Guides
How far can a crossbow shoot?
Far enough to matter for safety, and nothing like as far as the honest hunting range. The two numbers are set by completely different things.
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Ranked
Quick picks
| # | Product | Magnification | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | TenPoint RangeMaster 100 | 2-7x | 8.8 | $299.99Amazon |
| Rank 2 |  Burris Oracle X Rangefinding 2-7x | 2-7x | 8.7 | $999.00Amazon |
| Rank 3 |  Hawke XB1 SR 1.5-5x32 | 1.5-5x | 8.7 | $159.99Amazon |
| Rank 4 |  Rinehart 18-1 | 9.0 | $159.99Amazon | |
| Rank 5 |  Wicked Ridge Match 400 | 8.5 | $69.99Amazon |
A crossbow bolt will travel several hundred yards if shot at an angle, which is a safety consideration. Most hunters' honest effective range on a live animal is 30 to 40 yards, set by their ability to judge distance and hold steady rather than by the bow.
Three different numbers
| Number | What sets it | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum range | Physics — the bolt's flight until it lands | Several hundred yards at an angle |
| Maximum sighted range | The scope's calibrated aim points | 60-100 yd on the scopes here |
| Effective hunting range | Your ability to judge distance and hold steady, and shot ethics | 30-40 yd for most hunters |
Why effective range is so much shorter
Trajectory, which is steep
A crossbow bolt drops far more than a bullet. That is why crossbow scopes stack aim points for 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards instead of using one crosshair. The further you shoot, the more drop between adjacent aim points, and the more a small range error costs you vertically.
Range estimation, which is the real limit
Being ten yards wrong at 20 yards is a minor error. Being ten yards wrong at 50 is a miss or a wounded animal. Estimating distance across a field at dusk is much harder than people believe, which is why misjudged range is the most common cause of a missed crossbow shot past 30 yards.
The fixes: a handheld rangefinder in your pocket, ranging the landmarks when you arrive, or a rangefinding scope — and in some states electronic sights are not legal for hunting.
Flight time, which the animal uses
A 400 fps bolt takes roughly a third of a second to travel 40 yards, and about half a second to 60. A deer that reacts to the shot has that long to move, and at 60 yards a step is a different animal in front of your arrow. Speed shortens the window and does not close it.
Hold, which degrades with distance
Your own movement is magnified by distance. A wobble that costs an inch at 20 yards costs three at 60. From a solid rest that improves a lot; off-hand it does not.
In detail
Scopes and the gear that extends honest range
TenPoint RangeMaster 100
A 2-7x36 variable that accommodates 380 to 505 fps — the only scope here whose speed range starts where most others stop. Nine illuminated aim references on an etched-glass reticle: dots at 20, 30 and 40, crosshairs at 50, 60 and 70. If you bought a 430 or 470 fps bow, most crossbow scopes cannot be dialed for it. This one can.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed range | 380-505 fps |
| Magnification | 2-7x |
| Objective | 36 mm |
| Max calibrated range | 100 yd |
| Reticle | Etched glass, 3 illuminated dots at 20/30/40 yd, 3 crosshairs at 50/60/70 yd |
| Weatherproofing | Water and fog proof |
| Zero procedure | Sight at 20 yd, micro-tune at 50 yd, zeroed at 100 |
What it does well
- 380-505 fps is the only range here that covers a 470 fps bow
- 7x at the top end is real magnification for a 100-yard hold
- Etched-glass reticle stays clean in the field of view
- 36 mm objective gathers more light than the 24 mm competition
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.0
- 9.0
- 9.2
- 9.0
- 7.4
Burris Oracle X Rangefinding 2-7x
A built-in laser rangefinder that can be triggered by a wireless remote, an inclinometer that factors the angle of a steep treestand shot, and magnification compensation so the aim point stays right as you zoom. It solves the problem that causes most missed crossbow shots: a bolt drops so much past 40 yards that a guessed range is a miss.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Magnification | 2-7x |
| Rangefinder | Built-in laser, remote or button activated |
| Inclinometer | Yes, factors shot angle |
| Aim point | Electronic, magnification compensated |
| Mount | Aluminum, Weaver |
| Weatherproofing | Water resistant |
| Speed range |
What it does well
- Ranges the target and gives an exact aim point in one motion
- The inclinometer handles steep treestand angles, which flat ranging gets wrong
- Magnification compensation keeps the hold correct across the zoom range
- Wireless remote means less movement at the shot
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.4
- 8.6
- 9.4
- 8.2
- 6.8
Hawke XB1 SR 1.5-5x32
Calibrated for 250 to 425 fps with 10-yard aim points running from a 20-yard zero all the way to 100, on 11-layer multi-coated glass. The no-fault lifetime warranty is the part worth noting: Hawke repairs or replaces it regardless of how it broke, which on a crossbow — a machine that recoils forward into its own scope — is not a trivial promise.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed range | 250-425 fps |
| Magnification | 1.5-5x |
| Objective | 32 mm |
| Aim points | 20-100 yd in 10 yd steps |
| Reticle | XB1 SR, red and green illuminated |
| Glass | 11-layer fully multi-coated, System H2 |
| Warranty | No-fault lifetime repair or replace |
What it does well
- Aim points to 100 yards from a 20-yard zero
- Red and green illumination rather than one color
- No-fault lifetime warranty covers accidental damage
- Fast-focus eyebell and a high-torque zoom ring
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.8
- 8.4
- 9.0
- 8.2
- 8.8
Rinehart 18-1
Eighteen shootable faces of self-healing foam, broadhead capable, rated to 500 fps and explicitly crossbow approved. This is the one target on the site that handles the two hardest things at once: a 470 fps bolt and a fixed broadhead. 15 inches a side and light enough to carry by the handle.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed rating | Up to 500 fps |
| Faces | 18 |
| Dimensions | 15 x 15 x 15 in |
| Broadhead capable | Yes |
| Foam | Signature series self-healing |
| Crossbow approved | Yes |
| Carry | Easy-carry handle |
What it does well
- 500 fps and broadhead capable together, which is rare
- Eighteen faces means you rotate rather than shooting out one spot
- Self-healing foam closes the hole behind the arrow
- Light with a carry handle
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.4
- 8.6
- 9.0
- 9.4
- 8.0
Wicked Ridge Match 400
Six 20-inch shafts at 400 grains with a 46-grain aluminum insert that produces 14 percent front-of-center, which Wicked Ridge claims gives up to 20 percent tighter groups than its previous arrow. Six per pack is the practical detail: that is a full quiver and spares in one purchase.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 20 in |
| Weight | 400 gr |
| Straightness | within .004 in |
| Insert | 46 gr aluminum |
| Front of center | 14% |
| Nock | Alpha-Nock HP with aluminum bushing |
| Vanes | 3.5 in Bohning X Vanes, slight offset |
What it does well
- Six per pack, which is a quiver's worth in one box
- 14 percent front-of-center published, which most makers do not state
- A 46-grain aluminum insert rather than a plastic one
- Alpha-Nock engages the string deeply, which reduces shoot-over
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.4
- 8.6
- 8.0
- 8.6
- 9.0
What the scopes on this site are calibrated for
- Excalibur Dead Zone: 20-60 yd. Honest about crossbow range.
- Hawke XB1 and Vortex Crossfire II: aim points to 100 yd.
- TenPoint RangeMaster 100: nine aim references to 100 yd, and TenPoint's instructions describe zeroing out to 100.
A 100 yd reticle is for practice and confidence, not for hunting shots. Shooting at 70 yards on a target is the fastest way to learn what your bow and your form actually do — and the knowledge that comes back is usually that your hunting range is shorter than you thought.
How to find your own effective range
- Shoot three-bolt groups at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards from your actual hunting position — seated in a blind chair, not off a bench.
- Find the distance at which all three bolts stay inside a circle the size of a deer's vitals, roughly 8 in.
- That is your effective range. Not the distance you can hit the target at — the distance you can do it every time.
- Subtract for field conditions: cold, a coat, a rushed shot, poor light, an animal that is not standing square.
- Whatever number you end up with, carry a rangefinder so you know when you are inside it.
The safety number
A crossbow bolt shot at an angle travels hundreds of yards and arrives with enough energy to injure. That is the number that matters when you set up a target: earth or a solid backstop behind it, and you need to know what is beyond that too. See crossbow safety and target stopping power.
