Editors' review
The Elite Revol is one of 7 new bows brought to the market by Elite in 2017. The Revol appears to be a replacement for the Energy 35 with a 35 1/8 - inch axel-to-axel and similar speeds up to an IBO rated 333 feet per second. The Revol comes with all the newest and latest Elite technology on the market today including an adjustable roller guard, split limbs, dual bridged riser, LimbSaver dampening devices, the Revol cam, and 20 different color options. The bow shoots very well for most shooters, and has the ability to be used for target, 3D, and hunting situations. With all the changes, Elite may lose some of the faithful followers, which truly appreciated the older style designs. The new MSRP tag of $1399 is super expensive as well for a 7075 aluminum riser series bow. No one is able to say if the bow is worth the extra coin, other than the person spending the money, but the price is sure to keep many shooters from even testing out the Elite Revol and considering it as a choice for 2017.
Finish
The Elite Revol has 20 different finish options to choose from. Based on the bows ability to do every style of archery shooting, Elite chose to outfit the Revol any way shooters want for a sleek, cool looking design. For those wanting to use the Revol as a target or 3D bow, the target finishes offered are really nice looking. To say there is a finish for everyone is an understatement. Elite offers tons of colors for those on the competition side of things, traditional, and more modern camo options, and some tamer solid choices, which could be used for anything. The Rhinodize colors look great, and have a little pop to them allowing them to stand out a bit in the crowd or on the line. Some shooters are not thrilled with the longevity of the Rhinodized finish offered on the target bows. However, many others have been pleased with the durability and look of the tougher finish. For target shooters, color options include: Trendy Teal, Serious Pink, Sunset Pink, Famous Pink, Canyon Orange, Surge Red, Cobalt Blue, Purple Rain, Pine Green, Timberwolf Gray, and Vette Yellow. Of course, shooters could possibly use their Revol as a hunting rig as well, or perhaps just prefer camo bows. Elite offers Kuiu Verde and Kuiu Vias, Realtree Xtra, AP Snow, and X-tra, and solid Black, Olive Green, and Hardwoods Brown.
Riser
The riser on the Revol is made from 7075 aluminum, which has basically become the industry standard material for high-end model aluminum rigs. Although the dual bridged design is the same as previous model years, the Elite engineers drew up a new cable slide for 2017. The LTR roller guard system is brand new to Elite in two ways. First, the older cable slide system gets a face lift with a new roller guard. Critics of Elite have been interested in them developing a roller system, so this seems to be in response to some of those critics. In addition to that, the cable is adjustable to match different spine arrows without needing to tweak the rest much to accommodate for the difference in the shot. Most shooters after the initial set up and tune will not need an adjustable roller guard. However, those truly using the bow for multiple archery styles will more than likely be using different arrow. This type of system could allow shooters to shoot the same rest, and just tweak the LTR system to adjust for different arrows being used. This seems to be a neat feature, but practically it may not be as beneficial as it was designed for.The dual bridged riser design is similar to years past. The are in place to keep the rigidity of the riser and strengthen it from potentially being torqued as the bow is drawn. This does add some extra weight, and the Revol's longer frame tips the scales at 4.3-pounds. Although many shooters consider anything over 4-pounds to be on the heavy side, the Revol does not feel heavy. For a potential target rig, it is fairly light as well, which means shooters have a little more flexibility in adding additional weight where they want it. The string stop system features Limbsaver dampening products, which work very well, and can be swapped out for a variety of colors as well. Shooters have the ability to mount stabilizers on the front and back of the riser as well to help with the balance and overall feel of the bow holding on target.
Grip
The Revol grip is a brand new design for 2017 as well. In the past, the curved edge grip has been great for Elite diehards, but a little difficult to adjust to for anyone coming from another brand. The new design has a flat back and is slightly tampered from top to bottom, which is significantly different that the rounded edges and curved grip of old. The top portion of the side plated grip is the thickest section, and it slightly tapers as the grip goes down the riser. This helps shooters get the bow in the proper hand placement and allows more hand contact where shooters hands are larger. The flat back allows it to easily repeat in the correct spot shot after shot. The side plates add a bit in regards to the overall look of the bow, but not much function. Overall, the grip should be an improvement for most shooters over the old grip with the exception of the diehards who loved the curved feel.
Limbs
The new limb design is yet another change for the Revol over traditional Elite equipment from previous model years. Elite has always had split limbs until 2017. Elite engineers have released split limbs for the first time in their existence. Split limbs are far from new technology in the compound archery business, but 2017 is the first year Elite has switched over to them. The Elite Revol has offerings in 50, 60, 65, 70, and 80-pound options, which covers 40-pounds of draw weight and basically every poundage adult shooters are interested in. It would be nice for a 40-pound limb option, but most shooters interested in a bow like the Revol will be able to handle the 50-pound max limbs. The new limb design also requires new limb pockets. The function and dependability is the same, but the design is different to accommodate the split limbs instead of the solid limbs. Again, Limbsaver technology has been incorporated to dampen some vibration causing noise from the limbs after the arrow is released. The riser was beefed up a bit where the pockets connect in order to properly support the limbs as well, and the pockets seem to be a nice design for longevity and issue free use.
Eccentric System
The Revol cam gets the nod for the Revol and features some great characteristics making it an option for a do it all bow. The IBO speed rating for the Revol is 333 feet per second, which when combined with a 7-inch brace height is not too shabby. There are faster models on the market, but those numbers are fairly desirable given the other specifications offered on the Revol bow. The cam also features 11 different module settings ranging from 26 - 31-inches in half-inch increments. The dual cams are engineered to gives shooters the typical Elite feel, and the adjustable 75% let off provides an absolutely solid back wall with the help of dual limb stop posts.
Draw Cycle/Shootability
The Revol is without a doubt an Elite bow. Despite some very different technologies being rolled out for Elite, the Revol still looks and feels like an Elite bow in the past. The grip is an improvement for most shooters, and should be more user friendly than the banana grip of year's past. The 4.3-pounds bare bow weight balances well, and it does not feel like a heavy bow. The 35 1/8 axel to axel measurement is about as long as hunting bows come on the market today, but it is still compact enough for most hunting conditions. The Revol cam draw cycle is very Elite-ish. The dwell zone is substantial, the back wall is solid as a rock, and letting the bow down requires shooters to push the string forward. Holding on target is easy, and the ability to shoot in all styles with the same bow is a great feature. After the shot, there is a bit of vibration before accessories are added, but it is very minimal. The arrow is not blazing fast, but the arrows hit hard, and the bow never feels slow despite the lower readings on the chronograph.
Usage Scenarios
The Elite Revol is designed as a replacement to the Energy 35, which was a fairly great option for a do it all bow. The Revol is no different in that it can be used for every style of archery shooters are interested in. For a straight hunter, the Option series may be more enticing. However, anyone crossing the lines from one archery style to another will appreciate the Revol's ability to swap some accessories and shoot every style offered pretty well. The bow's specifications are outstanding for a bow that can do everything, but it is not necessarily perfect in any one category. For a great all around bow, the Revol is outstanding. For a specific target, hunting, or 3D bow, there may be better offerings specifically designed for the intended purpose.
Summary
The Revol is a nice shooting bow for anyone, but should appeal the most to shooters looking for a rig that can do it all. Simply swapping out a few accessories to go from indoors shooting on the line to heading out to a tree stand to hunt is a nice confidence boost being able to be comfortable with only one rig. The specifications are not mind blowing, but they are just right for most styles of archery. The MSRP tag of $1399 is extremely high for an aluminum riser bow, and Elite has out priced many potential buyers based on sticker shock alone. For those willing to ante up the premium price suggested by the Outdoor Group, the Revol is a shooter, and will serve its purpose as an all around bow very well. However, shooters do not need to spend this amount of money on a high quality, do it all bow.
