While searching for crossbows, we come across a lot of crossbows that catches our eyes. But all of them aren’t the most suitable for our needs or pocket. Sometimes, the pocket dictates the decision. That’s why there are budget options available in all sorts of techs and similar. Crossbows are no different. There is a crossbow available at all given price-point. Here we have more than one. It’s not an easy subject to handle. I hope you will find this useful read.
That’s right, we are talking about some of the best crossbows under $600 you can buy. It’s not a budget that will bankrupt you. But it’s a budget that will provide you plenty of good crossbows. Let’s find out about those in details.
What To Look When Buying A Crossbow Under $600
There are lots of things you need to consider before buying a new crossbow. There are things that you can ignore as well. Here are some of the important things that you need to keep in mind while purchasing a new crossbow.
Speed is one of the key parts of a crossbow. Crossbows aren’t as fast as guns and they won’t be as fast as guns either. But they still are quite fast. Ideally, you want to find the fastest crossbow in your budget. But that decision can be changed based on how the other component of a crossbow suits you better.
Kinetic energy is the power of a crossbow. The total power each arrow packs behind each shot is the kinetic energy of that crossbow. Kinetic energy can be low on lower-end crossbows and be over 190lbs on expensive crossbows. You need to find the ideal middle ground for you.
Draw weight. At lower-end boards, the draw weight tends to be a lot compared to higher-end boards. Lower draw weight helps newbies to get into the scene easier. While we would love to have every bow with a cranking device installed, but that’s not possible always. It’s a good idea to buy a bow with lower draw weight.
Safety. You can’t expect top-notch safety on this budget. What you can expect is, a safety for the trigger and something to prevent misfires. Anti-dry fire safety is always welcomed as a safety feature. You should purchase a crossbow with at least one user safety feature installed.
Accuracy. Crossbow accuracy depends a lot on the arrow and the capability of the user. On a controlled environment, the crossbow should be highly accurate. Otherwise, it won’t be enough for hunting running preys. Crossbows in this budget range is quite accurate.
Durability will depend on the material and the crafting method the manufacturer chooses for that crossbow. There is a lot of running involved while hunting. You might drop your crossbow once or twice. Nobody wants to see a broken crossbow after one drop. That’s why choosing a durable crossbow is necessary.
Warranty. Depending on the brand you go for, the warranty period will vary highly. Some may provide 3 years, some may provide 5, while others may go the extra mile to go over 10 years.
1. Killer Instinct Speed 425 Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 425 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 156 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 15 Inches; Draw Weight: 200 LBS; Axle To Axle: 14.375 / 17.75 Inches; Length: 32 – 34.5 Inches; Weight: 7.2 LBS.
If you name yourself Speed, you better show some speed. Killer Instinct isn’t afraid to showcase their speed in their crossbows. I guess that’s how they ended up naming their crossbow “Speed”. It’s not a bad name. Let’s see if it can hold true to the name.
Speed. Yes, that’s the name of the crossbow. That’s not the point. The point is the speed of this crossbow. It can reach 425 FPS with ease. Doesn’t even flinch while reaching that speed. What more do you need?
156 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. That makes the Speed 425 not only the fastest but also the most powerful crossbow under $600. That’s huge! You can do any sorts of tactical shooting, big-game hunting & hunt a deer with this crossbow. This is also legal in almost all of NA. You don’t need to think about special procedures to use this crossbow.
DSC compatible. DSC stands for dead silent crank. It’s a cranking device made by Killer Instinct for their crossbows. The crossbow doesn’t come with this. But you can purchase it separately to make the crossbow even better. In my opinion, you should purchase it. The value is too good to ignore.
Quick Facts:
If you ask me to suggest you the best crossbow, I have on the list today, without a doubt I will say it’s Killer Instinct Speed 425.
Pros
- Super-fast 425 FPS.
- 156 ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- Crank device compatibility.
- AR-Styles buttstock.
- Sniper precision.
Cons
- Cranking device is not available by default.
2. Centerpoint Archery CP400 Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 400 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 142 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 13 Inches; Draw Weight: 200 LBS; Axle To Axle: 6 / 10.5 Inches; Length: 31.75 Inches; Weight: 7.1 LBS.
Centerpoint is one of the leading crossbow manufacturers right now. Their crossbows are quite good and proven to be worthy of the price countless times. CP400 is one of their budget offering that comes with a ton of feature for your advantages. It’s an excellent crossbow for both tactical shooting and hunting.
400 FPS is a milestone for sure. The crossbow can reach that milestone with ease. You can use the arrows that came with the crossbow to reach that speed. That’s good sign. As you are not forced to buy a specific set of arrows from the same vendor over and over again.
142 ft-lbs. That’s a lot of energy. To put it in context, a crossbow double the price of this can generate the same amount of kinetic energy. That shows just how much the budget scene improved over the years.
Silent cranking device. One of the few crossbows under $1000 to feature a silent cranking device. I don’t know what sort of voodoo magic Centerpoint did. It worked. It worked like a charm.
HeliCoil Technology. HeliCoil is one of the revolutionary technologies that Ravin created in the last decade. As Centerpoint is under the same parent company that owns Ravin, Centerpoint can use that technology easily. HeliCoil makes this crossbow a lot better than it was already.
Quick Facts:
We are starting off with a bang. Centerpoint Archer CP400 is one of the best crossbows under $600 without a second guess. Heck, it’s one of the best $1000 crossbows.
Pros
- Affordable.
- Good build quality and compact.
- 400 FPS.
- 142ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- HeliCoil Technology.
- Deadly and silent.
- Highly accurate.
Cons
- The scope could have been better.
- With the added accessories, the price can go over $600 really quickly.
3. Barnett Raptor Pro STR Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 400 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 135 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 16.25 Inches; Draw Weight: 187 LBS; Axle To Axle: 17.625 Inches; Length: 36.5 Inches; Weight: 6.9 LBS.
Even though it looks like a recurve bow, Barnett Raptor Pro STR is a powerful compound crossbow. It’s one of the better crossbows under $600. The crossbow looks like it was made for war. Well, you are not far from it. Hunting is quite similar too.
400 FPS. Thanks to the powerful limbs and the power stroke, Raptor Pro STR can hit 400 FPS mark with ease. It’s not even an issue for the crossbow.
Lightweight. The weight of the crossbow is only 6.5lbs. It’s one of the lightest crossbows out there. With mass like this and packing so much power, you would expect the crossbow to be at least 8lbs or similar. Not here. Even with the added accessories, the crossbow won’t be anywhere near 8 lbs.
135ft-lbs of kinetic energy. Quite powerful. It’s more powerful than a beginner crossbow for sure. 134ft-lbs of kinetic energy is more than enough to slay any prey you are targeting. You can participate in big-game hunting without any issues.
Quick Facts:
One of the most complete crossbows in this price-range. The only downside for many people will be the width of this crossbow.
Pros
- Well balanced crossbow.
- 400 FPS.
- Comes with pre-installed string dampeners.
- 135ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- Zero creep trigger.
- Cranking device compatible.
Cons
- The scope is not that good.
- Instruction manual is not clear.
4. Wicked Ridge Invader 400 Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 400 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 140 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 13.5 Inches; Draw Weight: 185 LBS; Axle To Axle: 15 / 19 Inches; Length: 35.5 Inches; Weight: 6 LBS.
Wicked Ridge Invader series is one of the most popular crossbow lineups from Wicked Ridge. Wicked Ridge Invader 400 is a powerful budget crossbow. Wicked Ridge Invader 400 is the fastest Invader crossbow ever made. All of the other Invader crossbows has lower speed compared to this.
400 FPS. As the name suggests, Invader 400 is capable of firing at 400 FPS. Incredible feat to reach. Even in 2021, not a lot of crossbows can reach that feat. It’s always good to see fast crossbows becoming cheaper.
140ft-lbs of kinetic energy. Ravin R10 costs double of this crossbow. That one is capable of generating 142ft-lbs of kinetic energy. I am not saying that Ravin R10 is a bad crossbow or overpriced. In fact, Ravin R10 is a better crossbow than this through and through. The point I am making is that, powerful crossbows becoming cheap. If you consider 10 year ago, you wouldn’t be able to get a crossbow with so much power within $600.
Lightweight and compact. The weight of this crossbow is quite surprising. It’s only 6lbs without any accessories. That’s extremely lightweight. Even with added accessories, the weight won’t go anywhere near 8lbs. You can carry it around for days without being tired.
Easy to setup. You just need to install one bolt and the crossbow setup is done. It’s quite easy to do. You can follow the included manual or the guide that Wicked Ridge posted in their YouTube channel. Both works.
Quick Facts:
Wicked Ridge Invader 400 is the fastest invader and one of the best crossbows under $600. The value it provides for the money is insane.
Pros
- Lightweight and compact.
- 400 FPS.
- 140ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- Silent and deadly.
- Highly accurate.
- Cranking device supported.
Cons
- Tenpoint uses their own arrows to measure the speed. The speed will vary when you use different weight arrows.
5. Barnett TS380 Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 380 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 122 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 12.625 Inches; Draw Weight: 201 LBS; Axle To Axle: 13.25 / 16.75 Inches; Length: 32.375 Inches; Weight: 6.9 LBS.
Barnett crossbows are known for their budget offerings. Under the TS banner, they have a lot of crossbows available for you to purchase. The one we have here is the TS380.
Speed. It’s not the fastest crossbow under $600. It won’t be the fastest either. But it does have 380 FPS. That’s fast enough to participate in any hunting games in entire North America. You really don’t need more than that in a budget crossbow.
Ease of installation. If you have assembled a crossbow before, then it will be childs play for you. But if you haven’t installed a crossbow before and not so good at following instruction, then you will find the black and white manual can be a bit hard to comprehend.
TriggerTech Safety Mechanism. TriggerTech was invented by Barnett. It’s also their copyrighted. This trigger mechanism is safer than regular zero creep triggers. It will automatically put the trigger on safety thanks to the anti-dry fire mechanism. No misfire on Barnett’s watch.
Up to 128 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. Using 400 grain arrows, you can achieve this much energy. If you use a lighter arrow, then you won’t be able to reach this incredible feat. Keep in mind while purchasing arrows for this bow.
Quick Facts:
It’s an inexpensive crossbow mainly targeted towards the new comers. For them, it’s a value for money purchase.
Pros
- Good build quality.
- Easy to load.
- TriggerTech.
- 380 FPS.
- 128ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- Anti-dry fire.
Cons
- The manual is pretty vague.
- The included scope could have been a lot better.
6. Bear-X Constrictor Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 400 FPS; Kinetic Energy: – ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 12.7 Inches; Draw Weight: 190 LBS; Axle To Axle: 10 / 14 Inches; Length: 32 Inches; Weight: 7.8 LBS.
Bear-X constrictor is one of the narrowest crossbows under $600. Most of the beginner hunters don’t tend to care that much about the width of a crossbow. You can squeeze in small crossbows inside areas where taking bigger recurve bows aren’t possible. That’s why, small crossbows will always have great value to certain people.
410 FPS. Don’t let the size of this fool you. It’s a beast inside. The crossbow can fire bolts at an incredible speed of 410 FPS. That’s excellent. It’s enough to win you many hunting competitions. The rest will depend on your skill of course.
Adjustable buttstock. The AR style buttstock on this crossbow is fully adjustable. It can be adjusted at different locations. That will give or reduce the bump necessary for hunters of certain height. It also makes it a viable option for female hunters.
Ambidextrous quiver. The quiver on this bow is placed on a different spot than regular crossbows. You can easily adjust the position of the quiver. As it’s on the top of the crossbow, you can take out arrows faster than ever. It reduces the reload time by a lot.
10” wide & safety. Usually, we don’t expect crossbows to be this narrow in the budget range. You can carry it around easier than carrying a child. All you need to do is, install a sling and you are good to go. The crossbow features anti-dry fire safety to prevent misfires. It also prevents the users’ hand to get harmed from false triggers.
Quick Facts:
The value on this crossbow is quite good. You are not paying too much to squeeze out good specs out of it.
Pros
- Affordable.
- Good build quality.
- 410 FPS.
- Lightweight and compact.
- Silent and deadly.
Cons
- Not compatible with cranking device.
7. Wicked Ridge Rampage 360 Crossbow Package
Specifications | Speed: 360 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 112 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 13.5 Inches; Draw Weight: 175 LBS; Axle To Axle: 15 / 19 Inches; Length: 35.5 Inches; Weight: 67.1 LBS.
Wicked Ridge is owned by Tenpoint crossbows. They used to be independent. But now they are run by some dedicated hunters. You know the products are gonna be good when you have someone experience behind the designs. Tenpoint titled the crossbows as the best entry level crossbow for hunter. Is that true? Let’s put it on a test.
360 FPS. While it’s definitely not the fastest tool in the shed. It’s definitely on it’s way there. 360 FPS is more than enough for any sorts of hunting you are planning on doing. You are allowed to participate in big-game hunting. That’s more than what you can expect from an entry-level crossbow.
112ft-lbs of kinetic energy. While it won’t slay down a bear or bigger animals. It’s more than enough for deer or similar animals. For a beginner crossbow, this much of power is more than enough. You will have the experience of using a more powerful crossbow at a lower price.
ACUdraw cranking device supported. By default, you will get an ACUdraw 50 rope cocking sled. But if you want (which you should), upgrade it to an ACUdraw pro cranking device. That will lower the draw weight by a ton. It will also decrease the loading time.
Lightweight. It’s one of the lightest crossbows Wicked Ridge ever made. Coming at 6lbs without any accessories is incredible. You won’t think this crossbow is so powerful by just grabbing onto it.
Quick Facts:
Extremely value for money beginner crossbow. Tenpoint is right to call it the best entry level crossbow.
Pros
- Affordable.
- Lightweight and compact.
- ACUdraw cranking device supported.
- 112ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- 360 FPS.
Cons
- The scope is not the best.
Frequently ASK Questions
What Distance Should I Zero My Crossbow?
The recommended range to zero a crossbow scope by professional is 20 yards. If you zero the crossbow at 20 yards and then sight it in at that range as well, you will get a killer performance from that scope. Crossbows aren’t known for their range. That’s why it’s necessary to zero the crossbow at a range where it’s not too heavy on the scope or the crossbow.
Can You Kill A Deer At 100 Yards With A Crossbow?
Yes, you absolutely can. It’s not as easy as to shoot a deer at 50 yards. But it’s more than doable. You need to make sure you have a crossbow that is powerful enough to reach the 100 yards mark. The crossbow scope needs to be good as well. If you are targeting 100 yards, keep in mind you will need tons of speed. Otherwise the arrow will start to drop after 70 yards or so.
How Far A Crossbow Can Shoot?
A crossbow can shoot up to 300 yards. That’s right, you didn’t read that wrong. But the accuracy will be less than zero. Don’t quote me on that though.
You asked for the range, I mentioned the range. As for hunting range, a crossbow should be able to hunt within 80-100 yards without much issues. Just don’t expect that you will become the American sniper with a crossbow.
Conclusion: Best Crossbow Under 600
$600 isn’t a top-end budget for crossbow. Yet, we got to see so many good crossbows today. It’s good to see that more manufacturers are thinking about us budget consumers. It’s quite heartwarming.
While all of them won’t be the best for you, but if you read the review then you know which one clicks with you.
I can assure you, these are some of the best crossbows under $600 you can purchase. Hopefully, you found this review useful. I hope to see you in near future. Till then take care and keep hunting.