shooters with all of the available weights and an adjustable draw length with ease. There are many that claim Bear/Trophy Ridge customer is outstanding. The new Bear Anarchy is ideal for anyone who doesn't mind a longer bow and can afford the price tag.