Best Crossbows for Women: Which One is Right for You?

So, a while back, I took my wife out for a hunting trip with my trusty crossbow, the CP400. But, it turned out that it was pretty unusable for her because of its weight and draw weight. It was tough for her to handle, and it ended up being a pretty lousy experience for both of us. This made me wonder what would be the best crossbow for women.

So, I decided to do some research to find the best crossbow for her. Over time, I’ve tweaked and updated the list, but I’m pretty confident that there are some fantastic options out there for women. Of course, there’s no such thing as the perfect crossbow, so I’ve sorted them based on the features that I think are the most important. 

Types of Crossbows

Before we dive into the list of crossbows, you should know about the two main types:

Recurve Crossbow – The recurve crossbow has a simple design but a high draw weight. A lot of the force you put into it is lost to sound and doesn’t really improve the speed or the power of the bolt. It’s why, personally, I don’t recommend them for women shooters. 

Compound Crossbow – Compound crossbows are much narrower and require a smaller draw weight than the recurve ones. Since their power comes from the compounded weight of their limbs, it fires faster bolts and isn’t as loud. 

All the crossbows I’ve recommended are compound bows. Compared to recurve models, they give a better return on the force and are easier to handle too.

Gun University’s Choices of the Best Crossbows for Women

Best Crossbows for Women

Best Overall Barnett Whitetail Hunter 2		Editor’s choice High performance Ambidextrous design Safety features	Buy on Amazon
Best Lightweight Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger by TenPoint		Lightweight and powerful Easy to assemble Self-retracting cocking system	Check Price
Best Safety Wicked Ridge Invader 400		Built-in safety wings Lightweight and powerful Easy to assemble	Buy on Amazon
Best for Beginners Barnett XP 380 Crossbow		High performance Affordable Adjustable butt stock and cheek rest	Buy on Amazon
Best Budget Wicked Ridge Rampage 360		Built in ACUDraw cocking device Easy to assemble	Buy on Amazon
Best for Speed Barnett HyperGhost 425		Lightweight and highly maneuverable Ready to hunt package High performance	Buy on Amazon
Best for Smaller Build Barnett Avenger Recruit		Low Draw Weight Anti Dry Fire (ADF) mechanism Lightweight	Buy on Amazon

Best Crossbows for Women Specifications

Below is a table of the crossbow specs. Click the name of the crossbow to jump to that review.

Best Crossbows for Women

Here is our list for the best crossbows for females:

1. Barnett Whitetail Hunter 2
2. Wicked Ridge Lady Ranger by TenPoint
3. Wicked Ridge Invader 400
4. Barnett XP 380
5. Wicked Ridge Rampage 360
6. Barnett HyperGhost 425
7. Barnett Avenger Recruit

Best Crossbows for Women – Reviews

Okay, so I rounded up a list of the best crossbows for women, with a side-by-side spec table on each. Now, let’s take a more in-depth look at each one so that you can see why I ranked them the way that I did. As you’ll see, each one of the top crossbows for women has unique features that give them a specific edge in their category.

Finding the Best Bolts for Your Crossbow

As fun as it is to go bow-browsing, it’s no good having one if there’s nothing to fire; she’s going to need bolts. Some manufacturers include them with the crossbow as a ready-to-hunt package, but I find that I always need more than what they provide. We dedicate a full article on crossbow bolts, but here is a short walkthrough of what I personally do when I’m looking to get some extra bolts.

Purpose – When buying bolts, she needs to decide what she’s going to use them for. Hunting bolts are usually heavier than target shooting bolts because they need to go deeper to land a kill. 

Length – Once she knows the purpose, she has to decide on the bolt length. They can range from anywhere between 16 – 22 inches, but I suggest sticking to the bolt length recommended by the crossbow manufacturer. Following their guidelines will give her the best performance, and the crossbow will last longer.

Nock – Next, she needs to look at the nock. The nock is the point where your bolt meets the crossbow string. The two main types of nocks are the flat nock and the half moon nock. 

If she’s a beginner looking for a safer option, the flat nock is the best bet—it has a wider surface area for the string to rest on and is more manageable. The half moon nock is good for more experienced shooters who would like a nice groove for the string to fit into. However, always keep in mind that bad positioning with the half moon nock can cause nasty accidents.

Tip insert – For target shooting, go with a bullet point tip. Shaped like a bullet, it sticks neatly to the target without causing unnecessary damage. She’ll need that, because most ranges don’t want to repair extra damage to their targets. 

If she’s hunting, a broadhead tip or a blunt point tip would be the best choice, depending on the game. If she’s hunting large game, a broadhead, either a fixed blade or expanding mechanical broadhead, is recommended to penetrate her quarry and expand to cause additional damage. Blunt point tips are good for smaller game since they kill with blunt force. If she wants to do a bit of both and doesn’t want to buy separate bolts, the field point tip is a good choice.

Weight class – Finally, look at the weight class. Bolts are weighed in grains and I’ve included the standard categorization of their weight below: 

• 350-399 Lightweight Bolts.
• 400-459 Standard Bolts.
• 460+ Heavyweight Bolts.

I know I’ve said it a few times now, but the best bolt for her also depends on her use. Lightweight bolts are good for target shooting while heavier ones are great for hunting.

Here are some recommendations for both hunting and target shooting bolts.

Recommended Crossbolts

Burt Coyote Lumenok		20- 22 inches long Good for both target shooting and hunting small to medium game	Buy on Amazon
Carbon Express Mayhem		Durable Affordable	Buy on Amazon

Buyers Guide to the Best Crossbows for Women 

Perhaps you are new to crossbows, or some of the things we covered above were a bit foreign to you. No worries, because to help you better understand some of the specs, features and capabilities listed above, I wrote a full buyer’s guide on crossbows designed or chosen for a woman’s use. By reading this it will help you understand key aspects, parts, components and more. It should help you to figure out which things are more important for you, so that you can better choose the best crossbow for your use. Plus, if you are a little confused about the differences between a crossbow and a compound bow, we have an article to help clear that up as well. 

What Makes a Crossbow a Good Pick for a Woman

When it comes to choosing the best crossbow for women, there are a couple of factors and features to look for that can make using the crossbow a lot easier.

Light weight – Whether she hunts or target shoots, she’ll want something that she can carry for a while without feeling like her arm’s going to fall off. Always look for crossbows that are lightweight and have a good amount of power. 

Overall size – I would say the most important thing about a crossbow is that it should fit a person’s particular needs, and that includes size. If she is someone with a smaller frame, a too big bow can really unbalance her and she won’t be able to maneuver it well in the woods and tight spaces. On the other hand, if she uses a bow that’s too small for her, she’ll find that loading and aiming is more difficult. So always choose a bow that’s a good fit for the shooter’s build. 

Purpose – Is she looking for a crossbow to hunt or to shoot in a range? Depending on the intended purpose, the specifications of the “ideal” crossbow will be different. For example, a crossbow for hunting has legal requirements for minimum draw weight and would need a lot more speed/FPS than if she was to use it in shooting ranges.

Higher feet per second (FPS) – FPS is how far a bolt travels in one second. When you’re starting out, just keep in mind that higher FPS equals “faster” shots, and faster shots are more precise and powerful. Speed and accuracy are must-haves for hunting; you’d want to take your game by surprise before they get to react to the firing sound. Yes, faster crossbows can be pricey, but the slightest increase in FPS can make all the difference. As long as it doesn’t weigh you down or cause arm fatigue, I’d go for a bow with a higher FPS.

Lower draw weight – Draw weight is the force needed to pull back a crossbow’s string. While bows with higher draw weight are powerful, they won’t be of much use to her if she can’t load her bolts. So, I would personally look at something that has a manageable draw weight and doesn’t sacrifice much speed or power as well. 

*Note: A cocking device can reduce the draw weight of a bow by more than half. If she wants to shoot her crossbow multiple times, a cocking device is essential. It doesn’t matter how someone’s built, manually cocking a crossbow every time is tiring and, frankly, annoying. Cocking devices make the process a lot easier and faster. Here are the two types of cocking devices you can use:

Rope cocker -Inexpensive, simple and pocketable, rope cockers work like pulleys. You’d use your foot to keep the bow in place and cock the bow with the cocker’s handles instead of pulling back the string itself. 

Crank cocker – Crank cockers wind back the string and are easier to use than rope cockers. But, since they are permanent attachments, they can increase your crossbow’s overall weight.

Scope – A good dedicated crossbow scope can really help improve accuracy. Some crossbows will come with a scope, but you you may want to upgrade or add a scope if your crossbow does not come with one.

Now that we’ve covered what to look for in a crossbow, let’s take a look at crossbow safety.  

Crossbow Safety for Women

The first thing you think of when you hear the word crossbow should be safety. Always remember to follow best practices so you can live to hunt another day. 

• Don’t forget to wear appropriate safety gear such as eye protection, crossbow safety harness and gloves. Especially gloves. Hand injuries when hunting with crossbows are very common, so even if the crossbow has strong safety wings and pass-through grips, always wear gloves. 
• Make sure the crossbow has the required safety features like an ADF mechanism and automatic safety. Most of the time, you can compromise on other features, but should never compromise safety.
• Before taking her crossbow hunting, make sure to practice in a safe location, such as the shooting range or your backyard. It can help get a good feel of the crossbow’s features and help avoid injuries. 

Conclusion 

Crossbows are a versatile weapon for women who are into target shooting or hunting. They have amazing power and with the right tools and some practice, she’ll be a deadeye in no time. 

When you go crossbow shopping the next time, remember, don’t get caught up in the name game, but find something that fits you just right. Test out several models and don’t be afraid to ask questions.