Recommendations for a High End Hunting Crossbow

[repins05]

I am interested in purchasing a "crossbow for hunting. Want to shoot 500fps+. Weight and warranty are important to me as well. Just starting to research and any recommendations are appreciated. Quick research shows the Tenpoint Trx Ultra and the Ravinr29x xk7. I don't necessarily need a "high end" crossbow either but am also ok with paying for quality and accuracy.

 

[dtrkyman]

Why 500 FPS?

The Mission Sub 1 followed by the Sub 1 XR are my two recommendations.

Raven gets the recent hype for sure but they are a hot rod with a lot of parts!


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[jjordan355]

I know years ago Excalibur used to be one of the top ones. Looks like they still have a lineup of crossbows.

Excalibur Crossbow | Field-Serviceable Crossbows & Gear

Excalibur Crossbow DIY-friendly recurve crossbows and gear built for precision, durability, and performance. Designed for easy setup.

excaliburcrossbow.com

 

[adamm88]

Tenpoint, From low end to High i havent heard of too many people not liking Tenpoint.

 

[rodney482]

definitely don't need 500 fps.

Tenpoint

 

[Gman12]

I have a Ravin R26 and I like it very much. It is the smallest, most compact crossbow that Ravin makes. Crossbows can be bulky and awkward to carry but this model is shorter and narrower than most other models. It makes a big difference when used in a tree stand or on a spot and stalk hunt. It shoots 400 fps which is plenty fast and the penetration is unbelievable.

 

[hunt1up]

Mission Sub-1. I've had several high end Ten Points since my kids have used crossbows for a few years. I had two Ten Points Siege 410s blow up in a week. Once when I shot it, drawing blood from my hand, once when my son shot it, he was uninjured. I wouldn't take another if they gave it to me.

The Mission is superior in every way. Easier to cock, easier to decock, doesn't feel like it's loaded up to the brink. You can back the limbs out and DIY a string swap. Fit and finish is excellent.

400fps is ripping fast as it is. It's generally so fast you'll often have trouble seeing the arrow hit. Manufacturers keep trying to add speed and there's a point where it's unnecessary and also unreliable. Plus they'll eat strings.

Edit: If you want me to rant about my dislike for Ten Point I'll be happy to do it. I just don't want to derail your thread.

 

[PlentyOfDoes]

I was between R10 and R29. I didn't like how the R29 felt to handle. Try shooting one before you buy, especially if you have longer arms. R10 is bigger but feels better to handle and shoot.

I thought I'd be more annoyed with Ravins proprietary nocks but it hasnt been an issue.

 

[repins05]

I have seen some mixed reviews with some of the ten points.... including blowing up. I am good with any rants you have. More info the better. I will check out the Mission. Don't really need 500ps and have been looking at 400+ as well.

The proprietary nocks for the Ravin is kind of a turn off. But, in the scheme of things I guess it doesn't really matter?

 

[repins05]

Can you give me some detail in regard to the mission being easier to cock versus the tenpoint? Are using using the RSD Crank?

 

[hunt1up]

I have seen some mixed reviews with some of the ten points.... including blowing up. I am good with any rants you have. More info the better. I will check out the Mission. Don't really need 500ps and have been looking at 400+ as well.

The proprietary nocks for the Ravin is kind of a turn off. But, in the scheme of things I guess it doesn't really matter?

Ok, then I'll rant.

I had some more budget minded crossbows for the first few years my kids hunted. I then bought the first high end one, the Siege 410 two seasons ago. They change the models constantly but it's essentially the same in design as the other flagship models. At first I loved the compact nature of it. It was accurate. One afternoon before I took my son out to the blind, I had him shoot a target just to make sure he and the crossbow were doing their thing properly. I've got plenty of experience using bows, guns, and crossbows, and I loaded it up like every other time I've used it. He fires a shot and WHACK! Strings and cam bits go flying everywhere. I find the arrow and the nock is missing. Fortunately no one was hurt.

I contacted Ten Point and was told I didn't load it properly. Which is BS. According to them I didn't seat the arrow all the way. It isn't supposed to fire unless the arrow is seated, but ok, maybe I screwed up. I then had to drive it an hour to a dealer and wait a few weeks for them to fix it and it cost me $300. They didn't warranty it due to my apparent misuse. In the meantime I bought another of the exact same bow that was new/open box. I figured this is a top quality item and the first was bad luck, and I have all the arrows and stuff, so once the other one is fixed I'll just sell one of them. This way I can get through deer season with the kids. I set it up and go to sight it in. Second arrow, WHACK! Strings and cam bits go flying everywhere again. I look down and my thumb is bleeding all across the top along the nail. Fortunately it wasn't that serious an injury. I find the arrow and the nock is slide halfway out and moving freely in the arrow.

I contact Ten Point again. Yeah you didn't load it right they say. I vividly remember loading that arrow and staring at it to ensure it's on the string after the first explosion happened. It can really only go one way, which is on the damn string. While this was going on I had talked with one of the larger Ten Point dealers on the phone. It was explained to me that the plastic Alpha nocks inserts (they're a two piece nock) are the weak link with these arrows. There's too much energy and the nocks can either break or jar loose, essentially causing a dry fire. This is the note Ten Point put on their repair sheet:

Alpha nock 2.0 induced damage. Nock was loose in the arrow when he picked the arrow up. Shop told him going to HP would prevent issues. Customer has another Siege that did the same thing and he paid $300 to get it repaired. Please be very fair on what we charge him. He did buy the bow from another person, so he is not the original owner. Customer has now purchased HP components and is going to covert them himself.

I then drive another hour each way with this bow and they charged me another $300 and months wait. I had no leg to stand on since I bought it open box(it was new), but they didn't even warranty the one I DID buy new myself. So the story TWICE was that I didn't load them properly. But then it's admitted both by a dealer and then by Ten Point themselves that the updated aluminum nock inserts will prevent the problem. Maybe they should have gotten out in front of the problem and issued a recall of the inserts. And maybe not charge me both times for something that was clearly a product defect.

I ended up buying the aluminum HP inserts on my dime and converted all my arrows. I got both bows back in factory repaired condition and sold them, disclosing they were both factory repaired and took a bath on both of them. Magically Ten Point now only sells the aluminum HP version of their arrows. I understand they tried to navigate a known problem without really taking it on the chin but it was a known safety hazard.

A friend bought the exact Siege bow that I have. His also has Accudraw on it. With the Accudraw you have to be diligent that once it's cocked, you reverse the crank 2 turns(I think) to release pressure from the mechanism. This is stated in the manual. First time my buddy went out to use his he grenaded the Accudraw internals resulting in a repair bill and lengthy wait. I asked if he'd relieved the tension and he said he couldn't remember. So this was likely his own doing, but the design requires you do this step, and if you forget, or don't relieve enough tension before you shoot, there's a fair chance you're in for a bad time.

While all of this was going on I ordered the Mission Sub-1XR from Wyvern Creations. When it showed up it was a breath of fresh air. The design is clean and well thought out. At Wyvern's recommendation I went with the rope cocker. WAY better than the mechanical cockers. It cocks so smooth. To de-cock you just press a button and pull the ropes. The limb pockets are designed so you can just back the bolts out and replace the strings. It has an adjustable stock for the kids. The trigger is great. It is extremely accurate. The nock is a simple one piece aluminum design.

In my estimation, the trend toward ultra compact reverse-draw limb designs simply packs too much energy into these machines. Couple that with constant proprietary "features" like Alpha nocks and you end up with problems. With the explosion of crossbow popularity it has created an arms race of sorts, both is speed and gimmicky features.

Fortunately both of my kids are strong enough to pull killing draw weights on their vertical bows and will be starting to hunt with those this year. My quest for the perfect crossbow ended with the Sub-1 though, and it'll be on standby for some occasional blind sits.

 

[hunt1up]

Can you give me some detail in regard to the mission being easier to cock versus the tenpoint? Are using using the RSD Crank?

I was told to skip the RSD crank. You have to take it on and off and it's complicated. Not something I want for field use. It's hard to mess up a rope. Hook it on and pull. Done.

 

[mattflipper]

Mission, it’s tough and easy to work on. You can actually change strings, fix derailments, etc with a set of Allen wrenches on the tailgate. Important if you have to travel. Raven is light and compact but be sure you change the strings and cables very regularly. Mission Sub 1 is super accurate, not as loud as some others, and is plenty fast enough, IMHO.