As states begin to legalize hunting with crossbows during archery season, the popularity of this primitive weapon has skyrocketed. Also due to this, companies have modernized this ancient design and made it the advanced piece of equipment that it is nowadays. That said, [track-link url=”https://ravincrossbows.com/” campaign=”SHOT2019_R26″ target=”_blank”]Ravin Crossbows[/track-link] took it to another level with their short, slim bullpup design of the R26 and R29 line.
For the purpose of this article, I will focus mainly on the R26. Keep in mind that the R29 is much the same, just with a longer powerstroke and 29″ overall length which yields higher velocities (430 FPS).
As mentioned, the R26 is built around the bullpup design. This means that the trigger is in front of the firing mechanism. This allows the crossbow to keep a shorter overall length while maintaining a long power stroke, leading to higher velocities. Another design feature that is noteworthy is the lack of any kind of string guide, which minimizes friction and helps with accuracy. The trigger is probably the most important part of this bow and it aims to impress with it’s light and crisp 2.5 pound pull weight with zero creep.
To cock the R26, you use a hand crank to roll the latch forward, till it connects to the string. Once latched, you use the hand crank to pull the string back. It is a simple, yet ingenious design. Unlike many other crossbows, once cocked there is a way to decock the bow. Simply press the release button in the buttstock and then slowly let the string back into its natural state using the hand crank.
The R26 and R29 both claim 3″ accuracy at 100 yards. The crossbow scope and 6 bolts are included in the package. The optic can be tuned using the magnification ring to match your bow specifically based on the measured arrow velocity. It comes with a drop compensating reticle for 20-100 yards.
The [track-link url=”https://ravincrossbows.com/” campaign=”SHOT2019_R26″ target=”_blank”]Ravin Crossbows[/track-link] R26 and R29 are available right now for an MSRP of $1,999.
Specifications and Features
- 13″ powerstroke (R26) and 16″ powerstroke (R29)
- 400 FPS (R26) and 430 FPS (R29) with 400 grain arrow
- 2.5 pound trigger
- simple decocking method
- 5 3/4″ cam to cam cocked width
- 3″ accuracy at 100 yards
- comes with 6 bolts and an optic
- available currently
- $1,999 MSRP (R26) $2,499 MSRP (R29)
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