Bear Species LD Review

Editors' review

The Bear Species LD is a slight re-make on the popular Species from 2018 made specifically for longer draw shooters. This model comes in right and left handed models, has a compact 31-inch axle-to-axle measurement, and a forgiving 7-inch brace height. The Species LD also comes fully rigged out for only $399. The Trophy Ridge accessories are not top of the line, and the speed rating of only 310 feet per second is not blazing fast. However, the single cam smoothness will make it easy for shooters to forget about not having the little extra burst of speed. The Species LD is going to get a bunch of shooters into the sport for a fair entry price, or make a great backup hunting bow for someone without breaking the bank. No matter what the use, the Species LD will fit about every shooter with draw lengths offered in 25-32-inches.

Finish

The Species LD has two different finish options available on the riser. Both finishes come with black limbs, which may be an acquired taste for some shooters. The Realtree Edge and Veil Stoke patterns look great on the riser, and give shooters a choice between two patterns. Veil camo is not a super popular offering, but it does look great. The finish is also well applied and should last a long time under normal use.

Accessory Package

The Species LD comes fully rigged with Trophy Ridge accessories. It would be nice to offer the rig as a bare bow option, but for only $399, the fully rigged Species LD is a great value. The accessories are not high end accessories, but they do eliminate the need for shooters to sort through the many options to find what may work best. Of course, accessories can be swapped out later on if shooters would like to upgrade the sight or rest later on. Trophy Ridge accessories include a four pin sight, a whisker biscuit rest, a 5 spot quiver, dart stabilizer and wrist sling, a peep sight, and a nock loop.

Riser

The riser on the Species LD is almost identical to the previous Species. The axle-to-axle measurement of 31-inches keeps the riser relatively short, but still long enough to provide some great stability for a shorter bow. The 4.3-pound bow rating is not too shabby either giving the bow a really sturdy platform for holding on target. The bow's geometry also allows shooters to benefit from a forgiving 7-inch brace height as well. Bear engineered a rear facing string stop system to keep the bow as tame as possible after the shot. The front stabilizer bushing comes equipped with a stabilizer straight from the factory, which helps a bit keeping the pin float to a minimum and eliminating vibration after the shot. The cable containment system is a basic cable slide system, which lacks some of Bear's higher end technology. However, the cable slide works as designed, and functions how cable slides have forever.

Grip

The grip on the Species LD has a familiar look and feel to that on other Bear models. The grip is designed directly into the riser, and has a side plate with the Bear name displayed. The side plates are functionless, but do add a nice touch of branding to the side of the bow. The grip is narrow, and has a flatback, which are also pretty popular in 2019. The rounded edges of the grip also feel nice in the shooters hand as well. For all purposes, the Species LD grip makes for a great option for those just starting out in archery and will promote a healthy hand placement for better accuracy and consistency. There is nothing fancy about the grip, but it works as it is supposed to and feels nice for most shooters.

Limbs

The Species LD limbs are Endurafiber limbs as used on other Bear models. This fiber allows the weight to be distributed equally, while being flexible and rigid enough to have a larger draw weight range than the industry standard of 10-pounds. Shooters may notice the limbs are shaped a little differently than a standard split limb, which also helps with equal load distribution. The Species LD comes in 2 different limb configurations with a 45-60-pound offering and a 55-70-pound option. The lock down pocket system is also one of the best fitting limbs to pocket and pocket to riser systems on the market. The limbs are black, and not camo like the rest of the bow. Some shooters may not like this look, but it has nothing to do with performance and function.

Eccentric System

Single cam technology like featured on the Species LD is not as popular as it was ten or so years ago. Dual cams, or hybrid cams have taken over for the most part, but that does not mean there is no use for a single cam rig. The draw cycles on a single cam bow are typically smoother than the other mentioned, and would make a great system for newer archers, which is what the Species LD is designed for. The cam on the Species LD have a rotating draw length range of 25-32-inches. This means almost anyone on the market for an adult hunting bow will fit in one of these. Keeping with the trending high let off compounds, the Species LD also comes in 80% let off. The let off is not adjustable, which is a bit of a bummer, but 80% will be very comfortable for most shooters on the market. The speeds are not overly quick with a rating of only 310 feet per second, but that means a smooth draw cycle in place of faster arrow speeds.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The Species LD maintains the smooth draw characteristics of a single cam bow, and it is a proven great system for new archers. The draw cycle will vary a bit from those shooting it at 25-inches when compared to those shooting at 32-inches of draw length. However, the draw cycle is going to feel smooth for everyone as the bow builds up to peak weight, transitions to 80% let off, and holds on the fairly solid feeling back wall. Higher let offs in compound archery is trending at the moment, and the 80% feels great on the Species LD single cam. One thing that may not be as great for newer shooters and high let off is letting the bow down. This experience can feel like the bow is wanting to rip forward when the let off is higher. The back wall is easy to pull into, and will not make shooters feel like the bow is wanting to rip forward. However, drawing to shoot, and then having to let down may be a bit more difficult at 80% let off than it is at 70 or 75%. The single cam holds on target well with the included accessories, and the pin float is pretty minimal for a 31-inch axle-to-axle bow. Overall, it is hard to find much wrong with the Species LD considering its fully loaded price tag of only $399. If being compared to a higher end model, shooters may feel a difference in how the bow feels overall. However, the Species LD is designed to get newer shooters a bow at a great price, and for that the Species LD meets a very important demand.

Usage Scenarios

The Species LD is an adult hunting bow at an entry level price. This bow will fit almost any archer wanting to hunt, or shoot a compound bow with a draw length range of 25-32-inches. The single cam technology is known for easy drawing, and the 80% let off feels amazing while holding on target. It can be intimidating to look at all the options in the compound bow world today in terms of bows and accessories for those just starting out. The Species LD does all the work for new shooters and puts them in a good spot to start shooting right away, without the stress and research to find the best possible equipment. The Species LD is a great value for new shooters, or anyone wanting a back up bow just in case.

Bear Species LD vs. Bear Species

Bow	Bear Species LD	Bear Species
Version	2020 RTH	2020
Picture
Brace Height	7 "	6.75 "
AtA Length	31 "	31 "
Draw Length	25 " - 32 "	23 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	45 lbs - 70 lbs	45 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	310 fps	320 fps
Weight	4.3 lbs	4.3 lbs
Let-Off	80%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$450 Compare prices	$150 to $700 Compare prices
	compare more bows

These two bows are identical except for the added 2-inches of potential draw length for the Species LD. With the added draw length comes little slower speeds for the LD at 310 feet per second versus the 320 feet per second offered on the original Bear Species. However, the LD offers draw lengths up to 32-inches in an entry level single cam, fully rigged out for only $399. For shooters not in the added two inches of the LD, the faster Species may be the way to go. however, for those longer draw guys, the Species platform in an LD model will be hard to beat for longer shooters just getting started in the world of archery.

Summary

Bear is one of the few archery companies that produce a bow for every single shooter on the market. The Species LD is an adult version of a hunting bow specifically designed to give shooters an entry level price without the sticker shock of a high end flagship model. Almost every adult shooter will fit within the 25-32-inch draw length range available on the Species LD, and it comes fully loaded with accessories for only $399! The Species LD has a forgiving and smooth single cam system, which shoots speeds up to 310 feet per second. This speed rating is not super impressive when compared to other models in the 2019 lineup. However, newer shooters may be more comfortable with a slower bow than fighting one with more speed when they are just starting out. Archery can be a difficult sport to get into considering all the options for rigs and equipment to outfit those bows. Bear does all the work and decision making for shooters with the Species LD, and anyone looking to get started in this great sport should look at the Species LD as potentially being their first archery equipment.