Full Draw Effect, That moment when your heart is pounding and a concoction of adrenaline and concentration flood your body.
That style and adrenaline, you will never get out of hunting with guns. The feeling of crossbow hunting is something else. A Bond
The reviews below will help you choose the best crossbow 2017 for hunting.
Like any other weapons and tools available today, the crossbows have gone through an evolution of design and technological developments have made it better to improve the hunting experience of the users. You can find a lot of crossbows in 2017 that vary in shapes, sizes and quality, but the important factors to look out for are the calibres, shooting range and shooting velocity rather than the pulling mechanism.
Best Crossbow Reviews 2017
It will be not wrong to say that these modified crossbows are not cheap and when you opt for the best of the lot that crossbow will let you experience the newest features that are available today and with that the durability of your crossbow will surely be top of the line and they will not be easily damaged.Before buying a crossbow, the user must have their purpose in mind and style of using the product only then they’ll be able to choose the best crossbow 2017. Spending more money on the crossbow will get you a more better and livelier experience with your usage.
Before you spend your money on such an expensive product you should know what kind of crossbow are you going to own the minute details. What kind of parts they use and what kind of features they have designed into them. Now for all this information to be delivered to you we have reviewed some of the best crossbows according to different usage styles do take a look at them. Especially for the new users it will be a great help in choosing the best crossbow for themselves according to their needs.
| Crossbow Name | Bow Weight | Velocity | Draw Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 (Professionals Choice) | 6.2 pounds | 405 FPS | 290 pounds |
| TenPoint Venom Crossbow with ACU50 | 6.5 pounds | 372 FPS | 200 pounds |
| Barnett Ghost 410 CRT (Editor’s Choice) | 7.9 pounds | 410 FPS | 185 pounds |
| Barnett Buck Commander Extreme | 7.1 pounds | 365 FPS | 185 pounds |
| Excalibur Matrix Grizzly SMF Crossbow | 6 pounds | 304 FPS | 200 pounds |
| Barnett Ghost 360 CRT | 7.5 pounds | 330 FPS | 160 pounds |
| Barnett Jackal Package(Beginners Friendly) | 7.7 pounds | 315 FPS | 150 pounds |
| Barnett Penetrator Crossbow | 8.6 pounds | 350 FPS | 175 pounds |
| Arrow Precision Inferno Fury (Under $200) | 4.8 pounds | 235 FPS | 175 pounds |
| Barnett Wildcat C5 | 8.5 pounds | 320 FPS | 150 pounds |
If you don’t want to look through all the crossbows listed below, we have narrowed it down to two crossbow models for you.
Now what these two crossbow models define? The first one listed of the two is for professional use and on the expensive side out of the lot, while the second crossbow listed is the beginner level budget friendly crossbow.
- Barnett Ghost 410 CRT Review – The fastest and most famous of all the crossbows for Professional Use
- Barnett Jackal Package – The best beginner level crossbow in the market
1. Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Review– Best crossbow for the Money
This crossbow is one of the expensive crossbow available in the market but it is worth every penny. The recurve crossbow type, Matrix Mega 405 is one of the crossbows out there giving you the ability to hit up to 405 FPS and even more that it never fails to make it’s mark.
The Twilight DLX, one of the most expensive scopes in the market is equipped on the Matrix Mega 405 which adds a lot of points on the accuracy department of this crossbow. Like other recurve crossbows carrying it is not a problem because it is very light in weight. Using it can be a little complex for the beginners because of the added features and safety protocols to follow to operate this crossbow, which is justified by the speed of 405 FPS of this crossbow making it the fastest crossbow in the market available today.
One of the many advantages of owning this crossbow is that it has the best scope of all the crossbows in the market which makes the marking of your target a no fuss. R.E.D.S suppressors are built in to this crossbow which is the best feature we have found among all the features it has. These suppressors helps reduce the noise and help you focus on the target even more.
Usually the users prefer the crossbows with a shorter pull length because of the less energy requirement for that and this crossbow doesn’t go in that favour with having a 290lbs draw weight and longer pull length. Longer pull length means faster the speed of the arrow, which is the case of the Matrix Mega 405 but users don’t prefer the longer pull length.
The bow stringer brought a let down for us as it was not a part of the crossbow.
All in all this crossbow can not only be used for target shooting but also for a full on hunting campaign. The assembly of the Matrix Mega 405 takes 30 minutes and it is made easy with a DVD manual which shows you the each assembly step for your convenience.After you have learned to adjust the scope of this crossbow, the adjustment of scope can help you shoot the target with little effort. This crossbow is very silent in use and a lot more powerful than other crossbows in the market.
4 Diablo arrows come along with Matrix Mega 405 which work excellently.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The fastest Recurve Crossbow available in the market | A bit difficult to pull (Might be because of the high draw weight number) |
| Extremely Good Built Quality | |
| Powerful, Fast and Quite (Doesn’t make any noise during operation) | |
| Excellent Scope | |
2. TenPoint Venom Crossbow Review– Compact and Lightweight Crossbow
The TenPoint Venom Crossbow is one of the easiest crossbows to assemble. The crossbow is suitable for both the Professionals and the Beginners alike. This crossbow also has one of the best scopes fitted on a crossbow which adds a lot of points for this crossbow in the accuracy department. Like all the TenPoint gadgets the Venom Crossbow has also proven to give out exceptional performance. The users especially the beginners who have issues cocking the bow, this crossbow provides a solution in form of built-in rope coking feature which makes the hunting of bear, moose and deer very easy for all the skill levels.
The scope used on this crossbow is already focused so the users don’t have to do much adjustments, the less adjustments in the gadget will make it easier for use for the beginner level user. The weight of the arrows which the user will equip the crossbow will determine the power of the crossbow.
The light weight structure of the crossbow helps a lot in mobility during hunting and the design also helps to move through narrow areas with ease.The power of this crossbow provides a lethal piercing through the targeted objects and it can easily pierce through the thickest of the objects with ease. Especially designed 20” Pro Elite Arrows are the best match for the Venom Crossbow. Apart from a long life span these arrows provide swift and linear flight to the target. And you can easily carry them.
TenPoint offer a constrained life time warranty on most of their products including the crossbows considering you return the processed warranty card to them within 30 days of the purchase of TenPoint product.
The multi layered optics on the scope of the crossbow zoom in from 1.5x to 5.0x providing the best target lock, with the light transmission to amaze the user. Each shot is swift and the scope is equally effective and accurate in the low light as it is in the bright light conditions. After considerable amount of knocking and jerking the scope remains effective and performs consistently good.
With such scope equipped on a crossbow you will never have to worry about the performance and you won’t have to replace it with a better one, because for this crossbow there is no better scope than this.
There are some features which lack in this crossbow which are offered in other crossbows in the market.
Now comparing the price tag to the features offered on the crossbow it is Not offering a good value for your money. The lack of features is a major issue since the same price tag crossbows offer more features to their users. The safety clicks will distract the user even though the suppressor equipped on board do reduce the noise of the crossbow.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Equipped with ACU50 draw for smooth performance | Comparitively expensive than other crossbows on our list with less features, less value for money |
| Velocity up to 372 feet per second | Dampening System makes the Crossbow operation silent. The safety will create an audible click which might be inconvenient in some situations. |
| Well balanced and Durable design | |
| Compact and Lightweight | |
3. Barnett Ghost 410 CRT Review– Fastest Crossbow 2017Â (Editor’s Choice)
The next crossbow on our list is the Ghost 410 CRT from Barnett. It is my personal favourite and it is the fastest crossbow in our list. The Ghost 410 is able to shoot an arrow at 410 feet per second. It is one of the best rated crossbows out there and the best produce by Barnett. It is not as expensive like the crossbows reviewed above. You must be thinking with the title of the fastest crossbow the Ghost 410 will surely cost you a lot. No, it will not cost you a lot, in fact it is less expensive than the other two crossbows we have reviewed so far and it offers the best value for your money.
Let’s shed a light at some of the best features of the fastest compound crossbow you can buy in 2017.
- The mounted scope that comes equipped on the Ghost 410 provides red/green dot illumination which can be controlled (powered on or off) with a single button.
- With draw weight 185lbs and crossbow weight of 7.3lbs it’s a very portable and easy to carry crossbow due to it’s lightweight structure
- The 15.4-inch power stroke utilized by the crossbow generates a lot of kinetic energy 149ft/lbs that is
- The bow is designed to shoot 22-inch arrows at immense speed of 410 feet per second, which will put you in the big games and you can go after the big hunt easily
The lack of dampening system makes the Ghost 410 very noisy operator.
Barnett Ghost 410 is a very lightweight, extremely powerful and balanced top of the line crossbow with a strong build with ability to generate kinetic force of up to 150lbs and shoot arrows at immense speed of 410 fps. This crossbow is easily the best suited for the beginners and the professional users alike.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The fastest crossbow ever built (Fires Arrows with Up to 410 Feet per second of velocity) | It makes noise during operation because the dampening system does not come as standard |
| Powerful, Compact and Lightweight design | |
| Great Accuracy |
4. Barnett Buck Commander Extreme Review– Lightweight and Fast
With the crossbow eight of 7.1lbs the Buck Commander by Barnett is easily one of the lightest compound crossbows available in the market today. The reason it’s so light weight is because of the materials used in the production of this crossbow. Carbon and aluminium make up this crossbow’s structure and the main contributors to it’s light weight design
The compactness of this crossbow when cocked make it very easy to operate by hand or through a tree stand.
With kinetic energy being produced at 118ft/lbs and arrow shooting speed of 365 feet per second make this crossbow very effective and give it the ability to shoot arrows deep into the target. The Buck Commander is a very capable crossbow and gives the user freedom to do wonders with it. The Buck Commander comes with all the tools so you can start hunting right out of the box.
The illuminated 3×32 scope provides great accuracy to the user. The strong, well balanced and lightweight design of the Buck Commander make it easy to carry and operate as well as comfortable.
The lack of the dampener in the Buck Commander makes a lot of noise when pulling the trigger. The issue carries on to this crossbow model too of Barnett Crossbows.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Budget Friendly with Great Performance | Sling doesn’t come as standard |
| Lightweight and Compact | Makes noise when you pull the trigger (Just like other Barnett’s) |
| Ergonomic design and excellent built quality | |
| Good value for money | |
5. Excalibur Matrix Grizzly SMF Review– Excalibur’s Most Affordable Crossbow
Excalibur is a name in Crossbow manufacturing which produces some of the most expensive Crossbows in the market. But all of those expensive models the Matrix Grizzly SMF is an affordable option which is next on our list of best crossbow 2017.
Of the better recurve crossbows out there, the Matrix Grizzly is a well balanced, easy assembly and easy to use option. It’s a great crossbow to have for the intermediate skill level users.
The weight of this crossbow is 5.5lbs which makes it very easy to carry and perfectly suitable for starter teens and women. The materials used in the production of this crossbow has made the structure of the Matrix Grizzly strong and very durable. The crossbow provides a good accuracy and the 30-inch narrow limbs provide a straight path for the arrow and the build is strong enough to bear 200lbs of draw force.
To look have a better understanding of this crossbow, let’s have a look at some of it’s highlighting features.
- The crossbow generates maximum speed of 304fps which is good for a small and medium level hunts
- This crossbow comes with 4 bows as standard so you can get going with this crossbow right out of the box
- The accuracy is good with the adjustable scope and 200lbs draw weight is enough for a kill
- This crossbow is built lightweight so it is easy to carry and easy to use and has been given enough power to make an efficient kill
The downside to this crossbow is that the Matrix Grizzly doesn’t have a anti fire mechanism which is not suitable for the beginner or starter level user.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Small Size, Easy to carry in confined spaces | Rails are not made from aluminum like in other Crossbows |
| Lightweight and well-balanced design | |
| 4 bolts and attachable quiver come as standard | |
| Easy Assembly | |
| Adjustable Scope for Accurate Hunt |
6. Barnett Ghost 360 CRT Review– Fastest and Affordable
The next crossbow on our list is another entry from Barnett, the Ghost 360 model. One of my favourite crossbows, this crossbow is lightweight, has great accuracy along with a strong build. For the cramped hunting regions this crossbow’s compact design comes in handy and that is why it’s price tag is a little higher than the other models but it provides great value for your money.
This well balanced, compact and easy to use crossbow beast weighs only 7lbs. Considering the features on this crossbow this is quiet lightweight. The small and medium level hunts are on with this crossbow with the ability to shoot 20/22-inch arrows at 360 feet per second.
The only downside to this crossbow is the lack of cocking mechanism, which results in the drawing weight figure of 160lbs making it a good option for teenagers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great Accuracy | Cocking mechanism does not come as standard |
| Easy to Carry | |
| Lightweight and Compact Build | |
| Adjustable Scope for Greater Accuracy | |
| Barnett’s 5 in 1 Safety Firing System |
7. Barnett Jackal Package Review– Best crossbow for Beginners (Under 300)
The next crossbow on our list is another great gadget from Barnett. This crossbow is specifically designed for the beginner level user in mind. The package of Barnett Jackal includes quiver, few bolts and a red dot sight, and all of that you can use right out of the box. Even for the beginner level user it’s not so hard to assemble this crossbow and it won’t take more than 15 minutes to assemble this crossbow.
The only thing that is missing in the whole package is Broadheads. As soon as you get your hands on them you can go on your first hunt with this crossbow.
So what does this crossbow offers to it’s users? Let’s find out
- Maximum draw weight of 150lbs and maximum speed generated by the bow mechanism is 315 fps. Remember all this for under $300 price tag, that’s pretty good.
- The package of the Barnett Jackal includes all the necessities and the assembly of this crossbow is very easy and quick
- Quad limbs provide extra stability without compromising the weight of the crossbow
- The cable system along with energy wheel work together to provide the user with the fastest shots possible so you never miss your target
The downside to using this crossbow is the noise it makes when you pull the trigger. However, that can be fixed if you install a dampening system to reduce the noise.
All in all I would suggest this crossbow to anyone who is looking to start with the hunting business. For under $300 you get a very good design, a strong build quality and credible brand name to go with that too “Barnett” and on top of everything it fires arrow at speed equivalent to that with much higher price tags, 315 feet per second. Now all of this is a very good value for your money if you ask me.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great Features and Low Price | Rope Cocking Mechanism dose not come as standard |
| Suitable for Beginner and Intermediate Skill Level Users | No Dampening System makes it noisy |
| Durable | |
| Good Build Quality | |
8. Barnett Penetrator Review– Best Crossbow under 500
The next crossbow on our list is al so from the renowned “Barnett”. The Barnett Penetrator is very easy to use and very easy to assemble and comes with all the necessary tools to get you started right out of the box. If you look into the power of this crossbow, the speed it can shoot an arrow is around the 350 fps mark and the amount of kinetic energy produced is 109ft/lbs. This much power means that the arrows will surely go deep into it’s target with ease.
Be sure to keep this in mind that the Penetrator crossbow is best suited for small and medium level hunts.
The string of this crossbow is not very durable and after a few shots, the string on our reviewer’s crossbow snapped, and it had to be replaced. String failures are not included in the Barnett’s Warranty Coverage so that new string cost us extra.
Now let’s have a look at the Penetrator’s best features and what else does this crossbow offer it’s users.
- This crossbow comes with a Five Year Barnett Warranty covering stock and limb assembly along with the trigger mechanism
- The crossbow comes with three 20-inch 400-grain aluminium arrows along with 4 x 32mm scope to be mounted on the crossbow. Carbon arrows are recommended by us to use on this crossbow
- The draw weight of 175lbs and the speed of 350 fps will make sure that you get the kill
With a good value for your money and a warranty coverage this crossbow is good for hunting. For starters you can go easy with a deer kill and go up a notch with some elks. The hand cranking mechanism is a nice additional touch on this crossbow. All in all a good crossbow to have and it was worth mentioning in our list.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Rope Cocking Mechanism come as Standard | Heavy in weight in comparison to others in our lineup (8.6 lbs) |
| Great Accuracy | |
| Built-in hand crank mechanism (Installation Required) | |
9. Arrow Precision Inferno Fury Review– Lightest Crossbow (Under $200)
The next entry on our list of best crossbow 2017 is the Arrow Precision Inferno Fury which also happens to be one of the cheapest crossbows on our list, cheap it may be but the quality of the crossbow is not compromised.
This inexpensive and lightweight crossbow is one of the best option available for the beginners who are looking for something basic to start with. The Precision Inferno comes with all the necessary tools with it which means you can just get going when you are done assembling it out of the box.
The draw weight of this crossbow is 175lbs and the speed an arrow can achieve fired out of this bow is 235fps. So this crossbow is not built for large hunt. But firing from a distance of 20-30 yards can be effective in taking down a deer.
If you are starting off with crossbows and want a basic equipment to own, this good quality, durable and budget friendly (Under $200) and with a catchy camouflage design is all there you can ask for such a price, it will not disappoint you.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lightest Crossbow in our list (4.8 lbs) | Comes with low quality arrows (However, you can buy better ones) |
| Easy to Use and Easy to Carry Due to Light Weight | Slow Response makes it Good for only small hunts |
| Good Value for Money | |
| Comes with 1 year Warranty | |
10. Barnett Wildcat C5– Best Value Crossbow
One of the most popular crossbow models from Banett is the Wildcat C5. Designed especially for the beginner and intermediate skill level crossbow user, the Wildcat C5 offers the best value amongst the crossbows we reviewed here in our list.
The quad style limb design with energetic wheel offers a very stable draw and powerful shot, making it very durable and capable designed crossbow. The string and cable system in this crossbow makes it very easy to pull the draw weight of 150lbs on this crossbow. The weight of this crossbow is 8.5lbs which is comparatively heavy with the other crossbows in our list. The design is very comfortable and performance is great on this crossbow. The grip of this crossbow also offers a comfortable and steady hold for the user.
The Barnett Wildcat C5 gives out an amazing performance and packs number of features. Let’s see what the Wildcat C5 holds for it’s users.
- The draw weight of 150lbs is very easy to pull credits to it’s cable system
- The speed at which the arrow is shot out of this crossbow is 320 fps ensuring the kill
- The Wildcat C5 generates 91 fp of kinetic energy to get a steady grasp on the target
- This crossbow comes with a Five Year Warranty provided by Barnett
- The scope is adjustable and specs are 4 x 32 which offers easily adjustments and is accurate up to 20f
- Three 20-inch solid arrows and a quiver come along as standard
The Wildcat C5 lacks the dampening system which we did not like in this crossbow, the lack of this system makes it too loud when operational.
Barnett without any doubt one of the leading brands that manufacture quality crossbows in the market today. You will realize that after you’ve fired or owned one of the Barnett crossbows. They all are very good crossbows for their targeted users. Wildcat C5 has a lightweight and durable design making it very fast and powerful to use. Great accuracy and ability to attach a cocking device on this crossbow makes it a fine crossbow to own.
For all the money’s worth you are getting all you need to go for a hunt.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Durable and Comes with Strong Arrows | Rope Cocking Mechanism does not come as standard |
| Great Design | |
| Extremely Quiet in Operation | |
| Beginner Friendly | |
| Comes with 5 year Warranty |
Honourable Mention
Excalibur Micro Suppressor Crossbow – Quietest Crossbow on the Market
The Crossbow in question here is the Excalibur Micro Suppressor Crossbow, the latest in line of quality crossbows Excalibur has produced over the years. The Micro Suppressor is a Recurve Crossbow simple and basic but very efficient with it’s purpose. As we have mentioned above that this is the quietest crossbow you will find on the market today. This piece of marvel is very good at what it is designed and built for which is providing the quietest and smoothest kill. We tested this crossbow and found many good things about it so let’s get into it.
The crossbow delivered to us came with a Rope Cocker and a Pre-Mounted Cheek piece. Which is a good start since many of the crossbows we reviewed lacked these things. Let’s get into the technical details of the Excalibur Micro Suppressor. The crossbow has a sound deadening system along with air brakes dissipation bars. Now the sound deadening system works with five components on board to provide the quietest kill. The crossbow has REDS suppressors along with Recoil anti vibration system now what these components along with three others do is that not only they fire the arrow with minimal sound they also eliminate the recoil vibration, which in turn gave us the most accurate and smoothest fire everytime which was great. We even gave it to our novice crossbow enthusiast on board our team and even he was able to handle it like a pro.
For our safety the crossbow is fitted with oversized finger guards and guardian anti-dry fire system, these little details contribute a lot when you are in the wild. The design of this crossbow is as compact as it can get.
Other things we found useful on board this crossbow is that the string can literally be changed in a minute tops and the crossbow can be cocked and uncocked with rope cocking aid. It is not the most powerful crossbow out there but it is not a joke, it can easily take down a large target without it even knowing where the arrow came from. Some of the technical specs are below:
- Velocity – 343 FPS
- Draw Weight – 280lbs
- Weight – 5.4lbs
- Length – 31”
All in all you this crossbow turned out with very few things that you can dislike, one of them is the price. Considering the performance of this crossbow that price is justifiable. This particular Crossbow is on a special package which has a Upgrade of Twilight DLX Scope on board worth $250.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The Quietest Recurve Crossbow available in the market | A bit difficult to pull (Might be because of the high draw weight number) |
| Extremely Good Built Quality | High Priced |
| Recoil Anti Vibration System | |
| Very Safe to Use | |
Crossbow Buying Guide
As we have mentioned time and time again in our crossbow reviews that before you go on breaking your bank to buy a crossbow, first make sure that the crossbow you go for suits your needs.
There are several factors that determine the crossbow will meet your requirements. But among all, the three factors are crucial which are:
- The draw weight a crossbow has
- The speed at which the crossbow fires an arrow
- The scope
If you found these three factors to be meeting your requirements in a crossbow then you should go for that specific crossbow. Accessories like rope cocking devices and padded slingers are also very important tools if you own a crossbow which user should be aware of too.
- The Draw Weight is mostly between 70 and 200 pounds. The draw weight is the force which is required to pull the arrow into place before the flight. The draw weight determines the speed of the arrow in flight. The higher the draw weight of the crossbow, the higher the in flight speed of the arrow thus it will have more power hitting the target.
- The Speed at which a crossbow shoots an arrow should be at least around 300 feet per second. The draw weight and light weight design shouldn’t be the only things you consider when buying a crossbow. When you have a higher arrow shooting speed on your crossbow you will be able to take the target down with just a single shot. The speed also contributes in the force the arrow hits a target with. The higher the force the better the kill ratio.
- Good Scope improves your accuracy and hit ratio. A good scope will help you shoot down the target from a distance with a single shot. However, the draw weight and the speed of the arrow will also be main factors in a single shot kill.
The Excalibur Matrix 405 Why is it our Number 1 Crossbow Pick? The scope on this crossbow offers an excellent zoom in capability the best available today. The red dot in the zoom that is very helpful in pointing out the target with almost no error. The quality of the arrow and the speed of the arrow determines the end result once the trigger is pulled. The only professional choice we recommend is the Excalibur Matrix 405 because of it’s power and speed, 405 fps is exceptional.
The noise suppressor minimizes the sound during operation. The draw weight of 290lbs is powerful, very powerful. Powerful enough to pierce a considerable hole through the target. This crossbow is surely for the professionals who compete and win and the Excalibur Matrix 405 will not disappoint you that is my personal opinion.
Other Factors to Consider
- The crossbow users have to keep in mind that the wax has to applied to the string whenever the crossbow has to be loaded, this precaution is taken to make the cord last longer
- Do not pull the string without loading the crossbow
- Keep in mind that the crossbow has to be light so that it can be carried easily and the arrows don’t have to be too heavy
Be sure to adjust the scope before operating the crossbow. The manuals that come along with the crossbow don’t just offer the safety instructions they also provide helpful tips on how to operate the crossbow.
Mostly the crossbow owners are beginner level users and the manual provide those users useful insight to the product they’ve just bought. The other factor to keep in mind is that the crossbow needs to be operated properly like the manual has suggested. The proper usage will result in the crossbow offering peak performance for a longer period and will maintain it’s durability too.