Diamond Outlaw Review (By BowTech)

Compound Bow

Draw Weight

Draw Length

Brace Height

IBO Speed

Let-off

AtA Length / Weight

Diamond (by Bowtech) Outlaw

Diamond Outlaw

See Today's Price on Cabelas

50, 60, 70 lbs.26.5" - 30.5"7"

How To Choose Arrows
330 FPS80%32" / 3.8 lbs.

Pros:
- Great value for the money
- Can deliver very high Kinetic Energy
- Very accurate and stable nock travel
- Package includes excellent accessories
- Suitable for beginner and advanced archers
Cons:
- Minor hand-shock (can be solved by attaching limb dampeners)
Compare prices across top hunting gear sellers

The Diamond Outlaw At a Glance

Welcome to our Diamond Outlaw review. The Diamond is a series of hardcore compound bows made by BowTech, and which have been proven over the years to be exceptionally reliable. The Outlaw is one of the quietest compounds on the market, and for a bow with a single cam system – it’s very powerful with a very straight nock travel and shooting accuracy. Highly recommended for anyone, regardless of level of experience.

Package Contents

You’ll get the bow in a R.A.K. package, which includes these items:

  • Diamond Outlaw compound bow (riser, limbs, cam system, cables, string, string stopper)
  • 4-pin Tru-Glo Apex sight
  • One-piece ultra-light 5 arrow quivver
  • Wrist sling
  • 4″ light-weight bow stabilizer
  • Peep sight
  • Printed Bowtech Manual
  • Warranty card

The Diamond Outlaw Eccentric System (cams)

The Diamond Outlaw includes Bowtech’s Throttle Tech Single cam system, with an improved geometry that gives you the best of both worlds:

  • Easy tuning of single cam systems
  • Power and accuracy of hybrid cam systems

Draw weight can be adjusted from peak draw weight down to 40 lbs. by tightening and loosening the limb screws. Draw length can be adjusted manually in 0.5″ increments, starting as low as 26.5″ and going as high as 30.5″. No bow press is needed to adjust draw length; just rotate the cam module according to the instruction manual and that’s it.

Cable slides are very smooth as well, with no friction or noticeable vibration.

Shooting Speed

The Diamond Outlaw has an IBO speed rating of 330 Feet Per Second. As you probably know, all IBO tests are done using the following bow settings:

  • 350 grain arrows
  • 70 lbs. draw weight
  • 30″ draw length

You’r Outlaw’s actual speed will vary significantly depending on draw weight, arrow weight, draw length, string acessories installed, etc. For a more accurate calculation of what FPS to expect, read: What’s your bow’s REAL speed?

Kinetic Energy (KE) Of The Diamond (By Bowtech) Outlaw

As with FPS, Kinetic Energy will vary from one bow setting to another. Below are some approximate KE values for the Diamond Outlaw, based on a few of the most popular settings:

  • 70 lbs. / 30″ draw length / 350 grain arrow: 80-83 ft-lbs of KE
  • 70 lbs. / 30″ draw length / 425 grain arrow: 83-85.5 ft-lbs of KE
  • 60 lbs. / 28″ draw length / 425 grain arrow: 63-65 ft-lbs of KE
  • 50 lbs. / 28″ draw length / 425 grain arrow: 52-55 ft-lbs of KE

Important: The above Kinetic Energy values assume point-blank range. For every 10 yards the arrow travels, subtract ~1.8 ft-lbs of KE for a more accurate calculation. So actual KE for a 40 yard target would be around 7.2 ft-lbs lower than the values above. The heavier the arrow, the higher the KE (assuming equal bow settings), but also the harder is a compound to aim. 400-450 grain arrows are usually the “sweet spot” for optimal KE and accuracy.

The Bow’s Draw Cycle

The cams on the Diamond Outlaw are rather aggressive, which is to be expected from any single cam compound bow with a 330 FPS IBO speed. While peak draw weight is reached rather quickly, the draw itself is very smooth without any bumps – with the exception of one small (but noticeable) bump near the end of the draw cycle. Tension is equalized between the cables and string, which is one of the reasons this compound shoots so accurately.

The back wall is exceptionally stable, which combined with the 80% let off makes it very easy to hold against the wall and aim for as long as you need. The Valley is somewhat narrow, so if you’re used to shooting from a wide valley you’ll need a bit of practice to get accustomed to the Diamond Outlaw, but it’s definitely more than doable.

Noise Levels And Vibration

According to some third-party tests I’ve seen the Diamond Outlaw was ranked #6 most quiet compound bow on the market (a total of over 250 bows were tested). Personally I don’t think I’d rank it as highly, but it’s definitely quiet enough for me not to complain.

The integrated carbon string suppressor “catches” the string during the shot, preventing it from vibrating and significantly reducing noise. This stop is also installed right behind the 4″ stabilizer that comes with the Outlaw package, which results in further dampening as the energy transferred from the string to the stop is then transferred almost directly to the stabilizer, rather than having to go through the entire riser before it reaches the stabilizer.

When shooting, I could feel a really small amount of handshock, which is probably due to the single cam design. You can eliminate this hand-shock by installing some limb dampeners – the Hush Kit works great.

Using The Diamond Outlaw For Hunting

First, take a look at Easton’s Hunting Field Chart:

Kinetic Energy:You Can Hunt:
< 25 ft-lbsSmall Game (groundhog, rabbit, wild turkey)
25-41 ft-lbsMedium Game (Antelope, Whitetail deer)
42-65 ft-lbsLarge Game (black bear, wild boar, elk)
> 65 ft-lbsLargest Game (Grizzly bear, Cape buffalo, Musk Ox, African elephant)

If you go back to our “Kinetic Energy of The Diamond Outlaw” section in this review, you’ll see this compound bow is perfect for a hunter. At maximum settings, there’s no game you can’t harvest. Even at the lower settings (50 lbs. / 28″ draw length) you can still tag an elk or black bear with a 425 grain arrow – you’d achieve a full pass-through even from as far as 50 yards away. Just make sure to take ethical shots and never release your arrow unless you are certain you’ll make the shot.

And since the Outlaw is light-weight (3.8 lbs. naked) and relatively short (32″ axle to axle if I remember correctly), it’s very easy to maneuver in the field and carry around for extended periods of time. Overall, this is a very powerful, compact, and accurate hunting weapon.

Limbs, Riser & Grip

I like the look and design of the riser on the Diamond Outlaw, as it’s a machined aluminum one-piece. Feels and looks very stable and I’m certain it can last a lifetime if used properly. Limbs are Gordon Composite glass, and attach to the riser through pivoting limb pockets; the pivoting helps get rid of residual energy in the limbs and hence reduces vibration and noise. The limbs have a parallel design, helping reduce hand-shock and giving the Outlaw that cool look most modern compound bows have.

The grip is made from thermal material and will help keep your bow hand warm and comfortable even during cold weather. A grip sling is included as well and helps maintain a stable and motionless grip during the drawing and aiming phases. The shape of the grip suits me just find, but this can vary from archer to archer as no two hands are exactly the same. Personally, I think the grip is particularly well-suited for medium- and large-sized hands.

Value For The Money

The Diamond Outlaw delivers great value for the money and it’s probably the best compound bow you can buy for less than $750.

Diamond Outlaw Compound Bow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading our Diamond Outlaw review. This compound bow is great for hunters, target shooters, beginners and advanced archers – basically everyone. It’s very powerful while maintaining the ease-of-tuning of single cam eccentric systems. Shoots VERY accurately and is forgiving of form mistakes, largely due to the high brace hight of 7″. Very easy to change settings and just looks plain awesome. Light-weight and compact as well. Only downside is the slight hand-shock, which can be solved by installing some cheap limb vibration dampeners. See Cabela's current price and customer reviews on the if you have a second.

Best Compound Bow Source © 2013 - 2016