Diamond Dead Eye Review

Diamond Dead Eye

Average user rating

out of 5 user reviews
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  from $359.99

Pros

  • Fastest Diamond bow ever made with an IBO speed of 343 feet per second
  • Rotating cam module for easy do-it-yourself draw length adjustment from 26-30 inches
  • 80% let off
  • Affordable price

Cons

  • Aggressive draw cycle

Video

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Editors' review

The Diamond Dead Eye is the fastest Diamond bow ever produced and stands toward the top of the list as far as single cam speed bows are concerned. With new technology from the ground up, the Dead Eye looks and performs like a single cam Bowtech Destroyer and is sure to be a great hunting bow. Shooters willing to accept a more aggressive draw cycle will be pleased with the flat trajectory and kinetic energy produced by a newly improved Diamond Dead Eye.

Finish

The Diamond line is finished with what they call the Invelvet finish. The Invelvet finish is soft to the touch and aids in dampening noise while protecting from dings, dents, and scratches. The Diamond Dead Eye also offers two finishes as well. It is available in the Blackops pattern, which is an all black finish. Riser and limbs are completely black except for the red accented limb decals. The Dead Eye also comes finished in Mossy Oak Treestand. All finishes are flawlessly done and look great. Along with this comes a wide range of after market accessories designed to match perfectly.

R.A.K. (Ready. Aim. Kill accessory package)

The Ready. Aim. Kill. package is available for shooters interested in decking their new bow out with factory accessories. The bow comes with a black four-pin Apex sight, an Octane hostage arrow rest, a five arrow one-piece Octane quiver, a 4-inch Diamond Stabilizer, and a Diamond wrist sling. Overall, this is a great package providing everything the shooter needs at an affordable price. However, some shooters may be more interested putting together their own accessory package.

Riser, limbs, and limb pockets

The Diamond Dead Eye riser has a one of a kind, very aggressive look. The machined aluminum riser is one piece and relatively lightweight. Attached to the riser is the FLX roller guard, which assists with the draw cycle and aids to eliminate speed-reducing friction after the shot. The Dead Eye is equipped with an innovative 7-layer laminated limb. These limbs are strategically designed to distribute the stress of the limbs throughout the entire limb. This distribution prolongs the life of the limbs and insures shooters are equipped with a bow that is going to last a long time. The limbs are available in 60 or 70 pound max weights. The limbs connect to the riser using Diamond's Center-Lock Pocket. These pockets are designed to maximize precision and accuracy. The limb pockets are machined to work together producing a repeatable shot that leads to improved accuracy.

Grip

The Dead Eye grip has a rather thick neck, which is comfortable to most shooters although some prefer a thinner grip. The composite grip is a one-piece grip and is advertised to be a little warmer in cold weather hunting conditions. Many shooters like how the grip narrows as it fits in to their hand. The thick grip combined with the tapered feel seems to be a great mix attempting to provide the best of both worlds to please the majority of preferences.

Eccentric System

The Diamond Dead Eye cam looks very similar to that of the Bowtech Destroyer except the Dead Eye is a single cam versus the binary cam system seen on the Destroyer. Diamond has introduced a rotating cam as well meaning changing draw length can be done without the use of a bow press. With adjustment from 26-30 inches, most shooters will find their appropriate fit. The Dead Eye uses the patent pending Throttle Cam Technology, which moves the bearing assembly to the limb tips. The purpose of this technology is to eliminate the bow from wanting to creep forward when at full draw. Finally, the single cam produces IBO speeds up to 343 feet per second, which is fast.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

Shooters in the market for a single cam speed bow should know that the speed has to come from somewhere. In this case, those speeds are produced by an aggressive draw cycle. Shooters willing to get used to an aggressive pulling rig are going to reap the rewards of shooting a flat trajectory speed bow. The back wall is very solid and the bow has very little creep if the draw length is fitted properly to the shooter. After the shot, a bare Dead Eye does have a bit of hand shock and residual vibration, but adding a stabilizer will take care of the issue. The 80% let off is a nice feature as well. The bow is very shootable and has proven to be a very accurate bow.

Silencing Package

Diamond uses a carbon rod string stop that is strategically positioned in line with the front stabilizer hole. Any extra vibration will quickly transfer to the front mounting stabilizer. The Octane Strings come factory on all Diamond bows which are equipped with a pair of Duraflex rubber string silencers helping cut down on string vibration after the shot. Some shooters have noted these silencers are not as durable as some of the aftermarket silencers available.

Diamond Dead Eye vs. Diamond Outlaw

BowDiamond Dead EyeDiamond Outlaw
Version 20122014
PictureDiamond Dead EyeDiamond Outlaw
Brace Height6.125 "7 "
AtA Length32 "32 "
Draw Length26 " - 30 "26.5 " - 30.5 "
Draw Weight50 lbs - 70 lbs40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed343 fps330 fps
Weight3.95 lbs3.8 lbs
Let-Off80% 80%
Where to buy
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The entire Diamond line is similar in looks and technology with the main difference between the models being speed. The fastest is the Diamond Dead Eye, but it also has the shortest brace height at 6 and 1/8 inches. The Diamond Outlaw has a brace height of 7 inches and IBO speeds of 330 feet per second. Both bows sport a 32-inch axel-to-axel measurement as well. The Diamond Outlaw has another half inch of draw length adjustability at the top and bottom of the range. The Outlaw also offers limbs in 50, 60, and 70 pounds; as opposed to the Dead Eye's 60 and 70 pound limbs. Both bows have similar technology and shoot very close to the same. For the most part, the decision between the two bows comes down to speed or more speed.

Usage Scenarios

The Diamond Dead Eye is designed to be a bow-hunting bow. The speeds are incredible and the amount of kinetic energy is more than enough for the majority of big game species. Although some target shooters may be enticed to try the Dead Eye due to the flat trajectory shooting promised from this single cam speed bow; the relatively short axel-to-axel measurement of 32 inches and the short brace height of 6 and 1/8 inches may be too small for serious target shooters. For those hunters who occasionally shoot in a 3d outing, this bow will perform just fine, but for the serious target archer, better options are available.

Price considerations

The Dead Eye is the fastest Diamond bow in the 2011 lineup, and is also the fastest Diamond bow ever produced. With that being said, it is also the most expensive Diamond bow in this year's lineup as well. For shooters looking for a single cam speed bow, this one will be hard to look over. However, for those archers looking for a bow on a budget, Diamond offers some other high-quality bows with a little slower speed and a smaller price tag.

Summary

The Diamond Dead Eye is a single cam speed-hunting bow. Those shooters interested in fast shooting rigs packed with a lot of kinetic energy will be impressed with the Dead Eye. For shooters not comfortable with an aggressive draw cycle, there may be better options available. The Throttle cam offers a ton of adjustability without a bow press. The minimal hand shock noticed after the shot can easily be eliminated with a front mounting stabilizer, and the aggressive cycle does get easier with time. With the available R.A.K. accessory package, shooters have the option to fully accessorize their bow with a great package at a reasonable price. Those shooters wanting to shoot a speed-hunting bow should give the Diamond Dead Eye a shot.

User Reviews

  • 5 reviews
  • ( out of 5 reviews for all versions)
I bought this for hunting. Love this bow, it's my favorite bow.

Version: 2012 Diamond Dead Eye

Rating:

Pros: Very accurate, to much so as I can Robinhood arrows with. When I test fired the bow I Robinhooded the arrows first time shooting it.

Cons: None after my first string change. It's truly the perfect bow. If your a man with muscled shoulders you will love this bow.

Full review:

I took this bow out behind my ranch, it's rugged terrain, thick brush, swamp and deep creeks full of ironwood, Maltafloralrose, vines etc... It's a pleasure to hunt these woods with. On Veterans day 2014, was out back up in my Viper climber over looking the creek bed. Rattled and in minutes to very large bucks started fighting down stream, 30 minutes later the winner comes stiff legging it down the trail. He was huge, all of 300 lbs. He followed the same trail 7 does earlier had followed. As he came in I drew the bow, had him at 40 yards, followed him full draw to 20 yards at the creek bank and sent the Grim Reaper to do its work. Perfect shot, complete threw his large body, heart amd lungs destroyed. He went less then 30 yards and piled up. The bow worked flawless and other deer as well. I had to call my buddy to help move this monster deer. He dressed at 309lbs, his nose to eye measurement was 8.25", most trophy deer are 6.25 to 7 inches. The taxidermist said it's the largest white tail he had ever seen, had to order a special form in for Finn. I was extremely confident in my shot with this bow, it's an incredible hunting and target bow. I would put it up against any target bow. You can shoot this bow with practice from 10 to 70 yards. My final target days prior to the Grand opening of bow is 3 arrows from 10 to 70 yards, all touching in the heart. At 70 my group opens a bit, about 3". Still a far cry better then most.

love it

Version: 2012 Diamond Dead Eye

Rating:

Pros: speed and finish. the way it sets in my hand.

Cons: not much to dislike about this bow except the life of the string.

Full review:

I like this bow alot. is very fast with minimal hand shock and feels good in my hand. shot this bow through a chrono with a 427 grain hunting arrow and averaged a speed of 278f.p.s. the octane string and cable frayed pretty bad the first year so i replaced it with another brand. i am very happy with this bow.

Fell in love with this bow

Version: 2012 Diamond Dead Eye

Rating:

Pros: Shoots very flat, aggressive looks,FAST

Cons: Octane string and arrow rest

Full review:

Bought this bow left handed and had never shot a left handed bow. Left eye dominant. Fell in love with the way this bow shoots, changed arrow rest to a Vapor trail limb driver and groups are softball sized at 60 yards. New strings really helped and put limbsavers on bow, it shoots really quite for a speed bow. Draw cycle isn't that bad.

Love this Bow

Version: 2012 Diamond Dead Eye

Rating:

Pros: this bow is fast, very fast for a single cam.

Cons: the draw cycle took some getting used to. very aggresive.

Full review:

once i got used to the draw cycle on this bow, i fell in love with it. It is very accurate and fast. haven't shot it thru a chronograph yet, I shot our local 3-d tournament this summer with it and scored a 462 out of a possible 500. for some reason the Octane string and cable frayed pretty bad over the first year so i replaced them with another brand of string. no problems with the string fraying now.

dosnt feel like a speed bow and very fast and quiet

Version: 2011 Diamond Dead Eye

Rating:

Pros: i loved the draw cycle on this bow because it dosnt feel like im pulling a speed bow

Cons: i do not like the clicking noise that the cam makes when it rolls over

Full review:

this last year my brother shot a doe and she ran over and ended up by my and i put the goldtip velocit with the grizztrick thru the sholder and she went 30 yards and did the drunkin sailor. i cronoed this bo at 312fps with a 398.6 grain arrow.

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