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Ravin vs TenPoint

Ravin vs TenPoint

Two premium brands solving different problems. Ravin builds the narrowest bows sold; TenPoint publishes the lowest cocking effort and the only safe de-cocking.

By Mike M.Updated

String & Stock earns a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Prices come from Amazon and change; the date beside every price is when we last verified it. Full disclosure.

Ravin R26X from Ravin

Ranked

Quick picks

#ProductCocked widthScorePrice
Rank 1
Ravin R26X from Ravin

Ravin R26X

Silent cocking in a 5.75-inch package

5.75 in8.7$1,999.99Amazon
Rank 2
TenPoint Titan X De-Cock from TenPoint

TenPoint Titan X De-Cock

The one to buy if cocking is the problem

9.75 in9.0$799.99Amazon
Rank 3
Ravin R29X from Ravin

Ravin R29X

450 fps with silent cocking

Not published8.7$2,299.99Amazon
Rank 4
TenPoint Turbo X from TenPoint

TenPoint Turbo X

Low effort without giving up speed

Not published8.8$1,399.99Amazon
Rank 5
Ravin R18 from Ravin

Ravin R18

The narrowest bow here, by a wide margin

Not published8.6$1,999.99Amazon

#ad Prices come from Amazon and change. How this site is funded. Scores are our published rubric — how we evaluate.

The short answer

Pick Ravin if cocked width is your constraint — 5.75 inches on the R26X, against TenPoint's narrowest at 9.75. Pick TenPoint if cocking effort or unloading the bow is your constraint — a published 5 pounds, and ACUslide and ACUdraw De-Cock both backwind safely.

This is the premium crossbow decision, and it is unusually clean because the two brands are optimized for different things and both publish enough to prove it.

In detail

The five bows in this comparison

01Silent cocking in a 5.75-inch package
Ravin R26X from Ravin
$1,999.99Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

Ravin R26X

Ravin
8.7/ 10

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 specValue
Cocked width5.75 in
Weight6.5 lb
CockingSilent, stop mid-cycle; Trac Trigger and one-way bearing
Cam systemHelicoil, 340-degree cam rotation
ArrowsThree Ravin .003 arrows, 400 gr total
Scope100-yard illuminated
SpeedNot published

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

  • The listing does not publish a speed figure
  • Ravin arrows and nocks are proprietary, so consumables cost more
  • Premium price

Our rubric

Cocking effort
9.2
Speed
8.0
Noise
9.4
Blind fit
9.6
Carry weight
9.0
Value
6.6
02The one to buy if cocking is the problem
TenPoint Titan X De-Cock from TenPoint
$799.99Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

TenPoint Titan X De-Cock

TenPoint
9.0/ 10

The de-cocking version of TenPoint's best-selling bow, and the most complete answer on this site to the question that brings most people here. The integrated ACUdraw De-Cock drops cocking effort to 5 pounds, and it backwinds, so you can unload the bow at the end of a sit without firing a bolt into the dirt. 400 fps and a 9.75-inch front end are the supporting cast.

Published specValue
Speed400 fps
Cocking effort5 lb
Cocked width9.75 in
Cocking aidACUdraw De-Cock, integrated
De-cocksYes, backwind the handle
Trigger pull3.5 lb
IncludedPro-View 400 lighted scope, three Pro Elite 400 arrows, quiver, bow hanger

What it does well

  • 5 lb of cocking effort is the lowest figure any bow on this site publishes
  • Safe de-cocking: the Auto-Brake gear system holds the handle wherever you let go
  • A 9.75-inch front end clears blind windows and stand rails
  • Ships assembled and pre-sighted, so first setup is a scope zero and nothing else

Where it falls short

  • The crank is built in, which adds weight you cannot remove
  • Cranking is slower than a rope pull if you need a second shot in a hurry

Our rubric

Cocking effort
9.6
Speed
8.4
Noise
8.5
Blind fit
9.0
Carry weight
7.8
Value
8.6
03450 fps with silent cocking
Ravin R29X from Ravin
$2,299.99Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

Ravin R29X

Ravin
8.7/ 10

450 fps at 6.75 pounds with the same stop-anywhere silent cocking as the R26X. If you want speed and a quiet draw in one bow and the budget is not the binding constraint, this is where those two requirements meet.

Published specValue
Speed450 fps
Weight6.75 lb
CockingSilent, stop mid-cycle
Cam systemHelicoil, 340-degree cam rotation
ArrowsThree Ravin .003 arrows, 400 gr total
Scope100-yard illuminated
Cocked widthNot published

What it does well

  • 450 fps is the second-fastest figure published on this site
  • Silent, stoppable cocking at that speed is rare
  • Still under 7 pounds

Where it falls short

  • The listing does not publish a cocked width for this model
  • At 450 fps your target has to be rated for it or the bolt goes through
  • Proprietary arrows

Our rubric

Cocking effort
9.0
Speed
9.6
Noise
9.2
Blind fit
8.6
Carry weight
8.8
Value
6.2
04Low effort without giving up speed
TenPoint Turbo X from TenPoint
$1,399.99Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

TenPoint Turbo X

TenPoint
8.8/ 10

415 fps, 6.9 pounds, and an ACUslide that cocks and de-cocks silently. This is the bow to look at when you want the easy-cocking, safe-unloading package but are not willing to drop to 400 fps to get it. Outdoor Life's independent 2025 testing recorded a 1.23-inch average group at 50 yards across four three-shot groups, which is a claim we can point at rather than make.

Published specValue
Speed415 fps
Weight6.9 lb
Cocking aidACUslide, integrated
De-cocksYes, backwind and stop anywhere
TriggerS2 zero-creep, with dry-fire prohibitor
Scope100-yard RangeMaster 100, illuminated
Independent accuracy1.23 in average group at 50 yd (Outdoor Life, 2025)

What it does well

  • Silent cocking and safe de-cocking from the same integrated system
  • 6.9 pounds is light for a 415 fps bow
  • A two-cable bow assembly is the simplest thing to maintain in TenPoint's line
  • The accuracy claim is third-party, not the maker's own range day

Where it falls short

  • Roughly twice the price of a capable 400 fps package
  • The ACUslide handle has to be stowed deliberately or it rattles on a walk-in

Our rubric

Cocking effort
9.4
Speed
9.0
Noise
8.8
Blind fit
8.2
Carry weight
8.6
Value
7.4
05The narrowest bow here, by a wide margin
Ravin R18 from Ravin
$1,999.99Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

Ravin R18

Ravin
8.6/ 10

Ravin's Verticoil cams coil the string over 720 degrees, which collapses the cocked height to 1.3 inches. Nothing else on this site is close. At 6 pounds with a Versa-Draw crank built in, it is the bow for a tight blind window or a mobile saddle setup, and the price is the reason most people do not end up with one.

Published specValue
Cocked height1.3 in
Weight6 lb
Cocking aidVersa-Draw crank, integrated
Cam system720-degree Verticoil
ArrowsThree 16 in .003 R18 arrows, 350 gr total
SightRavin 3-dot reflex
SpeedNot published

What it does well

  • A 1.3-inch cocked height makes blind-window geometry a non-issue
  • Ravin's shortest and lightest model at 6 pounds
  • The Versa-Draw crank is integrated, so the cocking aid is never forgotten
  • The Frictionless Flight System keeps the arrow off the rail

Where it falls short

  • The listing does not publish a speed figure for this model
  • It ships with a reflex sight rather than a ranging scope, so add one
  • Premium price for a bow that is about packaging, not raw speed

Our rubric

Cocking effort
9.0
Speed
7.5
Noise
8.4
Blind fit
9.8
Carry weight
9.2
Value
6.8

The decision table

RavinTenPoint
Narrowest published cocked width5.75 in (R26X); 1.3 in height (R18)9.75 in (Titan)
Published cocking effortNot stated as a figure5 lb (ACUdraw, ACUslide)
Safe de-cockingNoYes — ACUslide, ACUdraw De-Cock
Quiet, stoppable cockingYes — one-way bearing (R26X, R29X)Yes — ACUslide
Top published speed470 fps (R470)415 fps (Turbo X)
Lightest published weight6 lb (R18)6 lb (Titan 400)
Proprietary arrowsYesNo — standard patterns
Spec publishing consistencyPatchy; R500 publishes nothingConsistent across the range
All figures as published on each maker's product listings.

Where Ravin wins

Cocked width, decisively

5.75 in against 9.75 in is not a refinement. In a pop-up blind with a 14 in window, the Ravin gives you room to swing and track an animal; the TenPoint gives you a shot through a slot. The R18's 1.3 in cocked height removes the question entirely.

The quietest cocking stroke available

Both brands offer stop-anywhere cocking, and Ravin's Trac Trigger with a one-way bearing is the quieter of the two. If your hunting involves cocking the bow while a deer is already in the field, that is the feature.

Top speed

470 fps against 415 fps. Whether you want that is a separate question — see the fastest crossbows for what the extra speed costs you in targets and broadheads.

Where TenPoint wins

A published cocking-effort figure

5 lb. Ravin describes Versa-Draw as easy cocking for all users and never quantifies it. For the reader this site is written for, a number you can take to a physical therapist beats an adjective.

De-cocking, which Ravin does not offer at all

This is the biggest practical difference on the page. A TenPoint with ACUslide or ACUdraw De-Cock backwinds, and the Auto-Brake holds the handle wherever you let go. No Ravin on this site does. If you hunt alone and need to unload at the end of a sit, Ravin means carrying a discharge target.

Running costs

Ravin bows use Ravin arrows and nocks. TenPoint bows shoot standard-pattern arrows, including TenPoint's own .001 in straightness EVO-X shafts and anything else with a compatible nock. Over a few seasons that is real money.

Consistent published specifications

Four of six Ravin models on this site publish no speed figure, and the flagship R500 publishes nothing. Every TenPoint model here publishes speed, effort and width. At these prices, that matters.

Pick Ravin if

Which brand fits your constraint

  1. Your blind window is tightRavin R26X at 5.75 in cocked, or the R18 if the window is truly small.
  2. You cock with deer in front of youRavin R26X or R29X — the quietest stop-anywhere cocking available.
  3. You want maximum speedRavin R29X at 450 fps and 6.75 lb, which beats the R470 on value.
  4. Cocking effort is your constraintTenPoint Titan X De-Cock — a published 5 lb, and it unloads the bow.
  5. You hunt alone and need to unloadAny ACUslide or ACUdraw De-Cock TenPoint. Ravin has no equivalent.
  6. You want speed and low effort togetherTenPoint Turbo X — 415 fps, 6.9 lb, silent cocking and de-cocking.

What we would actually buy

For the hunter this site is written for — the one who arrived because of a shoulder — TenPoint, and specifically the Titan X De-Cock. The 5 lb figure and safe backwinding solve both physical barriers, and 9.75 in cocked is narrow enough for most blinds.

The exception is a genuinely tight box blind or a saddle setup. There, 5.75 in is worth more than 5 lb, because a bow you cannot swing is a bow you cannot shoot. Then it is the R26X.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ravin better than TenPoint?
Neither is better overall; they optimize for different things. Ravin publishes much narrower cocked widths — 5.75 inches against TenPoint's 9.75. TenPoint publishes 5 pounds of cocking effort, which Ravin does not quantify, and is the only one of the two whose bows de-cock safely.
Which is narrower, a Ravin or a TenPoint?
Ravin, by a wide margin. The R26X publishes 5.75 inches axle-to-axle cocked and the R18 publishes 1.3 inches of cocked height. TenPoint's narrowest figure on this site is 9.75 inches on the Titan.
Can you de-cock a Ravin crossbow?
Not on any Ravin model on this site. TenPoint's ACUslide and ACUdraw De-Cock systems both backwind safely with an Auto-Brake that holds the handle wherever you release it. Without de-cocking, unloading means firing a bolt into a target.
Do Ravin crossbows cost more than TenPoint?
At the top of each range the prices are comparable, and Ravin's entry models cost more than TenPoint's. The bigger difference is running cost: Ravin bows require proprietary arrows and nocks, where TenPoint bows shoot standard patterns.
Which brand is quieter to cock?
Both offer stop-anywhere cocking, and Ravin's one-way bearing system on the R26X and R29X is the quieter of the two. TenPoint's ACUslide is close and adds safe de-cocking, which Ravin does not have at all.

Sources

Barnett Crank Cocking Device from Barnett

Cocking Aids

Crank vs rope cocker

Fifty percent against ninety-three, converted to pounds on real bows — plus speed, noise, weight and cost, where the rope wins some rounds.

Crossbows sorted by what you can actually cock, carry and shoot quietly.