The crossbow’s origins date back to ancient China, where it was invented and later used in many wars across the world including Asia and Europe. Nowadays, the best crossbow is an extremely powerful device, far exceeding even the finest traditional bows in accuracy and power, as shown in our crossbow reviews.
Below is an interactive comparison chart to help you find the best crossbow for the money in 2017. For each model we provide information about velocity (feet per second), draw weight (in pounds), power stroke (the distance the prod string needs to be drawn before it is cocked), arrow length, and overall length and weight of the weapon.
ModelVelocityDraw EffortDeer / Elk Hunting?Width (cocked/uncocked) BearX Intense Ready-To-Shoot Check price on Amazon.com400 FPS185 lbs.10″ / 14″ Ravin R10 Check price on Amazon.com400 FPS12 lbs. (auto)5.75″ / 9.25″ Excalibur GRZ 2 Check price on Amazon.com305 FPS200 lbs.26″ / 30.5″ The list above contains our top 10 finest crossbows. If you would like to browse through other models though, here is a list of all crossbows made by the best manufacturers only, as well as a ranking of the fastest crossbows.
Everyone out there is always looking for the best product that they can afford. Whether it is a vehicle, electronic device, or a crossbow, feeling like you have made the best purchase you can afford is always a satisfying thing. Because we recognize that there is so much information out there and such a wide range of crossbows, we have worked to take some of the intimidation out of purchasing a new crossbow. Understanding that many of you also have very different budgets to work with, we have evaluated crossbows and carefully prepared a list of the best in each of five price points. Most of these are geared towards adults, but that doesn’t mean that youths should be introduced to and enjoy the sport of crossbow shooting. With good adult supervision, you can not only safely teach the next generation to shoot well, but also have some quality family time as well! For more recommendations, check out ArcheryChoice’s best crossbow rankings page, which has a very detailed comparison grid, more so than ours. They cover Barnett, Tenpoint and Excalibur crossbows in detail.
Additionally, consider that the optics (sight / scope) on your x-bow might not be appropriate for your particular needs, even if the bow itself is of superb quality. If that turns out to be the case, read up on the various crossbow optics available and try to choose something to fit your needs – HuntingOptics.net has good reviews, as well as a listing of the best crossbow scopes and an excellent buyer’s guide to go along with it.
Below we offer our top picks for the best compound crossbows across multiple price points. These are selected by our editors and field staff based on the performance and overall value of each. Please keep in mind that particular weight was given to the price point value of each of these models over sheer power. Whether you are looking to spend $200, $400 or $1500, this list can help you know what the best values are.
Best Compound On a Tight Budget: CenterPoint Sniper 370
PROS:
- Very fast speed
- Fully adjustable stock and forearm
CONS:
- A bit front heavy
- Can have a flimsy feel
Best Low-Priced Compound: Wicked Ridge Invader G3
PROS:
- Excellent accuracy
- Light weight yet plenty powerful
CONS:
- Scope is not illuminated
Best Lower-Mid-Range Compound: Barnett Buck Commander Extreme
PROS:
- Very powerful
- Good quality illuminated optic
CONS:
- Some of the plastic accessories can break easily
Best Upper-Mid-Range Compound: TenPoint Turbo GT
PROS:
- Narrow 13.5” axle to axle when cocked
- Very accurate
CONS:
- At this price point we would have like to have seen integrated suppressors
Best High-End Compound: TenPoint Vapor Crossbow
PROS:
- Very narrow axle to axle
- Power to spare
- Great scope
CONS:
- No included sling
If you’re after a recurve crossbow, here are our recommendations based on budget. Also see our detailed recurve bow comparison for more.
Best Recurve On a Very Tight Budget: Arrow Precision Inferno Fury Crossbow
Best Low-Priced Recurve: Arrow Precision Inferno Wildfire II
Best Mid-Priced Recurve: Excalibur Matrix 355
Best High-End Recurve: Excalibur Matrix Mega 405
This is the fastest shooting recurve crossbow on the market, delivering over 400 FPS given the right circumstances. As with all recurves it’s very light (slightly over 6 pounds), and comes with the superb Twilight DLX Scope (which in itself costs more than all budget crossbows on the market). It also includes lots of excellent safety features, which is important given the high forces involved.
Best Crossbow for women: The Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger
PROS:
- Integrated cocking system
- Very light weight
CONS:
- Not going to be powerful enough for long shots or very large game
Best crossbow for youth archers: The Barnett Recruit
PROS:
- Easy to cock
- Perfect for smaller framed shooters
CONS:
- Only includes 3 arrows
- Red dot sight is more difficult for a new shooter to estimate longer shots
Best compact crossbow: The Carbon Express Intercept Axon
PROS:
- Super cool design
- Excellent power and accuracy
CONS:
- Can be a bit pricey for some budgets
Best crossbow around $100: The Wizard by ASC
PROS:
- Excellent price point
- Very simple to use
CONS:
- Scopes do not seem to hold zero well
Best lightweight crossbow: SA Sports Empire Terminator Recon
PROS:
- Super light weight
- Excellent value
CONS:
- No safety guards on front grip
- Not really enough punch for large game
Best compact reverse-draw crossbow: The Barnett BC Raptor Reverse
PROS:
- Super narrow ATA
- Excellent trigger
CONS:
- Some issues with limbs/pockets
Best high speed crossbow with a low draw weight: The Bear Archery Bruzer Crossbow
The Bear Archery Bruzer Crossbow is a reverse draw crossbow that offers a lot of power with a very modest amount of draw weight. The Bruzer combines a long 14” power stroke with 125 lb. limbs to send arrows down range at up to 335 FPS. Because this is a reverse draw design, that long power stroke won’t feel that long due to the string being at the front of the crossbow. The Bruzer arrives as a package from Bear Archery that includes the crossbow, a Trophy Ridge XF425 Scope, three 20” Trophy Ridge Insidious Arrows, a Picatinny mount quiver, cocking sled and rail lube. The Bruzer is very accurate, due in part to the forward facing limbs and the balance that design offers. The Bruzer certainly lives up to its name in terms of weight…this is NOT a light crossbow, but once you get to your hunting location, the compact size, power and accuracy might just make that extra weight bearable.
PROS:
- High power for low draw weight
- Compact
CONS:
- A bit on the heavy side
- Long trigger pull
Best crossbow for adult beginners: The CenterPoint Sniper 370
PROS:
- Very fast
- Fully adjustable stock and fore grip
CONS:
- A bit heavy in the front
- Some report a bit flimsy feel
Best crossbow for handicapped hunters: The TenPoint Stealth XLT
PROS:
- User friendly and powerful
- ACUdraw makes it easy to cock
CONS:
- A bit on the pricey side
We are often asked what manufacturers are the best to look to in terms of safety features. In our experience, there are many great safety features by many manufacturers, but TenPoint Crossbows seems to always be in one of the top positions for their commitment to safety. TenPoint offers an auto engaging ambidextrous safety on all models. They also have a dry fire inhibitor to ensure the crossbow cannot be fired without an arrow in place to prevent injury to the shooter as well as damage to the crossbow. On many of their newest models, there is also a secondary safety on the fore grip that must be depressed to fire. In order to depress this, the forward hand must be in the proper shooting position to keep fingers out of the string path. To further protect the fingers and thumbs of the forward shooting hand, most models are equipped with large safety wings to ensure fingers and thumbs stay safe. Even with all of these safety features, a crossbow is still a serious weapon and should be treated as such, but TenPoint goes out of their way to keep the user as safe as possible.
Clicking the “Our Review” link next to a crossbow in the comparison chart will take you to our expert review of that specific model. We make sure that each of our crossbow reviews is written by an experienced person, who personally owns and has used, on multiple occasions, the model in question. We feel that this is the only way we can deliver useful information, rather than simply repeating the same things that you’ve already read somewhere else over and over.
Each of our crossbow reviews is divided into the following sections:
Crossbow Pro’s:
This is a quick rundown of what we believe are the strongest attributes of the weapon in question. Keep in mind, however, that this list is not all-inclusive, and we recommend going through the entire review if you want to get the full picture.
Crossbow Con’s:
These are the things our reviewer did not particularly like about the crossbow. Contrary to the “Pro’s” section, the Cons are actually all-inclusive, as we feel it’s important to quickly let everyone know what’s wrong with a certain crossbow without them having to read the entire review to find out.
Assembly & Package Contents Of The Crossbow
As the name suggests, this section includes a list of all the items that you’ll be getting from the manufacturer with your crossbow, and the list is based on what the reviewer actually found in the package when he bought it. This section also quickly goes over the steps required to assemble the crossbow and points out any possible difficulties that you might run into in the process.
Preparing To Shoot Your X-Bow
In this section we go over the steps that you need to take before actually firing your crossbow. Usually this will include waxing the string and of course cocking / latching the weapon, however in many cases there are certain caveats that you need to keep in mind, mostly related to safety and maintenance issues – we strongly suggest you read this section in each of our crossbow reviews.
Performance, Accuracy And Power
This section is usually broken down into two sub-sections: “Target shooting” and “Hunting.” Each sub-section goes over the performance of the crossbow in each respective category, with examples from the reviewers actual use of the model in question. This is where things like accuracy, power, comfort, and similar matters are discussed, with reference to real-life examples.
Arrows/Bolt For The Weapon
Here we give a quick review of the arrows that come with the crossbow by default. We provide their specifications so that you know to look for when purchasing extra arrows on your own. We also mention the type of heads that come with the arrows (typically field points), and also recommend some broad-heads that go well with these particular arrows.
The Best Scope / Sight To Use
We mention the specifications of the scope, how close to “zero” it comes right out of the box and how much work is required to sight it. Anything else we think is worthy of reviewing about the scope is also mentioned here.
Below are a few qualities that all of the best crossbows for the money have in common. Use this guide when making a selection and please read it before you make your purchase.
The crossbow draw weight:
This refers to the how much force is required to cock your crossbow, and it’s determined by how rigid the limbs of the prod are. The higher the draw weight, the more difficult it is to draw the string, and the more deadly the arrow will be. A minimum to go for when buying a crossbow is 150 pounds; while “lighter” draw weights are just fine for target practice purposes, you will need the 150 lbs. or more if you plan to go hunting and if you want to make sure that your arrow actually kills your prey, and not just wounds it.
Keep in mind that if you are cocking the crossbow by hand (by putting your foot inside the stirrup at the top of the weapon, fixing it with your leg to the ground and pulling the string upwards until it is latched in position), you are basically dead-lifting a weight equal to the draw weight of the crossbow. To make this process much easier and to significantly reduce the amount of force required to draw your cross-bow, consider getting a rope or crank cocking device (more on these below).
Velocity of your weapon:
This is measured in feet-per-second, and determines the speed with which your arrow is going to travel over the first 20-30 yards (beyond this distance the velocity will start to diminish). You should go for a minimum of 200 FPS. Keep in mind that the actual velocity will be determined by the draw weight of the cross bow as well as the weight of the arrows you are using – so a heavier arrow will travel slower than a lighter arrow shot from the same crossbow. When velocity is listed for a certain model, the number will typically have been calculated using arrows of similar weight to the ones that are sold with the crossbow itself.
Power Stroke:
This is the distance a string will have to travel from its loose position until it reaches the latch and is cocked. Most crossbows will have a stroke between 10″ and 14″. While it is true that the higher the power stroke, the more powerful the arrow shot will be, there is no reason to obsess about this value and try to get the crossbow with the longest power stroke; what matters more is whether the stroke was adjusted properly based on the crossbow’s draw weight (which it always is in the best models).
Energy output:
This determines how much energy is transferred from the crossbow string to the arrow upon release, and it is directly related to two of the previously mentioned characteristics: the higher the draw weight and the longer the power stroke, the more energy will be transferred to the arrow and the more deadly it will become (and the faster it will fly, with less drop-down in trajectory). You could conduct mathematical calculations to determine what the energy of your crossbow is, however that would be a waste of time as there are other important factors to consider, such as how ergonomic the design of the weapon is, how well the arrow track is designed, how reliable the release mechanism is, etc. – all of these things will impact accuracy, which is very important – a powerful crossbow is useless if you cannot shoot it accurately and comfortably.
With that in mind, if you stick to the best crossbows only as listed on our website, and if you make sure that the draw weight is a minimum of 150 lbs., the velocity is a minimum of 200 FPS, and the power stroke is a minimum of 10″, you will get a powerful and accurate crossbow, suitable for both hunting and target practice.
What Type of Limbs Are Best on a Crossbow?
The limbs are the two parts attached to the riser, and it is at the tips of the limbs that the string is attached. Almost all quality crossbows have limbs made of either carbon, fiberglass, or a combination of these materials; they are light-weight and very durable, which is very important considering the physical stresses generated by today’s crossbows. If you see a crossbow with limbs made of aluminum or wood, better stay clear of it as they will likely break on you soon enough.
How Much Money Should You Pay For a Crossbow?
Price isn’t always an indicator of quality, however in the archery industry it is, unfortunately. You will be very hard-pressed to get a quality crossbow for less than $120; if it costs less, stay clear of it as the materials used will likely be low quality and using such a crossbow could be outright dangerous and hazardous. The Arrow Precision Inferno Fury mentioned previously is one of just a handful of crossbows that cost less than $200 and which are worth buying. All in all though, and if you aren’t really strapped for cash, we would recommend spending closer to $300 on your first crossbow; this will ensure you’ll get a weapon that will last you for many years, regardless of how your preferences might change and how your skills may evolve.
There are three primary ways to cock the modern crossbow.
The manual cocking way:
Most crossbows come with what is called a stirrup, and it is that semi-triangular hole located at the front of the crossbow. You place your foot inside the stirrup, press down with your leg and entire body weight to fix the weapon firmly to the ground, and then use your body weight to lift the string upwards into a cocked position. When cocking a crossbow using this method, make sure that you hold the string at equal distances on both the left and right side of the stock (basically your thumbs should be as close to the stock as possible). Otherwise, you might end up pulling the string unevenly (the left or right side might end up being drawn further than the other), resulting in both reduced shooting accuracy and over-time damage to your string, arrows, latch and/or arrow track.
As mentioned above, the manual way of cocking requires you to dead-lift a weight equal to the draw weight of your crossbow. This might be a problem for some: since you want to get a model with a minimum of 150 lbs. draw weight, ask yourself this: can you imagine yourself dead-lifting 150+ pounds each time you want to seat a new arrow for shooting? If not, then one of the following two cocking solutions will be more appropriate for you.
The rope cocking approach:
A cocking rope is the ideal solution for most as there is no need to install additional accessories on your crossbow, and the rope itself is very simple in construction and can be purchased for $15-$30. (Some crossbows, especially those with a draw weight of 175+ lbs., come with a cocking rope in the package.) When using a rope, you effectively cut the force required to draw the bowstring in half. In other words, to cock a 150 lbs. draw weight crossbow using a rope, you will only need to apply a force (dead-lift) equal to 75 lbs. As an added bonus, rope-cocking makes it much easier to draw the string evenly on both sides of the stock, which – as mentioned previously – improves shooting accuracy and extends the lifetime of your crossbow.
The crank cocking approach:
This is what you’d get if you had $100-150 to spare, and if you want to make the cocking procedure effortless. The crank mechanism is attached to the back of your crossbow and you simply turn the crank in order to draw the string. Using this approach will allow even a small kid to accurately draw a crossbow with even a 250 lbs. draw weight (though obviously kids should not be playing with this weapon in the first place). There are two distinct disadvantages to this method, however:
- The crank mechanism can be heavy, adding to the bulk of the crossbow.
- It is quite slow and it can take up to a minute to fully draw and latch a string.
With that said, if you want to pull a 200+ lbs. string with what feels like less than 10 lbs. of force, the crank method is an excellent choice.
Please see here for our Crossbow Ballistic Calculator – you can calculate arrow drop, speed, kinetic energy and momentum for up to 70 yards out. Just input your total projectile grain weight and the point-blank speed of your crossbow and click ‘calculate’. If you want, you can also provide details on fletching length, fletching height and shaft length to get some fine-grained results (though we do populate those three fields with the most common values to make things easier for you).
There are two primary types of scopes you’ll be working with, and the best crossbow sets will always include one of the two. You should always sight your crossbow after you buy it.
Red-Dot Crossbow Scope:
The most basic and cheapest crossbow scopes, which can often be bought for less than $50. These come in two different varieties: the single dot red-dot scope, and the triple-dot red dot scope. As the names suggest, these differ in the number of dots you will see when looking through the scope. In a single-dot scope, you will be attempting to align that dot with your target, and you’ll need to adjust for distance based on your own experience and “feel.” In a triple dot scope, however, there will be three dots positioned vertically. You will align the top dot with targets at a 20 yard range, the middle dot for targets at a ~30 yard range, and the bottom dot for targets at a ~40 yard range. You will obviously need to get good at judging your distance from the target.
Optical Crossbow Scopes:
This type of crossbow scope is typically more expensive than the red dot scope, and can be bought for an average of $90 for a quality one, and go as high as $250 for the more advanced models. They are usually a little heavier, but come with a wide range of accessories. The optics included are very high quality, comparable to what is used in rifle scopes. The stronger models have a single-tube design, meaning there is a smaller chance of anything breaking. They allow for magnification, typically in the 1x to 5x range, and the vast majority are both water- and fog-proof as well. The best crossbow scopes often also include additional illuminated dots, making it far easier to hit a target in poorly-lit conditions, or even when it’s downright the middle of the night.
As is the case with red dot scopes, optical scopes come in two main varieties: single and multi-reticle; these reticles serve the exact same purpose as the dots in red dot scopes, as described above.
The main difference between recurve and compound crossbows lies in the limbs and the mechanism used to draw the string. Compounds use a system of so-called “cams,” which make drawing the crossbow easier than a recurve and they also store more energy, delivering somewhat more powerful shots (though not always).
While the average compound crossbow is likely to be a little more deadly than the average recurve, this advantage is somewhat off-set by a few factors:
- Compound crossbows are far more expensive than recurve models;
- Compound crossbows are heavier overall, and the front of a compound tends to be heavier than the back (due to the bulky cam system installed on the limbs), creating a tendency for the tip to droop a little while aiming – a fact for which you need to compensate.
- Compound crossbows are more complicated in design; there are many parts that can potentially malfunction, and the string-changing process is more complex than on a recurve crossbow.
Due to the above, we recommend that beginner crossbow-shooters should stick exclusively to recurve crossbows, at least until they acquire a thorough understanding of how the weapon works, and develop confidence in their skills to both use and service the crossbow.
Each crossbow comes with the manufacturer’s recommendation for the length of the arrows that should be used with it, and in most cases this will be 20 inches. Crossbow arrows are usually made of either aluminum or carbon. An arrow is comprised of a few basic parts:
- The shaft: this is the main, long part of the arrow.
- The nock: a small piece of either plastic or aluminum that is attached to the rear of the arrow shaft, and which comes in direct contact with the string when your crossbow is cocked. The nock can be either flat, meaning there is no groove for the string to go into, or it can be a half-moon nock, containing a groove which needs to be aligned horizontally with the string before each shot.
- The insert: this is a little round insert made from aluminum and/or brass, which is attached to the front of the arrow shaft.
- The head: this can be either a “broad head,” which has sharp edges and is designed for hunting. Or it can be a “field point,” which has no sharp edges and is designed mostly for target practice (though they can be used for hunting very small game as well). The broad head / field point is screwed into the insert at the front of the arrow shaft.
You will notice that crossbow arrows have different characteristics, for example the grain (weight) of the broad head. As a general rule, a beginner should not worry about these values at all – the most important thing for you is to learn how to properly handle and aim your weapon. Only once you have somewhat mastered that should you begin to concern yourself with in-depth specifications of the arrows you use. With that in mind, we recommend that you simply start by using the arrows included with the crossbow package that you will buy (and if you need more, just buy an extra set of exactly the same or very similar arrows). Once you’re more experienced, you can read our detailed guide on choosing crossbow arrows and broad-heads for advanced users.
From left to right: broad-head, field point, nocks (top: half-moon, bottom: flat)