How to quiet a crossbow

Two noises, and the one nobody talks about

The shot is loud, and a deer inside about 25 yards has time to react to it. That is the noise everyone discusses.

The cocking stroke is also loud, and it happens while the animal is already in front of you, with nothing in the air to show for it. That is the noise that actually costs hunts, and almost no coverage mentions it.

The cheap fixes, in order of value

In detail

The fixes and the bows that come quiet

01The cheapest real noise reduction

$10.99/Amazon

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LimbSaver String Silencers (4-pack)

LimbSaver

8.8/ 10

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

• String noise is only part of total bow noise; limbs ring too
• Adds mass to the string, which costs a little speed
• Marketed for compound and recurve bows generally, not crossbow-specific

Our rubric

Effectiveness

8.6

Durability

8.2

Ease of use

9.2

Value

9.6

02Quiet budget bow with a cocking sled

$284.51/Amazon

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CenterPoint Tradition 405

CenterPoint

7.9/ 10

405 fps with the Whisper silencing system and a cocking sled in the box, in a conventional 15-inch-cocked frame. If noise sits higher on your list than blind width, this is the cheap bow to look at.

Published spec	Value
Speed	405 fps
Cocked width	15 in
Uncocked width	18 in
Cocking aid	Cocking sled, included
Noise control	Whisper multi-point vibration reduction
Scope	4x32 illuminated
Included	Attached quiver, rail lube, three 20 in arrows

What it does well

• Whisper silencing at the bottom of the price range
• A cocking sled is included, which aligns the string evenly
• Attached quiver and rail lube in the box

Where it falls short

• 15 inches cocked is wide for a blind window
• A sled still leaves a real pull; it is not a crank
• No draw weight published

Our rubric

Cocking effort

6.2

Speed

8.6

Noise

8.8

Blind fit

6.6

Carry weight

7.6

Value

9.0

03Silent cocking in a 5.75-inch package

$1,999.99/Amazon

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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 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	Not 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

04Low effort without giving up speed

$1,399.99/Amazon

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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 spec	Value
Speed	415 fps
Weight	6.9 lb
Cocking aid	ACUslide, integrated
De-cocks	Yes, backwind and stop anywhere
Trigger	S2 zero-creep, with dry-fire prohibitor
Scope	100-yard RangeMaster 100, illuminated
Independent accuracy	1.23 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 string wax to buy and forget

$12.59/Amazon

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Bohning Tex-Tite Bowstring Wax

Bohning

9.2/ 10

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

• String and cable wax only; the rail needs a separate lube
• One ounce goes fast if you over-apply

Our rubric

Effectiveness

9.0

Durability

8.6

Ease of use

9.4

Value

9.8

1. String silencers, about ten dollars

LimbSaver's four-pack of NAVCOM string leeches publishes up to 90 percent reduction of string noise by damping oscillation. Four in a pack covers two bows. It costs less than a single broadhead and it is the first thing to buy.

The trade: a small amount of added string mass, which costs a negligible amount of speed.

2. Check every screw, free

A loose quiver bracket, scope mount or limb bolt turns the whole bow into a sounding board, and a crossbow's forward recoil works fasteners loose over a season. Going round the bow with a hex key costs nothing and is the most overlooked noise fix there is.

3. A heavier arrow

More of the bow's stored energy leaves with the arrow and less remains to dissipate as vibration. Moving from a 350 gr to a 400 gr arrow is a common change and it makes a real difference. The cost is velocity and a steeper drop past 40 yards. See bolt weight.

4. Wax the string and lube the rail

A dry string is a noisier string and a dry rail adds friction and squeak. Bohning's Tex-Tite stays tacky in all weather; a dedicated rail lube is a separate product. Together under forty dollars. See string wax and rail lube.

5. Limb dampeners, if not already fitted

Most bows ship with them and CenterPoint's Whisper package bundles string stops, limb dampeners and string silencers together on the Dagger and Tradition. If your bow has bare limbs, aftermarket dampeners are the next step.

What a quiet bow looks like from the factory

The full ranking is in the quietest crossbows.

The cocking stroke, and what to do about it

A rope cocker is one committed pull with hooks that knock on the rail and handles that clack together. A geared crank is quieter but continuous. What two systems add is the ability to stop anywhere:

• TenPoint ACUslide and ACUdraw De-Cock — the Auto-Brake holds the handle wherever you remove your hand.
• Ravin's Trac Trigger with a one-way bearing — stop mid-cycle for complete control.

That lets you cock in three short bursts while a deer has its head down. If you cannot buy that, the answer is behavioral: cock on arrival, before anything is in front of you. See silent crank cocking devices.

What we will not tell you

A decibel number. Nobody on this site has measured these bows with a sound meter, and a figure from a review that does not describe its test method is not evidence. Published noise-control hardware and a documented silent cocking system are checkable facts; a number is not, unless the test is described.