As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.
Two hundred dollars buys a real crossbow, but it buys a specific kind of real crossbow, and it is worth being clear about that before you spend the money. At this price you are looking at recurve limbs and entry-level compounds, draw weights between 150 and 185 pounds, and speeds in the 210 to 260 fps range. The scopes bundled in the packages are basic, the strings are serviceable rather than good, and the triggers are heavy.
What that adds up to is genuinely useful for target shooting, backyard practice and small game, and adequate for whitetail inside about 30 yards if you are disciplined about shot placement. It is not a 400 fps hunting rig, and any listing at this price claiming to be one is quoting a number the bow will not reproduce with a hunting bolt.
The good news is that the two upgrades that matter most — a better string and a decent set of bolts — are cheap, and they improve a budget crossbow far more than the next hundred dollars of purchase price would. Every pick below notes what it actually is, what it comes with, and where it falls short. Check your state and local regulations before hunting with any of them; crossbow rules vary a great deal by season and by state.
| # | Product | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barnett Wildcat Recurve Crossbow Package | $160-$200 | Amazon · eBay |
| 2 | CenterPoint Tyro 4X Recurve Crossbow | $140-$190 | Amazon · eBay |
| 3 | Barnett Recruit Recurve Crossbow | $150-$200 | Amazon · eBay |
| 4 | SAS Rogue 150 lb Recurve Crossbow | $120-$170 | Amazon |
| 5 | SAS Fever 175 lb Crossbow Package | $150-$200 | Amazon · eBay |
| 6 | SAS Manticore Recurve Crossbow | $100-$150 | Amazon · eBay |
| 7 | Man Kung MK-XB21 175 lb Crossbow | $120-$180 | Amazon |
| 8 | EK Archery Cobra System R9 Self-Cocking Pistol Crossbow | $110-$170 | Amazon |
| 9 | Wizard Archery 175 lb Recurve Crossbow Package | $120-$180 | Amazon |
| 10 | Killer Instinct Burner 415 (stretch pick) | $210-$300 | Amazon · eBay |
The picks, in detail
Barnett Wildcat Recurve Crossbow Package
The most recommended budget crossbow for a reason: it is a recurve, so there is nothing to go out of tune, and Barnett has been building this basic design for decades. The package covers everything a beginner needs — a 4×32 multi-reticle scope, two aluminium bolts, a quiver and rail lube — so there is nothing to order separately before your first session.
- Around 150 lb draw weight
- Roughly 260 fps with the supplied bolts
- 4×32 multi-reticle scope included
- About 4.4 lb, light for a full-size crossbow
- Complete package, ready to shoot out of the box
- Recurve limbs are simple and easy to restring
- Light enough to hold steady without a rest
- Basic scope, worth upgrading eventually
- Cocking is stiff without a rope aid
- Heavy trigger
CenterPoint Tyro 4X Recurve Crossbow
The one to look at if you want more draw weight for the money. It runs a 175 lb recurve limb and an adjustable stock, which makes it far easier to fit a younger or smaller shooter than a fixed-length bow. Around 245 fps and 55 ft-lb of kinetic energy — enough for target work and small game with the correct bolts.
- 175 lb draw weight
- Around 245 fps
- Adjustable stock for length of pull
- About 5 lb and 33 inches long
- Adjustable stock suits a range of shooters
- Higher draw weight than most bows at this price
- Compact overall length
- Heavier draw makes hand-cocking hard without a rope
- Included accessories are basic
- Fit and finish are functional rather than refined
Barnett Recruit Recurve Crossbow
Barnett’s answer for shooters who are still growing. The Recruit uses an adjustable buttstock and a lighter draw than the Wildcat, which makes it much more manageable for a teenager or anyone who finds a 175 lb cocking effort a struggle. Same recurve simplicity, same easy restringing.
- Adjustable stock and forearm
- Recurve limb design
- Includes a red dot or multi-reticle sight depending on package
- Lightweight composite construction
- Genuinely adjustable for smaller shooters
- Easier to cock than the higher-poundage bows here
- Recurve simplicity
- Lower speed than the 175 lb options
- Package contents vary by seller, so check what is included
- Sights on the entry packages are very basic
SAS Rogue 150 lb Recurve Crossbow
Southland Archery Supply builds the plain, no-frills crossbow a lot of first-time buyers actually want: 150 lb recurve, light, easy to cock with a rope, and priced well under the ceiling. A good starting point if you want to spend the remainder on decent bolts and a target rather than on the bow itself.
- 150 lb draw weight
- Recurve limb design
- Around 210-240 fps depending on bolt weight
- Package versions include scope, bolts and quiver
- Cheapest genuinely usable option here
- Easy to cock and easy to restring
- Leaves budget for good bolts and a proper target
- Slowest of the picks
- Stock feels basic
- Bundled bolts are worth replacing early
SAS Fever 175 lb Crossbow Package
The step up in the same family. The Fever runs 175 lb limbs for meaningfully more speed and energy than the Rogue, in a package that usually includes a scope, bolts and quiver. A good middle ground if you want hunting-capable energy without going over the $200 line.
- 175 lb draw weight
- Roughly 235-245 fps
- Package includes scope, bolts and quiver
- Compound or recurve depending on version
- Good energy for the price
- Complete package
- Popular enough that spares and strings are easy to find
- Cocking by hand is a real effort, so buy a rope cocker
- Entry-level scope
- Versions vary, so read the listing carefully
SAS Manticore Recurve Crossbow
The budget-of-the-budget option, and honest about it. A simple recurve at one of the lowest prices you will find on a full-size crossbow. Best treated as a backyard target bow or a way to find out whether you enjoy the sport before spending more.
- Recurve limb design
- Full-size stock
- Basic package with sight and bolts
- Lightweight
- Very low cost of entry
- Simple mechanism with little to go wrong
- Fine for target practice at short range
- Lowest performance here
- Build quality reflects the price
- Not a serious hunting tool
Man Kung MK-XB21 175 lb Crossbow
Man Kung has been making budget crossbows for a very long time and the XB21 is their standard 175 lb recurve. Expect a functional bow with a metal barrel and a plain stock — no surprises in either direction. Frequently sold as a package with a red dot sight and a cocking rope.
- 175 lb draw weight
- Around 245 fps
- Aluminium barrel
- Usually sold with sight, bolts and rope cocker
- Solid draw weight for the money
- Metal barrel rather than plastic
- Packages often include a rope cocker
- Dated stock ergonomics
- Trigger is heavy and gritty
- Limited brand support
EK Archery Cobra System R9 Self-Cocking Pistol Crossbow
A different kind of tool. This is a pistol crossbow with a self-cocking lever, which means you can load and shoot it one-handed all afternoon without a rope or a stirrup. It is a plinking and short-range target device, not a hunting bow, but it is genuinely fun and the lever removes the one thing most people dislike about budget crossbows.
- Self-cocking lever action
- Around 90 lb draw
- Compact pistol format
- Uses short bolts, usually 6.5 inch
- Cocks itself — no rope, no effort
- Very compact and easy to store
- Cheap to shoot
- Far too little energy for hunting anything but the smallest game
- Short bolts are less accurate past close range
- Check local laws — pistol crossbows are restricted in some places
Wizard Archery 175 lb Recurve Crossbow Package
A widely sold 175 lb recurve package that keeps turning up as the cheapest way to get a scope, bolts, quiver and rope cocker in one box. Nothing about it is exceptional, but the bundle is complete and the recurve design means the parts you will eventually want to replace are cheap and standard.
- 175 lb draw weight
- Around 245 fps
- Package includes scope, bolts, quiver and cocking rope
- Recurve limbs
- Most complete bundle at the price
- Rope cocker included, which many rivals omit
- Standard recurve parts are easy to source
- Poor assembly instructions
- The bundled scope holds zero only if you tighten everything properly first
- Rough finish in places
Killer Instinct Burner 415 (stretch pick)
Listed because it is the bow people jump to the moment they decide $200 is not quite enough. It is a proper compound at 415 fps with a rope cocker, string suppressors and a decent scope — a completely different class of tool, and worth knowing about if your budget has any flexibility. On sale it sometimes drops close to the $200 line.
- 415 fps compound design
- Includes 4×32 scope, rope cocker, quiver and bolts
- String suppressors fitted
- Around 6.7 lb
- Genuinely hunting-capable performance
- Complete package with useful accessories
- Big step up in accuracy and energy
- Normally above $200 unless discounted
- Compound limbs need a press for string changes
- Heavier than the recurve options
Buying tips
- Buy a rope cocker on day one. It halves the effort of cocking and, much more importantly, it centres the string on the rail every time. Hand-cocking a 175 lb bow inevitably pulls the string a few millimetres off centre, and that alone will scatter your groups.
- Replace the bundled bolts early. The two or three arrows that come in these packages are usually mismatched in weight and stiffness. A set of six properly matched bolts costs about $30 and will tighten your groups more than any other upgrade at this price.
- Wax the string and lube the rail every 20 to 30 shots. A dry rail eats strings on a budget crossbow astonishingly fast — a neglected string can fail in a few hundred shots, while a waxed one lasts seasons.
- Treat the speed figures as best case. Advertised fps is measured with the lightest legal bolt. With a hunting-weight bolt and a broadhead you will typically see 10 to 15 percent less, which is exactly why these bows are short-range tools.
- Keep your thumb below the rail. Every time. The string travels along the rail at full speed, and a thumb raised into its path is a genuinely serious injury. Most budget bows have a finger guard — use it, and build the habit before you ever load a bolt.
- Check your local regulations before hunting. Crossbow seasons, minimum draw weights and who may use one vary widely by state and country, and some places restrict pistol crossbows entirely. Confirm the rules where you will actually be shooting.
- Never dry-fire it. Firing without a bolt loaded transfers all the limb energy into the bow itself and can destroy the limbs or the rail in one shot. On a budget crossbow that is usually the end of it.
As an Amazon Associate and eBay Partner, toptenpick.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are subject to change.