Xpedition XLite 32 Bow Review

Xpedition Archery is one of the newest bow manufacturers in the archery industry, but that’s not slowing them down with the development of some heavy hitting bows for the bowhunting community.

With just over 10 years in the business, the brand is truly hitting their stride. In fact, at this year’s ATA Show in Indianapolis the company was awarded Best New Bow and Best New Product launched at the show.

What Xpedition bow was it that caught so much attention? This year it was all about Xpedition’s newest bow, the XLite 32, and the Magnite material the bow is built with.

Read on for a look at what Magnite and the all-new Xpedition XLite 32 compound bow is all about.

The XLite 32 follows in the footsteps of other bows in Xpedition’s XLite series, including the XLite 35, XLite 33, XLite 31and XLite 29.

The XLite 32 meets that sweet spot that a number of hunters have settled into when it comes to the perfect axle to axle length, with a great blend of shootability and compact design.

The XLite 32 was designed to be light and smooth while offering plenty of speed. In fact, it’s the fastest XLite yet, with speeds reaching 342FPS.

Watch the full review of the XLite 32 in the video below.

Made with Magnite

What truly sets this bow series apart is the Magnite material the riser is constructed from. What is Magnite?

Magnite is a metal nano-composite alloy made from ceramic nanoparticles and rare earth elements. Bottom line – it’s lighter than aluminum and stronger than carbon. In fact, it’s 30% lighter than aluminum! Even better, it’s 20x more vibration dampening than carbon and 3x more vibration dampening than aluminum.

The end result is a bow that’s lighter, stiffer and stronger than aluminum for less flex and increased downrange accuracy.

First Impressions on the XLite 32

The lightweight design of the bow is what immediately caught my attention when I pulled it off the rack at the ATA Show. It’s a noticeable difference, even compared to bows that are smaller in design and axle to axle length.

It weighs just 3.8 pounds, but it honestly feels lighter than that. I assume that’s due in part to the well-balanced nature of the bow design.

It’s a good looking bow with a sleek and simple riser design. No crazy cutouts or radical riser configurations. Just a slim, trim, sharp looking bow complimented with a great looking Cerakote finish.

Specs on the XLite 32

Axle to Axle – 32″

Weight – 3.8lbs

Speed – 342 FPS

Brace Height- 6 1/8″

Draw Lengths – 26″ – 31″

Draw Weights – 50, 60, 65, 70, 80

Let-Off – 80%

Cerakote Finish

Price – $1899

XB32 Cam System

You’ll notice a more aggressive cam on the XLite 32 that’s built to be a blend of speed without sacrificing the bow’s smooth and consistent draw cycle. More speed, less effort – that was the focus for this XB32 cam design.

The cam features a 2 mod system that allows you to optimize your setting, whether short draw or long draw module, for peak performance at any draw length.

Swapping the mods out is quick and easy. I switched from the Long Draw mod set at 30″, to the Short Draw mod set at 28″, in minutes by simply removing 3 screws in each mod and making the swap and then adjusting the screw-in dual cable stops. No bow press required.

Bow Grip

You’ll find a comfortable grip with a slim, tight-to-riser design that fits nicely in the hand.

It’s an improved design with a more ergonomic feel that actually comes with both 17 and 19 degree options to give you the perfect fit for repeatability.

Making the switch on the grips is quick and easy. You simply swap out the grips by removing 2 screws, and you’re done in minutes.

Noise and Vibration

The Xpedition team knows that if you remove the vibration, you’ll remove the noise. That’s why their Doinker Dampeners are strategically placed to squelch any noise and vibration found on this bow.

The dampeners are pretty simple in design. There’s honestly not much to them. But maybe that’s simply a testimony to how quiet and vibration free this bow truly is.

It’s quiet on the shot and dead in the hand, all without the big bulky dampeners and add-ons common with other bows.

ABB String and Cables

Quality bowstrings are a nice addition to any bow. Xpedition didn’t cut any corners here. The bow comes standard with America’s Best Bowstrings (ABB) Platinum Series string and cables.

ABB is at the top of the food chain when it comes to the best of the best in bowstrings, creating consistent strings designed to eliminate peep twist, creep, stretch and serving separation.

You can hunt with confidence knowing your bow is wearing the best in bowstrings and cables with ABB.

Cerakote Finish

It’s been in the firearm industry for years, but we’re finally seeing the Cerakote finish option coming to the archery industry these days as well. And that’s exactly what you’ll find on this bow.

It’s a sleek and smooth finish that’s made to last, easily handling all the use and abuse that comes with hunting season.

Cerakote has proven itself as the superior coating of choice to help keep your bow looking newer for longer.

On the Range

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 received was setup 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 285 FPS out of the bow through the Garmin chrono.

At 70 pounds, I felt the more aggressive cam coming in to play on the front end of the draw cycle. It’s not bad, but I simply needed a little more muscle on the front end of the draw.

After plenty of shots on the range, I dropped the draw weight down to 65#. That’s what I typically hunt with throughout the season. And with just a few pounds shaved off, the bow was noticeably smoother on the draw with less effort to make it happen.

There’s honestly not much to say negatively about this bow. It’s a sweet shooter. But if I had to pick a couple things, I’d say the more aggressive nature of the draw cycle on the front end at max draw weight sticks out to me. Again, not bad. It just took a little more effort than what I was expecting.

The other negative is the cost of the bow. It’s ringing up at $1899; considerably more than other flagship bows on the market. That’s likely due to the Magnite material used. And when you compare the cost to other premium materials like carbon, that price tag falls into place about right, even less, than other bows on the market.

Check out the Xpedition XLite 32 at your local dealer, or visit online at www.xpeditionarchery.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.