Wicked Ridge Introduces 2023 Crossbows

Bowhunters looking for the best of both worlds — an accurate, hard-hitting crossbow that is also highly affordable — need to search no further than the models produced by Wicked Ridge. Case in point is the company’s 2023 lineup highlighted by the Blackhawk XT — billed as the lowest price crossbow ever with a built-in crank cocking device — as well as the lightweight Rampage XS and enhanced versions of the Raider 400 De-Cock.

As a sister company of innovative crossbow manufacturer TenPoint Crossbow Technologies, Wicked Ridge is able to borrow from and incorporate some of TenPoint’s numerous design innovations and technologies into its bows. On the other hand, the company also strives to keep all of its models in the entry-level to mid-level price range, making them a super value and easily accessible to almost any bowhunter.

Rampage XS

Billed as Wicked Ridge’s lightest crossbow ever, the Rampage XS combines performance, dependability and affordability, making it an excellent choice for new archery hunters and veteran bowhunters alike. Molded from glass-filled polypropylene, the Rampage XS’s new XS Stock features strategic cutouts to reduce bow weight and improve balance. The bow, which is also 4 inches shorter than the previous Rampage, marries a 175-pound draw with 11-inch WRX laminated limbs and heavy-duty 5S cams to launch bolts up to 390 fps.

Safety features of the Rampage XS include TenPoint’s Dry-Fire Inhibitor, which prevents the string from accidentally firing if a bolt isn’t loaded, as well as large safety wings above the foregrip to prevent fingers from accidentally sliding into the flight deck.

The crossbow, which is 31.5 inches long and 15 inches wide when cocked, comes in Peak XT Camo. It’s available with either the XS Stock with the built-in ACUdraw cocking device or a Tactical Stock with a rope sled and an AR-style, adjustable buttstock that features six different locking positions, offering up to 2.5 inches of adjustability.

The Tactical Stock setup weighs only 5.8 pounds, while the XS Stock with ACUdraw checks in at 6.5 pounds. Three Match 400 Carbon Alpha-Nock bolts, quiver and TenPoint’s lighted ProView Scope are also included with the package.

$649.99 with XS Stock and ACUdraw | $549.99 with Tactical Stock and Rope Sled

Blackhawk XT

An excellent option for someone just starting out in crossbow hunting, the Blackhawk XT is not only fast, accurate and priced right, it’s also available with the ACUdraw integrated cocking device that reduces the 175-draw weight to a mere 5 pounds of force, making cocking the bow super easy.

Capable of launching bolts up to 380 fps, this horizontal bow measures 35 inches long, 15 inches wide cocked and weighs 6 pounds without the scope and accessories. It comes with a TenPoint Multi-Line Scope, three Match 400 Carbon Alpha-Nock bolts, 3-bolt quiver and more. Other features include TenPoint’s Dry-Fire Inhibitor; crisp, 3.5-pound trigger; elongated safety wings to prevent fingers from accidentally slipping up into the string path and more.

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In addition to the ACUdraw, the Blackhawk XT is available with the ACUdraw 50, an integrated rope-cocking device that features self-retracting cords/hooks that magnetically store in the buttstock when not in use. If you want to introduce a youth or new hunter to archery hunting, this entry-level model is packed with positives.

$549.99 with ACUdraw | $449.99 with ACUdraw 50

New Raider 400 De-Cock Models

Debuting last year, the Raider 400 De-Cock is able to propel bolts at blistering speeds, comes with the ACUdraw De-Cock silent cocking and safe de-cocking system and offers numerous features bowhunters can really appreciate, making it an exceptional bow for the price. This year, Wicked Ridge expands on the popular crossbow platform, introducing a version with the company’s new XS Stock and ACUdraw, as well as a model with a lightweight Tactical Stock and rope sled for cocking and de-cocking. Plus, the Raider 400 De-Cock now comes with the ProView lighted scope.

Thanks to its 185-pound draw weight, 5S Cams and 11-inch WRX laminated limbs, the Raider 400 De-Cock is able to generate bolt speeds of up to 400 fps with the Carbon Alpha-Nock bolts that come with it. The bow measures 15-inches-wide axle to axle when cocked and is 31.5 inches long. Crossbow weight with the XS Stock and built-in ACUdraw De-Cock device is 6.5 pounds, while weight with the Tactical Stock with AR-style, adjustable buttstock is only 5.8 pounds (both weights are without scope and accessories).

The Raider 400 De-Cock also features Wicked Ridge’s D-1 Trigger, a two-stage, zero-creep trigger that offers a crisp, 3.5-pound pull, and a Dry-Fire Prohibitor that prevents the crossbow from accidentally firing unless a bolt is in place and the safety is off. Both versions of the bow come as ready to shoot packages, complete with the scope, three Match 400 Carbon Alpha-Nock bolts, quiver and more.

$899.99 with XS Stock and ACUdraw | $749.99 with Tactical Stock and Rope Sled