#Best crossbow bolts 2017 manual#

Scott Einsmann is Outdoor Life’s gear editor, bowhunter, and a lifelong archery nerd. The SEVR broadhead is known for its accuracy, which is why we chose it to test the 500 fps crossbows. The Caldwell Lead Sled provided a steady rest to bring out the best groups from each crossbow. We chose it over a traditional chronograph because it provides consistent reading no matter the lighting conditions. The Labradar uses doppler radar to track a projectile and measure its speed. But I don’t recommend shooting field points into a foam broadhead target-especially from the 500 fps crossbows- unless you’re looking for a workout. For broadheads, we used a Rhinehart RhinoBlock, which worked great at stopping the bolts, and the broadhead-tipped bolts were easy to remove. The Extreme 500 reliably stopped arrows throughout our accuracy testing, and we never struggled to pull bolts. We used the Big Shot Extreme 500 because standard targets aren’t up to the task of stopping bolts from the Ravin R500 and the TenPoint Nitro 505. We tested accuracy from the bench, but that’s probably not how you’ll shoot when hunting, so we also tested crossbows offhand, kneeling, and off a tripod to see how they handled.

#Best crossbow bolts 2017 manual#

We also took note of safety features, the nosiness of cocking mechanisms, and each crossbow’s manual of arms. We evaluated each crossbow for how easy and intuitive it was to cock and load. You’ll also see momentum calculated for each crossbow instead of kinetic energy because momentum provides a more accurate figure of an arrow’s lethality and ability to pass through an animal.įor every crossbow, each shooter shot three, three-shot groups at 50 yards from a lead sled. For context, the bolt weight and momentum are also listed for each bow. Each crossbow was shot three times, and we averaged the speeds to give you the spec listed for each crossbow. We measured crossbow speed using a Labradar Doppler chronograph. The insanely high-performing crossbows were undoubtedly the highlight of the test, but we also found some real gems in the budget category.

Best Recurve Crossbow: Excalibur TwinStrike TAC2.

This year’s field of crossbows shot speeds from 368 fps to 515 fps and posted prices from $600 to $4,000. We brought the crop of new crossbows to Lancaster Archery Supply’s world-class archery shop and range where we tested them for speed, accuracy, cocking, and loading, as well as shooting them from field positions. It wasn’t long ago that crossbows were shooting in the upper 300 fps range, in this test we shot two crossbows that produced speeds over 500 fps (read about the shootout between the fastest crossbows here). This year’s Crossbow Test represents an evolutionary leap in performance.