Elite Kairos Bow Review

The Elite Archery crew cranked up their game for 2024 by offering not only one, but two flagship compound bows in their lineup for the year. Their new Kairos and Ethos bows continue to deliver on the features that Elite shooters from across the country know and love.

To be clear, there’s honestly not a great deal of difference between the Kairos and the Ethos. The Kairos features the SPX cam system, delivering draw lengths from 24″ – 29.5″. The Ethos has the SP cam, allowing for draw lengths from 25.5″ – 31″.

Aside from the draw lengths, as well as a slightly different brace height – Kairos 6.5″ and Ethos 6.75″ – the bows are much the same. You’ll find all the great features and designs that continue to keep Elite toward the front of the pack in both bows.

However, for this review, we’ll be looking specifically at the Kairos bow. Take a closer look at the bow in the review below.

First Impressions

Despite the popularity of super short bows over the years, a lot of hunters seem to be inching back up in what they prefer for axle to axle length. The Kairos lands at 33″ axle to axle.

While some shooters may consider it long, it’s actually what many others have known for decades as the perfect sweet spot in bow length. The bow felt great in the hand, right out of the box.

Also, I immediately liked the grip on this bow and the balance it delivered in the hand.

I love that S.E.T. Technology still comes standard with Elite bows, making the tuning process easier than ever.

The bow I received came in a color option called, “Liquid Bronze.” As a child, I would have referred to the color as, “doo-doo brown.” It’s honestly not a finish option I would have picked. With that said, the color has grown on me a bit, and I’m now reconsidering. I think I like it, regardless of how I might label the color.

Specs on the Elite Kairos

Axle to Axle – 33″

Brace Height – 6.5″

Weight – 4.5 lbs

Draw Length – 24″ – 29.5″

Peak Weight – 40, 50, 60, 65, 70

Speed – Up to 335 FPS

Let-Off – Up to 90%

Price – $1299.99

SPX Cam

As mentioned above, the Kairos is powered by the SPX cam system. The design allows for draw lengths from 24″ – 29.5″ It’s a slick and sophisticated cam design that features the V3 Mods. The cam was built for perfect synchronization for greater efficiency and performance.

One of my favorite features on the mods on this cam is the ability to make 1/4″ draw length adjustments. No more having to settle with a half size. You can now get the exact fit and feel you want and need for greater consistency, shot after shot.

The cam delivers a smooth draw cycle from front to back with the Smooth mod. The Smooth mod comes standard, but a Performance mod can be added to the mix to beef up your speed, but the trade off is a less-smooth draw cycle.

Limitless Let-Off Adjustment

The 3rd generation of Versa Mods on this bow also offer limitless customization to your bow setup.

The design features an easy sliding let off adjustment giving archers the ability to fine tune their holding weight anywhere within the 70-90% range.

Between the 1/4″ draw length adjustments and the ability to fine tune your holding weight, the bow is certainly built for greater customization to meet your specific needs.

S.E.T. Technology

S.E.T. Technology is a signature feature you’ll find on Elite bows. While other manufacturers have done their best to simplify the tuning process on their bows, Elite has gone straight to the source and made it possible for any archer to easily tune their bow from home.

The Simplified Exact Tuning (S.E.T.) Technology has changed the game in how shooters, or the shop, can quickly tune a bow.

Sooner or later, poor arrow flight impacts every archer, and accuracy issues will soon follow. You’ll often find your field points flying fine, while your broadheads tend to stray. S.E.T. Technology eliminates the frustrations of tuning a bow by allowing the user to micro-adjust the limb pivot angle which changes the position of the cams (the lean) as well as the lateral position (center shot) to optimize arrow flight.

Wide Limbs, Better Balance

The Kairos is a very well balanced bow. Literally. I noticed it the first time I drew it back. It sits nicely in the hand. No fighting the wobble, slipping or sliding to make adjustments. It simply stays put. The end result is greater confidence for the shooter on the line, or in the treestand.

The Elite team has made this happen by combining wider limbs with a strategic weight distribution on Elite’s dual caged riser. Elite refers to the benefits as “shootability” and “aim-ability.”

The bottom line is better balance and faster shot acquisition come standard.

Noise and Vibration Reduction

Another noticeable difference in the Kairos is how quiet the bow is at the shot. You really have to shoot it to experience the difference.

Noise and vibration have been greatly deadened thanks to Elite’s Delta VRT which works together with Elite’s VibeX & Vibration Reduction Technology (VRT) to significantly dampen any noise and vibration for a quieter shot.

The Grip

As mentioned in my first impressions, I like the grip on this bow. There’s honestly not much you’d have to tweak, tape, or change to make the grip customized.

It has a narrower throat and wider base for a more precise grip on the bow with each shot. The end result is greater consistency and repeatability every time.

Performance on the Range

For a real world look at the performance of the Kairos in a hunting setup, I shot my 412 grain Easton Axis arrows through the Garmin XERO chrono.

The test bow was setup at 28″ draw length, and maxed out at 70.8 pounds.

After a number of shots through the chrono, we recorded 287.3 FPS on the high end for speed, with the lowest recorded speed coming in at 282.7 FPS.

As previously mentioned, the bow draws really smooth when loaded with the Smooth mod on the cam. The bow is super balanced, holding nice and steady against a solid back wall.

There’s a slight bump at the shot, otherwise hand shock is slim to none, thanks to the bow’s vibration reduction built design.

As we’ve come to expect from Elite, the Kairos is another great shooting bow. Whether on the tournament line, or on the hunt, this bow will undoubtedly be a favorite for many archers this season.

The Elite Kairos is priced at $1299. Check it out at your local Elite dealer, or visit them online at www.elitearchery.com.

Brodie Swisher

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and Editor for Bowhunting.com. Brodie and his family live in the Kentucky Lake area of west Tennessee.