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Posted 04/23/02
By Bill Krenz
C.P. Oneida Black Eagle
When a product category matures, what often happens is that the products in that category slowly begin to look and function alike. Computers, tennis rackets, video cameras, even sport utility vehicles are prime examples. So are today's compound bows. More than one archery dealer has lamented to me recently that so many compound bows now look so much alike, that it's becoming hard to tell them apart. Directly in the face of that, one particular company offers a distinctly unique alternative. That company is C.P Oneida Eagle.
The heart of the 2002 C.P. Oneida Eagle line is the Black Eagle, a conspicuously different bow. The Black Eagle sports a machined aluminum riser, a unique limb configuration that includes short power limbs connected by way of a 1 hinge to outboard recurve limbs, and a cam and cable system that is tucked tight into the riser. The result is a most unique bow that appears to be an artful cross between a recurve bow and a compound bow.
Few would dispute the argument that the traditional recurve bow is the most aesthetically pleasing of all of today's bows. It's more graceful than the traditional longbow, and sleeker and trimmer than the popular compound bow. But a recurve bow doesn't have the let off, or nearly the arrow speed capability, of a good compound bow.
Now, imagine a bow that looks surprisingly like a recurve bow, but draws and shoots like a compound bow... and you have a C.P. Oneida Eagle.
The basic Oneida Eagle bow concept has actually been around for some years, and has developed a very loyal following. Oneida Eagle fans are quick to point out their bow's exceedingly smooth draw, excellent speed, forgiving nature, and distinctive look. Many won't shoot anything but an Oneida Eagle.
So why hasn't this distinctive, high performance bow design become more widely popular? The truth is that the company has gone through a series of misadventures with different owners. Marketing and promotion have been substandard, and delivery inconsistent.
But watch out! All that is about to change. Archery industry veteran Claude Pollington of Marion, Michigan is the new owner of Oneida Eagle. C.P Oneida Eagle Bows is a brand new company with a much-improved Oneida Eagle bow design (30 percent fewer parts than previous designs), and a gung ho owner with the experience, confidence, and ability to make these bows go.
KEY SELLING POINTS
Distinctive Look
In most any rack of same-looking compound bows, the Oneida Black Eagle will stand out like, well, an Eagle in a flock of sparrows. That may be overly dramatic, but in an aesthetic sense it's not far from the truth. The C.P. Oneida Black Eagle looks good. It looks trim and powerful. It looks like it's been designed to shoot very well.
Silky Smooth Draw
Few compound bows today draw as smoothly as an Oneida Black Eagle. This bow draws back and lets off like silk. Compared to some of today’s harsher drawing bows, that's a real relief. When a buck is walking closer and you need to draw slowly and smoothly to your anchor, a Black Eagle can take you there.
Excellent Performance
The Oneida Black Eagle is fast, ranking right up there with many of today's most popular, conventional compound bows. With either aluminum or carbon arrows, the Black Eagle gets an arrow to where you need it with dispatch and power.
Reduced Hand Shock
Because of the nature of the Oneida Eagle, these bows shoot with barely a hint of hand shock. As the bowstring is released, the upper outboard recurve limb rotates rapidly upward, while the bottom outboard recurve limb rotates rapidly downward. That counter-canceling action seems to significantly reduce shot vibration and subsequent hand shock felt by the archer.
Convenient Draw Length and Letoff Adjustability
Each 2002 Oneida Black Eagle comes with a complete set of draw length and letoff modules. With those modules, each Black Eagle is adjustable over approximately a three-inch range, and can be configured for letoff from 40 to 80 percent. Installing a new module is as simple as loosening a cam set screw, removing the old module, and installing the new one. The Oneida Black Eagle can be ordered in any draw length from 25 inches all the way out to 34 inches.
Positive Draw Control System
Once the Black Eagle's draw length is roughly set using the provided draw length modules, the bow's innovative PDC (Positive Draw Control) System Is used to fine tune for an exact and very precise personal draw length. The Positive Draw Control Svstein consists or two round and adjustable disks strategically located on the bow's riser. A nylon screw, which projects from the disk, contacts the inside edge of the Oneida cams at full draw. By rotating the disks to the exact position desired, draw length can be very precisely set. In addition, the Positive Draw Control System on the Oneida Black Eagle creates a very solid back wall to the draw force curve. Your customers will love that.
Shoot It the Way You Want It
One of the real advantages of the Oneida Black Eagle is that this bow can be easily adjusted and configured to match up perfectly with almost any shooting style or preference. Draw length, letoff, and tiller can all be easily adjusted to set this bow up for serious release, or fingers shooting. Set it up with a high letoff and a solid back wall for a release. Or configure it with a very low letoff and a long valley for the died-in-the-wool liners shooter. Your customers can have this bow their way.
CLOSING THE SALE
An eagle is one of the most remarkable predators on the planet. An Oneida Black Eagle is one of the most remarkable bows ever offered. The Oneida Black Eagle combines the distinctive look of a traditional recurve bow with the pleasing letoff and sizzling speed of a compound bow. It's a blend guaranteed to please. When selling an Oneida Black Eagle, let that distinctive look lead the way. Then talk about speed and performance. And encourage the customer to draw the Black Eagle, feeling for themselves what a truly smooth bow is like. Explain how the rebounding outboard recurve limbs cancel out hand shock in the bow. Talk about precise draw length settings, and letoff configurations 40 to 80 percent.
There are bowhunters out there who are so loyal to Oneida Eagle bows that they will shoot nothing else. As more archers discover the new Oneida Black Eagle, and more archery dealers discover the new C.P. Oneida Eagle Bow company, the popularity of both is bound to soar.
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Posted 04/11/02
Staff Shooters letters have mail today you should receive them within a week. Please call us if you didn't receive yours.
Phone: 231-743-2427 Office
Thank you,
Dawn Spaulding
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Posted 03/10/02
BOW REPORT: C.P. ONEIDA BLACK EAGLE
THE C.P. BLACK EAGLE DELIVERS A SMOOTH DRAW AND HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE .
By Norb Mullaney
From Bowhunting World - April 2002
I first saw an Oneida Eagle compound in 1982 at the Anderson International Bowhunters Clinic. John Islas, its inventor, explained the bow to me and I had an opportunity to experience the smooth easy draw and the almost total lack of recoil upon release. I was fascinated by the concept I had never shot another bow with the feel that it provided.
I tested the Eagle in November of that year and Archery World, the predecessor to Bowhunting World, published my Bow Report in the 1983 February/March issue. During the ensuing years we have published Bow Reports on four more Oneida bows, the Screaming Eagle, the Strike Eagle, the Aero Force and the Light Force, all successively improved versions of the original design. The Black Eagle, the subject of this Report, is the product of C. P. Oneida, the new organization by Claude Pollington, which recently acquired the product line. The Black Eagle features many progressive improvements over earlier models but the basic principle of operation is the same.
The Black Eagle is built on a fully machined aluminum alloy handle that is 19 7/8 inches long. The pressure point of the grip is set 1 7/8 inches behind a line through the centerlines of the limb pivot points. The grip is located on the vertical centerline of the bow and the operating plane of the string bisects the grip (no off- set). The sight window has a usable length of 5 in. It is cut 9/16 inch past center-line with an additional 1/8 inch clearance cut at the arrow pass. This results in a clearance of 11/16 inch between the plane of the string and the surface of the window at the arrow pass. In departure from earlier methods, the Black Eagle uses machined aluminum alloy limb pockets to mount the limbs. These pockets pivot on cylindrical bosses extending from the ends of the risers. The pockets have raised slots on the face side that fit over the backbone of the risers to maintain positive alignment between the power limbs and the handle. The butts of the power limbs fit snugly in the pockets and are held rigidly in place by the limb bolts that pass through the limbs and the pockets and into the risers. This limb mounting system is a substantial change from earlier bows that featured pylon plates that extended over the limb butts.
A major change in the Black Eagle since the last Oneida bow I tested consists of the double cam arrangement that mounts directly to the riser, eliminating the pylon plates and the cable spreader that were required with the former single cam system. Each cam in the double cam setup is about 7/16-inch thick as compared to the ¾-inch thickness of the original single cam. The timing wheels are mounted on the inside of the string-hand side cams. Idler sheaves are provided inline with the timing wheels to guide the cable into the slot on the handle.
In order to follow and understand the detailed description of this bow it is important to grasp its operating principle because it is different from other compounding systems. The Oneida bows combine two force control systems, the recurved limb and the eccentric cam, with the normal variable geometry of a bending limb to achieve a unique energy storing mechanism. In operation, when force is applied to the bow string it pulls on the tips of the recurved limbs which in turn impose a load on the ends of the power limbs, forcing them to bend. The recurved limbs actually bend very little; instead they rotate as the string is drawn, with the recurve action causing an increase in the mechanical advantage. This occurs because the moment arm is lengthened and the angle that the string makes with the limb is increased. Simultaneously, the inner ends of the recurved limbs pull on the yoke cable with a leveraged force. The yoke cable and the power cable are both attached to the cams, wrapping in opposite directions. The force exerted on the cams by the yoke cable rotates the cams toward the back of the bow This applies a force on the outboard ends of the power limbs, adding to that exerted by the pressure of the recurved limbs. In this manner the power limbs are bent and store energy. The recurved limbs function in this way similar to the action of a conventional bow with rigid recurves. By reason of the camming effect of the recurves, they initially have minimum leverage on the limbs at brace height, creating a steep initial slope on the force-draw curve, resulting in the storage of a high level of energy. As the recurves roll out, the leverage is increased and the cams control the differential leverage of the yoke and power cables. The recurved limbs and the cams combine to establish the force draw characteristic of the bow. The Oneida cams are relatively simple in shape with the outlines composed essentially of straight lines and simple radii. Tiny modules, one in each cam, control draw length and percent let-off. Two sizes of cams - short and medium – cover draw lengths from 24 to 33.5 inches when teamed with various sizes of cables and modules. The cables are color coded for quick identification with the specific application detailed on a cable chart that the company provides. This chart also lists the modules used for available draw lengths and letoffs, plus the optimum brace height and string length. From a setup stand point the Black Eagle is an extremely versatile bow, I counted 31 different versions that can be assembled considering varying draw length and letoff.
The cams are mounted on opposite ends of 5/16-inch diameter axles that rotate in roller-type antifriction bearings set in bosses at the ends of short extensions on the face side of the upper and lower risers. The timing wheels are mounted on the axles inboard of the cams on the string-hand side. The lower wheel is fixed rigidly to the cam while the upper wheel has a slotted arrangement that permits adjustment of the timing system for proper tiller. This upper wheel is attached to the upper string-hand side cam by a socket-head bolt that extends through the cam and into the slot in the wheel. The bolt threads into a special washer that locks the setting of the timing system. It is important that this bolt be loosened when adjusting draw weight or tiller to avoid damage to the timing system. The timing cable extends from the timing wheel over the idler sheave, then through a slot in the handle and under the grip to the opposite sheave and wheel. The upper timing wheel has a slotted screw that can be rotated to adjust the tension. The fact that the Oneida Eagle bows have no external cables has endeared them to many archers. On single cam (per end) Oneida bows, draw stops could be created by sliding the yokes to a position where they would contact the surfaces of the power limbs to provide a very positive draw stop. On the double-cam Black Eagle, draw stops consist of eccentrically pivoted round aluminum disks that are bolted into the string-hand side of the risers adjacent to the cams. These disks carry a projecting plastic stub that can be rotated into position to stop the cams from further rotation.
The grip section on the Black Eagle is finished with two hardwood plates that are attached by a pair of through bolts that are inset on one side and threaded into brass inserts in the opposite plate. The metal surface of the handle on the face side is covered by thin leather that is clamped in place under the plates. This bow uses a conventional 14-strand bowstring with end loops fit over the husky tips of the recurved limbs. String length varies with bow setup. Standard finish is "Tree Grey," however the bow is also available in “Michigan Autumn” on special order. Draw weights offered are 35/55 pounds, 50/70 pounds and 60/80 pounds.
The Tests
The test bow was identified as model LFM 35/55, however I was advised that it qualified for testing at 60 pounds peak draw force. I was provided an assortment of modules designated for 50 and 75 percent letoff. As the test results show I was unable to substantiate these values of letoff. All tests were run at 30 inches AMO draw length. The higher level of letoff was tested at 50 and 60 pounds peak draw force and the lower letoff was evaluated at 60 pounds peak draw force. I equipped the Black Eagle with a New Archery Products Low Profile PlungerRest. This setup was used for all dynamic tests.
Static tests are conducted using a force-force machine equipped with a Chatillon digital force gauge capable of reading to the nearest 0.1 pound. Force readings are taken at one-inch increments from brace height to just beyond the test draw length in order to define the valley and back wall of the force-draw curve. The area under the force draw curve is integrated by elemental summation and then converted to footpounds to obtain the energy that is stored when the bow is drawn from brace height to full draw. Other pertinent measurements are also taken with the bow at brace height and at full draw. Comparative data from the static tests are tabulated in the first nine lines of Table 1 .
With the "G" modules installed I found AMO letoffs of 58.2 and 63.2 percent at 50 and 60 pounds peak draw force respectively. This is substantially short of the 75 percent draw the tune chart listed, but that may have been “effective” rather than AMO letoff. The difference can be as much as 10 percent. The Pope and Young Club and some western states that have equipment restrictions cite the AMO method in their regulations. With the "18" modules installed I found a letoff of 28.5 percent at 30 inches AMO draw length. The bottom of the valley occurred at 30 5/16 inches with a holding weight of 41.7 pounds and a letoff of 30.5 percent.
Figure 1 presents the force-draw curves for the three conditions tested. Observe the smooth well-rounded character of these curves. Unlike those of most high performance compounds, the Oneida curves are smoothly rounded throughout the entire draw cycle. There is no obvious extended dwell at the peak force level and the approach and letoff are notably gradual. Despite this, the levels of stored energy are very good, with ratios of stored energy to peak draw force (S.E/P.D.F) ranging from 1.335 to 1.421 foot pounds per pound. Using the "G' module at
The Oneida curves are smoothly rounded throughout the entire draw cycle.
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both 50 and 60 pounds P.D.F, the bottom of the valley occurred at precisely 30 inches AMO draw length. With the "18" module at 60 pounds P.D.F, the bottom of the valley stretched to 30 5/16 inches draw length. Letoff values given in Table 1 are those calculated at precisely 30 inches. The following chart provides a comparison between them and letoff calculated at the bottom of the valley:
Static hysteresis is a measure of friction in the system. It is obtained by subtracting the energy represented by the letdown curve from that represented by the force-draw curve. From tests of many bows, I have found that it usually ranges from about 5 to 12 percent of the stored energy. For the Black Eagle it ranged from 6.54 to 7.01 percent, definitely near the low end of the general range and representing a significant reduction from earlier Eagle bows. This can be attributed to recent changes in the internal routine passage made by the Pollington group.
This reduction in hysteresis accounts for a 3 to 4 percent improvement in dynamic efficiency that I found for the Black Eagle as compared to the Lite-Force, the last Oneida bow I tested. It may not be the sole reason but it is a major contributor.
Dynamic tests are conducted using a shooting machine and a double chronograph arrangement. The standard chronograph, a Custom Chronograph Model 1000, is positioned three down range from the back of the bow at the arrow pass. The checking chronograph, an Oehler Model 35P, is located immediately adjacent (down range) to the standard unit. Seven test arrows, ranging in weight from 360 to 650 grains in approximate 50 grain increments, are each, shot and chronographed a minimum of five to establish a credible value of average initial velocity for the individual arrows. The arrow weights and velocities are used to calculate experimental values of virtual mass. A curve of virtual mass is determined by linear regression from the experimental values. This permits the calculation of initial arrow velocity and dynamic efficiency for any arrow weight.
Bow or dynamic efficiency is the initial kinetic energy of the arrow expressed as a percentage of the stored energy of the bow. It is the energy obtained (initial arrow kinetic energy) expressed of the energy or work applied to draw the bow (stored energy). Kinetic energy is the energy the arrow possesses as of result of its mass and velocity. Table 2 presents values of bow or dynamic efficiency and initial arrow velocity for the Black Eagle or each of the test conditions. Values are given a 25 grain increments of arrow weight for the wide range of arrow weight tested. The curves of initial arrow velocity shown in Figure 2 were plotted from the data in Table 2.
The kinetic energy carried by an arrow is related to the penetration potential of that arrow when it strikes a target medium. The actual penetration is a function of the target medium as well as the kinetic energy. Without question, the form characteristics of the specific arrow also affect the actual penetration. To properly evaluate the actual penetration effect as related to kinetic energy, the target medium must be constant and the arrow must be identical. To recognize the effect of changing target I use the term " penetration potential," rather than “penetration” because the target medium can be a highly variable factor. It can be eliminated using the term " penetration potential." The kinetic energy, which is a function of mass of the arrow and its velocity, is the primary determinant that concerns us. The arrow assumed constant in all cases. Figure 3 presents curves of initial kinetic energy plotted versus arrow weight. Observe that for all test conditions, the levels of kinetic energy are higher than the listed peak draw force for the entire range of arrow weight shown. This attests to the high level of performance achieved by the new Black Eagle. The average virtual mass listed in Table 1 is the arithmetical average of the experimental virtual mass values obtained for the seven test arrows. It corresponds to the virtual mass of the bow when shooting an arrow weighing about 500 grains. This arrow weight has no particular significance. It is just the mid-point of the range of arrow weights used for these dynamic tests. In general, the average virtual mass for compound bows will range from about 109 to 185 gains when calculated under the same conditions existing here. The exhibited range, 131.2 to 135.1, is very commendable and is a reflection of the reduced hysteresis andimproved performance demonstrated by the Black Eagle. The lower the virtual mass, the higher the dynamic efficiency of the bow. The Rating Velocity is a performance parameter developed by AMO to permit standardized comparison of performance of various bows. Simply stated, it is the initial velocity of any arrow of specific weight shot from a bow set at 60 pounds peak force and 30 inches AMO draw length. ASTM standard F 1544-99 was created to detail and control the testing necessary to determine the Rating Velocity. It establishes two different test arrow weights, 360 and 540 grains, because some bows that yield similar Rating Velocities with the 540-grain arrow demonstrate substantially different Rating Velocities when tested with the 360-grain arrow.
In other words, some bows gain arrow velocity at a greater rate than other bows when arrow weight is reduced. The method for obtaining the Rating Velocity set forth m ASTM standard F 1544-99 uses the average of five shots of the specified arrows to establish the value. The method I have used for the Bow Reports involves 35 or more shots to establish a performance profile for the bow. The Rating velocity is calulated from the velocity curve that is part of the profile. The results of the two methods seldom differ by as much as one foot per seconcd. The Bow Report method actually includes the F 1544-99 procedure, hence it is possible to provide both values as follows:
When the letoff is increased from 28.5 percent to 63.2 percent we witness about a 6 feet per second decrease in Rating Velocty for the Black Eagle. This is in the direction expected but somehow I doubt that many archers would feel that it was an acceptable trade-off. The difference in holding weight is about 20 pounds. A word of warning, however: Do not think that opting for lower letoff will always improve performance. It doesn't always happen that way. I have tested several bows that delivered superior performance when rigged for higher levels of letoff than when rigged for lower levels.
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QUALITY CONTROL IMPROVES C.P. ONEIDA BLACK EAGLE
POSTED 02/04/2002
MARION, Michigan – American-made products are well known for their high level of quality control that is unmatched anywhere in the world, and C.P. Oneida believes in the Great American Work Ethic-research, test new bow components, uses the finest available materials and always strive for a continued high level of product excellence.
“I feel that going into 2002 marketplace with quality products is the secret to success,” said C.P. Oneida president Claude Pollington. “My tool and die shop was built on that deep-seated belief and our bows also meet that exacting standard. We’re constantly improving our Oneida line of bows, and each year new changes are made to make them easier to draw and shoot while providing greater arrow speed and a quality product that we, our dealer and consumer feel is the best compound bow made.
Pollington said every bow component from hinges, handle and riser to the outboard and power limbs have been researched, and tested before being sold. Every Black Eagle is shot many times by factory staff, and if it isn’t right, the bow is not sold.
“We bought several new machines this year to produce Black Eagle bows as fast as our quality-control will allow in order to keep up with rising demand,” Pollington said. “We’ve made all new hinges, outboards limbs and power limbs. Little things like cable grooves, limb tips and other vital parts of the bow are perfectly machined to produce optimum performance.
“Each limb is perfectly formed, lighter and this creates a smoother shooting bow while delivering more arrow speed. Our new hinge is a integral part of the limb, and this will make the Black Eagle easier than ever for hunters to draw, hold and shoot.”
Pollington said quality workmanship is their No.1 objective, and they want each bow to be perfect in all respects. A precision built bow draws smoothly, and offers no recoil or torque during the shot so it will generate straighter arrow flight.
“People buy C.P. Oneida Black Eagle bows because they never shake, torque or vibrate,” he said. “A torque-free bow means greater accuracy, resulting in less wounded animals and a success rate that often exceeds hunter expectations.”
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Statistics: Posted by JOneida — Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:22 pm
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