Narrowest cocked
The best compact crossbows, ranked by cocked width
Cocked width is the figure that decides whether a bow swings in a blind, and most sites leave it out. Here it is the ranking.
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Ranked
Quick picks
| # | Product | Cocked width | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | Ravin R26X | 5.75 in | 8.7 | $1,999.99Amazon |
| Rank 2 |  CenterPoint Hellion 400 | 8 in | 8.3 | $339.95Amazon |
| Rank 3 |  Xpedition Xtraction 400X | 8 in | 8.0 | $240.99Amazon |
| Rank 4 |  CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 9 in | 8.9 | $749.99Amazon |
| Rank 5 |  Bear X Intense | 10 in | 8.2 | $405.40Amazon |
Cocked width is a crossbow's span when drawn — the dimension that has to pass through a blind window. Published figures on this site run from 1.3 to 15 inches. A bow at 10 inches or less works in almost any pop-up blind; a 15-inch bow will not fit many.
If you hunt from a pop-up blind, this is the only crossbow specification that can disqualify a bow outright. Speed is a preference. Cocking effort is a constraint you can solve with a crank. A bow that physically does not swing in the space you hunt from is a bow you cannot use, and the figure is published for about two thirds of the market and absent from the rest.
In detail
Five narrow bows
Ravin R26X
5.75 inches axle-to-axle cocked, 6.5 pounds, and a cocking system you can stop mid-stroke without the bow fighting you. The one-way bearing is the feature that matters on a cold morning in a blind: you can cock in stages, quietly, instead of committing to one noisy pull.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Cocked width | 5.75 in |
| Weight | 6.5 lb |
| Cocking | Silent, stop mid-cycle; Trac Trigger and one-way bearing |
| Cam system | Helicoil, 340-degree cam rotation |
| Arrows | Three Ravin .003 arrows, 400 gr total |
| Scope | 100-yard illuminated |
| Speed |
What it does well
- Stop-anywhere cocking is the quietest draw stroke published here
- A 5.75-inch cocked width beats every non-Ravin bow on this site
- A 100-yard illuminated scope is included rather than an upsell
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.2
- 8.0
- 9.4
- 9.6
- 9.0
- 6.6
CenterPoint Hellion 400
8 inches cocked, 12 uncocked, 400 fps off a 185-pound draw, for the price of a mid-range scope. It is the narrowest bow on this site under five hundred dollars, which makes it the budget answer to the blind-window problem. Note that it requires CP400 lighted nocks.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 400 fps |
| Draw weight | 185 lb |
| Cocked width | 8 in |
| Uncocked width | 12 in |
| Limbs | Compression fiberglass quad |
| Arrows | Three 20 in .003 straightness arrows |
| Nocks | Requires CP400 lighted nocks |
What it does well
- An 8-inch cocked width is the narrowest here outside the Ravin line
- A 185-pound draw is lower than its rivals at the same speed
- Roller retention spring and CNC aluminum rails at a budget price
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 6.6
- 8.4
- 7.8
- 9.6
- 8.0
- 9.0
Xpedition Xtraction 400X
8 inches cocked, 7.7 pounds, 400 fps, a 3-pound trigger and a 5-bolt quiver, for about what a rope cocker and a scope cost bought separately. The constraint is the arrow: Xpedition specifies XIT-20 bolts only.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 400 fps |
| Cocked width | 8 in |
| Weight | 7.7 lb |
| Trigger pull | 3 lb |
| Cocking aid | Rope cocker, included |
| Scope | 4x32 illuminated |
| Arrows | XIT-20 only; six included |
What it does well
- An 8-inch cocked width at the lowest price here
- A 3-pound trigger with anti-dry-fire
- Six bolts and a 5-bolt quiver included
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 6.2
- 8.4
- 7.4
- 9.6
- 7.0
- 9.2
CenterPoint Wrath 430
A 9-inch cocked bullpup that shoots 430 fps off a 200-pound draw, with a silent crank in the box. That combination — tight blind geometry, real speed, and a crank you do not have to buy — is why this bow keeps turning up in the answer to the ground-blind question.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 430 fps |
| Draw weight | 200 lb |
| Cocked width | 9 in |
| Cocking aid | Silent cranking device, included |
| Design | Bullpup, full-bearing cam compound |
| Scope | 4x32 illuminated |
| Included | Three 20 in 400 gr carbon arrows, detachable quiver, rope cocker |
What it does well
- A 9-inch cocked width with 430 fps behind it
- A silent crank and a rope cocker both included
- CNC-machined aluminum rails and cams
- 400-grain arrows included, which suits the speed
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.6
- 9.4
- 8.6
- 9.4
- 7.4
- 8.8
Bear X Intense
400 fps from a 12.7-inch power stroke, 10 inches cocked and 14 uncocked, with an illuminated scope, a 4-arrow quiver and a cocking rope. The cheapest way on this site to get a published 10-inch cocked width.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 400 fps |
| Cocked width | 10 in |
| Uncocked width | 14 in |
| Power stroke | 12.7 in |
| Cocking aid | Cocking rope, included |
| Safety | Anti-dry-fire mechanism |
| Included | Three Bear X TrueX arrows, illuminated scope, 4-arrow quiver, lube and wax |
What it does well
- A 10-inch cocked width at a sub-five-hundred price
- 400 fps from a long 12.7-inch power stroke
- Complete ready-to-shoot package
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 6.2
- 8.4
- 7.8
- 9.0
- 8.0
- 9.0
How we picked
Ranked on published cocked width, full stop. Bows whose listings publish no width figure are excluded from this page regardless of how good they are otherwise, because a buyer shopping on width cannot act on an unpublished number. See our methodology.
The width table
| Model | Cocked width | Uncocked width | Speed | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravin R26X | 5.75 in | 6.5 lb | ||
| CenterPoint Hellion 400 | 8 in | 12 in | 400 fps | |
| Xpedition Xtraction 400X | 8 in | 400 fps | 7.7 lb | |
| CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 9 in | 430 fps | ||
| Bear X Intense | 10 in | 14 in | 400 fps |
How to use these numbers
- Measure your blind window. Pop-up windows commonly run 12-16 in wide. Measure yours rather than assuming.
- Subtract room to move. You need to swing the bow to follow an animal, not thread it through a slot. Two to four inches of margin is realistic.
- Check the uncocked figure too. The bow goes through the blind door uncocked, and into the case uncocked. Bear publishes 10 in cocked and 14 in uncocked — a four-inch difference.
- Then check overall length. A 31.5 in bow swings in a space a 36 in bow does not, whatever the width.
Where narrow comes from, and what it costs
Reverse-draw and Verticoil layouts
Ravin's Verticoil cams coil the string over 720 degrees and stand the cams vertically, which is how the R18 reaches 1.3 in of cocked height and the R26X 5.75 in axle-to-axle. It works and it is expensive. See reverse draw vs forward draw.
Bullpup stocks
The Wrath 430 gets to 9 in by moving the trigger group rearward along the stock, which shortens the whole machine. The trade is balance: the mass sits further back than a rifle shooter expects and it takes a few sessions to stop noticing.
Quad limbs on a budget frame
The Hellion's 8 in cocked width at a budget price comes from compression fiberglass quad limbs and a 185 lb draw — a lower draw weight than its rivals at the same speed. That is an engineering win rather than a compromise, and it is why it is the value pick here.
Our pick
The Hellion 400 for most people: 8 in cocked and 12 in uncocked, 400 fps, at a price that leaves room for a cocking aid and a good scope. The Wrath 430 if you want 9 in with a crank already in the box. The R26X if 5.75 in and silent cocking are worth the premium, which for a tight box blind they genuinely can be.
