Elite Impression Review

Editors' review

The Elite Impression is marketed for female shooters, and has all the high-end technology and shootability characteristics folks have grown to love about Elite. Shooters researching on the Elite website may notice the Emerge and Impression similarities, and they should, because the bow is the exact same aside from the target audience. The Impression is well marketed and designed for the targeted female demographic. This bow has everything a high end compound bow should have, and has a slightly smaller design, and cam system to produce better efficiency at shorter draw lengths. For female archers on the market for a bow capable of every style of archery, the Impression deserves consideration.  

Finish

Shooters today are very interested in personalizing what their rigs looks like, and a great way to do that is by colored risers. Although there are tons of aftermarket ways to get the bow color desired, many times this voids the warranty offered through the manufacturer. Elite understands this desire for shooters to have something that looks more unique than what can be purchased off the shelf, and has 20 finish options to offer those on the market for the Impression. For shooters wanting colors, whether for target shooting, or just preference over camo, Elite sells the Impression with 12 choices. Trendy Teal, vette yellow, timberwolf gray, sunset pink, famous pink, pine green, purple rain, serious pink, crimson red, surge red, cobalt blue, and canyon orange are available as strict target colors. Those wanting some tamer solid colors, or the ability to mix the riser color and camo patterns shooters will appreciate black, hardwoods brown, and olive green. Finally, shooters interested in camo patterns Realtree Xtra, Max-1, and AP Snow are options, along with KUIU Verde, and Vias. The Rhinodized coating is durable and long lasting as well, so the bow should withstand the elements pretty well overall.

Riser

The riser design for the Impression keeps the bow looking like other Elite models, which is nice to carry the overall look throughout the whole lineup. The cutouts are strategically placed as they have been in the past to help reduce the overall mass of the bow while keeping it strong enough to withstand the torque placed on the riser. The bridged riser also adds strength to a high need area above where the sight mounts to the riser. Overall, the bow is still a bit heavy weighing in a 4.1-pounds, but that should not be too heavy to scare shooters off. There is a point when bows weighing too little can start to impact how much the pin floats while holding on target. The riser length and overall bow weight of the Impression allows it to hold pretty well on target, with minimal pin float. In addition to the structural riser design, Elite has integrated a roller cable guard system. It does not adjust like other 2017 Elite models do, but it does integrate a roller instead of the older slide rod. Limbsaver dampening accessories are also integrated into the string stop system mounted to the back of the bow. Shooters will also have the ability to attach a stabilizer to the front of the bow if wanting to add more stability or help off set some additional weight.  

Grip

The grip is also redesigned with a slightly smaller size than the larger bow models. It has a flat back, and a pretty slender feel. This fits in the shooters hand well, and feels nice for those with smaller hands when compared to larger grips. There are side plates incorporated into the grip, but they do not add too much to the feel or design of the grip. They do help add a little sophistication to the overall look of the bow, but they do not make it feel differently. For most shooters, the grip is going to feel just fine. For others, there may be an adjustment period to get everything aligned and feeling the way it should shot after shot.         

Limbs

The limbs of the Impression are a solid limb design offering 10-pound increments with maximum draw weights of 30, 40, 50, and 60-pounds. Until the current model year, solid limb bows were the design of choice for Elite, so the technology stays similar throughout the lineup. Limbsaver technology helps keep the limb noise and vibration to a minimum as well. There is nothing overly special about the limb and pocket system on the Impression, but they function well, and the tried and true solid limb technology will be durable enough to last a long time.  

Eccentric System

The SP cam system is a two-track system, similar to others in the Elite lineup. The cams offer modular adjustments in half-inch increments from 24-28-inches, with an IBO rated 305 feet per second set at 28-inches axel to axel. Everything shooters have grown to love about the Elite draw cycle is available on the SP cam system.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

This cam system has the famous dwell zone and back wall making Elite a well-known company in the archery industry. Shooters familiar with previous models from Elite will be pleased to experience the smooth draw cycle, massive let-off, and super solid back wall caused by the dual limb stop posts. The cams are engineered to be more efficient and better shooting at shorter draw lengths also, which makes this bow a better option than one designed out to 30-inches and using a shorter module. Holding on target, the Impression has very little pin float to account for. It wants to stay on target, even without any accessories added, and pulling into the solid back wall, shooters will love how easy the Impression is to shoot. After the shot, the bow is silent and shock free, which is exactly what people want to feel after the arrow is released. To be honest, it is very difficult to find anything wrong with how the bow performs and shoots.

Usage Scenarios

The Impression is a bow that can really do it all for female shooters. With a just under 32-inch axel-to-axel measurement, the Impression has the ability to be used in the woods or in a tournament. For serious tournament shooters, there may be some better options in the Elite lineup, but for the everyday girl, who loves shooting, the Impression is a great option.

Elite Impression vs. Elite Emerge

Bow	Elite Impression	Elite Emerge
Version	2018	2018
Picture
Brace Height	7 "	7 "
AtA Length	31.875 "	31.875 "
Draw Length	24 " - 28 "	24 " - 28 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 60 lbs	30 lbs - 60 lbs
IBO Speed	265 fps - 305 fps	265 fps - 305 fps
Weight	4.1 lbs	4.1 lbs
Let-Off	75% - 88%	75% - 88%
Where to buy Best prices online	Not available now. Please check later.	$300 Compare prices
	compare more bows

These bows are the exact same with some different marketing targeting the different names to different target buyers. The Impression is slightly better marketing to female shooters than the Elite Emerge is to still growing shooters. With limbs only being adjustable in ten-pound increments, it is hard to justify the Emerge as a bow that can grow with shooters. On the other hand, the Impression will more than likely be used by fully-grown female shooters, which means they will more than likely not need a bow with more than ten-pounds of adjustment.  

Summary

The Impression is a nice looking bow, which shoots very well. For female shooters, the Impression offers all the technology and desirable specifications desired for every style of archery. The $999 price tag is acceptable for female shooters wanting a bow that can do it all, with some of the best technology offered by the company. However, that is a decent chunk of change, and may be too pricey for some to seriously consider. With all the finish options, the Impression can be completed a variety of ways so shooters have a sense on personalization with their bow of choice. Although this bow is the same as the Elite Emerge, it seems to be better marketed to female shooters instead of still growing shooters because grown adult shooters are less likely to need a larger draw weight range.