Anyone in the market for a new bow will quickly discover that two of the most popular bow manufacturers on the market are BowTech and Diamond.
If you’re new to the sport or you’re unfamiliar with these companies, you may find it difficult to weigh the benefits of one over the other. You could scour the internet for reviews and summaries yourself, or you could let us do the work for you.
Here are 11 simplified pros and cons to ensure that you choose the best bow for you.
Price Range
What many people don’t realize is that BowTech and Diamond Archery are owned by the same people. Yes, this does create some cross overs between the bows that can make it difficult to decide which line to go with, but there are also plenty of differences.
Of those differences, price is undoubtedly the greatest divider.
It only takes one quick search to understand that BowTech bows are on the high end of the price spectrum. The most expensive bows listed on BowTech’s website go for $1,499, and that doesn’t include any accessories you may want to add to the bow after walking it out of the store.
Even for the most avid archer or hunter, this price tag could be a deal breaker. For many, BowTech’s most expensive bow is like the Ferrari their garage will never house but that they never stop talking about. But it’s okay to dream.
For those not looking to drop that much cash, BowTech does have some that stray into a more affordable price range, but it’s rare to find a brand-new one for less than $300.
It’s not up for argument that when it comes to affordable pricing, Diamond Archery really shines.
Diamond Archery makes bows that largely live in the mid-to-low price range, and this is what attracts a lot of archers who are looking for quality on a shoestring budget.
On Diamond Archery’s website, the price cap hits at $749, hundreds of dollars less than BowTech’s top-of-the-line bow.
On the lower end, Diamond Archery offers bows at $229, and bargain hunters (pun intended) can often find used Diamond bows on eBay and other second-hand dealers for even less.
If price is a serious consideration for you as you search for a new piece of equipment, you can’t ignore the massive savings you’ll enjoy by buying a Diamond bow.
Accessibility
Price factors in greatly when considering the accessibility of these bows. Of course, both BowTech and Diamond Archery have websites that you can order bows from, but what if you want to test them out in person?
Sometimes the convenience of the internet just doesn’t compare with the experience of buying something in a brick-and-mortar store.
This is especially true when buying a bow. You could go off of other people’s reviews and recommendations, but at the end of the day, you’re the one shooting this bow and you’re going to want to know how it feels in your hands.
To find a store that has BowTechs in stock, you’re going to have to do a little bit of searching. Many department stores like Cabella’s or REI won’t keep these high-end bows in stock, and even if they do, they won’t be there long.
For example, if you live in a rural town in Idaho, the options for BowTech dealers are minimal. Using the website’s dealer locator, I was able to find one store near me that sold Bowtech bows.
When I searched for Diamond Archery bow dealers near me, I was given more than 30 results.
Once again, Diamond Archery takes the prize. No matter where you are, finding one of their bows is likely a simple matter of walking into your local outdoor store and browsing the racks for a few minutes.
You may find that locating a BowTech dealer is more like finding a needle in a haystack.
Variety
Variety of bows is the first category in which BowTech is the likely winner. Having been in business for 20 years, they’ve been able to refine, experiment with, and expand their bow-making techniques.
This has resulted in a large variety of models to choose from. Compoundbowchoice.com has compiled a list of 49 bows offered by BowTech.
Most of BowTech’s bows utilize the Binary Cam System. This is understandable, as it was their engineering team that invented it.
That said, they still offer a myriad of bow styles that use single cams and other variations for every archer’s preferences.
As for Diamond Archery, they have a much shorter list at 26 models. While they were originally single-cam only, they have diversified their cam systems since being bought out by BowTech and now also offer binary cam models, though fewer than BowTech’s line.
This difference is reflected on BowTech and Diamond Archery’s websites as well.
If you’re looking to buy one directly from the company’s website, BowTech has 14 options to choose from, while Diamond Archery has 10.
The extensive variety of BowTech’s models clearly offers an advantage to the archer who wants more control over the details of their bow’s manufacture.
If too many options overwhelm you, however, you may find it less stressful to browse Diamond Archery’s selection.
Quality
Both BowTech and Diamond are known for making quality compound bows.
Whether you buy a BowTech or a Diamond, you’ll get a lifetime guarantee on your new bow. So even if you get a less-than-quality bow, you’ll have protection from breaks and any faulty manufacturing within that first year.
However, BowTech does make one quality guarantee that Diamond Archery, as far as I can tell, does not.
When they founded BowTech in 1999, John Strasheim and Kevin Strother wanted to guarantee the quality of their bows.
To achieve this, they ensured that the production process of each compound bow ended with a manual test. Even with their high production rate, they still claim to include this quality check in their process, which gives a lot of BowTech fans peace of mind when they buy their new equipment.
Because they are manufactured by the same company, customers often report similar quality in the risers and limbs of the bows.
Most of the dissension among customers of BowTech and Diamond Archery comes with the draw cycle experience. Many who have used both bows have made the comment that Diamond Archery’s bows do not have as smooth as draw cycle as BowTech’s.
Some disagree, but it’s likely that if you pay the BowTech price tag, you’re likely to have a more luxury item in your hand.
The smoother draw cycle may also be due to the fact that all BowTech bows are manually tested before being released, which means technicians have a chance to feel the draw cycle of the bow and make adjustments.
This is likely to come down to that in-store factor that was already mentioned. Some say that the price tag is simply for the brand name, and others claim that you pay for what you get.
It’ll ultimately be up to you to decide whether you believe money can buy a better archery experience.
Materials
Both BowTech and Diamond Archery offer compound bows made of the typical materials: plastic, carbon, aluminum, etc.
Some of the most popular bows at both BowTech and Diamond Archery are those that use the split-carbon technology developed, once again, by BowTech’s technicians.
The split-carbon limbs are much lighter than some traditional limb materials, which is typically a huge advantage both for archers looking to dominate at the archery range and those bagging game in the forest.
Most archers agree that the materials used in BowTech bows and Diamond Archery are quality, and this is what has allowed them to become some of the most popular compound bow producers in the business.
Cams
As mentioned, BowTech invented the Binary Cam System that has become the preference of many archers all over the United States especially.
What makes the Binary Cam System so special?
It was the first system to introduce full synchronization of the cams, unlike the previously popular single cam, hybrid cam, and twin cam systems, which either could not be synchronized or required great effort and constant tinkering to achieve full synchronization.
This synchronization increases efficiency by a lot, and seasoned archers will know that efficiency is key to great shooting because it allows for perfectly straight and powerful nock travel nearly 100% of the time.
Having coined this system before they absorbed Diamond Archery, BowTech bows often utilize this system, and it can be seen on many of their bows.
When they were their own company, Diamond Archery mostly used single cams (also known as Solocam or One Cam).
Despite the increase in the popularity of Binary cams, there are still many archers who prefer single cams on their compound bows because they are quieter and easier to maintain.
Since being absorbed into BowTech, Diamond Archery, like many bow manufacturers not affiliated with BowTech, have assimilated some Binary cam bows into their inventory to keep customers who are switching over.
So, whether you’re looking for single cam, binary cams, hybrid cams, twin cams, or something else, it’s likely you’ll be able to find it at either BowTech or Diamond Archery.
Use
Whether you’re looking to get better at hunting live game or just target shooting, you’re likely to be fine going with either BowTech or Diamond Archery.
BowTech’s bows do have the reputation of being incredibly fast and quiet and so have won the hearts of many bowhunters. You can’t successfully hunt wild game if you’re slow and loud, right?
But many archers whose arrows only ever sink into the bright colors of a target also prefer speedy bows, so once again, it’s up to you.
You’ll get much the same response about Diamond Archery bows. They tend to be quite speedy as well, and many claim that their simplicity and general light weight make them great choices for beginning hunters.
So if you’ve not yet developed your bow-weilding muscles and want to bring home a nice rack, you may want to consider choosing a compound bow from Diamond Archery to start out with and figure out how to move on from there.
Maintenance
You may be able to deduce which company offers the bows with the least amount of required maintenance on average just by reading the results of the other categories, but let’s take a moment to talk about maintenance anyway.
As has been mentioned, the kind of cams you have on your compound bow may greatly affect the level of maintenance you can expect to need to keep your bow performing at the top of its game.
Because BowTech mainly specializes in bows that use Binary cams, they are have been known to require more maintenance than other, more simplified bows.
Even on their website, they claim to provide the most technologically advanced bows on the market, and nothing screams high-maintenance like the word advanced.
The more components and accessories, the greater chance of malfunction or breakage can occur, which is why you should be prepared to care for your bow like a European sports car if you go with BowTech.
As has been discovered when considering price and accessibility, Diamond Archery is the amateur archer’s friend when it comes to maintenance.
Though they also offer some advanced technology in their compound bow models, their proclivity for the single cam naturally results in less maintenance for the owner.
If you have a lot of time on your hands, experience, or experienced friends, you shouldn’t experience any maintenance problems with your BowTech bow.
If the idea of playing doctor to your bow without the help of professionals scares you, you may want to opt for a single-cam bow from Diamond Archery.
Durability
The most common breakage happening on BowTech bows appears to be in the limbs. This could be due to users loading more draw weight on them than they are designed to handle.
Regardless, the complaints about this issue were relatively low, and it seems that BowTech has addressed this issue in more recent years. Plus, their customer service is widely praised, meaning that even if you do have a problem, you’re likely to get it fixed quickly and at a reasonable price.
Diamond Archery, unsurprisingly, has similar reviews. One on thehuntingsite.com comments on the durability of Diamond Archery’s cams and string.
There’s clearly a reason that BowTech and Diamond Archery are among the top competitors in the compound bow business. These are not the plastic bows you used to play with as a kid.
Skill Level
If this hasn’t been made obvious already, there’s a relatively clear distinction between the bows suitable for advanced archers and those made with the beginner in mind.
Although you could still start with a BowTech and be equally satisfied, it’s likely that you won’t want to drop that much dough on a bow you’re not equipped to handle.
Plus, if you’re still learning, it’s best to learn with a less valuable piece of equipment. You don’t want to invest your life savings into something you’re going to consistently mishandle.
This being said, there are plenty of advanced archers that prefer Diamond Archery compound bows over BowTech bows.
It’s always wise to consider the advice of others in the field, but remember not to put yourself in a box and choose what feels best for you.
Adjustability
If you’re looking for the ability to adjust your compound bow frequently, there are options provided by both BowTech and Diamond Archery.
The 2016 Fuel model has been praised for its adjustability and is also one of the most affordable options offered by Bowtech, making it great for beginners.
Diamond Archery claims to have some of the most versatile bows, especially for kids. Keeping their growing bodies and skill levels in mind, Diamond Archery manufactures some of the best kid’s compound bows around.
For adults, Diamond Archery offers the Medalist 38, which boasts extreme tunability.
If you are considering a Bowtech bow, you might want to check out our other comparison posts: