Guides
Crossbow speed and FPS, explained
Speed buys a flatter trajectory and forgiveness on a misjudged range. Above 400 fps it also starts spending your money on targets and broadheads.
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.
Ranked
Quick picks
| # | Product | Speed | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | Ravin R470 | 470 fps | 8.5 | $2,424.51Amazon |
| Rank 2 |  CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 430 fps | 8.9 | $749.99Amazon |
| Rank 3 |  TenPoint Titan 400 | 400 fps | 8.9 | $799.99Amazon |
| Rank 4 |  Barnett Wildcat CRX | 280 fps | 7.2 | $239.99Amazon |
| Rank 5 |  Rinehart 18-1 | 9.0 | $159.99Amazon |
Crossbow FPS is bolt speed with the maker's own arrow. Every bow on this site has enough for deer inside 40 yards. What more speed buys is a flatter trajectory, which forgives a misjudged range. Above about 400 fps it also requires a target rated for it and broadheads rated for it.
FPS is the number printed largest on every crossbow box and it should be about third on your list. The reason it is printed largest is that it is easy to compare and easy to increase; the reason it should be third is that you probably already have enough.
The range on this site
| Bow | Speed | What that means practically |
|---|---|---|
| Ravin R470 | 470 fps | Needs a 500 fps target; flattest trajectory available |
| Ravin R29X | 450 fps | Needs a 450 fps target minimum |
| CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 430 fps | Above most bag targets' 425 fps ceiling |
| TenPoint Turbo X | 415 fps | Fast, and 425 fps targets still work |
| TenPoint Titan 400 | 400 fps | The mainstream figure; everything works |
| Barnett Explorer XP370 | 370 fps | Ample for deer inside 40 yd |
| Barnett Recruit XP | 330 fps | Keep shots inside about 30 yd |
| SAS Jaguar Recurve | 245 fps | Close range only — inside about 30 yd |
What speed actually buys
A flatter trajectory
The real benefit. A faster bolt drops less between 30 and 40 yards, so being ten yards wrong about the distance costs less vertical error. Since misjudged range is the most common cause of a missed crossbow shot past 30 yards, that is genuinely useful — though a handheld rangefinder solves the same problem for a fraction of the money.
More kinetic energy
Energy scales with the square of velocity, so speed raises it sharply. Barnett publishes 152 ft-lb for the Hyper Raptor at 425 fps. Against commonly cited whitetail guidance of around 25 ft-lb, that is not capability you were missing. See kinetic energy.
Less time for the animal to react
A deer at 25 yards can hear the shot and move before the bolt arrives. A faster bolt shortens that window. It does not close it, and a quieter bow helps more. See crossbow noise.
What speed costs
In detail
Fast bows, a sensible bow, and the target a fast bow needs
Ravin R470
470 fps from an 8.4-pound frame with the Versa-Draw crank built in. It is the fastest figure any listing here publishes. Understand what you are buying: at 470 fps your bolt, nock, broadhead and target all have to be rated for it, and almost no bag target is.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 470 fps |
| Weight | 8.4 lb |
| Cocking aid | Versa-Draw crank, integrated |
| Cam system | Helicoil, 340-degree cam rotation |
| Arrows | Three Ravin .003 R500 Series arrows, 400 gr total |
| Scope | 100-yard illuminated, rated to 550 fps |
| Cocked width |
What it does well
- 470 fps published, the highest here
- The integrated crank keeps cocking effort low despite the power
- The scope is rated past the bow's own speed, so the speed dial has headroom
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.8
- 10.0
- 8.2
- 8.0
- 6.8
- 6.0
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
TenPoint Titan 400
The same 5-pound cocking effort as the Titan X, the same 9.75-inch front end, 6 pounds on the sling, and no de-cocking. If you never planned to unload the bow without shooting it, this is the cheaper half of the Titan decision.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 400 fps |
| Cocking effort | 5 lb |
| Cocked width | 9.75 in |
| Weight | 6 lb |
| Cocking aid | ACUdraw Silent, integrated |
| De-cocks | No |
| Scope | Pro-View 400, illuminated, aim points to 70 yd |
What it does well
- 5 lb cocking effort at the lowest price TenPoint publishes it at
- 6 pounds is light for a full-size bow with an integrated crank
- A built-in crank cannot be left at home
- Arrives assembled and pre-sighted
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.5
- 8.4
- 8.4
- 9.0
- 9.0
- 8.8
Barnett Wildcat CRX
280 fps at 6.1 pounds with a red dot, three arrows, broadheads, a quiver and a cocking device in the bundle. It is the least bow on this site and it is priced like it. Buy it to learn on, or if your season opens in three days and you have two hundred dollars.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed | 280 fps |
| Weight | 6.1 lb |
| Cocking aid | Cocking device included; Rope-Hold technology |
| Sight | Red dot |
| Included | Three 20 in Headhunter arrows, broadheads, side-mount quiver |
| Safety | Anti-dry-fire, finger safety reminders, pass-through foregrip |
| Cocked width |
What it does well
- Complete and shootable out of the box, broadheads included
- 6.1 pounds with the quiver on
- Anti-dry-fire on a budget bow
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 6.4
- 5.4
- 6.6
- 7.8
- 9.0
- 9.2
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
- A target rated for it. Most bag targets stop at 425 fps. Above 450 fps only the Rinehart 18-1 (500 fps) and SpyderWeb 20XL (no stated limit) qualify here. See targets for fast bows.
- Broadheads rated for it. Crossbow velocity opens mechanical blades in flight on compound-bow heads. See broadheads for 400 fps bows.
- A scope whose speed range reaches it. The TenPoint RangeMaster's 380-505 fps is the only range here that covers 470 fps. See speed rings explained.
- Tighter bolt tolerances. More flight time for a small error to grow.
- Noise. More stored energy means more left to dissipate after the shot.
The published-speed caveat
A maker's fps figure is measured with its own arrow at a specific weight. Your real velocity depends on your arrow. If the figure was measured with a 350 gr arrow and you shoot 425 gr, you are slower than the box says — which is exactly what the 40-yard verification step in sighting in catches.
Arrow weight, and the trade you can choose
- Lighter arrow: faster, flatter, louder, less penetration. Never below your bow's published minimum weight.
- Heavier arrow: slower, steeper drop past 40 yd, quieter, more kinetic energy, better penetration.
- Around 400 gr complete is the mainstream answer and what most bows ship with. See bolt weight.
How much do you actually need?
Pick a speed from how you hunt
- Deer, inside 30 yd, from a blind330 fps and up is ample. Spend the money on the cocking aid.
- Deer, out to 40 yd350-400 fps is comfortable and everything else still works.
- You practice at 60-70 yd400 fps and up, plus a scope with holds that far.
- You want maximum margin on range error430 fps and up — and budget for the target.
- Bigger or tougher gamePrioritize kinetic energy and penetration, not peak fps.
