Bear Code Review

Editors' review

Bear built the Code around an idea that ran against the mid-2000s speed race: a long 34-inch riser and a tall 7.38-inch brace height, tuned for forgiveness and repeatable accuracy rather than headline fps. It is a single-cam hunter from Bear's Fred Bear-tradition value line - the catalog pitch was plain, that it "performs well above price" and skips the hype. Underneath the Realtree Hardwoods Green HD finish sits patented compression-molded quad limbs, a Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam, and Sims dampeners bolted on at the factory. It debuted in the 2006 Fred Bear catalog and carried into 2007 under the Bear name with a slightly wider draw-length range. This is not a flagship and never tried to be; it is the bow for the hunter who wanted a forgiving, low-maintenance rig that shot straight and did not cost a flagship's money. Nearly two decades on, it survives as a used-market sleeper - and the people who own one tend to keep it.

Finish

The Code shipped in a single finish: Realtree Hardwoods Green HD, a green-forward woodland camo that Bear paired with matching green Perimeter-Weighted cams and green accent hardware for a distinctive look rather than the brown-dominant patterns most hunting bows wore at the time. It is a period pattern - early-2000s Realtree, not the high-definition patterns that came later - and on used examples the anodizing on the cams and the dip on the riser generally hold up better than the string serving, which is the first thing to age. There were no alternate camo or solid-color options documented for either model year, so a green-HD bow is simply what a Code is. For a buyer today the finish is a fingerprint as much as a look: the green cams make a Code easy to identify in a rack of used single-cams.

Riser

The riser is machined 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum, cut long to set up the Code's 34-inch axle-to-axle geometry - Bear's "Long Riser, Parallel Speed Zone" framing. A long riser puts more of the bow's length in the rigid center section and less in the working limbs, which is a deliberate accuracy-and-forgiveness choice: a longer, more stable platform that settles on target and resists small aiming errors. Cable containment is handled by a straight carbon cable guard rod riding a Teflon slide, a low-friction setup that keeps cable-induced torque modest. Sims vibration dampeners and Leeches string leeches come factory-installed rather than as aftermarket adds, so the bow arrives already tuned for a dead shot. The limb pockets pivot to seat the limbs squarely and add another vibration-killing joint. It is a straightforward, over-built riser from an era when Bear leaned on mass and length for stability rather than exotic geometry.

Grip

The Code wears a two-piece wood laminate grip, a warm, traditional treatment that was already becoming uncommon as the industry shifted to molded rubber and skeletonized side plates. Wood does two things well here: it stays warm against a bare hand on a cold treestand morning, and its slim, consistent shape encourages a repeatable low-torque hand position once you learn where it wants to sit. It is not a modular grip and there is no swap ecosystem behind it, so the hand you get is the hand you keep - most owners simply adapt to it, and the laminate is comfortable enough that few feel the need to change it. For a shooter used to modern rubber grips, the wood feels firmer and a touch narrower, which some prefer for its directness and others take a session or two to settle into.

Limbs

The Code uses Bear's patented compression-molded quad limbs in a near-parallel configuration - the "Parallel Speed Zone" the catalog names. Splitting the working limb into paired quad sections spreads the load and, per Bear, produces the most energy-dense and durable limbs the company built in that era; parallel geometry also cancels much of the recoil as the limbs snap back toward each other. Draw weight tops out at 70 pounds, with the 2006 catalog also listing a 50-60 pound class and the 2007 book emphasizing the 60 and 70 pound peaks. There is no tool-free draw-weight range here - weight is set by limb-bolt turns within the module's window, the normal approach for the period. The real story of these limbs is longevity: the compression-molded quad design earned a reputation for shrugging off hard field use, which is exactly what the bow's owners report a decade and a half later.

Eccentric System

The heart of the Code is a Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam - a one-cam system with mass concentrated at the cam's outer edge, which Bear used to chase speed and stability without the shock a harsher cam would add. The single-cam layout is the Code's defining practical trait: there is no top-and-bottom cam to synchronize, so the bow holds its tune far longer and asks almost nothing of the owner between seasons. Rated IBO speed is 306-310 fps, honest mid-pack numbers for a 2006-2007 hunting single-cam and never the point of this bow - the long riser and tall brace trade a few fps for stability on purpose. Let-off is 75 percent, on the firmer side of modern norms; you hold a little more weight at full draw than an 80-85 percent bow, which many hunters actually prefer for a cleaner break and a more definite anchor. No period chronograph data survives for the Code, so its real-world speed at a given arrow weight is undocumented - the 306-310 figure is the manufacturer's IBO rating, not a measured result. Draw length spans 24-31 inches on the 2007 bow (26-31 on the 2006), covering most adult shooters on a single cam.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

Drawing a Code feels like what it is - an honest single-cam from the parallel-limb era. The cycle builds to peak and eases into a usable valley without the aggressive front-end wall a speed cam would stack, and the 75 percent let-off gives a firm, defined hold rather than a slack one. In my experience the combination that matters most here is the tall 7.38-inch brace height and the 34-inch axle-to-axle length: together they make the bow slow to punish a less-than-perfect release, which is why it aims so steadily. That forgiveness shows up downrange, not on a spec sheet - an owner who hunts hard reports the Code staying accurate out to 40 yards and cleanly taking does at 40 and 45-50 yards, the kind of real-world result the long riser was built for. The factory Sims dampeners and pivoting limb pockets keep hand shock and post-shot buzz well managed for a bow of this vintage, though a shooter stepping off a modern flagship-quiet rig will still notice it is a 2007 design. The trait I would trust most in the field is its durability: owner accounts describe a bow you can be careless with and still count on, and it rewards a settled, deliberate shot more than a rushed one.

Usage Scenarios

The Code is a whitetail bow first. Its long, forgiving geometry and steady hold suit a treestand or ground-blind hunter taking measured shots inside 40-50 yards, and the 70-pound peak has all the energy needed for deer-sized game at those ranges. It is a strong fit for the hunter who values a bow that stays sighted-in and low-maintenance across seasons - the single cam means you are not pressing it every fall to re-time cams. The 24-31 inch draw range covers most adults, so it also works as a shared or hand-me-down hunting bow within a family. For a budget-minded or first-serious-bow buyer shopping the used market, a clean Code is a lot of forgiving, durable bow for little money. Where it is not the right tool: it is not a short-axle, tight-quarters saddle-hunting bow, and it is not a speed rig for the archer chasing flat trajectories or long Western shots - the 34-inch length and mid-pack IBO make it a stability-first deer bow, and it is honest about that.

Versions

The Code was sold as a single model across two years with only minor differences; there is no documented separate MSRP for it, and today it exists on the used market only. Configurations were service options - right- and left-hand builds and draw-weight/draw-length combinations set by item number (for example the 2007 catalog's AFR3050360 through AFR3051770 range) - rather than distinct trim packages.- 2006 (Fred Bear catalog): draw length 26-31 inches; draw-weight classes listed as 50-60 and 60-70 pounds; IBO 310. Realtree Hardwoods Green HD.- 2007 (Bear Archery catalog): draw length widened to 24-31 inches; 60 and 70 pound peaks; IBO 306-310. Otherwise a carry-over - same 34-inch riser, 7.38-inch brace, 75 percent let-off, 4.4-pound mass, quad limbs, Perimeter-Weighted Single Cam, wood grip, and green-HD finish.

Bear Code vs Diamond Edge 320, PSE Stinger Max

Bow	Bear Code	Diamond Edge 320	PSE Stinger MAX
Version	2007	2022	2021
Picture
Brace Height	7.38 "	7.25 "	7 "
AtA Length	34 "	32 "	30 "
Draw Length	24 " - 31 "	15 " - 31 "	21.5 " - 30 "
Draw Weight	50 lbs - 70 lbs	7 lbs - 70 lbs	45 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	306 fps - 310 fps	320 fps	304 fps - 312 fps
Weight	4.4 lbs	3.6 lbs	3.8 lbs
Let-Off	75%	85%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$61 to $275 Compare prices	$199.99 to $795 Compare prices	$150 to $650 Compare prices
	compare more bows

Because the Code is a used-only bow now, the honest cross-shop for a buyer who likes its forgiving, low-maintenance character is a pair of current value hunters. The Diamond Edge 320 is the closest match in spirit: a forgiving, adjustable single-cam-feel package with a 320 fps IBO and a huge 15-31 inch draw range, sold new with a ready-to-hunt kit - where the Code asks you to trust a used example, the Diamond Edge 320 gives a warranty and modern let-off, though it is shorter at 32 inches axle-to-axle and less of a dedicated long-riser aimer. The PSE Stinger MAX comes at it from the value-and-adjustability angle too: a 304-312 fps IBO, 45-70 pound and 21.5-30 inch adjustability, and a proven entry-hunter reputation, in a 30-inch package that is handier in tight cover but gives up the Code's forgiving length. The decision comes down to priorities: buy a clean used Code for the most forgiving, longest-riser aiming platform and old-school durability at the lowest cost, choose the Diamond Edge 320 for the widest adjustability and a new-bow warranty, or take the PSE Stinger Max for a compact, wallet-friendly hunter you can grow into.

Summary

The Bear Code is a long-riser, single-cam whitetail bow that chose forgiveness over fps and reliability over flash - a 34-inch, 7.38-inch-brace hunter with patented quad limbs, factory Sims damping, and a 306-310 fps IBO rating that was never the reason to buy it. It launched as a value bow in Bear's Fred Bear-tradition line for 2006 and carried into 2007, and it has aged into a genuine used-market sleeper, and the owner feedback that survives describes it the same way, as a durable, accurate deer bow that shrugs off hard use and asks for little beyond fresh strings. What I keep coming back to is how well the long geometry and single cam still serve their purpose - this bow holds on target and holds its tune, which is most of what a hunting bow needs to do. It is an excellent choice for the hunter who wants a forgiving, low-maintenance deer rig at used-market money and is willing to inspect condition before buying. Buyers who want a new bow with a warranty and the widest adjustment range should also look at the Diamond Edge 320, while those prioritizing a compact, budget entry hunter should consider the PSE Stinger Max.