What is the Top Turkey Crossbow for Hunting?

My first turkey hunting experience was the most challenging hunting expedition I have ever set out to. I had a shotgun as my weapon, and each time I got close enough to my targets, they would always fly away before I even got a clear shot and if I did, I eventually ended up missing. It’s tough to shoot a flying turkey!

After several unsuccessful attempts, I finally realized why I sucked at it. It turned out the problem was with my weapon of choice. Finding a good shot using a shotgun can be challenging. Using a gun limits your hunting positions as well as gives you away easily. That’s why you need a turkey hunting crossbow.

Turkey hunting crossbows are the ultimate hunting weapon. These elegantly designed products are well suited to the task featuring compact designs that allow you to hunt in any position, utilize advance aiming technology that makes it hard for you to miss a target without giving you away whatsoever.

Due to their narrow designs and lightweight nature, you can easily shoot at a target while standing, leaning on an object or even lying down. What is even better about turkey hunting crossbows is that they don’t require a lot of hand movements when aiming at a target, allowing you to remain concealed.

We tested over 100 turkey hunting crossbows to determine which brands are the most reliable when it comes to performance. In this article, I have reviewed five of the top products that registered outstanding results across all tests. I hope that one of them is the solution you are looking for.

1. Barnett Whitetail 

The Whitetail Hunter STR is arguable the most advanced turkey hunting crossbow currently in the market. Just like most of Barnett’s products, this crossbow is known for its outstanding design and excellent performance, making it a weapon of choice to many seasoned turkey hunters around the world.

This product weighs 6.6 pounds and can accurately shoot an arrow with speeds of up to 370f per seconds guaranteeing you a spot on hit on your target. Thanks to its lightweight nature, you can easily carry it around and even run with it without feeling any strain. 

The design of this product also has safety in mind. To prevent accidents that might occur from dry firing, the whitetail crossbow features an arrow retainer which ensures that you do not accidentally harm yourself or the people around you.

Out of time and in need of a ready to use the crossbow for your hunting trip? Well, the whitetail crossbow is the right pick for you as the product is one of the easiest crossbows to put together. Assembling it is a one-person job and can be done within 15 minutes! 

Pros

  • It is easy to assemble
  • The product is extremely lightweight and easy to use
  • It features an arrow retainer for safety

Cons

  • There are complains about painting on the limb easily peeling off
  • The optic could use an improvement


2. BearX

This crossbow by BearX is also another excellent turkey hunting option meant for both beginner and seasoned hunters. If you have shopped for hunting crossbows before you probably know the reputation of BearX’s products in terms of delivery. 

This crossbow is an easy product to assemble. It is shipped together with an assembly manual that will guide you step by step on how to put it together. Even without specialized skills, you can easily do the assembly in less than 20 minutes.

With shooting speeds of up to 405 feet per second, this product is more than capable of being used for hunting bigger game. With a little bit of adjustment, this product will give you the optimum power, accuracy and an easy time sighting and hunting down your target from many yards away. 

Another great thing about this product is the many accessories it comes with. The intense to shoot Crossbow is shipped together with a quiver, three bolts, rail lube and a cock string. Cocking the product with your finger can be tough you ought to use the string for a more comfortable experience. 

Pros

  • It is very powerful
  • Can be used to hunt big game
  • It is cheaper compared to other similar products

Cons

  • The crossbow is big and heavy
  • It takes a lot of effort to cock 


3.RDX 400 

This Crossbow by Wicked Ridge is one of the low budget turkey hunting crossbows. Even though it costs less, the crossbow has consistently outperformed many high-end products. This makes it an ideal pick for any hunting enthusiast who is working with a limited budget.

The product boasts of having speeds of up to 400fps. It is also known for excellent draw balance, accurate shots and plenty of shooting power. The product’s aluminium riser together with its pockets go a long way in reducing limb stress, making it more durable. 

Even though the RDX is a great product, there are still areas that need improvement. One is its scope which is only limited to 50 yards. The product also features Omni-nocks which are unsafe.

Pros

  • It has speeds of up to 400fps
  • It’s light with excellent draw balance
  • It is shipped  with three arrows

Cons

  • This crossbow features Omni-nocks which are unsafe
  • It has an inferior scope compared to other crossbows in the same category.


4. Thrive 400 

Featuring CNC mechanism for optimum speed, power and accuracy this crossbow is an excellent product for any entry-level beginner or expert who has a limited budget as the product costs relatively less compared to others in this list.

This crossbow was intelligently designed to have a unique cam system that facilitates a more powerful stroke, boosting the product’s power, making it possible for you to take down targets set yards away. Missing a target with this crossbow literally takes effort.

The crossbow’s illuminated scope and installed stops are some of the features worth admiration. The stops do a great job at dampening noise, allowing you to remain hidden and quietly take your shot. What is even more impressive is the fact that assembling all these components only takes 15 minutes!

For your safety, the product’s design incorporates an advanced mechanism that eliminates the risk of dry firing, saving you the burden of having to worry about accidentally hurting yourself with the crossbow.

Pros

  • It is easy to put together
  • It features an excellent scope
  • It has excellent power and speeds of up to 400fps

Cons

  • Its cocking string gets noisy over time
  • You have to tighten its stirrup foot frequently


5. Sniper 370

Last on our list is this crossbow package by CenterPoint Archery. For less than 300 dollars, this product has a lot of cool features to offer any turkey hunter newbie or otherwise. It is ready to use; a product that comes with an assembly manual that will get you set in a few minutes.

The product also features an adjustable stock that allows you to adjust it to suit the user. You can easily convert it into a teens’ crossbow by reducing the length or tune it to an adult’s crossbow by extending the stock.

It also has safety features that do away with the risk of dry firing, giving you a comfortable time while using it. This crossbow also has a great illuminated scope and a standard quality optic.

Pros

  • It has great power
  • It is easy to assemble
  • It has an adjustable stock

Cons

  • It is relatively heavier compared to other crossbows
  • Its optic could use some improvements


Factors to consider when getting a crossbow for turkey hunting

Turkey hunting is a fun activity and what will make it even more fun and fulfilling is having the right crossbow.

Turkeys are fast, and therefore it is not easy to kill them in close range; therefore, the selection of the right crossbow is what will determine whether you get a kill or not.

It is not just a matter of going to the tree store and getting the coolest Crossbow you can find, the choice of a crossbow needs to be made with careful consideration of some other essential factors.

You cannot afford to get the wrong crossbow because this will reduce your chances of getting a Turkey and in case you have to buy another one, and it will be Costly.

Crossbows are generally very expensive, and therefore it is essential to get something worth your money, you should look at the accuracy of the crossbow the power the size and other factors which will be discussed in this article.

This article will hopefully help you make an educated decision on the crossbow you buy to give you a better hunting experience. 

Price 

As I have mentioned earlier, crossbows are very expensive, and it would be bad if you spend a lot of money on something that doesn’t work for you. There are many different designs of crossbows that are in the market today; therefore, you need to make a good pick. 

You need to assess everything you need in a crossbow, and you need to look at the specifics and then from your conclusions, look for a crossbow that comes at an acceptable price range.

If you do not know what you’re looking for, you might end up spending a large amount of money on a crossbow that will turn out to be utterly useless to you. To might be too heavy for you or unsuitable for the background you work in. 

But then again don’t get a product that is too cheap because it might not be that well designed or it might have low-quality materials. When you go to buy a crossbow, be sure what you need and budget correctly.

Accuracy 

Wild Turkeys are impressively fast, and if you not an accurate shot you will miss. Missing a shot will spook the turkey, and it will run you might not get it again. This can be very frustrating since you would have waited a long time for the Turkey to come in your line of sight. 

You, therefore, need to get a crossbow that assures you of accuracy. For you to get a clean shot, the turkey must not see you; this means that you will probably have to be at least 20 or 30 yards out.

That means you need to be well skilled and your bow needs to be very accurate for you to make a kill shot. Modern technology has been put into these ancient weapons, and it is probably best to get one of these. 

In the market, there are scopes crossbows which will allow you to have the accuracy of a sniper. They have dots or intersecting lines to show you where the bolts will hit after firing.

Technology like this will significantly improve your shooting accuracy and your chances of killing a turkey. It is important to note that accuracy decreases with the distance since the arrow loses speed and it gets moved by the wind so the closer, the better. 

Power

Turkeys are adapted to living in the wild where there are thorns in sharp sticks. They, therefore, have thick feathers to protect them from these elements. This is like its natural suit of armour, and you, therefore, have to go through it to kill the turkey.  

Most of the weak spots also are covered with thick layers of feathers, and therefore you just have to be able to go through the feathers. The crossbow, therefore, needs to have enough power to send a Bolt straight through the feathers to make a kill.  

We need to be able to kill the Turkey with one shot, and therefore the crossbow needs to deliver a tremendous amount of power. The power is mostly because of the string used to launch the bolts. 

Most crossbows are adjustable depending on personal preference. When it comes to power, it is also right that you select heavy bolt that is well designed so that it makes contact and does maximum damage to the bird. 

Weight 

The selection of a bow depending on the weight changes from person to person. If you are strong and you feel like you can carry a heavy bow, then you can feel free to get whichever weight you want. 

If you are not that strong, then you should select a bow that is a light one that you can easily carry around.

When it comes to shooting the weight can be a problem if you select. If the crossbow is too heavy, it will tire you out, and you will probably be shaking if you aim for long. This shaking might cause you to miss even if you’re good at shooting because a slight movement could send the bolt of course and spook the prey.  

If you are planning on taking your kid out to teach him how to hunt, then you should probably get him I like to eat bow depending on the kid’s age. You will carry the crossbow around at all times; therefore, the weight is very important; this is one aspect you cannot afford to compromise. 

Size

The size of the crossbow is determined by the user’s personal preference and the terrain of your hunting spots. Some people just like to use big crossbows for their own personal reasons while others before smaller ones.

Despite the size you prefer, you may need to make a decision depending on the terrain you hunt in.

If you hunt for turkeys in the Woods with thick Bushes and shrubs, then you should probably get a small crossbow. A small crossbow will allow you to easily aim in the scrub without getting obstructed by the branches. 

But if you’re hunting spots are mostly open fields where there is little or no distraction from branches, then you can get a larger crossbow that you can be comfortable using.  

Smaller Crossbows are generally better-suited hunting, especially for turkey. This is because you need to be well hidden, and when you get ready to shoot, you must not draw any attention to yourself.  

A smaller bow will cause fewer disturbances, and therefore the turkey will not see you when you aim at it.

Durability 

Crossbows are not cheap. You, therefore, cannot afford to keep replacing it after a short period since it can be costly. You need to be able to purchase a crossbow and use it for years without needing to replace it.

Therefore when you go to purchase a crossbow, you need to assess all of its aspects and ensure that it is of the highest quality possible. You need to ensure that the strings are strong.

The last thing you want is to go out to hunt, wait for one hour to get a turkey then when you finally have a shot the crossbow string snaps, and you don’t have a way to kill the turkey.  

It is also essential to make sure that the strings don’t lose their tensile strength over time. If they lose the tensile strength, the speed of the bolts and the power will be greatly affected. This may make you’re hunting a lot harder as the bow gets older.

When it comes to their ability, it is also related a lot with the way you store the crossbow. You need to keep it well and away from moisture and all the other elements that might be damaging to it. If the shooting mechanism rusts Then it will compromise the power and speed of the bolts; therefore, it will affect your shooting adversely. 

Ease of loading in reloading.

When you go out hunting, you need to be very fast with your reflexes when it comes to loading and reloading. The crossbow you select should also be able to help you with this.

It is important because you might fire the first bolt and miss or it might hit the Turkey, but the Turkey could still be alive and try to run you, therefore, will need to shoot it again.

This is where the reloading speed comes in, if you’re not able to reload fast enough then the turkey might run away and go into the bush or forests. This will pose another challenge because you’ll have to go look for the Turkey which might take you some time.

If you select the right boy, you’ll be able to shoot and reload within a matter of seconds and shoot again to make sure you kill the Turkey on the spot, so you don’t have to go searching for it.

Some crossbows can hold more than one bolt at a go, therefore, firing the next one is a lot easier, this would be the best kind of crossbow to use as it will increase your chances of succeeding in the hunt.

Conclusion

Turkey hunting is perhaps the most enjoyable game hunting sport I have ever tried out. I love how challenging it is, and the fact that all the tiny details of your gear, skills and patience play a big role in determining how well one excels in the sport makes it even more interesting

Having a great turkey hunting bow is a fundamental requirement for any successful and enjoyable turkey hunt. For a reliable high performing turkey hunting crossbow, I recommend to you the Whitetail Hunter STR Crossbow by Barnett.

The product features some of the most advanced technologies in archery that guarantee you quality experience as well as performance. The crossbow is extremely lightweight with the capability of making accurate shots at high speeds of up to 370fps.

When it comes to safety, the Whitetail Crossbow is one of the safest products in the market. Featuring an arrow retainer, the product guarantees zero dry firing incidents. The ease of putting together this product is astonishing as it requires no special skill. Anyone can do it in 15 minutes.

Whether you are a newbie turkey hunter looking for an entry-level crossbow or you are a seasoned hunter seeking to try out something new, I guarantee you that the Whitetail Crossbow is your ultimate hunting weapon. Grab your set today and start counting your headshots!