The best gifts for a crossbow hunter

Here is the problem with buying for a crossbow hunter. Most crossbow gear is tied to a specific bow: cranks fit one brand and sometimes one model, bolts have to match length, weight and nock type, cases have to match width, and scopes have to match the bow's speed. Get any of those wrong and you have bought something they cannot use.

So everything on this page either fits every crossbow or does not touch the bow at all. You do not need to know what they own.

In detail

Five gifts that fit any crossbow

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

02Broadheads at up to 500 fps

$159.99/Amazon

$167.62 5% off

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Rinehart 18-1

Rinehart

9.0/ 10

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

• Expensive next to a bag target
• Fifteen inches is a small face for a beginner at 40 yards

Our rubric

Stopping power

9.4

Arrow pull

8.6

Portability

9.0

Durability

9.4

Value

8.0

03The 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

04450 fps for thirty dollars

$29.99/Amazon

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Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver

Delta McKenzie

8.5/ 10

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

• A 12-inch face is small; expect to miss it while sighting in
• No broadhead rating

Our rubric

Stopping power

8.4

Arrow pull

8.2

Portability

9.6

Durability

7.8

Value

9.6

05Cheap, universal, and kind to your rail

$16.44/Amazon

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Allen Double Handled Crossbow Cocking Rope

Allen

8.3/ 10

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	Not published

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

• 50 percent only; this is not a crank substitute
• No published rope length
• No de-cocking

Our rubric

Effort reduction

6.8

Fit range

9.4

Noise

8.2

Pack size

9.6

Value

9.6

Why each one works as a gift

String silencers, about ten dollars

LimbSaver's four-pack publishes up to 90 percent reduction of string noise, installs without tools, and fits any bow. It is the best effect-per-dollar item on the whole site, and most hunters have not got round to buying one because it is small and unexciting. That makes it a good gift.

A target, thirty to a hundred and sixty dollars

Everyone needs one and they wear out. The thing to check is the speed rating: most bag targets stop at 425 fps and modern crossbows go to 470. The Rinehart 18-1 is rated to 500 fps, is broadhead capable and has eighteen faces, which makes it safe for any bow. The Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver is rated to 450 fps for about thirty dollars.

String wax, twelve dollars

A stocking-filler that prevents the most dangerous failure a crossbow has. Bohning's Tex-Tite is formulated for synthetic bowstrings and stays tacky in all weather. Any crossbow, any season.

A spare rope cocker, sixteen dollars

Allen's double-handled rope fits most crossbow models, publishes 50 percent draw reduction, and has roller hooks that do not chew the rail. The reason it is a good gift: a cocking aid left at home means no hunt, so a spare in the truck is genuinely useful and almost nobody buys themselves a second one.

What not to buy without asking

If you can find out one thing

Ask what bow they shoot, by exact model name. With that, the whole site opens up: you can buy the crank that fits it, the case that fits it, or the scope that covers its speed. The model name is usually on a sticker on the stock.

What the gift does not need to be

A crossbow. If you are considering buying someone their first bow, the decision depends on their physical situation — whether they can cock it — and on their state's season rules, which neither of you may know. The better move is a target and a set of string silencers now, and the beginner roundup sent to them so they pick their own.