Bowtech Ascend vs Elite Varos - Which Bow to Buy?

[GooseLR]

I am looking to get a new bow soon and I am stuck between the Bowtech Ascend and the Elite Varos. I know there’s a big difference in MSRP but I am able to get both bows for essentially the same price. I shot both bows at my local shop today and really liked both of them.

Things I noticed:
- I felt that the draw cycle was a little better in the Varos
- the Varos had a bit of noticeable vibration in the had after the shot (whereas the Ascend felt perfectly “dead”) maybe if I added a stabilizer to the Varos I wouldn’t even notice it?
- The Varos weighs more but I could barely tell a difference between the two bows
- both felt very stable with a sliiiight edge going to the Varos
- I like that the Varos draw length can be adjusted in 1/4” increments vs 1/2” for the Ascend but both felt great today at 28.5” honestly
- I don’t know if it makes any meaningful difference but I like that the Varos is 32” ATA vs 31” for the Bowtech
- both bows are highly user-tunable and while the ascend might have a little more in this category feature-wise, this isn’t something I care super deeply about


Uses will include target shooting, tree stand whitetail hunting on the east coast, and eventually elk hunting (I’ve only killed elk with a rifle so far but would like to take one with a bow).

If you could get either of these bows and price was not a consideration, which one would you choose, and why? Thanks!

 

[Bump79]

It's probably a toss up and at the end of the day I'd shoot what you like better. I'd focus on how it holds and how easy it seems to torque vs vibration and draw cycle.

For me, I'm going to lean toward the Varos because of the slightly longer ATA and little larger brace. I'd probably lean toward the Varos for their cam timing feature as well. If you can get the more expensive bow for the same price - you'll be in a better spot for resale in a year or two.