The Outside Report

Crossbows

Crossbows

Model reviews and 'best of' roundups measured against published specs, with honest cons — because we don't sell the crossbows.

Best Crossbows of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed
Buying Guide

Best Crossbows of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed

Our top crossbow picks for 2026 by category: best overall, fastest, most compact, best value and best budget - with verified specs, prices and honest trade-offs.

$2,299.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Best Crossbows Under $500
Buying Guide

Best Crossbows Under $500

The best crossbows around and under $500: the CenterPoint Wrath 430X, Hellion 400 and Sniper G4D - honest specs, package contents, effective range and what you trade for the low price.

Read more →
Ravin R18 Review: The Most Packable Crossbow Ravin Makes
Crossbow Review

Ravin R18 Review: The Most Packable Crossbow Ravin Makes

The 330-FPS, 4.75-inch-wide, 6-lb Ravin R18: what its ultra-compact design buys you, what you give up in speed, and who should buy it.

$1,999.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Ravin R500 Review: The 500-FPS Long-Range Flagship
Crossbow Review

Ravin R500 Review: The 500-FPS Long-Range Flagship

The 500-FPS, 222-ft-lbs Ravin R500: what its class-leading speed buys for long-range hunting, the R500E electric-drive option, and where a lighter bow makes more sense.

$2,193.26top pick on AmazonRead more →
Crossbow Review

CenterPoint Amped 425 Review: Flagship Speed on a Budget

The $499.99 CenterPoint Amped 425 shoots 425 FPS with 160 ft-lbs - near-flagship speed at value pricing. What the complete package delivers, and what you give up in size and refinement.

Read more →
Best Crossbow for the Money: Value at Every Tier
Buying Guide

Best Crossbow for the Money: Value at Every Tier

Value-per-dollar picks at every crossbow price tier: three CenterPoint packages, the reverse-draw Wicked Ridge RDX 410, and the Ravin R8 for hunters ready to go premium.

$799.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Best Broadheads for Crossbows: What 400 FPS Changes
Buying Guide

Best Broadheads for Crossbows: What 400 FPS Changes

How modern crossbow speeds change broadhead choice - fixed vs mechanical at 400+ FPS - with five research-backed picks from Rage, SEVR, Ravin, Slick Trick, and Muzzy.

$57.49top pick on AmazonRead more →
Best Crossbow Bolts: Straightness, Weight, and the Nock Rule
Buying Guide

Best Crossbow Bolts: Straightness, Weight, and the Nock Rule

How to choose crossbow bolts by straightness, total weight, and - critically - nock compatibility, with five picks: Ravin, TenPoint CenterPunch16, Black Eagle, CenterPoint, and Carbon Express.

$104.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Best Crossbows for Beginners: What a First Crossbow Actually Needs
Buying Guide

Best Crossbows for Beginners: What a First Crossbow Actually Needs

Five beginner crossbow packages from a $339 Barnett to a de-cocking Wicked Ridge - with an honest explanation of why FPS is the wrong thing for a first-timer to shop on.

$339.00top pick on AmazonRead more →
Fastest Crossbows of 2026: What 500 FPS Actually Buys You
Buying Guide

Fastest Crossbows of 2026: What 500 FPS Actually Buys You

The 2026 crossbow speed leaderboard - TRX 515, Nitro 505 and Ravin R500 - with independent test figures, what FPS actually changes on a hunt, and the costs nobody advertises.

$3,399.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Ravin R29X Review: The Crossbow We Recommend Most Often
Crossbow Review

Ravin R29X Review: The Crossbow We Recommend Most Often

450 FPS, 180 ft-lbs, 6.75 pounds and six inches wide cocked - the Ravin R29X on paper, in independent testing, and in the tree where weight and width decide shots.

$2,299.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Ravin R10X Pro Review: The Cheapest Way Into a Ravin That Still Feels Like One
Crossbow Review

Ravin R10X Pro Review: The Cheapest Way Into a Ravin That Still Feels Like One

Ravin's 2026 R10X Pro: 420 FPS published and 424 measured, 156 ft-lbs, 7.95 lbs and 6.5 inches cocked at $1,849.99 MSRP - with a factory noise problem worth knowing about.

$1,799.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
The Most Compact Crossbows of 2026
Buying Guide

The Most Compact Crossbows of 2026

Narrowest and shortest crossbows of 2026 - the 3.6-inch Ravin R500, the 4.75-inch R18, and a 7-inch budget bow - with the difference between cocked width, un-cocked width and overall length.

$1,999.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
Crossbow Brands Compared: Who Makes What, and Who It's For
Buying Guide

Crossbow Brands Compared: Who Makes What, and Who It's For

The crossbow brand landscape - Ravin, TenPoint, Barnett, CenterPoint, Excalibur and Wicked Ridge - including who owns whom, what each is best at, and price brackets.

$1,299.99top pick on AmazonRead more →
The Best Crossbow Scopes, and When Yours Is Worth Replacing
Buying Guide

The Best Crossbow Scopes, and When Yours Is Worth Replacing

Crossbow scopes from $58 to $199 - speed-dial and multi-line reticles, the FPS range that has to match your bow, and an honest answer on whether to replace the factory optic.

$199.00top pick on AmazonRead more →
Best Crossbow Targets: What Actually Stops a 400-FPS Bolt
Buying Guide

Best Crossbow Targets: What Actually Stops a 400-FPS Bolt

Crossbow targets sorted by the two things that decide the purchase - published speed rating and whether each face takes broadheads. Covers the outsert warning printed on bag targets, why 3D deer targets are mostly rated below crossbow speeds, and eight in-stock picks from a compact discharge bag to a 650-fps aramid-core block.

$145.75top pick on AmazonRead more →

Prices shown are the featured pick on Amazon as of Aug 26, 2026 and are subject to change. The price shown on Amazon at checkout applies.