10 best crossbows

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

The crossbow has become a very popular type of weapon in recent years. More and more modern people want to try on the skin of an ancient man. In many countries around the world there is an increased interest in real hunting with a crossbow. But in Russia, this type of animal extraction is prohibited and punishable by law. However, the borders do not stop the real fans of throwing weapons; besides, the crossbow can be used at sports competitions or for the purpose of entertainment. Therefore, the material presented in our review is for informational and educational purposes only. Our experts will help you understand the nuances of choosing a crossbow.

How to choose a crossbow

Requirements of the law. In our country, it is allowed to store and use a crossbow for sports or entertainment purposes, provided that the tensile force of the product is less than 43 kgf. Such a model will not be considered a small arms, but you cannot hunt with it. For the purpose of humane treatment of animals, the legislation of the Russian Federation prohibits any type of hunting with the use of throwing weapons.

Classification. All modern crossbows are divided into two categories by design.

1. Recursive models resemble their historical counterparts as much as possible. They are loved by fans of entertainment that are associated with the reconstruction of historical battles. Experts refer to the advantages of recursive crossbows as light weight, comfortable holding, simple design, and ease of use. Among the shortcomings, there is a low speed of arrow departure, broad shoulders, and the difficulty of cocking without a special mechanism.
2. Block designs benefit from power and boom reach. The shoulders are compact for ease of transport, carry and storage. The block structure is easy to cocking, because of the lower load on the lock, it breaks less often. But such crossbows look more complicated, they are less suitable for use in the field. Aiming will also be less comfortable due to the forward-shifted center of gravity. The best way to service block models is in specialized workshops.

The purpose of the crossbow. To choose the most effective small arms, you should decide on the scope.

1. You can shoot at targets with great success and great pleasure from an inexpensive and compact recursive crossbow. This lightweight device does not require complex settings and costly maintenance. With him, you will even be able to hunt a bird or small animal.
2. If the crossbow is purchased for serious hunting, then the block model looks preferable. The next criterion when choosing will be the speed of the arrow and the range of destruction.
3. Fans of sports shooting appreciate in a crossbow such qualities as shot accuracy, lightness, the ability to change the sight. Since the owner will have to train a lot and hard, the small arms must be comfortable and reliable.

We have selected the 10 best crossbows in our ranking. All of them are sold on the territory of our country, but not all meet the requirements of the law. When compiling the rating, the opinion of the expert community and feedback from domestic users were taken into account.

Rating of the best crossbows

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Rating of the best crossbows	1	Mission MXB-Dagger XB	RUB 112 310
	2	BARNETT Ghost 400	RUB 59,400
	3	Tenpoint venom	RUB 128,366
	4	Excalibur Matrix Mega 405	RUB 113,600
	5	Interloper “Reaper 390”	RUB 25,000
	6	Carbon Express Covert CX2	RUB 45 435
	7	Barnett jackal	RUB 35,000
	8	PSE TAC Elite	130,000 rubles.
	9	Kodabow big rhino	RUB 65,000
	10	MK-80A3	RUB 1,510

Mission MXB-Dagger XB

Rating: 4.9

One of the most compact and lightweight crossbows for hunting is the Mission MXB-Dagger XB. This model belongs to the weapon of the middle price segment. A crossbow was created for active hunting. The experts are in a good way surprised how the manufacturer managed to maintain good balance and predictable behavior of the weapon with a weight of 2.8 kg. The working stroke of the bowstring is 254 mm, and the shot speed reaches 340 fps (103 m / s). To compensate for the small size and weight, Mission designers increased the effort on the standard shoulders. The set includes a manual tensioner, 3 booms and a cover. The crossbow becomes the winner in our ranking.

Users praise the model for its simplicity, reliability and accuracy. At the moment of the shot, recoil is not felt, you can not part with the weapon for a long time due to its compactness and lightness.

Advantages

• compactness;
• ease;
• good balancing;
• no recoil.

disadvantages

• not found.

BARNETT Ghost 400

Rating: 4.8

Hunters call the American crossbow BARNETT Ghost 400 the threat of wolves and bears. The well-known manufacturer is famous for its powerful and reliable weapon. But this model, according to experts, turned out to be the most successful. It is suitable for both hunting and target shooting. Experts attribute monolithic shoulders to the advantages of the crossbow, which effectively dampen vibration and noise. The weapon is well balanced and comfortable to use thanks to the ergonomic pistol grip. The user with a crossbow can be both right and left handed, for this there is an active fuse. The model ranks second in our ranking.

Domestic users have found several weaknesses in the American crossbow. It is heavy (3.7 kg) and difficult to disassemble / assemble.

Advantages

• high boom speed (121.9 m / s);
• 5-year warranty;
• monolithic shoulders;
• good balancing.

disadvantages

• tangible weight;
• complex disassembly / assembly.

Tenpoint venom

Rating: 4.7

Another American crossbow hits the pedestal of our rating. The Tenpoint Venom was liked by experts for its originality. The manufacturer's designers have specially designed the shoulders, guide and eccentric blocks for the crossbow. The principle of operation of the weapon was also refined. The result is a powerful weapon that combines high speed (113.4 m / s) and light weight (2.95 kg). The maximum efficiency of the crossbow is noted at a distance of up to 80 m. In the manufacture of the model, high-strength carbon was used, due to which it was possible to reduce the mass.

Russian shooters are pleased with the power and compactness of the crossbow. Only the mechanical shoulder tensioner is subject to criticism. It is inconvenient to operate, therefore it is easier and faster to cock the mechanism manually.

Advantages

• original design;
• high boom speed;
• light weight;
• modern materials.

disadvantages

• ineffective mechanical tensioner.

Excalibur Matrix Mega 405

Rating: 4.6

The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 crossbow has excellent technical characteristics. The attention of experts was attracted by the high speed of the arrow (124 m / s). The model has a classic design, traditional materials (steel, aluminum) were used for manufacturing. The weapon can be serviced independently, it is easy to disassemble and assemble. The Canadian crossbow has been produced since 2014, having established itself as a powerful and effective weapon. Eyewitnesses are confident that even an elephant can be hunted using this model. At the same time, the product weighs only 2.8 kg, it is equipped with an effective vibration damping system. Therefore, there is no vibration or noise when firing.

According to hunters, the Canadian crossbow is a weapon with a narrow specialization of use. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully weigh the pros and cons before purchasing.

Advantages

• power;
• high boom speed;
• high-quality assembly;
• light weight.

disadvantages

• narrow specialization.

Interloper “Reaper 390”

Rating: 4.5

Crossbow Interloper “Reaper 390” attracted the attention of our experts at an affordable price. The main technical characteristics also look good. On standard shoulders, the weapon shoots at a speed of 82 m / s, when using the correct shoulders (from the Reaper 410) this indicator increases to 119 m / s. The model received a guide from the Reaper 410 crossbow, the stock is adjustable for the stem, a built-in hexagon is hidden in a hidden pocket of the stock. Thanks to this design, the crossbow does not make noise when fired. The model is included in our rating for the height-adjustable aiming bar.

In the reviews, Russian shooters are actively arguing about the novelty of the Reaper 390 model. Many consider the revision of the older basic Reaper 370 model to be insufficient. In addition, the weight of the crossbow turned out to be impressive (4 kg).

Advantages

• affordable price;
• the possibility of modernization;
• good design;
• adjustable aiming bar.

disadvantages

• heavy weight;
• revision required.

Carbon Express Covert CX2

Rating: 4.4

The Carbon Express Covert CX2 crossbow is distinguished by the optimal combination of price and quality. Experts liked the model for its modern design and ballistic parameters. The weapon has a shortened size, which will be especially convenient when hunting in ambush or in concealment. The forend can be adjusted to the owner's anthropometric data (5 positions). For safety reasons, the manufacturer has equipped the crossbow with a blank shot warning system. The double-sided fuse is universal. The boom flight speed at the initial stage is 106 m / s. Comes with an illuminated optical sight. The crossbow deservedly falls into the TOP-6 of our rating.

Russian hunters are satisfied with many technical characteristics, convenience and design. They consider the loud shot to be the only drawback.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• compactness;
• safety;
• versatility.

disadvantages

• loud sound of a shot.

Barnett jackal

Rating: 4.3

Another crossbow should not ruin the average Russian hunter or sportsman. The Barnett Jackal has a wide range of features, although you shouldn't hunt a bear with it. The weapon's firing speed is 96 m / s with a force of 40 kg. The manufacturer has equipped its product with a laser sight with red and green illumination. Experts appreciated the high accuracy of the shot, the crossbow is perfect not only for professionals, but also for novice shooters.

According to users, this model is ideal for women and teenagers. They will be satisfied with both the process itself and the result. But tall men will be uncomfortable to shoot. Hunting enthusiasts are unhappy with the loud sound when fired.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• effective sight;
• high shot accuracy;
• versatility.

disadvantages

• uncomfortable for tall men;
• loud sound of a shot.

PSE TAC Elite

Rating: 4.2

One of the few crossbows that allows hunting at a distance of 100 m is the PSE TAC Elite model. Experts note the complexity of the design, the use of innovative developments by the manufacturer. As a result, the weapon not only strikes with its range of fire, but also with its accuracy. Of the advantages of the design, experts note the possibility of adjusting the correct boom reach with any arrowheads. But you only have to buy branded four-point arrows. The model is unique in that it comes from the assembly line of the factory equipped with an optical sight (magnification from 3 to 9), horizon level and a fast lens of 42 mm. And for quick aiming, a reticle with 5 crosshairs is made.

A very high price prevented the crossbow from climbing higher in our rating. All its advantages can be appreciated only by professionals.

Advantages

• record range;
• high speed;
• optical sight;
• horizon level.

disadvantages

• high price.

Kodabow big rhino

Rating: 4.1

One of the most compact disassembled crossbows is the Kodabow Big Rhino. The weapon takes up minimum space in an athlete's car or hunter's luggage. But experts consider the main advantage of the sample to be high power. From a distance of 55 m, it is possible to hit a large animal (elk, bear) and the arrow pierces two shoulders at once with an accurate shot. This crossbow can only be recommended to physically strong people, since the manufacturer did not equip his product with a tensioner. But it is possible to disassemble it without the use of keys or devices. The model is in 9th place in our rating.

Users loved the accuracy, crossbow power, tactical stock and scope adjustment. Of the shortcomings, the difficulty of pulling the bowstring and the limited scope of application are noted.

Advantages

• high power;
• accuracy;
• adjustable sight;
• comfortable butt.

disadvantages

• difficult to pull the string.

MK-80A3

Rating: 4.0

Among the pistol-type crossbows, the model of the Taiwanese company Man Kung MK-80A3 stands out. This compact weapon is made of reinforced plastic and aluminum alloys, so its weight is only 900 g. The crossbow poses a danger to humans and animals if firing from a distance of 10 m. Experts appreciated the ease of cocking, even a teenager can cope with this task. It is convenient to hold the crossbow in both hands, since the fuse box extends to both sides of the case. For aiming, the manufacturer installed an adjustable rear sight and a fixed front sight. The crossbow pistol closes the top ten of our rating.

Among the shortcomings, the owners called the tight trigger, modest range and accuracy. But as entertainment, the crossbow will become an indispensable toy in the house.

Advantages

• ease;
• low price;
• ease of use;
• simple construction.

disadvantages

• short range;
• tight descent.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.