Guides
Crossbow cocked width and ground blinds
Measure the window first, then shop. This is the one crossbow specification that can disqualify a bow outright, and two thirds of makers publish it.
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Ranked
Quick picks
| # | Product | Cocked width | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | CenterPoint Hellion 400 | 8 in | 8.3 | $339.95Amazon |
| Rank 2 |  CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 9 in | 8.9 | $749.99Amazon |
| Rank 3 |  Ravin R26X | 5.75 in | 8.7 | $1,999.99Amazon |
| Rank 4 |  Bear X Intense | 10 in | 8.2 | $405.40Amazon |
| Rank 5 |  TenPoint 3-Arrow Instant Detach Quiver | 8.4 | $49.99Amazon |
Cocked width is a crossbow's span when drawn — the dimension that has to swing inside a blind. Pop-up blind windows commonly run 12 to 16 inches, and you need a couple of inches of margin to track an animal. A bow at 10 inches cocked or less works in almost any blind; 15 inches does not.
If you hunt from a ground blind, this is the specification to shop on and the one most review sites omit. A bow you cannot swing is a bow you cannot shoot, whatever its speed.
Measure your blind first
- Window width. Measure the actual opening, not the panel. Pop-up windows commonly run 12-16 in.
- Window height, if your blind has narrow slots rather than large openings.
- Interior depth, from the window to the back wall. A 36 in bow needs room behind it as well as width.
- Where the chair sits. If the chair puts you two feet back from the window, the bow has to travel further to reach it.
- Then subtract `2-4 in` of margin from the window width, because you need to swing the bow to follow an animal rather than thread it through a slot.
Cocked and uncocked are different numbers
Cocked width is what swings inside the blind at the shot. Uncocked width is bigger, and it is what has to go through the blind door and into the case. Bear X publishes both — 10 in cocked and 14 in uncocked — which is unusually helpful.
| Bow | Cocked | Uncocked | Blind verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ravin R18 | 1.3 in (height) | Works anywhere | |
| Ravin R26X | 5.75 in | Works anywhere | |
| CenterPoint Hellion 400 | 8 in | 12 in | Works in almost any pop-up |
| Xpedition Xtraction 400X | 8 in | Works in almost any pop-up | |
| CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 9 in | Works in almost any pop-up | |
| Bear X Intense / Constrictor LT | 10 in | 14 in | Works in most pop-ups |
| TenPoint Titan 400 / Titan X | 9.75 in | Works in most pop-ups | |
| Killer Instinct Boss 405 | 14.75 in | Tight in a pop-up; fine in a larger blind | |
| CenterPoint Dagger / Tradition | 15 in | 18 in | Not a pop-up bow |
In detail
Narrow bows and the quiver that gets out of the way
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
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
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
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
TenPoint 3-Arrow Instant Detach Quiver
4.75 ounces, three arrows, three mounting positions, and a rubber loop so it hangs silently from a treestand hook. The detach matters more than the weight: a quiver mounted under the barrel is the first thing that snags on a blind window.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4.75 oz |
| Capacity | 3 arrows |
| Mounting positions | 3 |
| Mount | Traditional or side-mount bracket; under-mount included |
| Hanging | Flexible rubber loop for silent treestand hanging |
| Detach | Instant |
What it does well
- 4.75 ounces is light for a mounted quiver
- Three mounting positions to clear your blind window
- A rubber hanging loop for a silent treestand hang
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.6
- 8.4
- 9.0
- 7.8
The quiver, which is the width you can control
A side-mount quiver adds width exactly where you do not want it, and most quivers detach. TenPoint's instant-detach quiver publishes 4.75 oz, three mounting positions and a rubber loop for hanging it from a treestand hook. If your window is tight, a detachable quiver is the cheapest two inches you will ever buy.
Bear X's Constrictor uses a top-mount quiver instead, which keeps the bulk out of the horizontal plane entirely.
Overall length, the other blind dimension
Width gets through the window; length has to swing inside the blind. The Wicked Ridge Rampage XS publishes 31.5 in overall and the Killer Instinct Boss adjusts from 33.5 to 36 in. In a small pop-up with a chair, five inches of length is the difference between swinging and not.
Where narrow comes from
- Ravin's Helicoil and Verticoil cams — 5.75 in and 1.3 in of cocked height. The narrowest available, at a premium.
- Bullpup stocks — CenterPoint's Wrath 430 at 9 in, by moving the trigger group rearward.
- Efficient quad limbs — the Hellion's 8 in off a 185 lb draw, which is the budget route.
- Reverse-draw layouts — generally narrower. See reverse draw vs forward draw.
If your bow is too wide
- Remove the quiver. Two inches, free if it detaches.
- Open two windows and shoot through the gap between panels rather than one slot.
- Use a bigger blind. A two-person blind has more width and more depth than a one-person pop-up.
- Shoot from a stand instead, where width matters much less.
- Change the bow. The honest answer if blind hunting is your main use — see best compact crossbows.
