In the 1993 comedy film, “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Daniel (played by Robin Williams) makes phone calls to ex-wife, Miranda — she was awarded sole custody of their children — regarding her job posting for a babysitter. He wants the job so he can be with his children, but knows he’ll have to disguise himself.

In his first few calls, he flusters Miranda by portraying appalling candidates, causing her to second-guess if hiring a babysitter is best. Then, he goes in for the kill, impersonating an elderly woman with charming character. Miranda loves what she hears and schedules a follow-up, in-person interview. Daniel now knows he must match his appearance to the voice he used, and he welcomes the steep task. Daniel hangs up the phone, smirks and says, “Showtime.” 

I thought the same thing when I returned from an elk hunt and unboxed Elite’s new flagship bow, the Omnia. Why? I was fortunate enough to be one of the first outside of the company to get it prior to its launch. Second, the preliminary Omnia literature I received during my elk hunt claimed that it maintains Elite’s “shootability” while revving up velocity to 12 feet per second faster than the 2022 EnVision. Showtime, indeed.

Test Bow Specs

• Axle to Axle Length: 32 inches
• Brace Height: 6 inches
• Draw Length: 28 inches
• Draw Weight: 71.1 pounds
• Let-off: 85%
• Bow-only Weight: 4.5 pounds
• Accessorized Total Weight: 6.5 pounds
• Velocity: 287 fps (with 468-grain Easton 6.5mm Acu-Carbon 340 arrow)
• Kinetic Energy: 85.58 foot-pounds
• Finish: Sienna Brown (riser); Ninja Black (limbs)
• MSRP: $1,199 (starting price)
• Contact: www.elitearchery.com

 

First Impressions

The test bow flaunts pleasing aesthetics. I love tactical solid colors, so the Sienna Brown riser and Ninja Black limbs immediately won my favor. There are many options, though. The Omnia is available in four solid hunting finishes, five camo finishes and six ritzy target finishes — something for everyone.

Anyone who follows my bow reports knows that I typically evaluate the bow grip first. The Omnia’s Precision Grip is a natural fit — trim and contoured just right to avoid torque. It employs pleasing laminated-wood side plates, concentrating hand pressure to the riser itself. While some consumers might be apprehensive about gripping metal, I believe 100 percent that hand-on-riser gripping is the most consistent and torque-free design, which is huge for accuracy.

After momentarily musing over the Omnia, I drew it back. I immediately noted that it feels incredibly stable for a hunting bow. I disregarded the axle-to-axle length in the preliminary literature I received, so I instinctively guessed it to be 35 inches long. The little spec card attached to the riser proved me wrong. The Omnia is only 32 inches. In other words, target-bow-like stability meets hunting maneuverability.

Next, let’s discuss the Omnia’s many features and how they cumulatively deliver a killer shooting experience.

 

Fine-Tuning Features

Back this year is Elite’s proven S.E.T. Technology. It allows anyone with basic tuning knowledge to adjust the limb pockets left or right to address a poor paper tear. S.E.T. Technology has received many accolades since it launched on the 2020 Kure. It not only simplifies set up for you, the dealer, but it gives your customer the simplicity to make fine tweaks to achieve optimal arrow flight, no bow press needed.

The Omnia’s engine is the new SP Cam. Most notably, it features V2 Micro Mod Let-Off Adjustment, giving you a huge range of 70-90% let-off on one module. More impressively, let-off can be adjusted as little as one percentile, letting the shooter truly customize their holding weight with the easily adjustable gear-driven module. To my knowledge, no other bow manufacturer offers this level of let-off customization.  

Fine-tuning doesn’t end there. For anyone who shoots lots of archery, draw length is huge. I easily notice the slightest discrepancy from one bow to another, and my form and stability suffer when it isn’t quite right. The SP Cam’s draw-length-adjustment module allows draw length to be micro-tuned to one quarter of an inch, because “close enough” isn’t good enough when you can have exact.

One more note on tuning worth mentioning is the Omnia’s roller guard. The archer can adjust it laterally to reconcile the cable load. While S.E.T. Technology is king for achieving a great paper tear, the adjustable roller guard adds another degree of fine-tuning capability.

Top-Notch Construction

The moment you hold the tough-as-nails Omnia, it’s obvious that it’s ready to tackle the toughest bowhunting destinations. The robust machined riser featuring Elite’s Dual-Cage design not only withstands knocks and blows, but also arrests riser flexing during the draw and shot cycle, producing the truest, most consistent arrow flight possible.

The Omnia is outfitted with a high-quality Winner’s Choice bowstring-and-cable set. The bowstring and cables are made of the best materials available, and stringent manufacturing processes ensure worry-free performance. Creep, peep rotation and serving separation aren’t concerns. Winner’s Choice guarantees it.

I couldn’t ignore the wide limbs and pockets, either. They’re obviously designed for dependable strength, but another product of them is enhanced stability at key points. The pockets also feature lock-down bolts, ensuring the limb bolts stay put once draw length has been adjusted.

 

On the Range

I noticed early on that the Omnia is stout. The bare bow weighs 4.5 pounds, and with a sight, rest and stabilizer, the setup weighs 6.5 pounds. I’ve tried lightweight bows, but I always return to heavier bows because they’re more stable and anchor well in windy conditions and when adrenaline is coursing through my veins. The Omnia holds like a dream at full draw.

I took the liberty of adjusting the let-off module to a few different positions while shooting. I found that it feels best to me at 85%, but as I mentioned earlier, you can adjust 1 percent at a time between 70-90% until you find your own sweet spot.

The Omnia’s draw cycle has a slightly more noticeable hump as it peaks and lets off than other bows I’ve recently tested, but the draw cycle as a whole is nice and smooth, plus you must remember that it’s 5-15 fps faster than most other bows. Further, the back wall is definitive with no sponginess, which is great for executing repeatable shots using back tension.

I’ve recently tested a few other bows in the 335- to 342-fps range, and even before I sent arrows through the Caldwell chronograph, I could tell the Omnia packs a bigger punch. It delivers a quick, hard-hitting arrow that produces 85.58 foot-pounds of kinetic energy when set to 71.1 pounds and pushing a 468-grain arrow — plenty to address any North American big game animal. 

Speed is worthless if it steals accuracy. But, I can assure you that the Omnia makes no compromises. On several different days, I enjoyed great consistency and tight groups at various yardages. Speed and accuracy definitely intertwine here.

Shooting the Omnia is absolutely enjoyable. At full draw, it feels practically effortless to acquire the target, aim and execute a top-notch shot. While some might balk at a 6-inch brace height because it can magnify problems during the shot, Elite has addressed that on the back end with the torque-free Precision Grip and the intuitive tuning capability with S.E.T. Technology. In other words, there are no problems to be magnified. So, 6-inch brace height or not, the Omnia delivers a true arrow. Period.

Also, the additional velocity instigates no noticeable shock. Parallel limbs like the Omnia’s have long been known to minimize shock during the shot. But, Elite also incorporates some purposeful features that manage shock and vibrations. The Delta VRT and VIBEX limb dampeners work to smooth out the shot cycle, and believe me, the combination delivers a superior level of smooth and quiet. You can also upgrade to the VIBEX Beacon, which has an integrated light that can toggle between green and white.

Final Thoughts

Will the Omnia kill game more effectively than last year’s EnVision? No. But, if it’s been a few years since your Elite customers have upgraded, I believe they’ll find the new features and speed well worth the upgrade. And for those who haven’t yet made the Elite leap, I believe the grip, fine-tuning features, stability, accuracy and speed will have them thinking something like “Showtime” when they leave your shop with their new Omnia.

Editor’s Note: Watch the author shoot the 2023 Elite Archery and discuss the bow’s features in the YouTube video below.

Additional Notes

The Elite Omnia was set up using a Last Chance Archery EZ Green Bow Press and EZ Green Bow Vise, and draw weight was calculated using Last Chance Archery’s Digital Bow Scale. A Caldwell Ballistic Precision Chronograph measured the 468-grain Easton 6.5mm Acu-Carbon 340 arrow’s velocity.

 

In-the-field photos by Becca McDougal