Bear Mauler Review
from $199.99
from $499.99
Pros
- Excellent shootability
- Very adjustable draw length
- Ready to Hunt package is a hard to beat value option
- Very affordable
Cons
- Back wall could be a little more solid
- Could have more finish options
Video
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Editors' review
The Bear Mauler has a lot to offer the bow hunter with an affordable price tag. With a marriage of good IBO speed, smooth draw and very little vibration, this rig will catch the eye of many people this year. Also available in "ready to hunt" package for only $100 more, it comes equipped with everything you need already on the bow. Undoubtedly this package seems to be one of the best values in archery in 2011.
Finish
The finish of the Mauler is good quality and crisp. It comes in Realtree APG camouflage.Riser/Limbs/Limb pockets
The riser of this bow is made from machined aluminum. The limbs are Bear's max preload quad limbs that are in the beyond parallel position even before draw. With the max pre load limbs you get maximum power and it doesn't stack up while being drawn. In all you get speed, efficiency and smoothness with these limbs. It also comes equipped with zero tolerance limb pockets that give you just what the name says, a zero tolerance limb to cup to riser fit that guarantees you accuracy at any draw weight.Grip
On the Mauler is a one piece slim design, synthetic grip. It is designed to eliminate hand torque, reduce vibration and gives you a warm feel in cold weather situations.Eccentric System
The cam system on this rig is a single cam and idler wheel set up, with Bear's E cam. The "E" is for efficiency, it is the one of the most efficient and smooth cam Bear has ever built. This system transfers all the energy to the arrow for the most kinetic energy down range. The E cam rotates on two sealed ball bearings very easily, which makes it very smooth. It is also equipped with the asymmetric power track which decreases friction and increases the life of your cables. The cam system on this bow can be adjusted in 1/2" and 1" increments and has a draw length range of 26"to 31". No bow press is needed when adjusting in 1" increments. The IBO speeds of the Mauler are 328 fps and it has a draw weight range of 50 to 70 pounds. With an 80 % let off this bow can be held for a good amount of time with very little arm fatigue.String suppressors
Bear introduced the dual arc string suppressors two years ago and this year they improved the design by offsetting the suppressor which quiets the release even further. The dual arc system was fine tuned by using high speed photography to eliminate vibration.RTH "Ready to hunt" Package
For a modest additional $100.00 you can get the Bear Mauler in the ready to hunt package which includes sight, rest, quiver, peep sight, stabilizer/braided bow sling combo and string loop. The sight, rest, quiver and stabilizer are all made by Trophy Ridge. The sight is a black 4 pin light gathering sight with glow ring and sight level. The quiver is a light weight camouflage quiver that holds aluminum or carbon arrows that has a vibration dampening hood. The rest is a black whisker biscuit style rest and the stabilizer is a black in color and designed to dampen vibration.Shootability
The Mauler has a very good shootability rating. The draw cycle is very smooth and is one of the smoothest drawing single cam bows of 2011. This bow has a pretty stiff back wall but isn't as rock solid as Bear's Carnage higher end bow. The valley in the draw cycle is very good and has a smooth transition to full draw. Vibration is nearly nonexistent in this rig with a dead in your hand feel when shot.Bear Mauler vs. Bear Assault
| Bow | Bear Mauler | Bear Assault |
| Version | 2012 | 2011 |
| Picture |  |  |
| Brace Height | 6.75 " | 7.25 " |
| AtA Length | 31.25 " | 30.75 " |
| Draw Length | 26 " - 31 " | 26 " - 31 " |
| Draw Weight | 50 lbs - 70 lbs | 50 lbs - 70 lbs |
| IBO Speed | 328 fps | 328 fps |
| Weight | 3.9 lbs | 3.9 lbs |
| Let-Off | 80% | 80% |
| Where to buy Best prices online |
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At first glance these two bows have almost identical specs. But there are a few differences that can be very important to some archers. First is the price tag, while it is not a big difference the Bear Assault is around $50 more than the Mauler. Also the brace height on the Assault is a bit larger which can mean more forgiveness to some. Probably the most notable difference between these two rigs is the grip. The Assault has a slightly slimmer grip with side plates and the Mauler has a one piece synthetic grip. In all the Assault's grip is for the person who needs a very slim grip and the grip on the Mauler has a warmer feel in cold weather which will be more appealing to cold weather bow hunters.