Hunters are always on the hunt for the best gear to take down the perfect animal. It is no surprise that many crossbow hunters want to have the fastest crossbow on the market, but there are so many other variables that can affect the crossbow speed. This review will make your crossbow hunt easier, so you can focus on the hunt that really matters.
Editor’s Recommendation: Top 3 Fastest Crossbow
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Contents
- Best Fastest Crossbow Review
- Why Does Speed Matter?
- Longer Shooting Range
- Improved Trajectory
- More Powerful Hits
- Other Variables to Consider
- Crossbow Weight
- Draw Weight
- Crossbow Configuration
- Top 5 Fastest Crossbow Review
- 1. Excalibur Matrix 380 Crossbow
- 2. TenPoint Turbo GT Crossbow
- 3. Barnett Ghost 420 Revanant CRT2
- 4. Barnett Ghost 375 Crossbow
- 5. TenPoint Venom Crossbow
Best Fastest Crossbow Review
Why Does Speed Matter?
Besides the bragging rights and coolness factor of having the fastest crossbow out of all of your buddies, there are plenty of other good reasons for buying the fastest crossbow on the market. With a faster bow, you’re going to see an increase in range, flatter trajectory, and more powerful take down hits.
Longer Shooting Range
The faster your arrow is moving, the farther it is going to get to travel before gravity starts to drag it down. With a faster crossbow, you’re going to be able to reach animals beyond the range of other crossbows. That being said, you’re going to have to be more accurate with your shots, which could take a lot of practice if you’re just getting into crossbow hunting.
Improved Trajectory
Going back to gravity, you’re going to see that the trajectory of your arrows flattens out as you increase its velocity. The slower the arrow travels, the closer it is going to fall to you, which is going to give it a much more curved trajectory. The opposite is also true. The faster the arrow travels,the further it’s going to travel from the bow, which will make the trajectory path seem much flatter.
Having a flatter trajectory is going to make your life much easier. You will not have to make as many adjustments to ensure that the arrow doesn’t drop before it reaches its target. You will simply be able to aim, and as long as it’s within the shooting range and you’re an accurate shooter, it should hit the exact spot you were aiming for.
More Powerful Hits
This is arguably one of the most important reasons for buying a faster crossbow. Having a bow that is going to deliver more powerful hits is going to increase the chances of taking that animal down. This is good for you because you won’t need to use multiple arrows or track down a wounded animal. It is also better for the animals because it makes the take down more humane. There is nothing worse than wounding an animal and letting it get away to suffer a slow and painful death.
Other Variables to Consider
If you’re completely sold on buying the fastest crossbow, there are some other factors you’re going to want to take into consideration before you make that purchase. The weight of the bow, the draw weight, and the configuration of the bow can all have an impact on the effectiveness of any bow, regardless of speed.
Crossbow Weight
The weight of the bow is clearly important as you’re going to not only be lugging it around the woods and up trees to get to your stand, but you’re also going to need to be able to hold it steady while you aim. If you’re a smaller person, you’re going to need to buy a lighter bow. Having a fast crossbow won’t help you at all if you aren’t able to hold the bow steady while you aim.
Draw Weight
The draw weight has a very similar effect to the crossbow weight. While you want to have high draw weight, you want to make sure it’s still a weight that you can manage. If you can’t draw the arrow all the way back or you’re pulling muscles every time you do so, you’re not going to make a good shot.
You should also keep in mind that having a higher draw weight does not always mean the crossbow has a higher velocity. In fact, a higher draw weight usually means there is a higher margin of error in your shot, so you need to find the right balance between a draw weight and velocity that you are strong enough to handle.
Crossbow Configuration
You have three types of crossbow configurations to choose from: compound, recurve and reverse draw. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks.
- Compound crossbows can be narrower and faster, but they are also more complicated, heavier, and louder when fired. Because the cable system is more complicated than a recurve bow, they are more difficult to repair and often require a visit to the repair shop.
- Recurve crossbows are the simplest design, quieter, and lighter, but they also tend to be wider, which means they are difficult to carry around in dense cover. Since the design is simpler than compound and reverse draw bows, they can be repaired on the spot if you know what you’re doing.
- Reverse draw crossbow are quieter and faster with a lower draw weight, but the bow itself is heavier and more complicated to use and repair.
Top 5 Fastest Crossbow Review
Now that you know more about why you should buy a faster crossbow and other variables to consider, you will want to start comparing different options that claim to be the most powerful crossbow.
1. Excalibur Matrix 380 Crossbow
This Excalibur crossbow is the fastest recurve bow you will be able to find. Any crossbow review will boast that this crossbow is a phenomenally fast bow for serious hunters. It comes with a complete package, so you can start hunting as soon as you buy it and set it up.
The Excalibur Matrix 380 shoots arrows at a velocity of 380 FPS. The speed of this crossbow is going to deliver a very powerful shot to any animal, but unlike other fast crossbows, it is relatively quiet. You’re also getting an overall high-quality package from the crossbow itself to the scope that comes with it. The crossbow also has a great anti-dry-firing device, so you don’t have to worry about damaging the bow.
If you are are not concerned with a budget and you feel you are strong enough to handle to the 260 pound draw weight, then you will love the power of this crossbow. If you are smaller or you just want a bow for target practice, you will find much better and more affordable option elsewhere.
Pros
- Complete package
- Fastest recurve crossbow
- Powerful
- Quiet shot
- Great quality
- Anti-dry firing device
Cons
- Heavy draw weight
- Heavier weight
- Expensive
2. TenPoint Turbo GT Crossbow
The TenPoint Turbo GT Crossbow is one of the fastest reverse crossbows on the market. This reverse energy bow will impress all of your friends on the target range, but it can also serve you well on a hunt.
You can purchase the bow in different packages to fit your needs. If you need something more basic, you have that option, but if you are looking for a scope, you will want to purchase the scope package for more money. You can also add on an Accudraw system to either package if you prefer a crank system.
This reverse limb crossbow can deliver shots at 360 FPS with just a 175 pound draw weight. It is still considerably lighter than the Excalibur.
This bow is going to cost you a lot of money, even if you stick with the basic package. You will easily spend $800 to $1000 on this crossbow. You will also find that it is heavier than other crossbow options, and since it is a reverse draw crossbow, it is going to be more challenging to repair.
This is a great option for people who are very serious about shooting targets because the low draw weight makes it a little more accurate than other options, and the speed improves that accuracy even more. If you aren’t prepared to shell out the cash for this speed demon bow or you plan to hunt more, you’re going to want to look at other options.
Pros
- High-velocity shots
- Lower draw weight
- Package options
- Powerful
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Difficult to repair
3. Barnett Ghost 420 Revanant CRT2
The Barnett Ghost 420 CRT is a great compound bow option for beginners or people who are just getting into bow hunting but still want that speed for clean kills.
For a compound bow, this is a lightweight option that weighs about 7 pounds. It is also very accurate and comes with an adjustable scope that helps to improve the accuracy of your shots. If you’re working with a tight budget, you’re going to be most excited about the relatively low price tag on this high quality bow. It shoots at about 420 FPS with a draw weight of 185 pounds. For the price and low draw weight, I’m pretty pleased with the velocity on this bow.
The only major complaint that I have with this particular model is that it doesn’t come with a cocking mechanism. You will have to make that purchase separately, but you could easily afford one with all of the money you will save by buying this bow.
This is one of the fastest crossbows you’re going to be able to get in this price range. It’s far from perfect, but it is a great starter bow for children or anyone wanting to add to their collection without breaking the bank.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Accurate
- Affordable
- Light draw weight
Cons
- No cocking mechanism
4. Barnett Ghost 375 Crossbow
The Barnett Ghost 375 is easily one of the fastest compound crossbow that you will be able to find. This Barnett bow is the perfect compound crossbow for hunters looking for fast, accurate kill shots.
This compound crossbow delivers a shot at 385 FPS with a reasonable draw weight of 165 pounds. It is difficult to find lower draw weights in a compound bow if you are expecting this kind of speed. For being such a powerful and fast bow, it is incredibly accurate.
Compared to some of the other crossbows we’ve looked at, this crossbow is less expensive, but it is still on the higher end, which makes sense for the quality you are getting. It is also a rather noisy bow, which you will want to take into consideration if you plan on using this for hunting.
The noise often comes with bows that shoot at this speed, so if you can look past the price, you will be very happy with this light, accurate, and fast crossbow.
Pros
- High velocity
- Great accuracy
- Relatively light weight
- Powerful
Cons
- Moderately expensive
- Noisy
5. TenPoint Venom Crossbow
The TenPoint Venom crossbow is a compound design. It is one of the faster models on the market, and while it has some great features, it also has some flaws for you to consider.
In comparison to other crossbows on the market, this is a fast shooting bow as it shoots up to 372 FPS. In comparison to the other crossbows we’ve looked at, it’s a little slower. However, it does come with a really nice feature called the ACU50 draw, which gives it a much smoother performance. You will also find that it is lighter and more compact than other compound bows, so you will have an easy time getting around the woods with this one.
For the very high price, I don’t see this bow being any better than the other options. However, if you are a fan of the light, compact design or you have an unlimited budget, then I say you should go for it. You might find that this is the best bow you could add to your collection.
Pros
- Fast
- Lightweight
- Compact
- Smooth performance
Cons
- Extremely expensive
- Moderate-high draw weight
The Winner is…
For me, the Barnett Ghost 420 comes in at the top of the list for best of the fastest crossbows. While it is not the fastest on the list, it’s manageable draw weight, accuracy, and overall weight makes it one of my personal favorites.
The Barnett Ghost 420 comes in ahead of the Barnett Ghost 360 because the speed is significantly higher. In my opinion, it is better than the TenPoint Venom crossbow because it is far more affordable, and it is still the faster option. It was a difficult decision for me to choose the Barnett Ghost 420 over the Scorpyd VTEC Extreme 175, but the Barnett is much lighter and cheaper even though it might not quite reach the same velocity. Lastly, I think the Barnett Ghost 410 comes in ahead of the Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 because the Barnett has a higher velocity, lower draw weight, and it is slightly more affordable.
While most of these crossbows are expensive, it is very difficult to get a high-quality crossbow to shoot the same speeds for any less money. These are my personal favorites, and my choice for the best of the fastest bows is based off of factors that are most important to me. You should carefully consider which factors are most important for you and make a purchasing decision that is going to give you the best hunting or target experience.