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Best Crossbows for Women

Manufacturers understand that more women are getting into crossbow shooting so they started to offer specific models to answer their needs. Often forgotten or squeezed into the youth section, manufacturers are now starting to build efficient crossbows by having women's needs and preferences in their minds.

Best Crossbows for women are subject to certain criteria. One of them is the overall weight of the crossbow and this, with the accessories of the package. That aspect is good for anybody, however, women are usually smaller size shooters and you don't want to suffer from arm fatigue by choosing something too heavy. Also, keep in mind that the size of the crossbow and its length should be considered in your analysis.

Secondly, you must consider the crossbow's draw weight. There is no point to buy something that you can't cock but looks cool. This will only cause discouragement and decrease precision if not properly cocked. 

Another important question to ask yourself is; what level are you? If this is your first crossbow, I recommend you to pick the entry-level crossbow of this review. If you are a more advanced shooter, you should pay attention to the mid-range crossbows of this Top 5 Crossbows. And if budget is not an issue, Tenpoint is your option.

Finally, speed is my last point to consider when a woman is looking for the best crossbow. Will it be for hunting or simply target shooting? Answering that question will determine if you need more around 300 FPS or simply 200 FPS. Do not go cheap if your intention is hunting. Velocity and momentum (penetration factor) are the backbones of hunting successfully with a crossbow.

Before starting this Top 5, I would give a special mention to a few crossbows that are in other ranking articles which you can find on our blog.

First and probably the best alternative if none of the top 5 suits you, the Barnett Recruit (Compound or Recurve). All models from the Recruit line is worth purchasing and be certain that one of them will suit your needs.

To stick with Barnett, the Lady Raptor is a great crossbow but they came up with the Lady Whitetail Hunter II which is much better with the 2017 technology. But you can't go wrong if you find a deal for the Lady Raptor.

The Ravin R26 crossbow considering its compactness and maneuverability would make a great crossbow to consider if you are not afraid of new technology. It encompasses accuracy and power in only 26 inches long and 6.5 pounds. 

Finally, the Carbon Express X-Blade Force crossbow is often underestimated. The accessible price range with a great velocity to begin with. A good beginner crossbow.

For a wider selection, you should consult our Best Youth Crossbows article. They fit many criteria that a woman should look upon before buying. Other than the look, youth crossbows generally suit women perfectly. If any of those crossbows aren't interesting to you, you can simply take into consideration the four criteria listed above and find the best woman crossbow that suits your needs by yourself. 

Back to the main subject, let's have a look at the specs summary before talking about them one by one. 

Top 5 Crossbows – Best Crossbows for Women

 Model

Cocking draw weight

 Stroke

 Velocity

Suggested arrow length

Crossbow uncocked | Weight

 Cocking device

 Hunting Deer

Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger

 150 lbs.

 10.8”

 300 FPS

 

18”

 

22.6" | 5.9 lbs.

ACU-52

Yes

Barnett Lady Whitetail Hunter II 

150 lbs.

 12.5”

 350 FPS

 20”

18.25”| 6.4 lbs.

 Rope Cocking

 Yes

Tenpoint Lady Shadow

180 lbs.

12.6”

 350 FPS

 20”

 17.5”| 6.4 lbs.

 ACUdraw or ACUdraw 50

 Yes 

Parker Challenger II Crossbow

Adjustable 125 to 150 lbs.

 10.6”

 275-300 FPS

 20”

21.875”| 6.1 lbs.

No Rope Cocking

 Yes

SA Sports Fever Crossbow Package

175 lbs.

13.5”

240 FPS

22”

27.5”| 4.85 lbs.

Rope cocking

Yes short distance 

 

Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger Crossbow

Best crossbows for women - Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger crossbow

Awards: Best Underestimated Crossbow for Women

Ideal for ladies with the muddy girl camo finish and hot pink strings and cables, the Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger Crossbow is, in fact, the same crossbow than the regular Ranger with more elegance.

This model comes in Premium Package which includes the Acu-52 self-retracting rope cocking device which decreases the draw weight by 50%. The Acu-52 helps to increase the shooter precision by consistently cocking the string the same way time after time. 

Great power for deer hunting with its 300 FPS for about 80 ft-lbs of kinetic energy with 350-grain bolts. It is very easy to maneuver for shooters with smaller stature with a length of 33.9 inches including the foot stirrup and a total weight of 5.9 pounds.

To assemble this crossbow is very simple and quick to do. Any beginner can achieve assembling in about 20 minutes. Excellent videos are now available on the internet showing you step by step how to assemble any Wicked Ridge Crossbows.

The package offers exactly all that you need to shoot out of the box. A proven Tenpoint Scope, a nice and efficient quick detach quiver and 3 carbon bolts with field points. If you want to increase the quietness of your crossbow, even more, check out the TenPoint Bowjax Noise Dampening Kit.

Safe, light, compact, reliable, quiet, powerful, accurate, easy to handle and put in cocking position, this might be the only crossbow you will ever need. 

Pros:

  • Affordable "grow with" type of crossbow,
  • Accurate mid-range crossbow,
  • Have a quality safety mechanism,
  • Quick and easy to assemble
  • Well made and well-balanced crossbow

Cons:

  • Only offered with the premium package

 

Barnett Lady Whitetail Hunter II Crossbow

Best crossbow for women - Barnett Lady whitetail hunter II crossbow

Awards: Best technology for a crossbow under $400, Best value for the money

With a 350 FPS shooting power, 150 lbs. cocking weight and a lightweight weight of 6.4 pounds for a compound crossbow, the Lady Whitetail Hunter II is undeniably a serious choice for the $300-$400 range price. Those three characteristics are important for hunting situations. Lighter weight and compact crossbow will be crucial to hold longer and to handle in any shooting situations.

It comes with an illuminated scope (Green or Red light with brightness levels available) which is very easy to use. Besides the scope, the standard package includes 2 20” Headhunter bolts with a lightweight quiver, a sample of lubewax, and a rope cocking device.

Barnett makes assembly easy for anybody. 2017 has been under the sign of newer technology for Barnett Crossbows. The new Triggertech trigger technology installed in Barnett's 2017 new models eliminates the creep of the previous Barnett models.

This zero-creep Frictionless Release Technology creates a free-floating roller between the sear and the trigger for a cleaner crisp break at only 3 pounds of pressure. They also changed the arrow retention spring for a bristle arrow retention. This device reduces noise (no more metal on metal vibrations) and it also increases precision by improving the arrow grip and its alignment on the flight track.

The Lady Whitetail Hunter II is surprisingly affordable when you consider all the packages. I recommend you to have a closer look on this crossbow if you like the best value for your money.

Pros:

  • Designed for smaller framed shooters
  • Light and compact for increased maneuverability
  • Well balanced crossbow (front vs rear)
  • Light cocking weight
  • Best 2017 technology at such low price

Cons:

  • More bolts are necessary

Tenpoint Lady Shadow Crossbow

 

Best crossbows for women - Tenpoint Lady Shadow Crossbow

 

Awards: Best of its category in upper range priced crossbows.

A pricey crossbow or course but if money is not a problem, don’t even to bother to look around. This masterpiece has only one flaw. It doesn’t come with a padded sling. Otherwise, none of the competition reaches the quality of the Tenpoint Lady Shadow crossbow. With about 104 ft-lbs of kinetic energy, you will have plenty of power to shoot the biggest game in North America with the XX75 Magnum 435 grain included bolts. The Lady Shadow shoots up to 350 FPS with 370-grain bolts.

It comes with a complete package. The package includes a TenPoint’s 3x Pro-View 2 Scope mounted on a machined aluminum 7/8-inch fixed dovetail mount, instant detach 3-arrow quiver, 3 Tenpoint bolts, and an Owner’s Instructional DVD.

Your choice of either the patented ACUdraw or ACUdraw 50 cocking mechanism. These two are easy to use and helps to increase your precision by cocking repetitively the same way your crossbow.

The sum of all the items of the package combined with the quality of the crossbow increases the feel when shooting and more importantly it's precision.

Merely 20 minutes will be necessary to assemble this crossbow; the instructional video will make it easier.

The Lady Shadow doesn’t leave anyone indifferent, again if the budget is not an issue to you. Do not hesitate to try this masterpiece.

Pros:

  • Designed for Women
  • Very quiet crossbow
  • Outstanding Accuracy (Great scope)
  • Well balanced crossbow

Cons:

  • No sling included

Parker Challenger II Crossbow

Best crossbows for women - Parker Challenger II Crossbow

Awards: Most Compact Crossbow for Women

The Parker Challenger II has been designed for smaller frame shooters. Lighter, well balanced and more compact making this crossbow easy to handle. Concerning its draw weight, it is adjustable without any bow press which is a great aspect for a crossbow. You can lower its draw to 125 pounds combined to a cocking device, this crossbow is almost effortless to cock. Cocking the Challenger II can be diminished by over 50% when paired with the Red Hot EZ Roller rope cocker (sold separately). This means that this crossbow won't cause you fatigue after cocking it all day.

Depending on the selected draw weight, this crossbow shoots in between 275 to 300 FPS. With the Challenger II crossbow Parker's Exclusive Synergy Cams you can expect 300 FPS for about 80 ft-lbs. of kinetic energy with 400-grain bolts at 150 pounds of draw weight. 

The exclusive bolts selection might be the major setback. Two options are recommended for the Bushwacker; The Parker Hunter Arrows or the Red Hot Crossbow bolts. Any other bolts might occur in an unexpected release from the crossbow. However, when using the proper equipment, there is nothing bad to say about this one.

The two packages offered in the Challenger II will answer each of your needs and leave you a satisfying feeling of your invested money. 

Pros:

  • Affordable "grow with" type of crossbow,
  • Light, Compact and easy to use
  • Accurate mid-range crossbow,
  • Quick and easy to assemble
  • Well made and well-balanced crossbow

Cons:

  • Without proper alignment of bolt and nock, a dry-fire could occur
  • cocking device sold separately

SA Sports Fever Crossbow Package

Best crossbows for women - SA sport fever crossbow package

Awards: Best recurve value for the money, Best starter recurve crossbow for beginners, Lightest recurve crossbow.

If you don’t know yet if you will like shooting with a crossbow, The SA Sport Fever is a good option. The price for this entry level crossbow won’t eat your entire budget. However, cheaper doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy your experience. It’s still going to give you the feel of hunting with a recurve crossbow. With its 240 FPS, you can hunt deer easily but not recommended for bigger games like bears. The Fever is a very light Crossbow with only 4.85 lbs.

The package includes the exact basic accessories to have a real first feeling to hunt or to shoot with a crossbow. It comes with a padded sling which should be on every crossbow if you ask my own opinion. Other accessories are the quiver, the scope which at such a low price is a really good deal, and the rope cocking device. The bolts are aluminum bolts and you might want to buy other ones for better performances.

The SA sport Fever is pretty standard to assemble. Limbs into stock, stirrup in front and mount the scope should take you less than 20 minutes. String the crossbow to finish and you are ready to shoot.

It features a muddy girl camo stock, vented at the forearm and comes with good safety mechanisms to leave your mind at peace when you are manipulating it.

Accuracy may not be consistent on the SA Sport Fever crossbow but at that price, you can’t expect to have a flagship crossbow. You might encounter problems with the scope rail causing the inconsistency in your shots. I have to remind you that the SA Sport Fever is an entry level crossbow for those you want to get into the sport but do not know if they will pursue it.

Pros:

  • A package that includes everything you need to start.
  • Easy to cock with the cocking device
  • Inexpensive starter for beginners
  • Excellent maneuverability with its weight.

Cons:

  • Accuracy is not consistent.
  • You may need to buy different bolts

 

Conclusion

Based on the specific criteria mentioned at the top of this article, these best crossbows for women should give you enough information to find the ultimate crossbow for yourself or as a gift for your loved one. 

Stay tuned for more detailed reviews about each of them. Thank you for reading and I hope this was valuable to you. Do not hesitate to leave any comments below and feel free to ask for a specific crossbow review if you need one.

Have a nice Hunt!

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