After going through hundreds of crossbow, we found that most of them sucked but some of them actually fit the bill … read our list of the best crossbows.
Crossbows were part of the ancient medieval army and hunters. But in 2021 it’s evolved a lot. It’s engineered today rather than built. It’s not all in one fit anymore.
Crossbows are tuned for different persona now. It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or pro. There’s something for everybody.
As we already mentioned, these crossbows come in various size, weight, shape, and different experience. Some can be modified in the shop if the user wants. When you consider crossbows to buy, you’ll see different draw length, bow draw weight, bow length, speed. And also factors such as shooting range and noise.
Best Crossbows 2021
See the comparison table of top choice crossbows to pick best for you in budget price.
| Crossbow Name | Bow Weight ( pounds) | Draw Weight (pounds) | Speed (FPS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalibur Matrix Bulldog 400 |   | 6.2 | 280 | 400 |
| Excalibur Matrix 380 |   | 5.9 | 260 | 380 |
| Horton Storm RDX |   | 7.7 | 165 | 370 |
| CenterPoint Sniper 370 |   | 7.9 | 185 | 370 |
| Barnett Outdoors Ghost 360 |   | 7 | 165 | 360 |
| Excalibur Matrix 355 |   | 5.4 | 240 | 355 |
| Killer Instinct KI350 |   | 6.5 | 175 | 350 |
| Bear Archery Bruzer FFL |   | 9 | 125 | 335 |
| TenPoint Invader G3 |   | 6.6 | 135 | 330 |
| TenPoint Lady Shadow |   | 6.4 | 180 | 328 |
And spending more on crossbow doesn’t necessarily improve your skills. If you are new to crossbows, it’s better to start with beginners crossbows and acquire skills. And moves to the higher quality ones. We hope that these reviews and comparison tables will help you to find the right crossbow.
Here, we listed the best crossbows for hunting and games. Make sure, what exactly you need and sort it according to your wish. If you are looking crossbow for hunting, choose one with more draw weight and power which increase velocity.
Without further ado let’s get to the reviews to get the best crossbow of your choice
Excalibur Matrix Bulldog 400
What manufacturer claims often doesn’t meet expectations. But this flagship is true to their words and its really a great piece. It’s expensive but really worth it for pros. Weighing only 6.2 pounds and can cross 400FPS speed mark, it’s one of the best balanced, lightweight crossbows that’s compact and comfortable to hold. It does come close to the matrix mega 405 ( discontinued ) but at lower price point and better features. Its the fastest crossbow in our list
And the limb problems (split limbs, limbs breaking) with 405 has been fixed on the bulldog. It’s got the taxon illuminated scope on it. You can put the air brakes on it as an accessory which cost additional, and that makes a difference. It’s fast and accurate.
Speaking of power, the 14″ power stroke it can produce 124 pound of KE which is great for quick kills. Overall, a good, nice shooting crossbow feels good in hands.
Excalibur Matrix 380 – A good quality crossbow for money
If bulldog isn’t your type, try the Matrix 380. It’s a bit old, and the trigger still feels hard but can’t go wrong with the purchase.The trigger will getter with usage. If it’s not, you’ve to replace the trigger.
The limbs are noisy, but it’s fast enough to take down the target.The bow weighs 5.9 pounds, .3 lbs less than Matrix 400 and the speed is just shy of bulldog speed of 380fps but hits hard. It’s a good investment for a seasoned hunter for couple of years.
Because this is a recurve type, you can do all the maintenance and upkeep if you know how.Speaking of power, it can do 109ft.lbs of KE.its pretty powerful. Like many other heavy crossbows, matrix 380 comes with a rope-cocking device. The draw weight is 260lbs. Its pretty hard to cock it without the device.Overall, this crossbow is a deadly combination of speed and power.
Horton Storm RDX – Best stealthy crossbow
This one is a highly rated crossbow. The bow weight is 7.7 pounds, and the draw weight is 165 lbs. It can hit a pretty good speed of 370 FPS.Features are nice. It does have a cheek piece and butt plate. Hortons reverse draw technology and safety features are included in the storm RDX even though the original company is no longer in existence.
Storm RDX is using the ACUdraw system, and it’s very easy to cock. The included scope is a non-illuminated 4 X 32 scope. Sufficient for fun but more serious folks should consider illuminated one.
Speaking of noise and power, this one is stealthy and can do power output about 122ft.lbs.Overall, this one is a stealth killer.
CenterPoint Sniper 370 -Best crossbow for hunters
This crossbow is excellent value for money. It Shoots at a speed of 370 FPS. realistically, it averages 330-340fps max with 423 grain arrows.Bow weight is 7 pounds and draw weight is 185 pounds. It’s fully adjustable, and for a quiet vibration-free shot, string suppressors are integrated with it. The warranty is not a life time but covers five years.
Bow comes with tactical stock and forearm which are fully adjustable. The instruction manual is not easy to read but. It’s better having somebody else experienced with cross assembling set it up for you.
once assembled you could feel its power.It can deals out 128 ft-lbs kinetic energy with 424 grain arrows.its very powerful.Its not easy to cock this crossbow because of the bow weight of 185lbs. But there’s a rope cocking device to make it easier.
Barnett Outdoors Ghost 360
This crossbow is known for its design. It’s light weight and gives you a expeditious shot. It’s light weight and accurate.The cocking machanism is not included the set but can added. The scope is adjustable as well.Ghost 360 weighs 7 pounds and the draw weight is 165 which is standard.
The speed reaches up to 360FPS even though the draw weight is less than the rivals shooting at the same speed. The included instruction is easy to read as well. Overall,a well built, well designed convenient all in one crossbow package for everyone.
Excalibur Matrix 355 – Best lightweight crossbow
This one ranks 3rd when comes to draw weight in our list. And ranks first when comes to bow weight and at the same time without sacrificing any performance.Matrix 355 is ideal for small game hunting and target shooting. It’s a recurve type crossbow.The draw weight is 240 pounds and bow weight is 5.4 lbs.
It can reach up to 355 fps. It comes with a set of 18″carbon arrows (4), assembly DVD videos and string maintenance kit.Even though the draw weight is quite high; it’s novice friendly and safe.The bow weight is a plus on this crossbow making it lightweight and easy to carry.
It comes with a Tact-Zone-five-reticle scope.Speaking of output power, The KE of Matrix 355 is 98ft.lbs. It’s powerful.The price is quite steep for this piece, but if you can afford it, we recommend it.
Killer Instinct KI350 Crossbow – best balanced crossbow
KI350 is an overall performer. the bow weight and draw weight are well balanced.It can reach up to blazing speed of 350FPS. If anyone looking for a budget crossbow, bear this one in your mind. It does perform fantastic. It comes with an illuminated scope and the fore grip is adjustable. The trigger is hard to pull. It feels like a 5 pound trigger pull than a 3.5lb trigger pull. The warranty covers a limited lifetime warranty.Make sure to buy extra bolts
Bear Archery Bruzer FFL – Best compact crossbow
This one does have the highest bow eight in our list. It weighs 9lbs. the draw weight is very low and its 125lbs. Yet, its fast. It can attain speed up to 335 FPS. Due to the bow eight its not easy to carry. It’s quite heavy. The included scope (Trophy Ridge XF425) is not illuminated and trigger pull is long. Light draw weight make up for the heavy bow weight and its easy to cock this crossbow. Its very compact and well designed.
TenPoint Invader G3 – Best crossbow for hunting
This one comes with an ACU-52 cocking mechanism. Its smooth and accurate. 3x Multi-Line Scope, a 3-arrow quiver, and 3-carbon arrows are included in the package.Bow weight is 6.6lbs and draw weight is 135lbs. It can do 330FPS shot.It well built and very safe.Its very durable and can tackle any kind of weather.
There’s no integrated suppression system for noise. But it’s quiet. Adding noise reduction suppress the noise further.Highly recommended for all types of hunters novice, amateur and experienced. This one is a no-brainer in our list. Can’t go wrong with this purchase.
TenPoint Lady Shadow – Best crossbow for women
The final recommendation in our list is Tenpoint Lady Shadow. What we liked about this crossbow is, it comes as a full kit, and it’s so easy to cock. It’s very expensive, and color option is limited. It’s only available in pink. From the design and name, We are sure that its made for lady hunters. Bow weight is 6.4lbs and draw weight is 180lbs.
It’s lightweight, very comfortable to carry and easy to handle. Its accurate too.The speed is 328 FPS. Its vibration free, safe and very quiet. Not sure there’s much demand for these type of crossbows.But surely recommend for females.best crossbow for lady hunters.
Final verdict and Reviews
Time to wrap our list. There are some certain thing you’ve to ask yourself when buying crossbows now. What are they? What are you going to do with this crossbow? Is it for hunting? or target shooting? If it’s for target shooting, be aware that some targets are not meant for high-speed bows.
Crossbows can also be modified to perform better. It can be done in nearby archery store but add up cost. There’s no problem tweaking your crossbow further, taking it to the next level so that you can control it better.
We’ll update this review as soon as we find crossbows with less or no problems and positive reviews. If you think, we missed anything that worth looking at, let us know!
