In the world of crossbows, the recurve crossbow is a unique variety: they are easy to load, easy to use, and have long limbs and long barrels that provide great speed and accuracy. They are not as popular as compound crossbows, but they have many advantages.

Here, we will delve into the recurve crossbow and discuss our favorite options. Our list contains a variety of types and models to choose from, and finally we also provide a quick buying guide and comprehensive reviews to help you choose the best recurve crossbow according to your needs for hunting.

Okay, now that you have read the overview, let's get into the details and take a closer look at each recurve crossbow in our list. We will start with what we think is a great choice:

CenterPoint Tyro Recurve Crossbow

The biggest problem new archers often find when looking for an entry-level crossbow is to find a crossbow that can hone their skills while still having the option for target shooting or bow hunting. We think CenterPoint Tyro is a good choice, because it is a starter bow, easy to use, but its strength and durability are the same as you often see in more luxurious options.

We will start with the most important part for beginners: the safety features are perfect for users. Tyro has an automatic safety mechanism, so if you forget to turn it and activate it, you are less likely to injure yourself or others by accidentally firing a weapon, and the tilting stirrup attached to the front also makes you safer. It is easy to cock the crossbow, which can prevent injuries, and you will be surprised how many crossbow injuries happen to the loading the bolt. In our opinion, these two are very good security features.

Now let's look at the key feature: the power. The Tyro crossbow has a hit rate of 245 FPS, which is a higher speed, especially for beginners. It is not as fast as some high-end models, but it means you can practice without being overwhelmed by the speed and power of more advanced crossbows for hunting, and it is still good enough to hunt medium-sized games such as turkeys and whitetail deer. Remember, for this hunting crossbow, you need to do this at a closer distance, usually within 40 yards, but it's still pretty good.

However, our biggest complaint about this model is the accessories. This is a good beginner crossbow to come with accessories in all they can help you start and learn how to use them and Tyro includes a bow sight and four aluminum bolts. These can get you up and running easily, but once you master the direction, you may want to swap better accessories.

Finally, the structure and design quality of CenterPoint Tyro is worth noting, especially for entry-level bows. Generally speaking, the cheap recurve crossbows require less maintenance than other types of crossbows, and the compression-molded fiberglass limbs of the Tyro crossbow may require years of repeated use without failure. This means that even after you become an archery expert, you can keep Tyro in your arsenal.

K Exclusive Avalanche Anaconda Crossbow

The K Exclusive is another weapon suitable for beginners, but it has a lot of primitive power, very suitable for target shooting or bow hunting.

Although it may sound like a lot, the towing weight of 175 pounds is not too heavy, especially because of the attached sling, which provides an archery speed of 245 FPS, which is not too bad for a recurve crossbow. In a short distance of under 40 yards, this is enough to accurately hunt small to medium-sized game, from varmint to turkey to white-tail or mule-tail deer, which of course is enough to start practicing target shooting!

The biggest disadvantage of the Avalanche Anaconda is that it can be difficult to assemble. In fact, it is not because the structure is not good. The parts themselves seem to be doing well. In the long-run, this can be translated into durability. Its description can be a bit small, which can be a challenge for people without crossbow using experience. If you have a lot of trouble, you can go to YouTube, or looking for better solution, take it to your local professional store and ask them for help.

This type of accessory is another benefit. The K Exclusive designed Avalanche Anaconda is a complete crossbow kit for beginners to start immediately. They already include a stringer, wax, a sling, a red-dot scope for crossbow, and a quiver with four aluminum bolts. That's pretty good for all beginner bowhunters or seasoned hunters. It would be nice to see some best crossbow broadheads in the package, but maybe we are a little greedy.

Excalibur Matrix GRZ2 Recurve Crossbow

Excalibur is well-known in the archery and bow hunting circles because it manufactures high-quality and luxurious crossbow models and is a powerful tool for professional crossbowmen. With the Excalibur Matrix GRZ2, they used the same craftsmanship, but put it into the mid-range bow that is more accessible to mid-level archers. We might rank it as the best recurve crossbow overall, and we rate it very highly.

The first and most important point is that the synthetic material used in Excalibur GRZ2 are the same as those used in many other models of GRZ2, including what they call "Feather-Lite Skeletonized Stock". In other words, "It is very light and very strong." In general, this material makes the crossbow lighter and more durable, which allows you to take the crossbow to more extreme hunting conditions. If you have graduated from the beginner model, you might be eager to do this!

The speed and performance of GRZ2 can also improve those who are accustomed to starting bows. It has a bolt speed of 305 FPS, a draw weight of 200 pounds, and an energy of 72.3 FPKE (that is, the kinetic energy in foot-pounds is very good), can accurately shoot at medium distances, and shoot down medium to large game. Such as elk, moose, or bear (but you should refer to the protection regulations of your state to be 100% sure that it meets the requirements). It can also handle serious target shooting.

There is a catch here: In order to make this a mid-range bow with a high-end structure, Excalibur must skip some features. One of the most significant features missing is noise suppression. The noise suppression of GRZ2 is very small, which is very important if you use it for hunting. A loud gunshot may mean that you will startle the game, basically limiting the pace of the game. You need a single, all or nothing bolt, which is not good for people who are still trying to improve its accuracy and using condition. You can add a noise suppression kit, but if it comes with one, that would be great. GRZ2 also lacks safety features, such as automatic safety and anti-dry fire mechanism, so it is not the best choice for beginners and experienced people should also be careful, especially for any beginners who may want to go on a hunting trip.

Finally, the crossbow is easy to assemble and maintain, although there are many options to upgrade the GRZ2 with your own accessories, and it also comes with the best crossbow scope, a rope-cocking aid, making it easier for intermediate users to approach the 200-pound draw weight, and three crossbow bolts equipped with field points, these bolts are installed in an additional four bolts and it is shaking.

We are big fans of Excalibur Matrix GRZ2, which allowed us to choose the best recurve crossbow for the money.

Barnett Blackcat Recurve Crossbow

We believe that the Barnett Blackcat is a good mid-range option for those who just want to hunt with a crossbow, more specifically, game like white-tailed deer or turkey. Because the assembly process is very simple and can be carried out almost at any time, you may not need to know much about this cheap crossbow or general archery before you can enter the woods and start hunting. If you are a rifle hunter and you want to take advantage of the extra months of hunting time that crossbow hunting can provide, that's great.

One thing to remember about the Blackcat is that the bolt speed of this model is 260 FPS. This is good, it is enough for medium-sized game, but not enough for big game, and in long-distance, your accuracy will be reduced. In order to balance these challenges, Barnett is equipped with a red-dot laser sight, which can greatly improve accuracy. These bow sights can play a huge role. They can make a "good" choice or a "very good" choice. The kit also includes two aluminum bolts, which are already equipped with wide hunting broadheads.

Despite its sturdy and durable structure, the Barnett Blackcat weighs only 4.8 pounds, which makes it an excellent choice for hiking and trekking. It also has an anti-dry fire mechanism and finger safety reminders to prevent accidents in the forest. This is another great feature for new hunters (If you are lucky enough to see some big game, remember to switch the mechanism!).

Excalibur Matrix Bulldog 440 Crossbow

The Excalibur Matrix Bulldog 440 Crossbow is our favorite high-end recurve crossbow and our highest recommendation for the big game hunters, including white-tailed deer, elk, moose, or bear. As the name suggests, its bolt speed is 440 FPS. Generally speaking, the speed of this crossbow is very fast, not to mention that the FPS of a recurve crossbow is lower than that of a compound crossbow for hunting, but this is a trade-off you don't need to make here. The 440 FPS of Matrix Bulldog's bolt speed is faster than most crossbows on the market.

Even at longer ranges, the high firing speed itself can provide considerable accuracy. The Tact-100 scope has an adjustable base so you can see it as accurately as possible. This may take some time, but there may be considerable differences in accuracy. These features are great, but we prefer the three-pound Pro-Shot trigger. When you loosen a bolt, you have to be serious, because your fingers twitched and there are no more loose bolts. If you have ever used the best crossbow bolt that is on the verge of fire and loosened a bolt before you are ready, you know how frustrating this is. We think the 3-pound trigger is a very good feature.

The Bulldog also stands out among other luxury recurve crossbows because of its lightweight and reasonably-sized frame. It weighs only 6.2 pounds, which is lighter than many crossbows for sale in the market that cannot reach its firing speed. This is a good choice for multi-day big-game wilderness hunting trips. It can not only reduce your weight, but also in tree stands, or on horseback, or even just when hunting in thick brush, its size is more flexible.

Finally, we must mention the crank, which can be a considerable upgrade, starting from the rope cocker, because it reduces the starting time and noise. This is very important when hunting, especially when hunting in the wild for many days, you don't want to frighten everything around you and ruin the whole journey.

Excalibur has conveniently made Bulldog 440 with cheek supports for left-handed and right-handed people, and they also include four proflight bolts with field points, which are attached to a four-bolt quiver. Bolts are of course effective, but for hunting, it is best to upgrade the tips to hunting broadheads.

Overall, in our opinion, this is the best crossbow for the money in 2022. Don't you think of it?

Conclusion

We can't think of anything! This is a pretty good discussion about the best recurve crossbows for deer hunting. You know the compound crossbows may be more notorious, but they are easier to use and maintain. The recurve crossbows are hard to beat, especially when you consider the draw weight and FPS that many models can achieve. Anyway, we highly recommend you buy Excalibur Matrix GRZ2 and Barnett Blackcat.