Tactical Crusader Hand Held Hunting Archery 50LB Pistol Crossbow Gun, Black (Darts Color May Vary)

It was easy to put together. About 10 mins. I bought it with a laser and 2 80 pound strings. (I waxed my string before I put it on) I plan on trying the 50 pound string it came with. First shot I missed the can and it went into the wall about 15 feet away. Another shot, I shot an arrow thru about an inch of wood from about 15 feet away. It’s powerful for what it is...I saw a few reviews saying things like the arrow shot a few feet and dropped...NO, I can see it being accurate up to 50 feet and better with practice. I’ll wait to try the 80 pound string. EDIT. The crossbow is cheaply made BUT it’s okay unless you playing on dropping it on concrete all the time. And on the downside my retention spring broke. It started snapping apart after about the 20th shot and was done by 25. Its replaceable but the retention spring is definitely the cheapest part but hey I get what you pay for. I see a couple on here with better quality that I’ll order. Btw the retention spring seem like aluminum but it’s plastic. And for it to pack the little punch it does the retention spring isn’t nearly strong enough. I still feel like it’s worth the money and even now I can just mod it.

I have read the horror stories concerning the difficulty of stringing this item...Completely unwarranted if you use your head. First off, the body is cast aluminum and feels quite durable, The bow is metal instead of fiberglass,(which I actually like due the the fraying which can occur over time on most inexpensive fiberglass pieces... This bow will not snap, if anything it may bend. I will warn you, the sights on this are not very stable, meaning that you will likely have to resight often unless you apply epoxy to the rear mount upon installation. As far as stringing...The most common horror story that I have seen concerning this item, I easily managed to string this bow in a matter of about a minute and a half...by myself...requiring no medical doctor visits or bandages. By hooking one end of the string onto the bow and placing my foot as close to the string as possible, I then simply stepped onto a hard surface,(the floor) onto the strung end and using one hand to hold the unattached end of the string, and the other to pull back on the unstringed end I was able to quite easily hook the unattached end.. No muss...no fuss. The entire process of assembly took less than 5 minutes. The trigger pull is a bit heavy, though if you consider this a safety feature, then you would be aligned with my way of thinking, I would say about 2 to 3 lbs required. Though I have not measured it, the cocking pull is about 15 lbs, Not too bad for a 50 lb crossbow.

Edited: 9-17-2020 UPGRADES!!!! I added some pics with an upgraded scope, new string, and aluminum bolts. I've have had ZERO misfires with the new bolts. Group at 10 meters with minimal adjustments. First, this is a weapon, not a toy. If you're not taking the time to set it up and make sure all the parts are secure and undamaged, you're setting yourself up for failure, let alone pain or worse! This is a fun little crossbow if setup and used correctly, BUT! I received the crossbow and within the first ten shots the string started unraveling. I returned the entire thing and and received a second crossbow that lasted about 30 shots before again fraying and damaging the string. I was very frustrated and disappointed at this point and decided to sleep on returning it a second time in less than 24 hours. Maybe all the bad reviews were right after all... Day two I did some research and here's what I found: 1. BUY WAX AND WAX THE STRING AND RAILS BEFORE SHOOTING EVEN ONCE! The string is plenty durable, but is very dry and friction is you're enemy here. Applying some $4 bowstring wax (there are household alternatives) to the center where the string contacts the bolt and rails will protect the string from heat and damage. You can also apply a thin layer of wax directly to the top guide rails to help reduce heat. 2. Tighten screws, but not too tight as some parts of the sight screw directly into the plastic and can be damaged. Assembly is not well documented, but straight forward with the exception of the string (more below). 3. The sight adjustments are simple, but parts are VERY flimsy. If you're looking for anything more than fun target practice, you may want to upgrade. There's a dovetail rail for adding scopes, sights, or conversions to more popular types. 4. The safety switch (or sudden movements for that matter) can bump the bolt too far forward when engaging/disengaging causing the string to ride over the bolt and not shoot correctly (or at all). I know most people claiming they can't shoot more than 5 feet are having this problem. Be sure the bolt is in the correct position (may need to slide the bolt slightly forward or back) if you are not having success shooting. 5. Stringing ANY crossbow can be very awkward and frustrating. It may be worth searching for "how to string a crossbow", but it only took me a few seconds and nothing was damaged in the process. Keep in mind if you bend or break any part, it may no longer safe to shoot. Again I have to stress that this is not a toy and does require some technique and/or strength. Hope this helps!

Was a complete pain to string since it doesn't give you instructions besides "get a friend". Didn't tell me anything like "use your foot" or "get a front hook". Even then the string loop sometimes jump'd the hook and would get partially cut on the metal bow (IMG 1). The grip also hurt my hand to pull back since the texture dug into my hand (IMG 3). Somehow a screw came loose above the grip and I didn't even touch that part of the bolt. The worst part is that after only 9 shots the string snapped one of the bow caps and sent it flying(IMG 1) and it un-strung the bow (IMG 2). Not only could I not re-string it since the plastic hook cap snapped in half but I also did not feel like re-stringing this. Also the iron sights were off, aiming the bolts way lower than they actually shoot. I popped a hole in my dry wall because of it.

Warning: First off, this is sold for ages 10+ but I would caution any parent to pay attention to the reviews and consider carefully before giving this to a child! This is not a toy - it is mostly metal with some plastic parts and has a 50lb draw weight meaning those sharp little target bolts can shoot through skin if the range is close enough. Also, while the bow is metal, given the placement of the plastic parts I would be concerned what would happen if they should break while the string is cocked. Pros: The body is solid and hefty. The practice bolts appear well made for their purpose. Cons: This is impossible for a single person to string. It took three people to string mine, because there is no give or flexibility. This is the first crossbow I have bough and I had though, given how often I string bows and the fact this is like a toy, I could do it the same way, but all that ended up happening was cutting my hand (the bowed part is slightly sharp). It is also very difficult to pull back considering it is a 50lb draw and I don't know many 10 years olds (if any) who could do this. While some parts are made of metal, the top part is plastic and very flimsy plastic at that. Mine was also missing an important screw on the top - luckily I bought this originally as part of a costume with the idea I could also use it for practice so it wasn't too much of a disappointment (easy enough fix with the right size knut), but it would render the entire thing useless otherwise. If you are buying this for a costume or prop I would advice to buy a different one with a lower draw weight. If you are buying this as a toy for a child, I honestly wouldn't. If you are buying this to use yourself for target practice, I would say either be very cautious of the plastic bits and don't expect it to last long or to consider a better, more expensive one.

Ordered because of the cheap, entry level price tag. Read all the reviews to know string and rail wax is necessary and to take the time to check it over upon assembly. With the assembly work out of the way I immediately started to modify it like I do with anything I get. Added a custom safety extension. Added caps to the cooking lever.. Put a 9x scope on it. Nahhhhh, too shaky for a scoped pistol. Try a red dot, hmmmmmm better, but still not quite right. Laser? There it is. Either stock sights or laser. I've put a lazy 250 bolts through this in the last couple days. The plastic yellow and red ones are the most fun so far. I made a few long bolts from the aluminum broadhead arrows and they're pretty amazing. Super impressed by the consistency of function for such a cheap pistol. Ordered a more expensive cobra system bow but this one is fun enough to want to order another or several more to really play around with them. Either way, it is a great tool to help spark an interest in archery.

The TL;DR is that you should get this if you’re even thinking about it. A bit more detail: I was concerned initially after reading about the string breaking, but other reviews set me at ease. This is a real crossbow, and you need to treat it as such. In other words, wax the string and rails. You can get a three pack of string wax on Amazon for like $5. Get that. I’ve put hundreds of shots through this, and really, it’s good. The string is fine. As far as accuracy: it’s under $20, you aren’t going to be William Tell with this thing. The included sights are sort of flimsy, but you can dial them in pretty well. That said, the sights are mounted on a standard 3/8” dovetail, so if it’s too much of a pain, toss a red dot on there. Oh, and get another dozen plastic bolts as well. You’ll want them. Grand total? Under $30. This thing is STUPID FUN for that much money. Get it.

Excellent for the price paid, 11$. Fairly accurate and powerful. Buried in a hunk of red meat up to the plastic fletching, so plenty of power to do in a small game animal under 20 pounds. The bolts are not great, break easy, and all. I will make some better ones for better penetration and longevity. But it has not worn out in 300 shots, though I lost all the bolts and broke others. It’s really not bad. I’d hunt rabbits with it for sure. For 11 bucks it is excellent. If they could make one a little longer from die cast aluminum or heavier polymer with a 100lb prod it would be a dangerous tool! This will kill. It’s not a toy. Performance in power I would rate it similar to a .177 air rifle that shoots at 700fps as to what it can safely accomplish. 20 yards max on a rabbit, but I was hitting my target at 50!