Which Crossbow is Right for You?
Deciding which crossbow meets your standards and budget
By Wade Middleton
Crossbow hunting is something I have done quite a bit now for almost 20 years. Personally, it’s amazing to see how crossbow technology has evolved. Regardless of whether you are looking at a specific price point/entry-level model or the most advanced technology in the world, you have a wide range of options.
As you go through the entire lineup of crossbows that TenPoint & Wicked Ridge (which I’ve personally shot for the last two decades) offer, there are many different models with a wide array of features available. My favorite crossbows I recommend right now are listed below.
TenPoint Turbo S1 Crossbow:
The TenPoint Turbo S1 is the most affordable high-end crossbow
The TenPoint Turbo S1 crossbow shoots 390 feet per second, delivers 135-foot pounds of kinetic energy, has the safe cocking & de-cocking AcuSlide system that takes only 5 pounds of force to use, and comes in at an ultra-compact 31-inches long. The features on the TenPoint Turbo S-1 are equal to a lot of the top-end models that are out there but still fall into the mid-range price point.
TenPoint Nitro 505 Crossbow:
With more than 25,000 test shots fired, the Nitro 505 is built to maintain the durability you’ve come to expect from the company well-known for building the best crossbows and who make make speed and safe de-cocking a priority.
When you look at the top-of-the-line crossbows such as the TenPoint Nitro 505 and Nitro 505 Xero that shoot up to 505 feet per second (that is SCREAMING FAST) they deliver an incredible amount of energy on the target. We broke the 512-514 fps barrier with ours in tests at our deer camp. These new TenPoint Nitro 505 crossbows are some of the best built crossbows I have ever seen.
Wicked Ridge Crossbows:
The Wicked Ridge Fury 410 De-Cock (left) and the Raider 400 De-Cock (right) both feature the ACUdraw de-cocking system
For people trying to get into crossbow hunting and have $500-$1,000 to spend, there is a wealth of models within the Wicked Ridge and TenPoint lineup they can be happy/confident with. Crossbows from Wicked Ridge like the Fury 410 De-Cock or the Raider 400 De-Cock both feature TenPoint’s AcuDraw de-cocking system found on the more expensive TenPoint models for half the cost. Even the Wicked Ridge Blackhawk 360, the lowest-priced American-made crossbow, comes in at $399 and boasts up to 360fps with unmatched downrange accuracy.
Crossbow hunting expands your means and methods to hunt and harvest big game in many states. There are hunters who enjoy the up-close action that a bow provides but can no longer shoot a compound bow due to an injury or another reason and hunters looking for a new challenge. Also women and kids find crossbows appealing because crossbows have no loud bang or recoil and can be used as an introductory tool to hunting. There are very few reasons we can think of not getting into crossbow hunting.
Regardless of why you take up crossbow hunting, some of the models above will certainly enhance the reason that you chose to.
