The best crossbow to buy will have important safety features, be easy to draw from a tree stand or hunting blind, have quality optics, and will shoot arrows at 275 FPS or more. The top crossbow purchase doesn’t have to be the most expensive. Quality is more important than price alone.
It’s easy to get sticker shock when looking for the top crossbow to buy. The high-end models from brands like Barnett, Mission, Ten Point, Bear, Ravin, Horton, and others can be costly.
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The good news is that like all things in life, you don’t need to spend a ton of money to get decent quality.
Xbow prices vary based on make, styles, construction, model, accessories, weight, safety features, as well as materials they are designed from.
Crossbows may look intimidating, but they are incredibly fun archery weapons to hunt and enjoy target practice with.
The price of crossbow plays a crucial role in the performance and quality and can also add life to the unit as a whole.
The costs for a reliable hunting crossbow range from $300 to $3000, depending on what features, performance, bells, and whistles you want.
So, what is the best crossbow to buy?
Well, let’s look at the factors to consider to ascertain that you are buying nothing but the best crossbow for your particular needs.
1. Crossbow Speed: What FPS Is Fast Enough To Buy?
With crossbows, the speed or velocity is typically the rate at which an arrow is fired from the bow in terms of feet per second (fps).
The speed is the byproduct of several aspects including the power stroke (the distance covered by the bowstring as it moves from its resting position to the trigger’s jaw as it is drawn from the locked location), crossbow’s draw weight, as well as the weight of the arrow and arrow point or broadhead.
In general, a crossbow will shoot much faster if it possesses longer power stroke, higher draw weight, as well as lighter arrows.
Besides, a heavier arrow that is shot from a crossbow that possesses high power stroke and draw weight will also maintain much more kinetic energy.
However, when fired at long distances, this type of arrow is known to have more drop and not shoot as flat as a lighter arrow will.
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Another annoying thing with a speedier arrow is increased vibration and noise, and a general increase in minor repair and maintenance issues because more power stroke and draw weight are incorporated.
For most shooting and hunting purposes, 300-350 fps is a workable arrow speed.
2. How Far Do You Intend To Shoot The Xbow You Plan To Buy?
When sighting in, the objective is to zero in on a particular distance, usually 20 yards, with the top reticle (crosshairs) or dot.
Once this is attained, the remaining reticles or dots will instantly be correctly aligned at their right distances as long as the optics are designed to be used with a crossbow of the designated draw weight.
A single reticle or dot at a specific range is perfect only for that length, and other distances have to be assessed by the reticle or dot location on the target object.
If you plan only to hunt deer you are probably OK if you buy a crossbow with a 4 reticle scope that can shoot out to 50 yards.
For game animals like elk that require 70 to 80-yard shots, you will need to purchase a more advanced xbow fitted with a higher end scope featuring more reticles for sighting ranges beyond 50 yards.
If you plan on shooting on multiple distances, a scope with a variety of reticles or dots is much more accurate.
Some scopes possess illuminated reticles or dots in both red and green illumination.
These illuminations are best used either early in the morning or during dusk when the lighting is weak since they allow you to see the target object much more clearly.
3. Do You Want To Buy A Simple Recurve Crossbow Or A More Advanced Compound Xbow?
A recurve crossbow, or a standard limb crossbow, possesses a less complicated design than the advanced compound crossbows currently on the market.
The simplicity of a recurve limb crossbow means that it is much easier to maintain since the strings can be replaced without the need of visiting an archery shop or having to buy a bow press.
A recurve crossbow is also typically lighter than the advanced compound limb crossbows meaning that it is much easier to carry for long distances back and forth to your hunting blinds or stands.
Nevertheless, the recurve bow generally propels crossbow arrows at a slower rate than the advanced compound crossbows and is wider, making movement challenging in a blind or tree stand.
Recurve crossbows also tend to have robust trigger pulls because the trigger mechanism it has holds the whole weight of the peak when the bow is in the cocked position.
Compound and reverse draw crossbows have pulleys which produce “let-off” and decrease the string pressure resulting in smoother triggers that are more rifle like and can lead to more accurate shots.
Advanced bows are more straightforward to cock than the recurve bows because many of them incorporate a cocking aid accessory.
The pulley system in the advanced crossbows also allows them to have a much narrower frame. The pulley system that contains both cams and cables stores sufficient energy to make the bow fast and powerful.
For instance, when at the same draw weight, the advanced hunting bow will shoot much faster than a recurve bow thanks to the dynamics included in the limbs and firing mechanism.
An increase to speed translates to better accuracy in longer shots, and this means that you will have the ability to hit the target at longer distances successfully.
It is essential to note that the advanced compound xbows one can buy are generally quieter than their counterparts. The complex cam system on advanced crossbows is beneficial in a variety of ways.
First, it allows the limbs on the bow to be much shorter, thus providing the crossbow with extra mobility and smaller profile in tight areas.
Cam engineering is also known to improve the dynamics of the bow, meaning that the engineers can incorporate limbs that need less draw weight to attain a similar speed of a recurve bow.
So, if you are wondering what is the best crossbow too buy and can’t decide between a recurve or a compound, remember that the compound will be more accurate, probably shoot faster and be more comfortable to draw at the expense of more weight,, and a larger overall size.
4. How much money do you intend to spend on a crossbow?
The amount of money you wish to spend is a crucial aspect of deciding which crossbow to buy.
A quality crossbow that is powerful enough to kill large game animals humanely can be bought for as much as $3000 and as little as $ 300, with a couple of aspects determining the price.
There are also less expensive models of crossbows available, but like most accessories, you will be receiving what you pay for, which generally translates to cheaper items, less-quality design, and insignificant customer service.
Most xbow manufacturers in the market sell packages that may comprise of a crossbow, set of arrows, quiver, scope, and cocking device.
Nevertheless, it is common to come across dealers that may only include the crossbow as part of the buying price, and you will have to cater for the cost of the required extras for you to ensure that you are getting the best deal possible on the brand and model of crossbow that is best for you to buy.
The speed (which relates to the power stroke and draw weight) is usually a determining aspect in the price of a crossbow, and faster xbow will come with a higher purchase price.
Typically, you are likely to get a durable and dependable bow if you spend more.
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Lastly, you should avoid purchasing crossbows constructed with poor-quality plastic parts. Usually, the bows that are made from plastic are of low quality.
It’s important to remember that the components of a crossbow are under tremendous stress when held back at full draw. You want high-quality components to ensure nothing malfunctions or breaks.
Asking yourself what is the best crossbow to buy does not have to be a shot in the dark. You can make an informed decision by thinking about what you plan to use the crossbow for, what animals you intend to hunt with it and what hunting tactics you plan to employ before you make a decision to buy a crossbow.
