TenPoint’s RS440 Havoc Xero expands on all the reasons I love the Mogadore, OH, company’s upper-end crossbows; it’s fast flat trajectory and bone-crunching penetration, yet not so fast that its accuracy suffers; it’s even more compact than prior models–a huge deal in the woods; it’s darn-near MOA-accurate; and it’s available with the most advanced optic ever produced so that range estimation and compensation is an afterthought. It’s downside? At $3,500 it costs as much as a rifle and European scope combo.
By double-dutying the Xero sight on a carbine or turkey-hunting shotgun after bow season, it makes more sense. You can also save more cash–and consolidate gear–by omitting a stand-alone rangefinder. Yet for others, such a toy for a hobby may never be worth its cost. I’ve done my best to test all of TenPoint and Garmin’s claims, and surprisingly, some of my results were actually better than those claims. What I do know for sure is that two great American companies, working together, have not only raised the bar in terms of archery technology, but they helped me bag a deer before the deer ran off, and for that alone I give due credit.
