How we score
Every crossbow is scored on the same five criteria in the same order, and the score is set before any retailer link is added to the page. When a maker changes what ships in the box, the score is recalculated rather than edited.
Bolt Bench editorial team
Editorial team
We compare entry-level crossbows on what can be checked: published specifications, what ships in the box, the total price to get shooting, and what owners consistently report.
We do not run our own range tests. Where a figure comes from a maker's listing, we say so.