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Similar to a classic bow, a crossbow is an elastic ranged weapon that uses a bolt instead of a conventional arrow. Compared to the traditional bow and arrow, a modern crossbow is in huge expansion with many hunters switching to using them.
One of the reasons why the crossbows are growing in popularity can be found in manipulation with them, resembling partially to the shoulder-held firearms. Shouldering, aiming, and triggering of crossbows are pretty close to the rifles, a class of arms that much more gun enthusiasts are familiar with. Besides similarity in handling, the crossbows are also a port in a storm for folks who have tried and failed in using regular bows.
Short on time? Check out our Top Picks for the Best Crossbow Scopes!
- Vortex Optics Crossfire II
- Hawke Optics Xb 3×32
- Garmin Xero X1i
- Excalibur Tact-Zone 1964 Scopes 2.5x32mm
- Barnett Cross Scope 4x32mm Scope
- Red Green Rangefinder Illuminated Optical Rifle Scope
Along with power, accuracy is a vital trait every experienced crossbow shooter would expect. When you mount an optic on your crossbow you may reach your full potential, hence using the best crossbow scope possible is the ultimate aim (no pun intended) for any serious shooter.
What We Will Cover
- Tips
- The essential things to consider before purchasing a top crossbow scope are:
- Best Crossbow Scopes – Updated
- 1 Vortex Optics Crossfire II Crossbow Scope
- 2 Hawke Optics XB 3×32 – with Match Rings IR XB SR Reticle Crossbow Scope
- 3 Garmin Xero X1i Crossbow Scope
- 4 Barnett Cross Scope 4X32mm Scope – Multi-Ret 17060 w/Rings
- 5 TRUGLO Crossbow 4X32 Compact Scope w/Rings
- 6 Red Green Rangefinder Illuminated Optical Rifle Scope
- Final thoughts
Tips
Compared to rifles, crossbows are generally lighter and smaller, so you want compact and lightweight optics compatible with your weapon. The red dots or compact rifle scopes might be a perfect alternative to the dedicated crossbow optics.
Most serious archers agree that the best scope for your crossbow should weigh less than one pound. The crossbows are usually front-heavy and unstable, so the longer and heavier scope might throw off the balance of the bow.
The essential things to consider before purchasing a top crossbow scope are:
- Glass Quality
- Magnification
- Reticle
- Illumination
- Objective Lens Diameter
- Field of View
Optic Lens
The quality of the scope lens is the most important feature of any optical instrument. Therefore, you should opt for the best quality optics without breaking your budget. At a minimum, the scope’s lens should be multi-coated to allow plenty of light to flow up to your eye, enabling you to see your target clearly.
Magnification
Magnification is another vital feature that enables you to see images at a distance clearly. For first-time buyers, it is the first number in a scope model classification. Since the crossbow is intended for shooting up to 100 yards, you do not need optics with excessive magnification. The scopes for crossbows usually come in fixed 3x or 4x or as low powered variables with typical 1.5-5x or 2.5-6x zoom power. Of course, nothing keeps you from getting glass with a magnification of 2.5-10X designed for long-distance shooting.
Reticle
Unlike rifle scopes, dedicated optics for crossbows often come with Multi-reticle patterns. It is a specialized reticle with multiple horizontal lines or marks that helps you to pinpoint the trajectory of the arrow at different distances. The ardent archers will find similarity on the vertical bows with their multi-pin sights.
Illumination
The illuminated reticle will allow you to accurately shoot in low-light conditions if you are going for game till dusk.
Objective lens diameter
Since the experienced archers recommend going for the shorter scopes with smaller profiles, objective lens diameter should be of low to modest dimensions to reduce the overall weight and bulkiness.
Field of View
Field of View is the actual width of the scope’s sight image, and it is usually displayed in a number of feet at 100 yards. For hunting scopes, particularly for smaller game, a wider field of view (FoV) is a very important factor. A wide lens will provide a larger field of vision, so you don’t miss any potential targets.
If you want to get the best value for your money, you need to scan through some of the honest buying guides and get a realistic picture of products found on the market.
Most beginners rush into crossbow buying without reliable information or with a push from sellers’ aggressive advertisements. This is a time-tested recipe for splashing your hard-earned money on the acquisition of a sub-par scope and failure in your planned outdoor (and indoor) sport/hobby.
Best Crossbow Scopes – Updated
1 Vortex Optics Crossfire II Crossbow Scope
When it comes to scopes, be it for a crossbow or a firearm, Vortex is hard to beat. The Vortex Crossfire II crossbow scope is affordable and durable. Some crossbow scopes are affordable but lack durability, while others are durable but expensive. The Crossfire II by Vortex has the best of both worlds. For under $200, it’s durable, full of features, and extremely effective.
Let’s talk about the optics first. It is equipped with the XBR-2 reticle that can illuminate red or green and can zero at 40 yards which is designed purely for crossbows. You can focus the reticle specifically for your eyesight by turning the reticle focus dial on the scope’s objective lens.
The scope can magnify up to 7x by turning the knurled magnification dial on the scope. When you adjust the reticle color, the reticle focus, or the magnification, the Crossfire II gives you a clear and wide field of view to create a bright and clear image every time.
When you want to adjust the illumination of the reticle, just turn the control dial on the side of the scope. You can also turn the illumination on or off by turning the dial to the off position.
For quality and durability, the tube of the Crossfire II is made of O-ring sealed and nitrogen-purged aluminum, making it shockproof, fogproof, and waterproof. You don’t have to worry about the Vortex Crossfire II becoming damaged or defective during heavy recoil or continuous use.
2 Hawke Optics XB 3×32 – with Match Rings IR XB SR Reticle Crossbow Scope
Crossbow hunters appreciate simplicity above all, and fixed power crossbow scope is a superb choice for them. British Hawke offers a premium selection of optics entirely designed for use on a crossbow.
Their fixed power scope XB 3×32 employs a BDC reticle designed for a 340 feet per second fast arrow to better cope with the quicker generation of crossbows now available.
Hawke Optics XB 3×32 features XB reticle with 20-yard zero, and accurate 10-yard aim points out to 70 yards. It offers another bonus in the form of a range-finding bracket system that allows you to measure distances to the deer. Similar to other models, the 3×32 scope comes with an illuminated reticle with 5 brightness settings.
The typical crossbow 3x level of magnification and 32 mm size objective bell provides you with well-balanced features for hunting in all terrains and weather conditions.
The XB1 SR scope is constructed on an exceptionally robust aluminum 1-inch mono-tube chassis, which is O-ring sealed and nitrogen purged to be water and fogproof.
As one of the best crossbow scopes for all-around use, the Hawke with fixed 3x magnification might be the first option for hunters who chase medium or large game in low light conditions.
3 Garmin Xero X1i Crossbow Scope
It has a large price tag, but for a good reason. The Garmin Xero X1i crossbow scope is likely the most high-tech crossbow scope on the market today. You can adjust virtually every feature of this scope to your exact preference.
The scope stores multiple hunter profiles for you to save your preferences based on the conditions in which you’ll be hunting. This makes it easier than ever to adjust the settings of your crossbow scope with just one push of the button.
What makes this crossbow scope so pricey is the built-in rangefinder that automatically ranges the distance of your target. When you use the rangefinder with the scope, it automatically shows you how far out the target is and adjusts the aim point accordingly based on your crossbow’s features.
The color of the aim point can be customized. You can choose between 7 different aim point colors that correlate with the conditions in which you are hunting.
If you don’t want to manually set the brightness of the aim point, you don’t have to. The Xero X1i crossbow will automatically adjust based on the amount of light transmitted through the lens.
While it’s one of the more expensive options for crossbow scopes, it’s one that you can’t go wrong with.
4 Barnett Cross Scope 4X32mm Scope – Multi-Ret 17060 w/Rings
Another scope for hunting purposes comes from the top manufacturer of crossbow and archery products, Barnett Crossbows. The legendary archery gear maker offers mainly fixed and a few crossbow scopes with variable magnification.
The Barnett 17060 Model is a standard 4×32 crossbow scope that provides you powerful 4x zoom and 5-point programmed multi-reticle crosshair system.
While this configuration is pretty common in the xbows world, Barnett Cross Scope stands out with its multi-reticle crosshair system and well-balanced dimensions compatible with the most compact and full-sized hunting crossbows.
The multi-reticle pattern on this scope is explicitly designed to maximize the target acquisition and efficiency at distances frequently encountered with a crossbow. Barnett’s multi-reticle crosshair system comes with multiple reticles calibrated for 25, 35, 40, 45, and 50 yards.
To enable a quick tracing and to aim at targets, this Barnett scope offers a wide field of view of around 34′ at 100 yards, which is very generous for 32mm objective lens scopes.
The optics quality is adjusted to price, so this scope features multi-coated glass that provides outstanding image quality with decent contrast and details even at a long-range.
Though Barnett Cross 4X32mm scope is comparable to its counterparts at twice the price, you cannot expect all the bells and whistles from the under $90 optics. It hasn’t illumination, nor is the scope interior nitrogen purged.
5 TRUGLO Crossbow 4X32 Compact Scope w/Rings
Truglo has a solid reputation for making a short-range illuminated optic, but while model TG8504B3 is built for the crossbow, it comes without illumination. However, with that said, the TRUGLO Crossbow 4X32 Compact Scope is the most affordable optic on our list, and for sure the best value for the money.
This compact scope is 8 inches long and weighs just 11.4 oz, so in 4×32 configuration it would be a very convenient attachment at any crossbow. It’s machined from 1″ lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum and comes with a pair of one-inch rings for installing on a Picatinny rail.
As a hunting scope, Truglo nitrogen-purged and sealed with o rings the one-piece tube making this scope both waterproof and fogproof.
Besides pretty standard construction, the Truglo Crossbow 4×32 scope features 4x fixed magnification that makes this xbow scope perfect for archers looking to shoot at medium and long ranges. Though 32 mm objective lenses don’t provide superb images in extremely low-light conditions, the Truglo scope is usable in the late afternoon or early in the morning.
This TRUGLO product boasts fully coated lenses and a decent field of view (FOV) that’s 24 feet at 100 yards. The TRUGLO 4×32 scope offers a BDC compensating reticle matched with the special range-finding system, very useful in determining your distance to the deer.
The reticle system consists of four horizontal lines starting from the normal 20 yards to provide you with trajectory compensation, and aim points up to 50 yards.
6 Red Green Rangefinder Illuminated Optical Rifle Scope
Generally, the scopes for crossbows are intended for short-range use due to the power and range of the weapon. However, you should not be limited only to red dots or low-powered optics. You may want to look for something more powerful that can extend your range to the edge of the modern crossbow’s ballistic capability.
The Pinty Illuminated Optical rifle scope with 3x-9x magnification may be a touch too much for xbow hunters looking to shoot only at close ranges, but its variable power ratio is universal in the gun community for years and not without good reasons.
Pinty is a less popular brand but they are offering perhaps the best crossbow scopes for the money and many other archery products as well.
Even cheaper than the Truglo above reviewed is a Pinty 3-9X40 Crossbow Scope. It is a quality scope at this price point that provides the archer with a vast array of features found on many expensive high-end models.
The Pinty 3-9x boasts all glasses treated with multiple coatings and a green objective lens for low-light hunting. The 40mm objective lens is not huge, but it provides clear image resolution in dim lighting conditions.
A variable 3-9x magnification provides excellent clarity for longer-range shots when you are hunting small and fast-moving game. For that purpose, you will get a benefit from a simple rangefinder incorporated into the reticle system.
Primarily designed as a centerfire riflescope, this Pinty comes with a classic mil-dot reticle and horizontal rangefinder lines at the bottom of the eyepiece. This illuminated reticle has 5 brightness levels in both red and green to make that long shot even cleaner.
The Pinty 3-9X40 riflescope is made of a one-inch aluminum tube that is O-ring sealed and nitrogen-filled to ensure proper water and fog-proof performance.
This lightweight and compact scope is shipped with two one-inch scope rings to enable you to quickly mount onto any 20mm Picatinny or Weaver mount rails.
Final thoughts
Although there are some brands known for making crossbows that offer magnification or have fancy calibrated reticles, you may skimp on features, and choose the simplest riflescopes with 3x or 4x magnification.
While these scopes might satisfy beginners and casual hunters, for serious archers, a ballistically calibrated crossbow scope with a reticle that predicts how your bolt/arrow will fly is more desirable.
A dedicated crossbow scope should offer a blend of performance, value, and optical features so you can be at your best without spending a lot of money.
