Few products are seeing the large leaps in technology that you’ll find in crossbows, and the class of 2017 certainly continues the trend. Here are some noteworthy examples.
Ravin R9. Back in January, I don’t believe any one product generated more interest at the 2017 ATA Show than the new Ravin crossbows, the R9 and R15. Both use patented HeliCoil Technology to achieve an astonishingly small 6-inch (at full draw) axle-to-axle width, and more. It works by coiling cables away from both the top and bottom of the cams in helical grooves to keep them perfectly balanced. This allows the cams to rotate to a near full 340 degrees
VIDEO: Team ScoutLook Test-Fires Ravin R9 At 100 Yards
while keeping them perfectly level for increased speed and downrange accuracy. It also allows the string and arrow to free-float above the rail, reducing noise and friction while providing a quieter, quicker shot and vastly improved string life. And, it enables the Trac Trigger Firing System to create a perfectly balanced draw, and works in conjunction with the Versa Draw Cocking System for easy cocking and un-cocking with minimal effort. The R9’s 195-pound draw weight and 13-inch power stroke are rated at 390 fps. It comes with six Ravin arrows, nocks and field points; removable cocking handle, quiver and mounting bracket, 100-yard illuminated scope and built-in cocking mechanism, all for $1,549. 
CAMX X330. You wouldn’t throw your crossbow against a brick wall, would you? Paul Vaicunis did, repeatedly, just to show how tough his new X330 ($1,000) is. Part of that toughness is attributable to the single-piece aluminum Monobloc system and all-steel Weaver-style scope rings that prevent the ARC scope from shifting. Tips of the Armor Tuff limbs are enclosed in metal caps, and the wheels are recessed inside the limb tips to prevent excess wear and abrasion. How about safety? Patented Thumbsaver technology prevents fingers from entering the string path but unlike every other such system, this one slides out of the way while cocking to ensure a more even, and accurate, draw. Then, a multiple-point trigger safety and fully-enclosed Pivoting Arrow Retention system make it impossible for the bow to be dry-fired. And if that’s not enough, every bow is factory assembled and tested and guaranteed to shoot 1-inch groups at 20 yards, at 330 fps. 
Parker Tornado XXtreme. Along with their Tornado XXtreme ($850), Parker for 2017 introduced a new Xbow Xtreme Technology (XXT) that incorporates four proprietary innovations. 1) Inverted Cam technology reverses cams to maximize power stroke while minimizing overall length, resulting in greater stored energy and higher speeds. 2) Split Limb Array technology arranges limbs in a parallel configuration to reduce width and weight. 3) High Performance (HP) Synergy Cam technology builds force quickly and holds stored energy steady at peak throughout the draw cycle until letoff, providing greater efficiency, better performance and a smoother release off the trigger latch. And 4) Parker’s Cavity-Back Riser technology spreads limbs apart creating an opening in the riser for the foot stirrup, dramatically reducing overall length and weight.
TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX. This super-efficient new crossbow’s power plant consists of a new, relatively lightweight 160-pound reverse cam bow assembly with 10.5-inch RCX limbs and Brownell Rhino string and cables. Yet when paired with a middle-of-the-road 15.5-inch power stroke it’s capable of generating arrow speeds up to 385 fps. All that is mounted on a 19.9-inch (strong, lightweight) wrapped carbon fiber barrel and ultimately a newly
VIDEO: More On Carbon Phantom RCX, TenPoint Entry Level Crossbows
engineered ACX (Adjustable Comfort Crossbow) stock molded from PolyOne OnForce polypropylene and featuring a one-piece adjustable cheek and butt plate that can be secured in different positions to match length-of-pull. The TenPoint Carbon Phanton RCX Package includes cocking mechanism, scope, six Pro Elite carbon arrows, String Dampening Rods (SDR) and a quiver. $1,719 with ACUdraw 50; $1,819 with ACUdraw. 
Barnett Buck Commander Revengeance. I may show a little bias on this one but I’m a sucker for reverse-limb bows, primarily because they offer better balance, less shock and noise and more power with less power stroke, not to mention a considerably narrower configuration. Thus I was delighted to see an old favorite reborn as the new, improved Buck Commander Revengeance. This 155-pound version offers more speed—400 fps—and energy (129 foot-pounds), as well as a new crisp, smooth “rifle-like” Triggertech trigger and a new brush arrow retainer. The BC Revengeance package ($999) includes side-mount quiver, two 20-inch arrows, rope cocking device and illuminated 4×32 scope.
