Elite Echelon 39 Review

Editors' review

The Outdoor Group working to create Elite bows redesigned everything about their previous models to give a brand new target rig with the Echelon series. This 39-inch axel-to-axel target bow has a new riser design, new cable containment system, new cam system, new grip, and outstanding feel, which still mimics everything people have come to love about Elite bows. Shooters can customize just about everything about the draw cycle including the let-off from 75-90%, in addition to the length of the valley using the limb stop adjustment. The finish options offered are awesome, although it would be nice to see a few different options to the limbs other than the black finish. Shooters getting the Echelon 39 are more than likely going to be serious about target archery, so the $1399 price tag may not seem as pricey given their target archery passion. Although the price is steep, especially compared to hunting bow prices, the suggested retail is competitive with the rest of the market. Although it is hard to mention in a review on what a bow has to offer, the Echelon 39 feels outstanding in any shooters hand, draws very well, and holds on target with no effort at all. This is a serious target bow, and shooters on the market for something that will put them in a position to be competitive with other archers and potentially on the podium should take a long look at the Echelon 39.

Finish

Elite offers 8 total color options on the Echelon 39, which include: Ninja Black, Cobalt Blue, Copper Flame, Sunset Pink, Surge Red, Emerald Green, Purple Rain, and Graphite Gray. Each of these pair with the black limbs, which look nice, but it would be cool to have color limbs thrown into the mix as well. The finish is perfectly applied, and looks outstanding. Elite uses Rhinodized coating, which is extremely durable and long lasting. In the past, this target coat required an up-charge, but these finishes come standard for the 2018 Echelon 39, which is greatly appreciated by the target archery world.

Riser

The risers brand new on the Echelon 39, although it looks pretty similar to older model Elite bows. Part of the similarity is directly related to the dual riser cage on the top and bottom of the riser. These cages look a bit different and are a little more streamlined than in the past, but the purpose is the same as the previous design. Engineers took areas of the riser more likely to torque under pressure, and added some additional support to keep the riser as sturdy as possible. The bare bow weight of the riser is pretty lightweight for a target rig at 4.7-pounds, with a forgiving brace height of 7 1/8-inches long.In addition to the new look of the riser, the cable containment system gets an upgrade as well. This system is a more traditional cable slide system, with linear and angular adjustments for fine tuning how the bow shoots. The system moves left to right as you are looking at the back of the riser, and also has the ability to change the angle towards the arrow. This helps with eliminating left or right paper tears, and allows shooters to tune to their arrow and setup.Shooters are going to add stabilizers to their rigs, and Elite has three total mounting bushings - one one the front, and two on the back of the riser. The front stabilizer is in line with the string stop system, and sits at the top of the caged portion on the lower end of the riser. The rear facing options offer a high and a low mount setting for shooters to get the exact feel they are looking for when holding on target.

Grip

The grip for the Echelon is redesigned again for 2018. Elite had the curved grip for a long time, and since moving away from that feel, they have designed, and redesigned the grip almost every year, which can make it tough to transition from one Elite model to the next. With that being said, shooters are pretty likely to love the feel of this new grip. It has a flat back like the last version does, and is contoured to fit effortlessly right where it should in the shooters hand. The grip is not a solid piece of the riser like it has been in the past, and actually has a cut out design integrated into it. This gives the grip area a unique look, but ultimately should not do much to the overall feel and performance of the grip area itself.

Limbs

Elite has never had any wide spread issues with their limbs, and their split limb design has been a great transition for them as well. The double laminate split limbs are outstanding in regards to quality and durability, and they are made to store a large amount of energy created by the new cams on the Echelon bow series. Maximum draw weight are available in 50, 60, and 70-pounds, with each configuration capable of ten-pounds of adjustment off the maximum draw weight.

Eccentric System

The newly designed cam system used on the Echelon series of bows allows for unmatched customization in comparison to any other Elite bow offering. The cams are speed rated for up to 326 feet per second with a brace height over 7-inches. This is not super fast for 2018 standards, but for a target rig, in addition to the added forgiveness, shooters will easily adjust to how this cam performs. Elite markets this bow as the most efficient target bow they have produced which is a testament to how well engineered it is. Draw lengths are available in 27.5-32-inches in half-inch increments with a modular based adjustment technique. Shooters are also able to adjust the let-off from 75-90%.The cam system on the Echelon 39 deserves a lot of props considering how much customization it offers shooters to get it feeling exactly how they want it to in the end. For starters, the cam system uses the cable containment system in order to fine tune left and right tears, which would have been done in the past by yoke tuning. This allows shooters easy adjustments, without the need of a bow press, allowing them to fully tune everything related to their bow and the arrows and vanes shot through it. In addition to being able to change the let-off from 75-90%, shooters can also choose which style back stop they want to shoot. This may be the single best thing about the cam system. In the past, Elite has offered what put them on the map to begin with, which was a dual limb stop creating one of the hardest back walls in archery. For target shooters, that hard back wall is not always favorable, and shooters wanting a bit of sponge on the back wall typically did not like Elite. The new cam changes all that because they offer shooters the option to choose a cable stop system as well. In fact, Elite offers a total of three different cable stops to fine tune the back wall feel, in addition to the limb stops the bow ships with straight from the factory. The outside of the cam has holes where the cable stop can be mounted, which also means shooters can play with which hole the stops go in to tweak with the valley feel as well. Elite offering an Elite draw cycle, with the ability to customize the back end may make this the most highly sought after target bow on the market for 2018.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

The Echelon 39 is sweet! Everything about it screams what Elite preaches, which is shootability. Shooters brave enough to take the shootability challenge may find themselves spending a lot of money on a new target bow because it feels that great. It is hard to talk about the draw cycle on this bow because it can be so vastly different depending on where shooters decide to place the stops, which stops they choose, and which let-off they prefer. All these options are great to have on a target bow considering every shooter has a different preference for how they like their bow to feel. Aside from the cams reaching peak weight quickly, and then rolling over into the dwell zone, shooters can change everything else about how their new bow feels, and that is pretty special. On target, the bow holds very steady, shoots without any major noise or vibration, due to the efficiency in the cam design, and balances really nicely before accessories are added. It would be really hard to find something wrong with the Echelon 39, which may be the reason the pice tag is $1399.

Usage Scenarios

The Echelon 39 is a target bow designed for field, 3D or spot shooting. Elite put a great deal of research and development into the bow, in addition to listening to pro staff members and customer feedback around the country. The end result is a target bow truly designed for nothing other than target archery.

Elite Archery Financing

The $1399 price tag is a large price to pay for any bow. With that said, the Outdoor Group works with a company called Klarna to help individuals finance their new bow purchase. Although financing a bow may not be the best option for every shooter, making it an option is a nice move by Elite. For the Echelon 39, shooters are able to get a monthly price as low as $85/month.

Elite Echelon 39 vs. Elite Echelon 37

Bow	Elite Echelon 39	Elite Echelon 37
Version	2018	2018
Picture
Brace Height	7.125 "	6.75 "
AtA Length	38.75 "	37.125 "
Draw Length	27.5 " - 32 "	26.5 " - 31 "
Draw Weight	40 lbs - 70 lbs	40 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	301 fps - 346 fps	298 fps - 343 fps
Weight	4.7 lbs	4.6 lbs
Let-Off	75% - 90%	75% - 90%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$600 to $625 Compare prices
	compare more bows

These bows are identical in terms of technology and customization. However, the different axel-to-axel measurements create slightly different bow geometries, which may be more desirable for some shooters on one bow over the other. The number after the Echelon name is the axel-to-axel measurement, which shooters will have to choose for themselves. The 39 features a longer brace height as well, but that also comes with slower arrow speeds. Although all the specifications are pretty close to each other, the differences are all related to personal preferences, and will need to be decided by each shooter. Both bows are outstanding, and sure to improve shooter's scores, but it depends on what shooters want in a bow in the end to make the final decision between the Elite Echelon 37 or the Elite Echelon 39.

Summary

The Echelon 39 is fully redesigned, basically from scratch, and the end result is an outstanding piece of equipment. This bow shoots like a dream, and has enough customization options to meet the exact demands of every shooter on the market in 2018. Shooters historically off the Elite band wagon in the past based on the high let-offs and solid back wall can now opt for lower let-offs and a cable stop feel for the back wall. There are three stabilizer mounting holes, 8 finish options, a new cam, a new grip, and a newly designed cable containment system, which aides in tuning the entire bow. Everything about the Echelon 39 screams shooter, and when given a test shot, it becomes very evident why some many people in the target world have taken the Elite challenge and never looked back. For anyone on the market for a 39-inch axel-to-axel target bow, the Echelon should get a long hard look, because it is one of the best shooting target bows on the market in 2018. The price tag is high, but so are the list of features and customization options available.