Best Crossbow Under 1000 Dollars [2024 Guide + Top Picks]

You may not realize that you don’t need to spend top-dollar to get in the woods and hunt efficiently. The truth is, you can find some of the best crossbow under 1000 dollars.

Now, I’ve done my due diligence and spent 9 hours researching. Here’s the deal:

Best Crossbow Under $1000:

Best Crossbow Under 1000 Dollars Reviews:

1. Best overall: TenPoint Titan M1 Crossbow:

Titan M1 is one of the higher-end entry-level crossbows, which costs under $1000. It is made in the USA, and not many manufacturers can say this for their crossbows.

Highly Safe

What I liked the most about this crossbow is how safe it is - thanks to the DFI or anti-dry-fire inhibitor. After all, Tenpoint’s reputation comes from a highly safe standard.

It also has auto-engaging safety and a pair of safety wings, which prevent your fingers from getting caught in the arrow flight.

Breeze to carry

The M1 weighs only 6.4 pounds, thanks to the cut-off stock and grip, meaning it’s pretty lightweight.

Keep in mind that it’s heavier than the Excalibur Micro MAG 340, but it’s still a breeze to carry in the woods.

The crossbow is also relatively compact, with cocked width of just 9 inches. It’s ideal for hunting in the ground blinds or tree stands.

Super Powerful

With the inverted VX 5 cam system, the crossbow can provide a longer power stroke of 14 inches.

The crossbow is more powerful with better speeds - with a shot speed of over 370 fps.

Thanks to the 180-pound draw weight, which is good enough to kill out any game in North America.

Dead on accuracy

With the 3x Proview scope, you can change the color to 3 illuminated reticles: red, green, and black. So you have pretty good low-light options.

The scope is calibrated for the fixed speed of 350 FPS.

The crossbow is relatively accurate, so it’s easy to take down a buck or hit the bull’s eye within 40 yards.

The T5 trigger is sweet and easy to pull, which is 5 lbs only.

Lite Cocking

With the ACUdraw cocking device, the pulling effort is reduced to only 5 pounds.

The M1 is also easy to cock when you’re on a treestand.

What’s more, you can safely de-cock the crossbow without shooting the bolts into a target.

The best part?

So, you can stop at any level without losing precious control.

The cocking device can automatically retract, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting your cocking device at home or in the truck.

The warranty is top-notch, so if you are experiencing any kind of issues, they will resolve them immediately.

Adjustable stock

Thanks to the adjustable stock, the crossbow can fit many different people.

It’s the perfect fit for kids, women, and adults. It can be fine-tuned to provide you just right.

High-quality accessories

With the Proview scope and Pro Elite carbon arrows of 0.003” stiffness (which are tough enough to shoot through the buck’s shoulder,) this crossbow has fantastic accessories.

On top of it, you get a 3-arrow quiver, which is easy to attach to the crossbow, and an ACUdraw cocking device.

Downside

I didn’t like that this crossbow is only compatible with the Tenpoint Omni Nock, which can cost you more bucks for extra bolts.

Also, the bow is noisy, as it doesn’t include the limb saver or dampener, which may spook your whitetails.

Besides that, the string is easily worn out after 50 shots, so you should wax it after every shot.

Pros:

Cons:

2. Most compact: CenterPoint Archery CP400 Crossbow:

Centerpoint’s CP400 is one of the best crossbows for under 1000. It’s narrow and super easy to carry around.

Most Compact Size

With 6 inches of width when cocked, this is one of the most compact crossbows.

Thanks to the HeliCoil technology, the CP400 is ideal for saddle or blind hunters.

Heavy Weight

On the other hand, the crossbow is quite heavy, weighing 7.1 pounds before gearing up. So, it’s not the best deal for spot-and-stalk hunting.

The crossbow can add 9.1 pounds when you fully gear up, which is rather heavyweight.

Massive Power

CP400 has 200 pounds of draw weight, which is more than enough to take down a whitetail deer if you shoot it in the effective range, under 50 yards.

The crossbow is also lightning fast, reaching up to 400 fps.

Decent Accuracy

The 3x32mm illuminated scope is decent, providing excellent accuracy. It’s pretty easy to dial in.

It enables tight grouping within 50 yards. And the illuminated reticles light your sight in dawn and dusk.

Easy to load/ unload the bolt

There are two cocking mechanisms to choose from to make drawing easier.

If you use a cocking sled, the cocking effort is reduced by half, so you will only be pulling 100 pounds.

However, if you stick to a silent cranking device, it will be reduced to only 5 pounds, which is worth it if you recock on a tree stand or have a shoulder injury.

Solid Crossbow

With the adjustable stock, this crossbow can fit many users and preferences. It comes almost pre-assembled, so it only takes about 15 minutes to get it ready to shoot.

The AR-style grip is easy to maneuver and ideal if you move from firearm to crossbow hunting.

Even more

The dual-purpose foot stirrup can be a convenient bipod, a nice touch to the complete package.

Downside

What I didn’t like so much about the CP400 is that it only has a 5-year warranty.

The cocking crank is not included, and the scope is not high quality.

Another downside is that there aren’t too many arrows included, only two, so you have to buy extra here.

On top of it, make sure to use their bolts only, which is quite expensive (but worth it), or you can void the warranty.

The trigger is awful, and the string is easy to break.

Pros:

Cons:

3. Easiest to cock: Wicked Ridge RDX 400 Crossbow:

Wicked Ridge makes plenty of great crossbows, but RDX 400 can take you to another level.

Thanks to the patented reverse-draw technology, this xbow is well balanced, eliminating weight at the bow's end.

With the longer power stroke comes a stronger and smoother crossbow.

Highly Secure

Thanks to the DFI inhibitor, it prevents firing without the inserted bolts.

The auto-engaging safety is also a nice touch, and the finger safety grip protects your fingers from the flying rail.

Super Silent

Thanks to the string-stop system integrated at the end of the bow, the noise and vibration are reduced to a minimum.

Ideal for long hiking

With the lightweight stock design, this crossbow weighs only 7.6 pounds. It’s so lovely for a long hike.

Slim Size

With a length of 33 inches, it’s slim and compact. In width, the crossbow is only 9 inches axle to axle, so it’s great for taking to the field.

Massive penetration

The power of this crossbow is impressive: with 175 pounds of draw weight, it’s great to fill your deer tags or bear hunting.

Thanks to the powerful draw weight, you get the super-fast shot speed of 400 FPS, enabling you to harvest the giant whitetails.

Cut halfway to draw

There are two cocking options:

The rope sled de-loads half of the draw weight.

The ACUdraw Pro is a good option if you have an injured back or shoulder issue, as it released the cocking effort down to 8.5 pounds. It’s also easy and silent to recock on a treestand.

Extremely Accurate

The crossbow can repeatedly shoot, with a 2-inch, tight grouping at 50 yards.

The scope is not bad. It’s a multi-line scope that is easy to sight in at 20, 30, and 40 yards.

The illuminated crosshair in low light conditions has 3 options - red, green, and black.

However, you should upgrade to a more accurate scope later to reach further distances.

Amazing Arrows

There are 3 aluminum arrows with field tips and a quiver.

The arrows shoot straight but note that you need to use the ‘alpha’ nock to or you’ll void the warranty. In my opinion, you should replace the arrows with better ones.

Most parts are pre-assembled, except for the scope and the front handle, so you should be finished with the setup in about 10 minutes.

Downside

I didn’t like this crossbow because you cannot uncock it using ACUdraw Pro. You can only use a field tip to shoot at a target if you need to release it.

Their instructions are unclear, and you’ll need a video to find out more.

The string is not durable and might break within a few weeks.

The limited nock and the poor quality arrows are a real con, a crappy trigger.

Pros:

Cons:

4. Fastest option: Killer Instinct Fatal-X Crossbow:

Fatal-X by Killer Instinct is one of the top choices for a crossbow under $1000, with a highly smooth trigger.

Stable feeling

Fatal-X is very light, weighing only 7.4 pounds. It’s more stable but heavier than other models on this list.

So keep that in mind if you have a more small frame - this crossbow could be a pain in the ass to haul all day.

Narrow size for blinds

This crossbow is great for narrow spaces such as pop-up blinds, thanks to the slim design.

The width is only 6.25 inches axle to axle when cocked.

High velocity

With the 195-pound draw weight and 400 FPS shot speed, it’s the fastest fps on this list which is more than plenty to fill in your deer tags.

Deadly Accurate

The Fatal-X comes with one of the smoothest triggers in the world, as it requires an effort of only 3.5 pounds.

The standard Lumix 4x32illuminated scope has red and blue reticles with adjustable settings, which is necessary if you hunt deer in low light conditions.

The scope offers good clarity, it’s easy to sight in, and fog and waterproof, so it’s perfectly ready for any hunt.

Breeze to load

Cocking smoothly with a built-in silent RDC (Rapid Draw Crank).

You don’t have to worry about forgetting your aid at home with it.

Also, it’s a breeze to cock. It can save you half of the cocking pressure, so you only have to pull about 100 pounds.

Even though this crossbow comes without a limb suppressor, the shooting goes silently.

Adjustable stock

he stock is adjustable up to 5 levels with 1.75” expansions, so it fits your length easily.

Solid bolts

The bolts included are 3 Hypr 20” bolts with 0.003” stiffness. They ensure you get a straight flight, deep penetration, and an instant kill.

The limited lifetime warranty applies to non-wearable parts, which are generally a nice touch.

Downside

Well the first downside of this otherwise fantastic crossbow is the relatively easy string to fray. So, make sure you have some string in backup in case that happens!

Secondly the attached arrows is too light. So you'll need more broadhead weight if you would like to get deeper impact (more kinetic energy).

Last but note least, the scope is standard. I recommend to upgrade to better one and you'll shoot the bull eyes more consistently.

Pros:

Cons:

5. Easiest to use: Excalibur Micro MAG 340 Crossbow:

Micro MAG 340 is one of the most powerful and accurate crossbows with an incredibly simple design.

Simple design

This is a recurve crossbow, meaning it comes with fewer moving parts, so there are fewer parts to break, and the maintenance is generally more straightforward.

Even better, the string is easy to replace even on the field, without the bow press.

The bow is also easy to assemble within 15 minutes, and you have the option to discharge the bolt without firing.

Made in Canada

The Micro MAG 340 is made in Canada, and it’s one of the most powerful crossbows on this list.

Thanks to its 270 pounds of draw weight, it packs a punch, which is more than enough to take down a deer.

Amazing speed

The maximum shot speed is 340 FPS, provided you use 100-grain field points on 350-grain arrows.

However, if you are looking for better penetration, you should add weight with 150-grain broadheads and 400-grain arrows.

Top-notch scope

The Dead Zone scope is the top-rated scope by Excalibur.

You get a crystal-clear image with a multi-coated lens. The scope enables 2x-5x magnification, and it’s fog and waterproof.

It features red and green reticles, which are super bright in dim conditions.

The scope can be adjusted for shot speeds from 300 to 410 FPS, and it’s easy to sight within 15 minutes.

You can get a tight grouping within 2 inches at 20 yards.

Crisp trigger

The trigger is crisp, it takes less than 3.5 pounds of effort, and the squeeze is exceptionally comfortable.

Feels great in hand

This crossbow is relatively lightweight, weighing just 6 pounds which is nice to handle in the woods.

It’s also very well built, and it gives away a solid feeling when holding it.

Quite bulky

The length is relatively compact, being only 31.75 inches long when cocked. However, when it’s cocked, it’s still pretty wide - 22 inches, making it quite bulky.

So keep in mind that it can be pretty broad for tight spaces such as one-man stands and ground blinds.

Light Cocking

The Micro MAG 340 comes with a cocking aid, so you only need half of the pulling effort - 135 pounds.

Keep in mind that you can upgrade to the Charger EXT crank, making it effortless to cock and decock.

It reduces the drawing effort to only 12 pounds - it can be nice, especially if you have shoulder issues.

Limited Lifetime Warranty

The limited lifetime warranty is a nice touch. Wherever you buy the crossbow, you will still receive the same warranty from the manufacturer.

Quiet

Thanks to the R.E.D.S. suppressors, this crossbow will remain whisper quiet when firing, reducing noise and vibration to a minimum.

Downside

The main downside of this fantastic crossbow is how wide it is.

I didn’t like either because string wax and rail lube are not included, and you need to buy the crank cocker separately.

Moreover, the arrows are not of top quality, as they feature the 0.003” straightness, meaning they aren’t too stiff.

Pros:

Cons:

Bottom Line:

The bottom line is - there are plenty of great choices for the best crossbow under 1000 dollars.

I enjoyed trying out and reviewing every single one of them, and now it’s time to pronounce the winner.

The editor’s top choice for the good inexpensive crossbow for under $1000 would have to be CenterPoint Archery CP400 - without a doubt!

Editor's choice:

This crossbow is super compact, yet it carries massive power and dead-on accuracy, indeed a great option if you are looking for something mid-range.