Best under $100
Crossbow gifts under $100
Six things under a hundred dollars that work with any crossbow, so you do not have to know which one they own.
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Ranked
Quick picks
| # | Product | Rubric score | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | LimbSaver String Silencers (4-pack) | 8.8 | $10.99Amazon | |
| Rank 2 |  Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver | 8.5 | $29.99Amazon | |
| Rank 3 |  Bohning Tex-Tite Bowstring Wax | 9.2 | $12.59Amazon | |
| Rank 4 |  Scorpion Venom Crossbow Rail Lube | 8.4 | $14.99Amazon | |
| Rank 5 |  Allen Double Handled Crossbow Cocking Rope | 8.3 | $16.44Amazon |
Under a hundred dollars, the crossbow gifts that work for anyone are string silencers (about ten dollars, 90 percent string-noise reduction), string wax, rail lube, a universal rope cocker, and a 450 fps-rated foam target. None of them depends on which bow they own.
Prices move, so treat the hundred-dollar bracket as a guide and the live price in each row as the fact. What does not move is compatibility: everything here fits any crossbow, which is the hard part of buying for this hobby.
In detail
Five gifts under a hundred
LimbSaver String Silencers (4-pack)
Four string leeches in NAVCOM material, which LimbSaver credits with cutting up to 90 percent of string noise by damping oscillation. A crossbow's noise comes mostly from the string and limbs ringing after the shot, and this is the ten-dollar version of the fix.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Noise reduction | Up to 90% of string noise |
| Per pack | 4 |
| Material | NAVCOM |
| Mechanism | Reduces string oscillation |
| Install | Easy, no tools stated |
| Designed for | Compound and recurve bows |
What it does well
- A published 90 percent string-noise figure
- Four in a pack, enough for two bows
- Installs without a press
- Cheapest noise fix available
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.6
- 8.2
- 9.2
- 9.6
Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver
A 12-inch cube, 15 pounds, six shootable sides with calibration grids, rated to 450 fps, for about the price of three broadheads. The rating is the headline: almost nothing else at this price is rated past 400 fps. It is small, so it is a practice cube rather than a sight-in target for a beginner.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed rating | Up to 450 fps |
| Dimensions | 12 x 12 x 12 in |
| Weight | 15 lb |
| Faces | 6 |
| Faces detail | High-contrast graphics with calibration grids |
| Weather | UV and moisture resistant shell |
| Fill | High-density proprietary |
What it does well
- 450 fps rated at the lowest price of any target here
- 15 pounds and 12 inches, so it moves anywhere
- Calibration grids help you track a sight-in
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.4
- 8.2
- 9.6
- 7.8
- 9.6
Bohning Tex-Tite Bowstring Wax
A natural-based wax made for synthetic bowstrings that stays tacky in any weather, in a 1-ounce tube. A dry string frays and then breaks, and a broken string on a cocked crossbow is the most dangerous failure the machine has. This costs less than a single bolt.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| For | Synthetic fiber bowstrings |
| Base | Natural wax |
| Size | 1 oz tube |
| Weather | Remains tacky in all weather conditions |
| Purpose | Lubricates and lengthens string life |
| Use on rail | No — strings and cables only |
What it does well
- Stays tacky in cold and wet rather than going hard
- Formulated for synthetic strings, which is what your bow has
- Cheapest item on the site, and it prevents the worst failure
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.0
- 8.6
- 9.4
- 9.8
Scorpion Venom Crossbow Rail Lube
A dedicated crossbow rail lube. This is a separate product from string wax for a reason: the rail is where the string drags across the barrel on every shot, and the wrong lubricant there either gums up or wears off. The listing publishes only packaging dimensions, so judge it on the category rather than the data.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| For | Crossbow rail |
| Not for | Strings and cables — use wax |
| Color | Yellow |
| Published detail | Packaging dimensions only |
What it does well
- A rail-specific lubricant, which the rail needs and wax cannot do
- Widely used in the crossbow category
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.4
- 8.0
- 8.6
- 8.4
Allen Double Handled Crossbow Cocking Rope
50 percent draw reduction, oversized handles, and the detail that earns it a place here: molded string hooks with a roller inside, so the hook does not chew the rail and the pull runs smoother. It fits most crossbow models rather than one brand.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Draw reduction | Up to 50% |
| Type | Rope cocker, double handle |
| Handles | Oversized |
| Hooks | Molded, with a friction-reducing roller |
| Fits | Most crossbow models |
| Rail safety | Hooks will not damage the rail |
| De-cocks |
What it does well
- Roller hooks reduce friction and protect the rail
- Universal fit rather than brand-locked
- Oversized handles suit gloved or arthritic hands
- Cheapest branded rope cocker here
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 6.8
- 9.4
- 8.2
- 9.6
- 9.6
What each one does for them
String silencers — the best ten dollars on the site
Four NAVCOM string leeches, publishing up to 90 percent reduction of string noise, installed without tools on any bow. Crossbows are louder than compound bows and a deer inside 25 yards can react to the shot. This is the cheapest meaningful fix and almost nobody buys it for themselves.
A 450 fps foam target — about thirty dollars
The Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver is a 12 in cube, 15 lb, six shootable sides with calibration grids, rated to 450 fps. The rating is the thing: almost nothing else at this price clears 400 fps, and a modern crossbow will shoot through an under-rated target. Small enough to be a practice cube and a discharge target for unloading the bow at the end of a sit.
String wax — twelve dollars
Bohning's Tex-Tite, formulated for synthetic bowstrings, stays tacky in all weather. A dry string frays and then fails under load, which is the most dangerous thing a crossbow does. Most hunters run out mid-season and do not replace it until something goes wrong.
Rail lube — eighteen dollars
A separate product from string wax, for a separate job: reducing friction where the string drags across the barrel. That friction is what wears the string's center serving out, which is the commonest reason a crossbow string needs early replacement. Pairs naturally with the wax. See string wax and rail lube.
A universal rope cocker — sixteen dollars
Allen's double-handled rope fits most crossbow models, publishes 50 percent draw reduction, has oversized handles for gloved hands and molded hooks with an internal roller that will not damage the rail. A cocking aid left at home is a hunt that does not happen, and a spare in the truck is the fix.
Buy them together
All five of the small items above come to well under a hundred dollars and make a genuinely complete maintenance kit: wax, lube, silencers, a spare cocker and a target. That is more useful than any single item at the same price, and none of it can be the wrong fit.
| Bundle | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Wax + rail lube | The complete maintenance routine, both products, correctly matched |
| Silencers + wax | Quieter bow and a longer-lasting string, under twenty-five dollars |
| Target + spare cocker | Everything needed for a practice session, whatever bow they own |
| All five | A full kit under a hundred dollars that nothing can be incompatible with |
What to avoid under a hundred dollars
- A budget scope. Tempting at this price and it has to match the bow's published fps range, or the aim points cannot be calibrated. Needs to be their decision.
- Bolts. Must match length, minimum weight, nock type and diameter. Four ways to get it wrong.
- A cheap case. Must match the bow's uncocked width and overall length with the scope fitted.
- Broadheads. Must be rated for crossbow speed, and some states specify a minimum cutting diameter.
- Anything electronic. Lighted nocks are prohibited for hunting in some states.
If you want to spend more
The next step up is a crank cocking device, which is the single biggest improvement available to a hunter who struggles with the draw — Barnett's publishes 93 percent reduction and 13 lb at the handle. It is also strictly model-specific, so you need the exact bow name first. See the crank roundup.
