Most people typing "crossbow buying guide" into a search bar already know they want a crossbow rather than a compound or recurve bow. What they need next is a way to tell a real difference from a marketing spec sheet, and a sense of what changes as the price climbs from $60 to $4,000. Two real, confirmed retailers anchor this guide's numbers: CenterPoint Archery, a budget-to-mid-range crossbow maker whose current lineup runs $59.99 to $899.99, and Ravin Crossbows, a premium manufacturer whose lineup runs $1,249.99 to $4,149.99. That gap is the actual shape of this market, and it's wide enough that "what should I buy" really has two different answers depending on the budget.
Draw weight: a number that doesn't mean what it sounds like
Draw weight is the peak force needed to cock the crossbow, and on paper it varies enormously across confirmed models: CenterPoint's Hellion 400 lists 185 pounds, its AT400 lists 200 pounds, while Ravin's R470 XERO XK7 and R500 both list just 17 pounds. Those numbers aren't a typo, and they aren't directly comparable the way a shopper might assume. CenterPoint's crossbows use a conventional limb and cocking-rope or crank system, cocked by hand or crank against the full peak weight. Ravin's compound crossbows use a reverse-draw limb design cocked through an integrated crank system built into the stock, and the company doesn't publish that number using the same convention as a traditional-limb crossbow. What we can say plainly, without guessing at the engineering explanation neither company publishes: don't compare a "17 lbs" spec against a "200 lbs" spec and conclude one crossbow is dramatically easier to cock than the other purely from that number. Speed and included cocking equipment (below) tell you more than draw weight alone.
If a model's own retailer page doesn't list draw weight at all, that's worth knowing before you assume every listed spec is complete. Neither CenterPoint's Amped G2D nor its Sinister 430D publish a draw weight figure on their own product pages, despite both being current, actively sold models.
Speed: what the fps number is actually telling you
Speed, measured in feet per second (fps), is the one spec every crossbow retailer publishes, and it's a genuinely useful one for comparing models within the same catalogue. Across the two merchants confirmed for this site, speeds run from 400 fps (CenterPoint's Hellion 400 and AT400) up to 500 fps (Ravin's R500, currently the fastest model in either confirmed lineup). CenterPoint's Amped G2D and Sinister 430D both list 430 fps, and Ravin's flagship R470 XERO XK7 lists 470 fps.
Higher fps means a flatter arrow trajectory and less time for a target to react, which matters more at longer hunting distances than it does inside 20 yards. It's also tied to kinetic energy: the same two Ravin models that top this list also carry the highest confirmed kinetic energy figures, 196 ft-lbs on the R470 XERO XK7 and 222 ft-lbs on the R500, versus 164 ft-lbs on both CenterPoint models with that spec published. A faster, higher-energy crossbow isn't automatically the right choice for every hunt, but if you're shopping by fps alone, know that the number tracks fairly closely with energy and price across these two real catalogues.
| Model | Merchant | Price | Speed | Draw weight | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenterPoint AT400 | CenterPoint Archery | $349.99 | 400 fps | 200 lbs | 7.5 lbs |
| CenterPoint Amped G2D | CenterPoint Archery | $699.99 | 430 fps | Not published | 9.5 lbs |
| CenterPoint Hellion 400 | CenterPoint Archery | $899.99 | 400 fps | 185 lbs | 8.13 lbs |
| Ravin R470 XERO XK7 | Ravin Crossbows | $4,149.99 | 470 fps | 17 lbs | 8.4 lbs |
| Ravin R500 | Ravin Crossbows | $2,649.99 | 500 fps | 17 lbs | 8.4 lbs |
Specs shown are the ones each retailer actually publishes for that model; a blank isn't an omission on our part, it's what's confirmed as of this writing.
Budget: what the real $60-to-$4,150 spread actually buys
CenterPoint's catalogue is the entry point into this category. Its Hornet Recurve, currently listed at $59.99 on sale against a regular $89.99, is a real entry-level recurve model the retailer positions for youth and beginner shooters, though its full spec sheet hasn't been fetched at the time of writing. From there, CenterPoint's compound crossbows climb from $349.99 (AT400) through $699.99-$899.99 for its Amped G2D, Sinister 430D, and Hellion 400. Every one of those ships with a scope and arrows included, which matters when you're comparing a $349.99 sticker price against what you'd actually spend if a competitor sold the crossbow alone.
Ravin's lineup starts well above CenterPoint's ceiling. Its least expensive current model, the R8, lists at $1,249.99, and prices climb from there through the mid-$2,000s up to $4,149.99 for the flagship R470 XERO XK7, which ships with an integrated Garmin Xero X1i rangefinding scope built into the price. That's not a budget crossbow with a premium name attached; it's a manufacturer whose entire current lineup sits in a different tier, and the buyer who wants a Ravin should expect to spend at least four figures.
Neither company's cheapest model and most expensive model are really competing for the same buyer. If your budget tops out around $350-$900, CenterPoint's confirmed catalogue covers that range with published specs to compare. If you're prepared to spend $1,250 or more for a reverse-draw compound crossbow with the highest confirmed speeds in this guide, Ravin's lineup is where that money goes. Our full breakdown of the best crossbow for the money walks through the actual value case at each of those price points model by model.
Crossbow or compound bow: worth settling first
If you haven't actually committed to a crossbow yet and are still deciding between a crossbow and a compound bow, that's a real, separate decision worth making before you start comparing individual crossbow models. The two work differently enough, a crossbow holds itself cocked indefinitely with no physical effort from you, a compound bow requires you to hold the draw weight yourself, reduced by let-off, for as long as you're aiming, that the "best" choice depends more on how you plan to hunt or shoot than on any single spec. Our crossbow vs. compound bow comparison covers that decision in full, including a pointer to our sister site for readers who land here looking for compound bow reviews specifically.
Buying for your situation
A new shooter and an experienced hunter don't need the same crossbow, and neither does someone shopping specifically for deer season, turkey season, or a younger shooter's first crossbow. Our beginner's guide to choosing a crossbow covers what actually matters for a first-time buyer, separate from the specs above. If you already know your use case, the by-use-case guides on this site (hunting in general, deer hunting specifically, turkey hunting, and a parent's guide to a youth crossbow) go into the details that generic specs don't capture, like legal broadhead requirements for a given game animal or the lighter draw weights that make sense for a smaller shooter.
Bolts, broadheads, scopes, and the accessories that come with the crossbow
Every CenterPoint model in this guide's price range ships with arrows and a scope included, and most also include a quiver. Ravin's models ship with their own matched arrows and, on the R470 XERO XK7 and R500, an integrated scope as part of the package. That's worth knowing before you budget for a "bare" crossbow and then discover you need to buy bolts and optics separately; on these two confirmed lineups, you generally don't. What you will need to think about separately is broadheads for hunting (field points won't do), a case for transport, and possibly a cocking device if the model you choose doesn't already include one built in. This site's dedicated guides to crossbow bolts, broadheads, scopes, cases, and cocking devices go deeper on each of those than this guide has room for.
Where to actually buy one
CenterPoint Archery and Ravin Crossbows are the two merchants confirmed for this site, and both sell direct through their own websites. CenterPoint's affiliate program is fully live, meaning purchases through this site's links are tracked; Ravin's affiliate relationship is confirmed to exist as a real program, but the tracking link for this site isn't active yet, so any Ravin link here points to the manufacturer's own product page rather than a tracked one. Our full guide to where to buy a crossbow online covers both merchants in more detail, plus a few other retailers that show up in the same searches without necessarily belonging on a shopping shortlist.
FAQ
Does a higher draw weight number mean a crossbow is more powerful?
Not reliably across different crossbow designs. CenterPoint's traditional-limb models list draw weights of 185-200 lbs, while Ravin's reverse-draw compound crossbows list just 17 lbs for models that are actually faster and carry more kinetic energy. Speed and kinetic energy are the more reliable numbers for comparing power across different crossbow types; draw weight is more useful for comparing within the same design.
Is a $350 crossbow actually worth buying, or should I save for something more expensive?
It depends on what you need it for. CenterPoint's AT400 at $349.99 is a real, currently sold 400 fps crossbow with a published 200-lb draw weight and a silent detachable crank included. For target shooting or hunting at moderate distances, that's a genuine, complete package. It won't match a $2,650-$4,150 Ravin's confirmed 470-500 fps ceiling, but "worth buying" depends on whether that extra speed actually matters for how you plan to use it.
Why doesn't every product page list a draw weight or axle-to-axle length?
Not every retailer publishes every spec for every model, and we're not going to guess at a number a manufacturer hasn't stated. CenterPoint's Amped G2D and Sinister 430D pages don't list draw weight, and several Ravin models on this site haven't had their full spec pages fetched yet. Where a spec isn't confirmed, this site marks it as not found rather than filling in an estimate.
Should I buy a recurve crossbow like the CenterPoint Hornet instead of a compound crossbow?
It depends on the buyer. A recurve crossbow like CenterPoint's Hornet is simpler mechanically and priced for a genuine entry-level or youth buyer at $59.99. A compound crossbow, like every other model in this guide, uses a cam system that generally delivers more speed and energy for its size, at a real cost premium. If this is a first crossbow for a younger shooter or someone testing interest in the sport before committing more money, the recurve tier is a legitimate starting point.
Sources
- [S001] CenterPoint Archery : Amped G2D product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S002] CenterPoint Archery : Sinister 430D product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S003] CenterPoint Archery : Hellion 400 product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S004] CenterPoint Archery : AT400 product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S005] CenterPoint Archery : Sniper G4D product listing, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S006] CenterPoint Archery : Hornet Recurve Crossbow product listing, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S007] CenterPoint Archery : Crossbows category page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S008] Ravin Crossbows : R470 XERO XK7 product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S009] Ravin Crossbows : R500 product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S010] Ravin Crossbows : R8 product page, (accessed 2026-09-09)
- [S011] Ravin Crossbows : Crossbows category page, (accessed 2026-09-09)