By R. Blacky Schwarz

Manufacturer: Black Swan Archery Inc.
420 South Freeman Road
Tucson, AZ 85748
www.blackswanarchery.com
Price: $1000

Bow specs:
Model: T/D hybrid bow
Length: 64 inches
Draw weight: 54 pounds at 28 inches
Brace height: seven to 7 1/2 inches
Physical weight: two pounds (complete bow)

Test results:
Draw weight: 54 pounds at 28 inches
Stored energy: 48.12 foot-pounds
Stored energy per
pound of draw weight: 0.89 foot-pounds/pound
Arrow weight: 488 grains
Arrow speed: 196 feet per second with mechanical release
Kinetic energy: 41.64 foot-pounds
Dynamic efficiency: 86.5 per cent (kinetic energy / stored energy)
Arrow speed: 191 feet per second with finger release

Riser:
Length: 16 inches
Shape: deflex
Sight window: 2 5/8 inches high.
Centre cut: 1/32 inches past centre
Material: The riser of the Black Swan T/D hybrid bow is cut and ground from grey Actionwood, which is made from dyed, vertically stacked layers of wood laminated together under high pressure. As the individual wood layers soak up the grey dye a little differently, the finished product shows the typical appearance of Actionwood, with several shades from grey to tan. To add contrast, an arc-shaped accent stripe, laminated from three layers of white and red Core-Tuff® fibreglass, is inserted in the centre of the riser. The shelf and sight window are radiused from front to back to reduce the contact area of the arrow. The shelf is cut low so that the arrow rides close to the bow hand, which helps hand-eye coordination when shooting instinctively.
Grip: medium-high pistol-type grip
Take-down system: The limbs are attached to the riser with steel limb bolts that fit into threaded steel bushings in both ends of the riser. Black anodised aluminium bezels and black synthetic washers distribute the lock-down pressure of the limb bolts over a greater area to prevent cracks in the outer limb lamination. A single steel pin in the riser and a blind hole in the limb are used for limb alignment.

Limbs:
Shape: Reflexed limbs with a rectangular cross-section and slightly rounded-off edges
Limb width: 1 1/4 inches at the fade-outs and 9/16 inches just below the string groove
Material: Two parallel outside layers and a tapered centre layer of clear Actionwood are bonded together for the limb core. A lamination from resin and ceramic fibres with a flat black surface is added to the belly side of the limb core. The back side lamination of the limb is made from a high-density carbon modulus of 70 per cent fibre with a woven pattern showing through the resin. Both outside limb laminations are of a proprietary formulation not available to the public. All laminations are glued with a mil. spec. special epoxy that is supposed to be several times stronger than conventional glues. The limb wedge is ground from grey Actionwood and looks like a continuation of the riser.
Tip overlays: Thin overlays of white fibreglass reinforce the limb tips so that they can withstand the forces of today's high-performance string materials.
Finish: The hybrid T/D bow is coated with a durable catalyst lacquer in a matte finish.

Supplied Sstring: A 12-strand BCY DynaFlight 97 Flemish twist string is furnished with the bow. All high-performance string materials such as Fast Flight+, D-75, BCY 452 and TS-1+ can be used with no ill effects.

Ordering options: The three-piece Take-Down hybrid bow is available in a right or left-hand configuration. Bow weight can be ordered in a weight ranges from 35 to 90 pounds. The riser can be manufactured from grey or brown Actionwood, similar to the reviewed model, or from aluminum alloy in a high or low-grip configuration. Limbs are interchangeable between the different riser models
and specifications.

Testing parameters: A force-draw curve was obtained from the reviewed bow, using a digital force gauge with a resolution of 0.1 pounds. Measured bow weight was rounded to the next half pound. The different arrow speeds were achieved with the bow shot from a shooting machine with a mechanical release and finger release, using a "Crick-It" clicker and a deerskin glove. The string was pulled to 28 inches AMO, which is 26 1/4 inches from the string to the deepest point of the grip. The (three) arrows for the speed testing had a weight of nine grains per pound of measured (not stated) draw weight. A 16-strand Fast-Flight string without any attachments (silencers) was used. Speed measurements were taken three feet in front of the back of the bow with two chronographs set up in tandem. Each arrow was shot a minimum of six times and overall achieved speeds were rounded to the next whole digit.