Wicked Ridge Crossbows, Bolts and Strings

What Wicked Ridge makes for crossbow hunters

Wicked Ridge makes crossbows and the parts that keep them shooting. On this site, that means four kinds of listing in the grid above:

• Crossbow packages: the Invader M1 De-Cock, the Invader 400 and the Rampage XS
• Crossbow bolts: Match 400 carbon, a lighted Match 400 pack and XX75 aluminum
• Replacement strings for specific models
• A string dampener that the listing says cuts string noise

The grid filters by type and changes as listings come and go, so I'll write about the lines and what separates them, not about how many are listed this week. Most values in the grid come from the Amazon listings, and the grid marks them. Where the maker's own pages give a number, I've used the maker's number here.

What you won't find on the brand's crossbow pages is a bare bow. The packages come with a scope, a quiver and bolts, and some bundles add a case and a sling. That makes the decision simpler than it looks: you're comparing three or four ready-to-hunt kits, not building one from parts.

How a Wicked Ridge crossbow package is put together

Here's what actually changes from one package to the next. Every Wicked Ridge crossbow in the grid shares three things, per the maker and the listings:

• A built-in cocking device: the ACUdraw crank, or the ACUdraw 50 SLED on one Invader version
• A Pro-View lighted scope: a multi-reticle crossbow scope, pre-sighted at 20 yards per the maker
• Match 400 bolts in the box

The maker describes the ACUdraw as a cocking device built into the stock, with the crank handle part of the bow rather than a clamp-on accessory. It says cocking with it takes about 5 pounds of effort. Quick math: that's a lot less than the bow's draw weight, which is the whole reason the crank exists.

What separates the packages is how they de-cock, how wide they are when cocked, and what else is in the box. Those three things are the sections below.

Lineup notes: the Wicked Ridge crossbow models

Invader M1 De-Cock: two ways to let the string down

The Invader M1 De-Cock is the one in the grid built to de-cock without shooting. The maker offers it two ways, and both are listed:

• ACUdraw De-Cock (crank): you press a button, then back the crank handle off to let the string down under control
• ACUdraw 50 SLED De-Cock: a manual rope-style device that cocks and de-cocks, per the maker

Both versions name a D1 trigger in their listings. The maker's page lists 390 fps with its 370-grain Pro Lite arrow and 380 fps with the Match 400, with kinetic energy of 125 and 131 foot-pounds. FPS is arrow speed in feet per second. Kinetic energy, in foot-pounds, folds speed and bolt weight into one number. Notice the heavier Match 400 is the slower bolt and the higher energy figure.

On width, the maker lists 9.5 inches axle to axle when cocked and 14 inches uncocked, with a 32-inch length without the foot stirrup. The package includes a 70-yard Pro-View 400 lighted scope, a quiver and three Match 400 bolts.

The maker's page gives two different weights for this bow, so I've left weight out. If it matters to your shoulder, ask the maker before you buy. (Speaking as a physical therapist: it matters to your shoulder.)

Invader 400 ACUdraw Pro-View package

The Invader 400 package in the grid is an earlier Invader. Its values come from the Amazon listing: 400 fps, 15 inches wide when cocked, an ACUdraw crank, a Pro-View scope, a quiver and three XX75 aluminum bolts. The maker's current crossbow page lists the Invader M1 models instead, so I can't check the 400's numbers against a maker spec sheet.

The two Invaders differ in two ways you'll notice in a blind. The M1 is narrower when cocked, by the numbers above. And the M1 De-Cock lets the string down without a shot, which the 400's listing doesn't claim.

Rampage XS: the forward-draw package with the most in the box

The Rampage XS is listed two ways: a standard package and a bundle. The maker's page lists it as forward draw, at 390 fps with the 370-grain Pro Lite arrow and 380 fps with the Match 400, both at 128 foot-pounds. Other numbers from the maker:

• Width: 15 inches cocked, 19 inches uncocked
• Power stroke: 13.5 inches
• Weight: 5.8 lb
• Scope: a lighted Pro-View with red and green dots and aimpoints out to 60 yards

Power stroke is how far the string travels from rest to cocked. The Invader M1's page lists 13.8 inches, so the two bows are close on that number too, and they share the same 390 fps rating.

The standard package includes three Match 400 bolts with Alpha-Nocks, per its listing. The bundle's listing adds nine Match 400 bolts, three lighted Alpha-Blaze bolts, a soft case, a sling, string wax and lubricant. The Rampage XS listings don't claim de-cocking.

If you searched for the "Wicked Ridge Rampage 360": that's an earlier Rampage. On this site it appears only in the String Dampening System's listing, as a model that dampener fits.

Wicked Ridge crossbow bolts

All three bolt listings in the grid are 20-inch shafts with the Alpha-Nock HP, per their titles. What separates them:

• Match 400: carbon, 400 grains, .004-inch straightness, six per pack
• Match 400 Lighted: the same carbon bolt with an Alpha-Blaze lighted nock, three per pack
• XX75: 2219 aluminum, 459 grains, .003-inch straightness, six per pack

Grain is the small weight unit arrows are measured in (437.5 grains per ounce). Straightness is the most a shaft can be off true, in inches, so .003 is a touch straighter than .004.

One thing to note in the numbers: the maker's crossbow pages rate speed with the Match 400 at 410 grains, while the bolt listings say 400. If you're working out your own speed or kinetic energy, weigh a finished bolt with the point you'll hunt with. The scale doesn't care what the box says.

The maker's own speed figures show the trade: the 370-grain Pro Lite is listed faster than the heavier Match 400 from the same bow. It's a trade, not a ranking, and the bow's manual sets the minimum weight. The crossbow bolts page covers lengths and nock types across brands, and the best crossbow bolts list ranks options by a stated rule.

Lighted nocks on Wicked Ridge bolts

The Alpha-Blaze is the lighted version of the Alpha-Nock, per the listings. A lit nock is easier to follow in low light. If you'd rather add lights to bolts you already own, check that the nock fits your shaft and your bow's string groove first. The lighted nocks page and the nocks page cover the fit questions.

Strings and the string dampener

A crossbow string is a wear part. The grid has two Wicked Ridge replacement strings, and each listing names the models it fits:

• WRA182: Invader, Invader HP, Warrior and Warrior HL
• HCA-13419-S: RDX 400 and Fury 410 De-Cock

Match the string to your exact model, not to the brand name on the stock. The bow string page explains string parts and wear across makers.

The String Dampening System is a small add-on that the listing says reduces string noise and oscillation. Its listing names the models it fits, among them the Invader 400 and X4, the Rampage 360, the Warrior Ultra-Lite and the Raider 400 De-Cock. If your bow isn't on that list, skip it.

Crossbow scopes, broadheads and compound bows aren't in the Wicked Ridge grid on this site. The scope comes in the package; for others, the crossbow scope page covers them across brands.

How to choose within the Wicked Ridge lineup

De-cocking first

My one opinion on this page: decide how you'll unload the bow before you look at speed. A hunt ends with a cocked crossbow, and you have to deal with it before you climb down or drive home. The Invader M1 De-Cock lets the string down without a shot, per the maker. With the others, you'll follow the manual, which usually means shooting a bolt into a safe target or the ground. Neither is wrong; one just needs a target in the truck.

Then the width

Cocked width decides how the bow fits a ground blind window or the space beside a tree. In the grid, the Invader M1 is the narrow one at 9.5 inches, and the Rampage XS and Invader 400 are 15. Narrower is easier to swing inside a blind; wider bows still fit most setups. The compact crossbow page covers narrow bows across brands.

Then the cocking device

The ACUdraw crank lives on the bow. The ACUdraw 50 SLED is a rope-style device you carry. The crank is one less thing to carry; the maker calls the SLED quick and easy to use. (Walt says he'd lose either. He's been told.)

Then the box contents

If you're starting from nothing, the Rampage XS bundle has the most in it: extra bolts, lighted bolts, a case and a sling, per its listing. If you already own a case and a sling, the standard packages cover the rest. The crossbow page compares crossbows across brands.

Safe handling and care

Wisconsin DNR's archery season release lists the habits that matter most with a crossbow:

• Treat it as loaded, and point it in a safe direction
• Keep hands and fingers out of the string path while it's cocked
• Check the safety right after cocking
• Carry, transport, raise and lower it uncocked
• Use a covered quiver
• Wear a full-body harness in a tree stand, with a short tether

Never dry-fire a crossbow. Use the bolts and nocks the manual names.

For upkeep, the bundle includes string wax and a lubricant per its listing. The maker's warranty pages exclude routine string and cable changes, which tells you how the maker sees strings: as parts you replace over the bow's life. Crossbow seasons and broadhead rules vary by state, so check your state wildlife agency.

Wicked Ridge warranty basics

The Wicked Ridge product pages list a limited lifetime operational warranty on new crossbows. An optional Elite Warranty extends coverage to five years and includes damage from improper operation. Per the same pages, it has to be bought within 30 days of purchase, applies to the original owner in the US only, isn't offered on certified pre-owned bows, covers repairs rather than replacements, and leaves out routine string and cable changes.

Read the full terms on the maker's site before you count on coverage, and keep the receipt with the manual.

Wicked Ridge facts

What I could verify on the maker's own pages:

• Family: Wicked Ridge crossbows are sold on the TenPoint Crossbow Technologies site as their own brand category; the TenPoint brand page covers TenPoint's lineup
• Where built: the product pages say the bows are built, inspected and tested in Mogadore, Ohio
• Draw style: the maker lists the Rampage XS as forward draw

This page doesn't cover a founding year.

De-cock plan, width, bolt weight. Write all three on the case tag, and the bow will tell you nothing new on opening morning.