TenPoint’s Venom X beats the Price Point

TenPoint has just introduced the new Venom X, which weighs less than seven pounds, costs just over $1,000, and is designed to handle any North American game.  The experience-proven ACUslide cocking system allows a hunter to cock and decock the bow with the turn of a crank, which nests into the handle of the bow, ensuring it stays in place.

Out of the Box

I’m conducting a crossbow seminar for the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association and asked to borrow a TenPoint crossbow for the event so that the assembled press can have a hands-on experience.  When the box arrived, I noticed it was bulging from one end and wondered how such a trim machine could be bulging.  Opening the box, I found the bow in a TenPoint soft case, completely assembled and including arrows and rail lube.

Multi-Functional Case

This TenPoint case is worth mentioning because it allows a person to ship a crossbow safely without the need for elaborate and expensive packaging.  It features two side pockets that can hold a dozen arrows each, and the inside padding helps protect the bow and keeps the rail centered in the middle of the case.  The case features a handy soft handle on one end and two pack straps, allowing you to carry the bow on your back in the backcountry or through a brushy tree stand access without worrying about tweaking a string or losing arrows.

Strut Your Stuff

The strut, a brace between the stock and the Picatinny rail, can save your hunt.  I once took several crossbows to Africa for a plains game safari, and while sighting in one of them, I leaned it against a post in my host’s yard.  While we retrieved arrows, the bow tipped over in soft grass, a seemingly innocent bump in the road.  However, my next shot was two feet high.  Because the Picatinny rail was not reinforced, the scope was bumped significantly off its zero position.

Easy-Peasy Cocking

The crank cocking system developed by TenPoint has been the industry standard for a decade.  Although they have tweaked the ACUslide system over the years, it remains one of the easiest and most effective ways to cock and decock a crossbow.  If I have a quality target in camp, I like to return after a day of hunting and shoot my bow to ensure everything is spot on, even if I have to do so in the headlights of a vehicle.  Firing an arrow into the ground unloads the bow, but it can be dangerous and expensive.  Quality arrows don’t come cheap, and you may crack or damage an arrow without knowing it, which can be a serious situation.  The ACUslide system allows you to cock and decock your bow safely and with little effort, assuring your bow is ready for the next hunt.

Tomorrow, I plan to sight in the bow and will report on its accuracy.  So far, this bow has shown to be an incredible value.  Here’s a quick video as a refresher: click here.