Best overall
The best crossbow scopes
Expert picks ranked on the specification that disqualifies a scope outright: the published fps range its aim points are calculated for.
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Ranked
Quick picks
| # | Product | Speed range | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | Hawke XB30 Pro SR 1-5x24 | 215-450 fps | 8.9 | $173.98Amazon |
| Rank 2 |  Hawke XB1 SR 1.5-5x32 | 250-425 fps | 8.7 | $159.99Amazon |
| Rank 3 |  TenPoint RangeMaster 100 | 380-505 fps | 8.8 | $299.99Amazon |
| Rank 4 |  Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32 Crossbow Kit | 8.6 | $199.00Amazon | |
| Rank 5 |  Killer Instinct Lumix Speedring 1.5-5x32 | 270-450 fps | 8.2 | $94.99Amazon |
A crossbow scope's stacked aim points are calculated for a specific bolt velocity. Check the scope's published fps range against your bow before anything else: a 430 fps bow cannot be calibrated on a scope that stops at 425, no matter how good the glass is.
This is the specification that decides the purchase, and it is the one most reviews bury under glass quality and warranty terms. Read the speed-range column first and let it eliminate options; then compare what is left.
In detail
The five picks
Hawke XB30 Pro SR 1-5x24
A speed-selector power ring covering 215 to 450 fps, which is the broadest span any scope on this site publishes. Dial your bow's speed and the reticle's aim points line up with your trajectory. 16-layer multi-coated glass in a 30 mm mono-tube does the rest. If you own more than one bow, or expect to change bows, this is the scope that follows you.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed range | 215-450 fps |
| Magnification | 1-5x |
| Objective | 24 mm |
| Tube | 30 mm |
| Reticle | Illuminated SR, stepless rheostat |
| Glass | 16-layer fully multi-coated |
| Weatherproofing | Nitrogen purged, waterproof, fog proof |
What it does well
- 215-450 fps covers every bow on this site, from the SAS recurve to the R470
- Stepless illumination rheostat rather than fixed brightness steps
- 30 mm mono-tube passes more light than a 1-inch body
- Metal screw-in lens covers rather than rubber flip caps
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 9.8
- 8.8
- 8.6
- 8.6
- 8.4
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
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
Vortex Crossfire II 2-7x32 Crossbow Kit
An XBR-2 reticle built around a 40-yard zero with holdovers from 20 to 100 yards, dual red and green illumination, and the Vortex VIP warranty: unlimited, unconditional, lifetime, transferable. The kit includes 30 mm rings, flip caps and a neoprene cover, so there is nothing else to buy.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Magnification | 2-7x |
| Objective | 32 mm |
| Reticle | XBR-2, dual red and green illumination |
| Zero | 40 yd |
| Holdover range | 20-100 yd |
| Included | 30 mm rings, flip caps, neoprene cover |
| Warranty | VIP unlimited lifetime, fully transferable |
What it does well
- The best warranty terms on this site, and transferable
- The kit includes rings and caps, so the price is the whole price
- A 40-yard zero puts the holdovers where crossbow shots actually happen
- O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.0
- 8.6
- 8.8
- 8.4
- 8.6
Killer Instinct Lumix Speedring 1.5-5x32
An adjustable speed gauge covering 270 to 450 fps, variable reticle brightness, and a metal chassis that is fog, water and shock proof, for less than a hundred dollars. For a budget bow that shipped with a fixed 4x32, this is the single cheapest upgrade that changes how the bow shoots past 40 yards.
| Published spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Speed range | 270-450 fps |
| Magnification | 1.5-5x |
| Objective | 32 mm |
| Reticle range | Up to 100 yd |
| Reticle | Adjustable brightness illuminated |
| Chassis | Metal, fog, water and shock proof |
| Lens covers | Spring-loaded flip |
What it does well
- 270-450 fps covers nearly every bow on this site
- Variable brightness, not a two-step switch
- Metal chassis at a sub-hundred-dollar price
- Cheapest real upgrade over a bundled fixed-power scope
Where it falls short
Our rubric
- 8.8
- 7.0
- 7.8
- 7.4
- 9.4
How we picked
Speed range first, then reticle design, glass and low-light performance, then value. We have not conducted optical bench tests and publish no transmission measurements of our own. See our methodology.
Speed ranges, so you can rule scopes out
| Scope | Published range | Magnification | Reticle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawke XB30 Pro | 215-450 fps | 1-5x24 | Illuminated SR, stepless rheostat |
| TenPoint RangeMaster 100 | 380-505 fps | 2-7x36 | Etched glass, 9 aim references to 100 yd |
| Killer Instinct Lumix | 270-450 fps | 1.5-5x32 | Adjustable-brightness illuminated |
| Hawke XB1 | 250-425 fps | 1.5-5x32 | XB1 SR, red and green, 20-100 yd |
| Vortex Crossfire II | Not published | 2-7x32 | XBR-2, dual illumination, 40 yd zero |
What to look for
A speed dial that covers your bow, with margin
The Hawke XB30 Pro's 215-450 fps is the widest span here and the reason it ranks first: it covers nearly every bow on this site, so it follows you if you change bows. At the other end, a scope with no speed dial is calibrated for one assumed velocity that may not be yours.
Aim points to a distance you will actually shoot
The XB1 and Vortex publish holds to 100 yards; the RangeMaster has nine aim references out to 100; Excalibur's Dead Zone stops at 60. For hunting, 60 is honest. For practice and confidence, more is better — and shooting at 70 yards is the fastest way to find out what your bow and your form actually do.
Illumination, and ideally stepless
Legal shooting light at dawn and dusk is when deer move, and a black reticle against a dark animal disappears. Red, green or both are all here. The XB30 Pro's stepless rheostat is the better design: fixed brightness steps are frequently too bright at the bottom and bloom over the target.
Tube diameter, for light rather than magnification
A 30 mm tube passes more light than a 1-inch one and gives more internal adjustment range. The XB30 Pro and the Vortex kit are 30 mm; the XB1 is a 1-inch body. It is a real difference at last light and a negligible one at midday.
A warranty that covers what actually happens
A crossbow recoils forward and scopes get knocked in trucks and blinds. Hawke's no-fault lifetime warranty repairs or replaces regardless of how the damage happened; Vortex's VIP warranty is unlimited, unconditional, lifetime and transferable. Both are better terms than most optics at the price.
Which to buy
Match the scope to your bow
- You own more than one bowHawke XB30 Pro — 215-450 fps covers nearly everything on this site.
- Your bow is over 450 fpsTenPoint RangeMaster 100 — 380-505 fps is the only range that reaches it.
- You want holds to 100 yards for practiceHawke XB1 or the Vortex Crossfire II — both publish marks to 100.
- You are upgrading a bundled 4x32Killer Instinct Lumix — 270-450 fps for under a hundred dollars.
- You keep misjudging rangeA rangefinder, or a rangefinding scope. No reticle fixes an unknown distance.
The thing a scope cannot do
A scope compensates for a known drop at a known distance. It cannot tell you the distance, and misjudged range is the most common cause of a missed crossbow shot past 30 yards. A handheld rangefinder in your pocket is the cheap fix; a rangefinding scope is the expensive one, and in some states it is not legal for hunting. See crossbow hunting regulations.
