Best Arrow Setup for the Elite Varos (2026)
Short answer: a 250–300 spine shaft cut to 30" back-of-point, a 100 gr point and a 16 gr insert — about 434.6 gr finished at 11.6% FOC, leaving the Elite Varos near 292 fps. That is at 29" of draw and 70 lb. Six draw-length and draw-weight combinations are tabulated below, all of them inside Elite’s published range.
The Varos is Elite's 2026 flagship and the first thing to know about setting it up is that let-off is adjustable to 90%, which changes how the bow feels and — contrary to a lot of internet advice — does not change which arrow you should buy.
The recommended starting build
Every number below came out of the same engine that runs The Forge, at 29" of draw and 70 lb — the middle of this bow's published range. Nothing here is typed by hand.
- Shaft: Easton Axis 4mm Long Range, 250 spine, 9.8 gpi (.166 inside diameter; .229–.244" outside — archers shop by ID, so that is the one listed first)
- Cut length: 30" — draw length plus one inch, measured back-of-point, the Easton BOP convention
- Point: Field Point 100 gr
- Insert: Easton Axis 4mm HIT Insert, 16 gr
- Nock: Easton Axis Nock 4mm (.166), 5 gr
- Fletching: 3 × AAE Hybrid 23, 5.7 gr each, 3° offset
- Adhesive: 1.5 gr insert epoxy + 1 gr fletch glue — counted, because your scale counts it
- Total weight: 434.6 gr
- FOC: 11.6% — inside the Recommended Hunter Range (11–15%)
- Launch speed: 292 fps real-world (292 fps rated)
- Kinetic energy: 82.6 ft‑lb · momentum: 0.564 slug‑fps
- At 40 yards: 277 fps, 74.2 ft‑lb retained, 33.7" of drop
The spine is charted. The mass, FOC, speed, energy, momentum and drop are derived. See the note under the next table for what that distinction costs you.
Spine and build at three draw lengths
Three draw lengths inside the Elite-published 25.5"–31" range, at two draw weights, all on the same reference shaft. Arrow length is draw length plus one inch, measured back-of-point, which is the convention the Easton chart's length axis uses.
| Draw length | Draw weight | Arrow length | Effective draw weight | Spine window | Total weight | FOC | Speed: rated / real-world (fps) | KE (ft‑lb) | Momentum (slug‑fps) | 40 yd drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27" | 60 lb | 28" | 60 lb | 340–400 | 373 gr | 13.5% | 278 / 278 | 64.2 | 0.461 | 37.4" |
| 27" | 70 lb | 28" | 70 lb | 300–340 | 401 gr | 12.6% | 287 / 287 | 73.1 | 0.51 | 35.2" |
| 29" | 60 lb | 30" | 67 lb | 300–340 | 419.6 gr | 12% | 279 / 279 | 72.4 | 0.519 | 37.2" |
| 29" | 70 lb | 30" | 77 lb | 250–300 | 434.6 gr | 11.6% | 292 / 292 | 82.6 | 0.564 | 33.7" |
| 31" | 60 lb | 32" | 74 lb | 300–340 | 438.2 gr | 11.4% | 291 / 291 | 82.4 | 0.566 | 34.1" |
| 31" | 70 lb | 32" | 84 lb | 250–300 | 454.2 gr | 11% | 304 / 304 | 93.4 | 0.614 | 31.1" |
Charted versus derived, plainly. The spine window is charted: it comes
out of recommendSpineFromInputs, which reproduces Easton's published hunting selection
chart to 98% and Victory's to 89%. Effective draw weight is that chart's own intermediate
term. Everything else — total weight, FOC, speed, kinetic energy, momentum, drop — is
derived from the component sheet and a ballistics model, and derived numbers carry more error than
charted ones. Drop is computed for an arrow released level with no sight elevation, which is a
comparison figure between rows, not a hold-over.
What changes if you go heavier or lighter
One variable, four points, at 29" of draw and 70 lb on the same 250 shaft. Point weight is the lever most people reach for, so it is the one worth seeing whole.
| Point | Total weight | FOC | Effective draw weight | Spine window | Speed (fps) | KE (ft‑lb) | Momentum | 40 yd drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 gr | 419.6 gr | 10.1% | 75.2 lb | 250–300 | 299 | 83.2 | 0.557 | 32.3" |
| 100 gr | 434.6 gr | 11.6% | 77 lb | 250–300 | 292 | 82.6 | 0.564 | 33.7" |
| 125 gr | 459.6 gr | 13.8% | 80 lb | 250–300 | 282 | 81.2 | 0.575 | 36.3" |
| 150 gr | 484.6 gr | 15.7% | 83 lb | 250–300 | 271 | 79.3 | 0.584 | 39.1" |
Read the columns against each other and the trade is obvious. Going from 85 gr to 150 gr moves FOC from 10.1% to 15.7%, costs 28 fps and 3.9 ft‑lb of kinetic energy, and gains 0.027 slug‑fps of momentum. Kinetic energy and momentum disagreeing is not an error — energy scales with the square of speed and momentum scales linearly with mass, so a heavier, slower arrow genuinely has less energy and more momentum. Momentum is the one that predicts penetration.
The direction that catches people out: adding weight at the FRONT weakens dynamic spine and pushes you toward a stiffer shaft — watch the effective-draw-weight column climb by 7.8 lb across that sweep. Adding weight at the BACK does the opposite, and at roughly half the magnitude. Heavier nocks, heavier vanes and a wrap all stiffen dynamic spine. A well-known spine calculator has that backwards; ours does not, and we show the working.
The 11–15% band is our Recommended Hunter Range for FOC. It is not a timid choice and it is not a compromise — it is where broadhead-tipped arrows recover from launch fastest without giving away the trajectory you paid for. Extreme-FOC builds have a place; a general-purpose hunting arrow off this bow is not it.
Speed: the rated number and the real one
Two speed columns run through this page and they are not the same claim. Rated is the IBO formula applied to Elite's published figure and adjusted for your draw length, draw weight and arrow mass — a bare bow's number. Real-world is that figure plus the measured gap between what bows of this model actually chronograph and what the formula predicts, which is where a rest, a sight, a stabiliser, a peep and a quiver all live.
There is no measured chronograph offset for this model. Our per-bow calibration file has no row for the Elite Varos, so the spine engine used the blanket accessory allowance of −11 fps for the bow-speed step, and the speed column is the bare IBO formula off Elite's published rating with no correction applied. That is why the rated and real-world figures in the table above are the same number for this bow. It is not a claim that this bow delivers its rating; it is an admission that nobody has measured it in public yet. If you chronograph yours, send it to sal@sparrowexpeditions.com.
At the reference build the two read 292 fps rated against 292 fps real-world — identical, for the reason above. Every derived number on this page — kinetic energy, momentum, drop — is computed off the real-world figure, because that is the arrow that leaves your bow.
Tuning notes for the SP2 cam system with VX mods
SP2 cam with VX mods. The mod system gives quarter-inch draw-length steps, and Elite publishes its spec sheets and mod charts publicly, which is more than most of this list can say.
Cam lean on an Elite is S.E.T. — Simplified Exact Tuning. A bolt in the limb pocket rotates the whole limb, which moves the cam laterally without a press and without touching the yokes. It is the same job as a DeadLock screw done at the other end of the limb. The tuning order is unchanged: cams chase the tail, and the rest gets an eighth of an inch and no more.
A specific Elite warning. S.E.T. bolts are easy to turn and easy to lose track of. Count and write down your turns before you start, both limbs, so you can get back to zero. I have watched a good tuner spend an hour finding neutral again on a bow that was fine when he sat down.
What I would actually do
About that 90% let-off, since it is the headline feature: our spine engine deliberately ignores let-off, because Easton and Victory both ignore it in their published selection charts and matching those charts is worth more than a theoretically prettier model. Let-off changes your holding weight and your ability to hold at full draw, which is a real and worthwhile thing. It does not change the energy the cam puts into the shaft at release enough to move you a spine class. Set it wherever you shoot best.
Draw length and mods on the Elite Varos
Two questions come before arrows: what draw lengths does this bow cover, and which module do I need. The first is published, and it is the one that changes your arrow.
- Draw length range: 25.5" – 31" (Elite published spec)
- Draw weights: 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75 lb
Elite publishes the chart, so here is the link rather than a retyped copy: Elite bow specs + mod charts. Read your existing module number and position off the cam before you change anything, and read the case on the position letter — an uppercase and a lowercase letter are different holes a quarter of an inch apart.
Elite publishes its spec sheets and mod charts on its own site rather than behind a dealer login, which is worth saying out loud given how much of this category does not.
Draw length is not a comfort setting, it is a spine input. One inch is worth roughly 3.5 lb of effective draw weight — about a third of a spine class — and it moves every sight mark you have. Run your real draw length through The Forge and the spine, mass, speed and FOC all move with it; the arrow spine calculator shows the method written out; the sight tape generator reprints the tape.
Bow specifications
| Spec | Elite publishes |
|---|---|
| Speed rating | 338 fps |
| Axle-to-axle | 32" |
| Brace height | 6.625" |
| Let-off | up to 90% |
| Draw length range | 25.5" – 31" |
| Draw weight | 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75 lb |
| Mass weight | 4.75 lb |
| Cam | SP2 cam system with VX mods |
Every figure above read from elitearchery.com — Varos specs on 10 September 2026. If Elite revises them this page is wrong until we fix it — tell us at sal@sparrowexpeditions.com.
Common questions
What arrow spine do I need for a Elite Varos?
At 29 inches of draw and 70 pounds, with a 100 grain point and a standard insert, the engine's window is 250 to 300 spine on an arrow cut to 30 inches back-of-point. That window is charted against Easton's and Victory's published selection ranges. Change your draw length by an inch or your point by 25 grains and it moves, which is why this page prints six combinations rather than one number.
How fast does a Elite Varos shoot a real hunting arrow?
About 292 feet per second with the 434.6 grain reference build on this page. The rated figure for the same arrow is 292 fps. They are the same number because nobody has published chronograph data for this model, so there is no measured offset to apply — the honest answer is that the real figure is probably lower and we do not know by how much. Your bow will not read exactly this. Nobody's does.
What FOC should I run on a Elite Varos?
Eleven to fifteen percent is our Recommended Hunter Range and the reference build lands at 11.6%. That band is where a broadhead-tipped arrow recovers from launch quickly without giving away trajectory. Chasing 18 or 20 percent buys penetration you can also buy with total arrow weight, and costs you drop at every distance you actually shoot.
Where do these numbers come from?
The spine windows come from the same function that runs The Forge, which reproduces Easton's published hunting selection chart to 98 percent and Victory's to 89 percent. Weight, FOC, speed, kinetic energy, momentum and drop are derived from the component sheet and a ballistics model. The bow specifications come from Elite's own published page, linked on this page, read on 10 September 2026. Nothing on this page was typed from memory.
Do I need a different arrow for broadheads on a Elite Varos?
No — you need the same arrow, tuned. Build the shaft on this page with field points, get it flying, then put broadheads on the same arrows and shoot them at 30 and 40 yards. If the broadhead group walks away from the field point group, that is your tune talking, not your spine choice. Fix it at the cam and the rest, in that order, and only then consider a different shaft.
Does 90% let-off change my arrow spine?
No, and that is a deliberate engineering choice rather than an oversight. Easton's and Victory's published selection charts have no let-off axis, and our engine matches those charts at 98% and 89% respectively — a parity we are not going to break for a term that moves the answer less than a quarter of a spine class. Let-off is a holding-weight and form decision. Spine is a draw-weight, arrow-length, point-weight and cam-speed decision.
Shop this setup
- Shop all arrows & shafts →
- Inserts, half-outs and collars →
- Vanes and fletching →
- Check this 250-spine build in The Forge →
Not sure the 250 is right for your draw? Put your real numbers into the arrow spine calculator — it runs the same engine as this page and it will tell you when you are between classes rather than guessing for you. Then print the tape with the sight tape generator.
Nearby bows
- Best arrow setup for the Elite Verdict
- Best arrow setup for the Bowtech Proven 34
- Paper tune chart and the cam-lean correction table
Built by archnerds, for archnerds — The Forge by Sparrow Expeditions. Questions, corrections and chronograph data: sal@sparrowexpeditions.com.