Editors' review
Diamond offers the world of archery a new bow designed around last year's riser - the Carbon Cure. It is built to offer the hunter a strong, light-weight shooting platform that is fast and vibration-free. This new rig is 32" ATA, has a 7" brace height, weighs a mere 3.3 pounds, and zips an arrow downrange at a very respectable 325 fps. This is a high-quality mid-level bow that will fit very easily into any hunting situation and do well on the 3D course. Most shooters that have shot the Carbon Cure were skeptical at first, but after shooting the bow were very pleasantly surprised.
Finish
This bow is only available in the Mossy Oak Infinity camo scheme. There seems to be a process flaw in the design of carbon bows that causes issues with how the camo pattern adheres to the carbon. The Carbon Cure is no different, so the shooter should not be surprised to find some minor discoloration in the riser. However, the overall finish for the Carbon Cure is pretty nice.
Risers/Limb
This rig is built on a Knight Riser and is designed to be tough and rugged, yet very light. This riser is as strong as any other riser on the market, but the overall mass of this bow is a mere 3.3 pounds. The riser is not "tapped" for adding accessories. Instead, they are mounted via holes designed in the riser with inserts for mounting. The limbs on the Carbon Cure are one-piece parallel limbs. These limbs are the typical composite material limbs generally found in the Diamond limbs, and come in 60# and 70# peak weights on this rig. These limbs are "tried and true" and will perform shot after shot.
Other Components
The bow comes standard with the Ready-Aim-Kill package. This includes an Octane Hostage rest, Octane stabilizer, Octane Deadlock Lite quiver, comfort wrist sling, Diamond Dura-Flex string suppressor, D-loop, Diamond alloy peep, and a Custom R.A.K. 4-pin sight.
Eccentric System
This bow uses the same single-cam system. Most bows that produce good speed from a single-cam bow have a relatively harsh draw cycle. The Carbon Cure is not too bad to draw back. This cam gives the bow a very smooth draw without an overbearing hump at transition to let-off. The cam has rotating modules, making for quick and easy draw length adjustments from 27" - 30.5." These adjustments can be made in half inch increments. This adjustment is as simple as removing two screws on the module, sliding it into the appropriate position, and re-inserting the screws. The draw length can then be fine-tuned in 1/8" increments by adjusting the draw stop. The cam also has a solid draw stop when adjusted. These adjustments can be done easily and without the need of a bow press.This set-up boasts a respectable 325 IBO. A test bow was setup at 70# draw weight, 30" draw length, and using a 350 grain arrow. The bow also had a minimal amount of weight added to the string (approximately 20 grains), and was chrono'd at 313 fps. This is just a hair below IBO, which should be right at 318 fps. Although it is below, the shooter will not notice the missing 5 fps.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
The draw cycle for this bow starts smooth and builds gradually to peak draw weight, then eases into a nice valley at let-off. With an 80 percent let-off, this bow is easy to hold and will not try to jerk out of the shooter's hand. There is no harsh hump to get over at transition to let-off. This rig is easy and comfortable to draw. This will allow the shooter to send more arrows downrange without being overly fatigued. This rig comes in 60# and 70# peak draw weights, and each can be adjusted by approximately 10# from peak weight. This adjustment can be done to turning out the limb bolt. It is critical not to adjust it out too far. When making this adjustment, the shooter must ensure that they can see the limb bolt in the inspection hole. This adjustment must also be performed equally with each limb bolt. Also, when making this adjustment, it is recommended to make the adjustments no more than 1/2 turn on the limb bolt on either end at a time. One full turn of the limb bolt during this adjustment will change the draw weight by 2.5 pounds.This rig is a solid and accurate shooter. It holds very well through the shot, with no noticeable vibration or noise. At first look, the shooter is skeptical because of the weight of the rig, as most rigs produce noise and vibration at lighter weight. After the first shot, they have a completely different mindset. For the money, this is a quality bow, and the fact it comes with the R.A.K. package just makes it that much better.
Silencing Package
This carbon fiber design of this bow is designed to absorb vibration and noise. Additional silencing measures that come on this bow include the Clutch String Stop, 5-inch Ultra-Lite stabilizer, and string silencers.
Grip
This grip on this bow is a pair of side-plates mounted into the riser giving the rig a nice look. However, the grip is a little larger than most bows. It may take the shooter a few shots to get the feel of the grip, but it is comfortable to the shooter. Comparisons[VS]diamond-carbon-cure,g5-quest-torrentThe Diamond Carbon Cure is similar in size to the G5 Quest Torrent. The Torrent is one inch shorter ATA, but both have a 7" brace height. They are both single cam bows and are almost equal in speed - the Carbon Cure has 325 fps, while the Torrent has 322 fps. Both are very shootable rigs that will not disappoint.The Torrent offers and additional 10# draw weight and can be adjusted down to 40#. The Torrent also gives an extra one inch of draw length adjustment. Both do a good job of reducing vibration and noise, and are built to hunt. The big differences in these bows are the price; the Carbon Cure retails at $650 and comes with the R.A.K. package, and the Torrent retails for $449 bare bow, and secondly the Torrent is almost a full pound heavier, which means it will tire the shooter out much quicker during a long hike in the field.
Usage Scenarios
This bow was built with the hunter in mind. It is solid, accurate, fast, and lightweight. It is an excellent fit in a tree stand and a ground blind. It can also be easily packed into the field on your favorite elk hunt. It is for the hunter. It will also work well on the local 3D range as well, but it is not a competition bow, and will probably not be seen at national events.
Value
This bow has a retail price of $650. Most bows in this class cost this much in a bare-bow package. The Carbon Cure comes with a R.A.K package, making this a very good price for this rig. With a couple of yardage adjustments, it is ready to find its way to the tree stand.
Summary
The Diamond Carbon Cure is a new hunting bow for the 2014 lineup. This rig is a 32" ATA, 7" brace height, single-cam bow that give the shooter an accurate shooting platform. It will work well on the 3D course, but is designed for hunting and fits excellently in a tree stand or ground blind. With a 325 fps, it is fast enough to meet any archery challenge, and feels good in the hand while doing it.Retailing at $650, it is priced right. It is also adjustable - 27" - 30.5" draw length and 50# - 70# draw weight. The bow is easily adjusted and can be done without a bow press. This is not a bow to overlook.
