Ravin Crossbows and Crossbow Arrows

What Ravin makes for crossbow hunters

Ravin makes crossbows and the gear that hangs off them. On this site that covers eight product types, all built around the crossbow:

• Crossbows: the R10 family, R26X, R29X, R18, R470 and LR, mostly sold as packages
• Arrows: carbon crossbow arrows in .003 and .001 straightness grades, plain or lighted
• Nocks: standard and lighted replacement nocks for Ravin arrows
• Broadheads: 100-grain mechanicals in steel, aluminum and titanium
• Scopes: 100-yard illuminated scopes with a speed setting
• Rests and a quiver: replacement parts named for Ravin models
• A laser rangefinder

Ravin's own site adds cases, apparel, reflex sights and an arrow puller. Those don't have pages here, so the grid sticks to the list above.

How a Ravin crossbow differs from a typical crossbow

Most of the Ravin lineup is built around one idea: make the crossbow narrow. On a typical recurve or compound crossbow, the limbs stick out to the sides, and the width at full draw is what bumps into blind windows and stand rails.

Ravin's answer on the HeliCoil models is cams that rotate 340 degrees while staying level, per the maker's R10 Pro page. The result, on paper, is a cocked width of 6.5 inches on the R10 Pro and R10X Pro, and 6 inches on the LR. Uncocked, those same bows are 10.5 inches axle to axle. (Quick math: that's narrower cocked than uncocked by about 40 percent. It's the only thing I own that gets thinner when it's loaded. My hiking boots go the other way.)

The second idea is the built-in cocking system. Ravin's pages describe the Versa-Draw system as ambidextrous and built into the stock, with a removable draw handle and a 12 lb draw force on most models. The maker says it can also un-cock the crossbow. The R470 and R500 use a newer VersaDrive system with a 17 lb draw force, which Ravin says can cock, decock, pause or resume at any point.

Here's what actually changes for you: no rope cocker to forget in the truck, and no need to fire an arrow into a target to unload at the end of the day. Check the manual for your model's exact procedure.

Ravin crossbow lineup notes

The grid shows packages and bundles, so the same model can appear more than once with different scopes, camo or arrows. Read the package contents line before you compare two listings.

Ravin R10, R10X and R26X: the core HeliCoil models

The Ravin R10 is the model most people search for, and it has been through several versions. Older R10 package listings in the grid give 400 fps. Ravin's current R10 Pro and R10X Pro pages give 420 fps with a 400-grain arrow, 156 ft-lb of energy and a 32.5-inch length.

The maker lists the R10 Pro at 7.40 lb and the R10X Pro at 7.95 lb. The X version adds the fully integrated silent cocking system, an adjustable stock and a full-length scope rail, per Ravin. Both packages include a 100-yard illuminated scope, three .003 arrows with field points, a quiver and the draw handle.

The R26X listings in the grid are bundles, and the maker's R26 page lists a 12 lb draw force without a full spec table. Read the exact listing for speed and package contents. Shorter crossbows across brands are on the compact crossbow page.

Ravin R29X: the bullpup

The Ravin R29X is a bullpup design, meaning the trigger sits farther forward and the stock wraps around the working parts, so the crossbow is shorter overall. Ravin lists it at 450 fps with a 400-grain arrow, 180 ft-lb, 29 inches long and 6.75 lb. The package includes three .003 R500 series arrows, a quiver and a 100-yard illuminated 550 scope, per the maker.

The R29 Sniper bundles in the grid add accessories around the same idea. Compare their contents line by line.

Ravin R18: vertical limbs

The R18 is the odd one out, in a good way. Its limbs run vertically instead of sideways, using what Ravin calls the Verticoil cam system. The maker gives a static overall width of 4.75 inches, a 25-inch length and 6 lb of weight.

The trade is speed. Ravin lists 330 fps and 85 ft-lb, and the package ships with three 16-inch R18 arrows (350 grains with field points) and a 3-dot reflex sight instead of a scope. The R18 uses its own arrow series and its own rest, which is why the grid has a separate R18 Self-Aligning Rest listing.

Ravin R470 and R500 series: the fastest models

The R470 is the fastest Ravin crossbow in the grid. The maker lists 470 fps with a 400-grain arrow, 196 ft-lb, 26.75 inches long and 8.4 lb, with the HexCoil cam system and the VersaDrive cocking system. Draw force is 17 lb, not 12.

It ships with three .003 R500 series arrows and a 100-yard illuminated 550 FPS scope. That arrow series detail matters: Ravin lists separate R470/R500 series nocks, so arrows for an R10 aren't automatically arrows for an R470. The maker also lists an R500 at 500 fps, which isn't in the grid.

Ravin LR: the long one

The LR is 34 inches long and 8.10 lb, per Ravin, with 450 fps and 180 ft-lb. Its cocked width is 6 inches. It's the only package here that ships with an adjustable 1-8x24 scope and three .001 Premium arrows instead of the .003 grade. Scope types across brands are on the crossbow scope page.

Ravin crossbow bolts and nocks

Ravin crossbow bolts are what the listings call them. Ravin itself calls them arrows. Its arrow page says plainly that Ravin crossbows use arrows, and it treats arrows and nocks as one proprietary system.

The current arrow lineup on the maker's site splits by grade and by model series:

• .003 arrows: the standard grade, 400 grains with field points, in 3- and 6-packs
• Premium .001 arrows: a straighter grade, also 400 grains
• Lighted arrows: .003 Match-Grade (R133) and .001 Premium Match-Grade (R134)
• R500 series arrows: for the R470 and R500
• R18 arrows: shorter shafts for the vertical-limb R18
• XK5 arrows: 500-grain listings, per the maker's images, plain or lighted

The grid shows straightness, pack count and grain weight where the listing gives them. Several older part numbers (R130, R132) are still listed on Amazon but no longer appear on Ravin's arrow page. Buy for the series your crossbow ships with, not the cheapest pack that says Ravin.

For nocks, the maker lists standard Ravin nocks (R136), lighted nocks (R135) and a separate R470/R500 series nock. The lighted nocks page explains how lit nocks work across brands, and the crossbow bolts page covers length, weight and nock styles in general.

Ravin broadheads

Ravin's broadheads share one design, per the maker: a single-piece ferrule with an internal spring clip, and rear-deploying blades that open on impact to a 2-inch cut. The maker describes the lineup as 100-grain heads. The grid listings match that, and they're marked crossbow rated.

The three versions differ by material: titanium (R100), 416 steel (R101) and aluminum (R102). Packs run from 3 to 15 heads. Ravin also sells field points in 6-packs.

More on how mechanicals work is on the mechanical broadheads page, and crossbow-specific heads are on the crossbow broadheads page.

Keep broadheads in a covered quiver and never touch the blade edges. Broadhead rules vary by state, so check your state wildlife agency.

Ravin scopes, rests, quiver and rangefinder

Ravin's optics page says its scopes are designed so you can set them for your crossbow's speed. The names tell you the top speed each one is built for: a 450 FPS scope and a 550 FPS scope, both with Speed Lock, plus 100-yard illuminated versions. The grid's scope listings give 100-yard reticles and illumination, and one gives a 300 to 425 fps range.

Here's the practical part. A 450 scope on a 470 fps crossbow is a mismatch. Match the scope's speed range to your crossbow's listed fps, then sight in.

The rests and the 4-arrow quiver in the grid are replacement parts. Their listing names say which Ravin model they fit. The laser rangefinder is listed at 1,200 yards. Rangefinders from every brand are compared on the hunting rangefinder page.

How to choose within the Ravin lineup

Start with length and width

My one opinion on this page: decide where you'll shoot from before you look at speed. The reason is in the maker's numbers. The lineup runs from the R18 at 25 inches long and 4.75 inches wide to the LR at 34 inches and 6 inches cocked. In a ground blind or a tight stand, those inches are the difference between swinging on a deer and bumping a window frame. Speed differences between 420 and 450 fps won't help if you can't turn.

Then the draw force

Most Ravin crossbows list 12 lb of draw force through the built-in cocking system. The R470 lists 17 lb. Both are low next to cranking a bow by hand. (Speaking as a physical therapist: shoulders like the 12 better. They aren't shy about saying so.)

Then speed and energy

The maker's figures run from 330 fps and 85 ft-lb on the R18 to 470 fps and 196 ft-lb on the R470. Faster means a flatter arrow and more energy at the target. It also means a scope built for that speed, and on the R470, the heavier 17 lb draw. General crossbow math, across brands, is on the crossbow page.

Then the arrow series

Write down the arrow series your package ships with: .003, .001 Premium, R500 series, R18 or XK5. Every pack you buy later should match it.

Safety and care basics

Wisconsin DNR's crossbow guidance is short and worth following: engage the safety right after cocking, keep your hand and fingers out of the string's path while it's cocked, and carry, transport and raise or lower the crossbow uncocked. Use arrows that match your crossbow maker's recommendations.

Never dry-fire a crossbow. Ravin's models list an anti-dry-fire safety, and its warranty still excludes damage from a dry-fire event. Inspect arrows and nocks before every shot, and retire any that are cracked.

Ravin warranty and company facts

Ravin's warranty page lists five years from the original purchase date, for the original purchaser, covering defects in materials or workmanship that affect operation. Registration within 30 days is required. Strings, cables, cable slides, bushings and bearings count as wear parts and aren't covered. Neither is damage from a dry fire or from arrows, nocks, bolts, fletching or broadheads not sold by Ravin.

Ravin's site names its factory in Superior, Wisconsin. Shooting Sports Retailer reported on September 5, 2018, that Velocity Outdoor bought Ravin Crossbows. The same report lists Velocity's other brands as Crosman, Benjamin Airguns, CenterPoint Archery and Optics, LaserMax and GameFace Airsoft. Other crossbow makers on this site include TenPoint, Barnett and CenterPoint.

Model, arrow series, scope speed. Write all three inside the case lid, and the next pack of arrows will be the right one.