Editors' review
The Bear Venue has some really great specifications for shooters interested in a well rounded, forgiving bow. Measuring in at 32.35-inches axel to axel and a 7-inch brace height makes the Venue a nice bow hunter. Combined with a single cam shooting 33 feet per second, the Venue is pretty appealing. Granted, it is not the fastest single cam bow produced, but the great shootability is enough to entice shooters to go with the Venue. Some owners have not been pleased with the string quality of the Venue, and the $849 MSRP may be a bit much for some. However, those wanting a single cam hunting bow backed by a tried and true archery company will have a lot to appreciate with the Venue.
Finish
Bear outfits their rigs with Realtree camouflage, and the Venue gets the Xtra Green pattern. This pattern is a popular offering and the dipping process is done very well. Most of the edges on the Venue are rounded, which helps with the dipping process. Those shooters primarily utilizing ground blinds, or not wanting a camo bow can choose the all black Shadow pattern as well. Each finish option will have white and orange limb graphics.
Riser
The single cam flagship Venue has a similar riser design to the rest of the top of the line Bear models. The riser looks beefy, but the overall weight of the bow is still at the magical 4-pound mark. The unique design adds strength to high stress areas of the riser, which also includes dual string suppressors. The Bi-dimensional adjustable offset string suppressors keep the strings forward movement at a minimum while making sure the bow has the least amount of vibration possible. In addition to the string suppressor, the front of the riser features rubber inserts for even more vibration dampening which works. The Venue is as dead in the hand as a bow can be after the arrow is released.The Venue features a hinge guard cable guard system designed to reduce lateral load on the riser caused by the cable at full draw. The hinge guard looks different than a cable guard system and roller guard system, but is featured on many of the Bear bows. The front of the riser also features a stabilizer-mounting hole for shooters wanting to take away more vibration or liking the additional front weight.
Grip
The Bear grip is a one-piece rubber connection between the bow and the shooter. The rubber material is nice for hunting since it will be a bit warmer than the riser itself. The rubber grip has a comfortable feel, but is slightly blocky with limited contour. Shooters also have an option to remove the rubber grip and shoot right off the riser instead. This option is a slimmer design and may allow shooters to add some tape for a more customized width. Both offerings are repeatable and can be used with proper hand placement.
Limbs
The Bear Venue max-preloaded quad limbs are available in maximum draw weights of 50, 60, and 70-pounds and the 30-pound range should be acceptable for most shooters interested in the Venue. The connection between the limbs and riser is done solidly with the high precision, zero tolerance limb pockets. The real estate covered by the pockets adds stability to the performance
Eccentric System
The S13 Single cam system supplies the performance for the Venue with 7-inches of adjustment ranging from 24-31-inches in half-inch increments. Like several bows on the market, the Venue does not require purchasing additional cams or modules to change the draw length, but instead has a rotating cam module. The module just lines up with the correct draw length markings and shooters should be all set. The single cam produces speeds up to 330 feet per second with an 80% let off. Although those speeds are not blistering fast, the Venue is still a great option for hunting in regards to performance. Historically, single cam bows have been a bit easier to tune, and generally remain in tune longer since the top wheel does not necessarily need to be in a specific location in relation to the bottom cam. It is not a perfect system, but many prefer a single cam when choosing a hunting bow.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
The S13 cam is a great engine for the Bear Venue, which can accommodate a large range of shooters interested in a single cam hunting bow. The draw cycle is characteristic of a smooth drawing single cam bow. The bottom cam is basically a circle, which truly leads to a great feel from the start of the draw cycle to the back wall. The weight seems to be distributed well throughout, and never really feels like it reaches the peak draw weight. Many shooters have reported being able to shoot a bit more draw weight with the Venue because of the favorable draw cycle. The shift to the valley is noticeable, but happens without a hump and leads well into the back wall. The wall has a solid feel, but may not be as solid as some other Bear bows with dual draw stops.When the arrow is released, the Venue truly is dead in the hand. There is a little jump as the strings return to their starting location, but the rubber dampeners in the riser along with the dual string stops really do a wonderful job keeping the Venue free from vibration and residual noise. The arrow is noticeable peppy as well. For a bow only shooting 330 feet per second, the Venue has a lot of pop when hitting the target down range. Many shooters will be excited with the brace height of 7-inches as well. This will make sure the string stays well away from hunter's warm clothes, and the additional forgiveness is appreciated as well. Overall, the Venue feels great, and will be a nice bow for those wanting a single cam model.
Usage Scenarios
The Bear Venue is a designed killing machine. Everything about the single cam bow was designed to be an optimal hunting bow. Speeds are not the fastest available for a single cam model, but 330 feet per second is more than enough for most big game animals shooters will get a chance to hunt. The Venue will also be seen on weekend 3D shoots and friendly competitions. Serious 3D guys will more than likely find something with more optimal specifications. As a hunting bow, it is hard not to like what the Venue offers.
Summary
The Bear Venue is the only higher end single cam offering from Bear, although its performance is similar to some of their dual cam models. The feel of the Venue is great, and the performance is acceptable for a big game hunting bow. The $849 price tag may be too steep for some, considering this price point will get shooters about anything on the market. The strings have also been a weak point on the Venue with some recorded twist issues. With that being said, shooters wanting the reliability of a single cam bow backed by one of the oldest names in archery, the Venue is tough to beat. The forgiveness and absolute dead in hand feel is very easy to get used to.
