The Answer to This Year’s Bow Search

Jody Hadachek's avatar

By Jody Hadachek on

Posted under: Bowhunting

The 2013 Elite Answer

In my last blog entry, I discussed a few important steps you need to take when looking into a new bow purchase. While I’ve shot a lot of bow brands over the years – in about every weight & axle-to-axle configuration you can think of – I chose to make a bow from Elite Archery my companion for the upcoming hunting season. I’m pretty geeked about it, and I’ll tell you why….

I had seen Elite bows hanging from bow racks in archery shops before, but for whatever reason, I never shot one. That all changed last year, when I decided to pull an Elite Answer off the rack and fire a few arrows down the shooting range. I was amazed by the smooth draw, lack of recoil, and the overall shot experience. I immediately knew I had to have one, and I’m proud to say that an Elite bow is now a part of my hunting arsenal.

The Specs:

The Elite Answer is a 33.5″ axle-to-axle bow with a 7″ brace height.  It comes in peak draw weights ranging from 40-80 pounds, with a 65 pound set of limbs as an option. Weight isn’t bad, at 4.1 pounds. It comes with some of the best (if not the best) stock strings in the business, as Elite has bought the Winner’s Choice string company and puts them on their bows as standard equipment.  The hunting colors of this bow include Realtree AP, Realtree APS, Realtree Max-1, and Ninja Black.  The draw length can be changed with modules, rather than having to buy completely new cams.  IBO speeds with the included smooth mods is rated between 327-330 FPS, or you can switch to speed mods – and bump IBO up to the 340 FPS range.

My Thoughts about the Elite Answer:

When you’re used to certain bow brands for so long, you’d think shooting a new bow would have some sort of learning curve to it.  Any learning curve involving this bow and its shooting habits was pretty much small to non-existent.  The first change I had to get used to was the two-track binary style cam system, as I’ve shot a single cam bow for the majority of my hunting career.  There are no yokes to twist on the system, and the draw feels different than other bows I’ve shot. It’s a little stiffer up front than other bows I’ve drawn – but SUBTLY stiffer.  Nothing significant.  Once the bow is at peak weight, it holds the weight momentarily before dropping down into a very generous valley – and once there, the draw stops on each cam bring the string to the most solid wall I’ve ever experienced on a bow.

Elite’s cams come with adjustable draw stops, providing a solid back wall along with a generous valley. Need to hold at full draw as that whitetail approaches? No problem!!  For 2013, the cams, limb pockets, cable guard, and string stop are coated with very durable Cerakote.

The bow justs “locks in” to place at full draw, with a large “dwell zone” that keeps the string from wanting to take off on you before you’re ready. To me, the draw cycle, especially when it drops into the valley to the wall, is what sets this bow apart from any other bow that I’ve ever shot; it feels like you can hold it forever, and the bow is as stable on the target as any I’ve ever experienced.  These factors weighed very, very heavily into my decision to purchase this bow.  Upon the shot, there is a slight “THUP” sound as the string meets the string stop.  No recoil, minimal hand shock, and the bow just sits there. Simple as that.

Aesthetically Speaking:

I was beyond impressed with the overall build quality of the bow. New for 2013, all Elite bows have Cerakote firearms coating put on the limb pockets, cams, modules, cable guard, and string stop.  This is a much stronger and durable coating than other finishes I’ve seen over the years.  The bow has a smooth texture to it, with fully-radiused edges throughout the entire product.  The camo finish is crisp and amazing, and I’ve never owned a bow with a higher level of quality put into every piece and component than what I’ve seen in this Elite bow.  And the grip?  What else can I say about it other than the angle and thickness to it fits my hand like a glove….and is the most comfortable bow grip I’ve ever wrapped my hand around.

Why the Elite Answer?

Elite’s grip angle minimizes torque, and the finish is high in definition and very aesthetically pleasing.

I can’t really say I chose this bow company or model, but rather it chose me. The Answer is 33.5″ axle-to-axle, and I wanted a bow with specs that would give me an “all-purpose” bow for hunting whitetails and elk, as well as shooting spots and 3D.  As mentioned above, the draw and solid wall truly won me over with this bow, and the pin holds on the target like a magnet.  Combine that with a lifetime fully-transferable warranty, and the “Elite Hunt Guarantee” (Elite will send you a bow on loan if something happens to your bow on a hunt while no dealers are close by so your hunt isn’t ruined), and that spells out a company that stands by its product and customers.  The call it the Elite Promise.  Now I can’t promise you I’ll kill a big buck this fall, but I can promise you my Elite will share all of my hunting adventures with me throughout the year and if/when the moment of truth arrives, we’ll both be ready for success.  Be sure to check out the complete line of Elite bows at their web site and see if they have a bow that fits your needs.

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