Bowtech Destroyer LE Review

Editors' review

Archers interested in a destroyer 350 from a few years ago should welcome the reproduction of one of Bowtechs most beloved bows. Available in one color scheme, the destroyer 350 has hopefully addressed limb flaking issues and shallow cam tracks to make the 350 a solid, and problem free speed bow. The cam is tried and true and those shooters desiring a solid limb speed bow may be able to call off their search. Although nothing major is different on this rig than the original released a few years ago, those wanting one, or dreading the decision to get rid of theres should be happy for this limited edition.

Finish

The finish option on the destroyer 350 limited edition is limits to one design. The all black finish complete with red accents, strings, and limb decals show off the hunting purpose behind this bow. Although some like the loud style this bows finish provides, others may prefer a bit more modest look. For a limited edition bow, it does a nice job of taking the same technology and letting shooters know it is not the original released a few years ago.This bow was designed for hunters and the blood red decals on the limbs and accent colors throughout the bow help drive this home.

Riser

The Destroyer LE riser is rugged and strong. It has strategically placed cutouts to eliminate extra mass while maintaining strength and durability. The cutouts are fairly geometric and add to the aggressive look of the bow overall. On the side of the riser shelf, there is a broad head guard added for protecting the shooters hand. This does not take away from the looks of the bow and hopefully never has to be functional with protecting the shooters hand from sharp broad head blades.The back of the riser has a rear mounting string stop system that does a nice job stopping the string forward motion quietly and almost shock free. Mounting directly in front of this is a front mounting stabilizer hole which will allow shooters to add some counter weight or another dampening device to the front of the bow to help off set the weight of the sight and balance the rig at full draw.

Grip

The grip is an added part of the riser and actually feels great in the hand. It has a thin neck, but gradually gets wider as the grip settles in to proper hand placement. Repeatability is a great feature of the 350 grip, and the red matches perfectly with the rest of the bows graphics. Upon first glance, the grip looks somewhat cheap and pretty uncomfortable. However, the comfort of the grip in the shooters hand will quickly draw attention away from what it looks like.

Limbs

The hardcore limbs have 7 layers of material that add to the strength and durability of the limbs. The limbs work in a way that stores energy toward the core of the limb instead of the outside layers. The carbon core of the limbs also adds more strength and helps to reduce the weight of the bow. The end result of the hardcore limbs is better efficiency storing the energy, and less noise and vibration after the arrow is released. Draw weight is available in 60-70 pounds.To go along with the blackops color scheme and the hunting tradition this bow revolves around, the decals appear to resemble blood not only in color, but design as well. Although the graphics may be a little too much for some, Bowtech was successful in adding some features so that the limited edition looks different than the original from the start.

Eccentric System

The Overdrive Binary cam was released in 2010 and proved to be very popular. This same cam returns to power the limited edition Destroyer as well. It should be noted this is the same binary cam system featured on all of Bowtech's flagship models since its original release. With effective let-off of 80% and a draw length range of 25-30-inches, the Overdrive cam has a lot of really great features. The half-inch increments are also adjustable without needing to purchase additional modules or cams, which makes it easy to truly set the bow to each shooter.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

For a speed bow, the Overdrive cam does not have a bad draw cycle. It is a little stiff, but the transitions are smooth throughout. There is a very slight hump just before the valley, which may take a little getting used to, but the back wall is solid. The bow holds very well on target and balances really nicely. After the shot, the Destroyer 350 limited edition is quiet and about as shock free as a bow can be. It really is amazing how much speed and energy this bow produces, without the shooter feeling the result of all that power. After spending some time with this rig, shooters will start to feel like the just over 32-inch axel-to-axel measurement is much longer. For a speed bow, this draw is actually favorable in the hands of many shooters.

Usage Scenarios

Everything about the Bowtech Destroyer 350 Limited Edition bow is built for hunting. The great thing about this bow is that it can be just as effective as a 3D bow as well. Although serious foam shooters may desire different specifications, those on a budget may like the idea of using the same bow for both styles of shooting.

Comparisons

Bow	Bowtech Destroyer LE	Bowtech Destroyer 350
Version	2014	2011
Picture
Brace Height	6 "	6 "
AtA Length	32.375 "	32.375 "
Draw Length	25 " - 30 "	25 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	50 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	350 fps	342 fps - 350 fps
Weight	4.1 lbs	3.9 lbs
Let-Off	80%	80% effective
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$500 to $799.99 Compare prices
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Those looking for a difference between these two rigs need not look any further than the finish. Although the limited edition is back by popular demand, the technology that made this bow as popular as it was when first released (Bowtech Destroyer 350) remains the same. The updated limbs on the limited edition should stand up to normal wear better than the original, but performance and feel between the two bows will be the same.

Summary

This Destroyer 350 limited edition is hands down a shooter. It is hard to find things unpleasant about this bow. Those in the market for a speed bow should give this rig a chance even though it doesn't have any brand new gimmicky technology. The bottom line is the destroyer 350 is built to perform. The $849 suggested price tag from the Bowtech site may be a little steep for some, but it does have the same cam used on Bowtech's brand new 2013 bow as well. The bow shoots very well, but shooters will have to decide if a newly released version of an older bow is worth the money.