Between thunderstorms and swarms of mosquitoes, I shot with the new Venom X, which delivered near-predictable performance. Most TenPoint crossbows come from the factory with sighted accuracy that requires only a few arrows to be spot-on. Mine was no exception, with the first arrow striking three inches to the left. The Pro View 400 scope has adjustments that move the reticle 1/2 inch for each click at 100 yards. That calculates to a movement of 1/4 inch at 50 yards and just under 1/8 inch at 20, making for exact adjustments.
Calculating Clicks
The scope was dead on at 20 yards vertically but needed a bump to the right, and my calculations had the arrow just a half-inch shy of dead center. I adjusted three more clicks to the right for the third shot, which moved the arrow just inside the bull and needed three more clicks for perfection. Aside from swarming mosquitoes, the bow was a dream to cock and load. After each shot, a touch on the trigger box release allowed the launching mechanism to slide quickly down the rail and connect to the string with an audible “click.” Next, I cranked the handle, which turned easily, and had the trigger box in position in a few seconds. It also made an audible “click” as the safety engaged and the string reached the fully cocked position. Two counter turns helped release tension, and the crank handle was easily removed and stored in the stock.
Precise Optical Aiming
The Venom X comes standard with the Pro View 400 scope, featuring aiming dots that extend out to 70 yards. The scope offers the option of illuminating dots in green or red for low-light precision, and the scope allows the black marking to be adjusted to varying visual capabilities. The illuminated sighting dots are marked with increasing range numbers to eliminate confusion, and the red or green option is beneficial when hunting turkeys or bears, which can blend with the reticle sight.
Spot-On Accuracy
Finding the dead center of the target took just three arrows, and I wanted to shoot a quick three, but not at 20 yards, as this distance has a high probability of busted nocks that can be potentially dangerous. Backing off to 30 yards, I was able to put the next three arrows right at the 10-ring, and the triangular nature of the group was indicative of wiggle on the shooter’s part.
Overall Impression
Launching Pro Elite 410-grain arrows at 390 fps, this new bow is powerful enough to take down any game animal, yet without the excessive vibration and cable wear of ultra-high-speed bows. At 6.9 pounds, it is easy to carry and handle, cocks and decocks silently, and is very accurate. Although the MSRP for this bow is $1049.00, I just saw an ad from Amazon for $999. TenPoint bows are made in Ohio and come with one of the best warranties in the business. For more details and reviews, visit www.TenPointCrossbows.com