Elite Artus Bow Review

For 2025, Elite Archery came to the table with a shorter axle to axle bow offering, designed specifically to meet the demands of whitetail hunters wanting a shorter option.

Meet the 2025 Elite Artus. Coming in at a slim, trim and compact 30″ package, the Artus is just what hunters across the eastern U.S. ordered when it comes to a hunter-friendly bow option better fitted for the whitetail woods and the treestands and ground blinds where deer hunters hang out.

Take a closer look at the 2025 Artus in our Elite Artus bow review below, including video, photos, new features and specs.

New Features Found on the Artus

The Artus is packed full of features Elite shooters have loved over the years, but there’s 3 new key features that set this bow apart from what we’ve seen in the past from the Elite Team.

First, you’ll find a new cam for 2025 in the SP2 cam system. It’s loaded with adjustability and customization features that allow it to be tailored to the exact specs the shooter desires.

This is largely due to the second key feature found on the bow – the VX Mods. The VX Mods allow you to customize the bow like never before with simple adjustments to quickly change out draw length and let-off to give you the perfect fit and feel you desire.

Thirdly, you’ll find the slick new RAC System. RAC stands for Rail Accessory Connection, and this new design has a variety of hunter-friendly features and additions that make the bow easier to handle in the field.

Let’s take a quick look at the specs, and then we’ll dive in and take a closer look at these new features, as well as the popular favorites you’ll find again this year.

Specs on the Elite Artus

Axle to Axle – 30″

Brace Height – 6.875″

Speed – 340 FPS

Draw Length – 25″ – 30.5″

Draw Weight – 40, 50, 60, 65, 70 & 75

Weight – 4.7 lbs

Let-off – Up to 90%

Price – $1299

SP2 Cam

As mentioned above the SP2 Cam system paired with the VX Mods give shooters a fully customizable draw length, holding weight, and back wall feel. It’s sophistication and customization beyond what we’ve seen in the past from the Elite cams systems.

However, as we’ve seen in the past, the new SP2 cam delivers a nice and smooth draw cycle from front to back. It’s built for greater stability and a little extra speed to boot, with speeds up to 340fps.

I honestly didn’t notice any difference in the draw cycle of the Artus from what we’ve seen in the past. It’s the same smooth feel, which is nice, considering a number of bow manufacturers are trading in their smooth draw cycles for more aggressive cam designs to boost speed and performance.

That’s not the case here. The Artus features the same smooth draw and shootability we’ve seen from cam systems in the past.

However, one big difference you’ll find in this SP2 cam is that it’s a 4-track cam design with a yoke, as compared to the 3-track design we’ve seen in recent years. It’s a move we’ve seen a number of bow manufacturers make this year, particularly with the shorter axle to axle bows. It’s smooth and efficient and prevents any interference with the cam.

VX Mods

The VX Mods are the best by which a lot of the customization takes place for the Artus cam system. You’ll find the VX Mods provide the ability for a personalized set up with 1/4″ draw length adjustments that enhances both comfort and performance.

That means, no longer do you have to settle for a draw length that’s a little too long, or a bit too short. With 1/4″ adjustments, you can get the exact draw length fit you need.

The test bow we received was delivered with the Performance mods, and I was pleasantly surprised to see they weren’t the Smooth Mods. “Performance” can often mean a brutal draw cycle with a lot of bows these days. Again, not the case here. The SP2 cam paired with the VX Mods are smoother than a lot of the other options on the market this year.

R.A.C. System

One of my favorite new features on this bow is the RAC System that’s built for integration of accessories and add-ons. It stands for Rail Accessory Connection, and its Elite’s answer for a wide range of hunter-friendly attachment options.

The system offers Picatinny-style mounting on both the limb pockets and riser, ensuring compatibility with Elite’s RAC accessories, including a bow stand, bow sling, and haul line.

And with it being a picatinny mount, the options are seemingly endless. Some shooters are even mounting their GoPro camera from the top rail to capture their hunt on video.

Simplified. Exact. Tuning. (S.E.T.)

You’ll find S.E.T. Technology again this year on the Artus. If you’re not familiar with S.E.T. Technology, it stands for Simplified Exact Tuning.

And as the name implies, it’s Elite’s system for making fine tune adjustments of the limb pivot angle which changes the position of the cam (cam lean), as well as the lateral position (center shot).

The end result is a super simple system to properly tune your bow and get the best possible results when it comes to arrow flight and accuracy.

Delta VRT & VibeX

The bow is pleasantly quiet, thanks to a number of noise and vibration dampening features built into the bow, like the Delta VRT and VibeX technology.

Strategically placed dampers in both limbs and the riser have greatly reduced felt vibration at the shot. In fact, hand-shock is minimal, if noticeable at all. It’s a sweet shooter, for sure.

Performance on the Range

As mentioned, the bow draws nice and smooth. There’s no harsh bump or roll-over. The Performance mod took a little more muscle on the front side of the draw cycle to get started, but it quickly becomes natural and comfortable. And Smooth Mods are available as well for an even better drawing experience, if you prefer.

As always, I stepped out on the range to get a feel for real-world performance of the bow with my hunting setup. The test bow I shot was set up at 28″ draw and cranked down to 70lbs draw weight.

With my Easton Axis hunting arrow weighing in at 420 grains, I consistently got speeds of 287 FPS out of the bow through the Garmin chrono.

There’s honestly not much to say when it comes to negative aspects of this bow. It’s very well built from top to bottom, shoots nice, and has some great new hunter-friendly features that’ll come in handy on the hunt.

If I had to pick one thing I’d like to see different, I’d go with shaving the weight a bit to better match up with its compact design. It’s 4.7 lbs, and that’s not bad. It’s a beefy feeling bow. But I personally like to see a compact bow weighing in closer to the 4 lb mark.

The Artus is a sweet shooter, as expected from the Elite team. It’s a bow that will certainly be welcomed by whitetail hunters in search of a shorter axle to axle option, as well as the western hunters that want a more compact bow to strap on their pack.

The bow is priced at $1299, which makes it one of the most affordable flagship bows of the year compared to other leading bow manufacturers.

Check it out at your local Elite dealer, or 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.