Horton Storm RDX Review (In-Field) – Compound Crossbow

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
Horton Storm RDX Check price on Amazon.com	165 lbs.	16.5"	370 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	20"	35.25" / 7 lbs. 11 ozs.

Horton Storm RDX Package Contents

The Horton Storm RDX arrives standard as a complete package. Ours came with:

• A 4 X 32 mm multi-reticle scope
• 3 Horton Victory 20” arrows with 100-grain field points
• A quick detach quiver
• An ACUdraw™ cocking device

This was everything we needed to head to the range. About all you would need to add for a day of hunting is some broadheads and some practice time.

First Impressions: Design, Safety, Comfort and Accuracy

Horton has really incorporated some incredible features into the Storm RDX. From the moment you open the box, you know that you have a crossbow that is going to turn a lot of heads. The total look and feel is that you are holding something special.

One of the first things you notice is that the limbs are backwards. The RDX stands for Reverse Draw Crossbow, and having the limbs and riser pointed toward you is a bit different. The result of this reverse limb design is a super powerful, super narrow crossbow that feels much lighter than its actual weight. Having the riser and limbs pointed backwards really has a positive impact on the way the crossbow shoulders as the center of gravity has been pushed back towards the shooter resulting in greater comfort and control.

To add to the comfort, Horton has added an adjustable butt plate as well as an adjustable cheek plate. The butt plate has three positions to help you get the correct LOP, and the cheek plate can be adjusted vertically in 7 positions to ensure you are fitted perfectly to the stock.

The Storm RDX was very smooth to shoot, with a trigger that broke at just over 3.5 lbs. The massive skeleton cams and split limbs combined to push an arrow out at sizzling speed with very little recoil. The new arrow retention brush has 3 sets of bristles that really made a difference in terms of silencing the shot as well as perfectly aligning the arrow in the center of the track every time. All of these features have combined to really make a comfortable, fast and smooth shooting platform.

Kinetic Energy of the Storm RDX

The Storm RDX offers a ton of punch from such a narrow frame. The reverse draw allows for a very long, 16.5” power stroke to really maximize the power of the 165-lb. limbs. The Storm RDX fires 400-grain arrows at a whopping 370 fps, translating to a muzzle energy of about 122 ft. lbs. This is some serious power and should allow you to hunt just about anything you want, short of a T-Rex.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Horton Storm RDX

Your actual results will vary slightly depending on weather, and significantly with arrow weight change. See our Crossbow Ballistics Guides section for a complete understanding of how we conducted our tests and why this data matters.

Hunting with the Storm RDX

Hunting with the Storm RDX is going to be an awesome endeavor. The looks you are going to get at deer camp are going to be ones of envy when you pull this crossbow out. Once in the stand, you are going to love the narrow axle-to-axle measurement of just 10”…yes, we said that correctly, ten inches! You are going to be able to use the Storm RDX in places that have likely been too tight for crossbows in the past.

The smooth trigger and the rear center of gravity are going to combine to really allow you to make some excellent shots, even when off hand, and the stealth when shooting is going to mean no jumped strings. All in all, we think you are going to really enjoy this as your newest hunting companion.

How Quiet is the Storm RDX

The Storm RDX is a very stealthy and quiet crossbow. We have found that a lot of reverse draw crossbows seem to be much quieter. In our research, we have found that is a result of the riser not being on the end of the barrel, but rather farther back where there is more support. The dual string stops really help cut vibration as well as the new arrow retention brush, which eliminates the metallic ‘twang’ that often occurs when shooting a crossbow with a metal retention piece. All of these combine to make an amazingly quiet crossbow in the Storm RDX.

Cocking the Storm RDX

Cocking the Storm RDX using the ACUdraw™ system was an absolute breeze. This system only requires about 5 lbs. of effort to crank, which is something you can almost do with your index finger. We didn’t get to try the Dedd Sled rope cocker, but given how low you connect to the string at rest, cocking without the crank should be no issue. The Dedd Sled is the rope cocking aid that Horton sells for its reverse crossbow line.

Quality of the Optics

The included 4 X 32 scope is sufficient for a lot of shooting situations. It is graduated for 20, 30 and 40 yard shots with a floating dot for 50 yards. The light transmission is good, but we would have like to seen an illuminated scope given the potential this crossbow has for hunting. One observation we made was that the Storm RDX was difficult to line up for longer shots use the multiple aim points. Upon a bit of investigation, it would appear this scope is better suited for a crossbow that shoots around 330 fps, so getting a scope that is adjustable for speed might be a good choice down the road.

See our detailed guide on how to sight-in your crossbow

What Arrows to use with the Storm RDX

The Storm RDX comes standard with three 20” Horton Victory carbon arrows. These feature slightly offset vanes and come with the Superbrite Omni-Nocks. These are pretty much ready to go right out of the box. If you do decide that you want to look into something different, be sure to stay in that 20” range and be sure you are getting enough spine to handle a 370 fps crossbow.

You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendations

Overall Thoughts

The Storm RDX is a really impressive addition to the Horton family. The split limb, reverse draw design is absolutely sexy in its appearance. This is one of the crossbows that you are going to want every one of your buddies to see just in visual appeal alone.
So often, when a crossbow looks really cool, the actual functionality suffers. Not so with the Storm RDX. The power combined with the stealth is really something we haven’t seen in a long while. Add to that the portability and the ridiculously narrow 10” axle-to-axle distance when cocked, and you have a hunting tool that will enable you to get in areas that you have only been able to use a rifle in the past.

At over $1000, the Strom RDX is certainly not on the low end of the cost spectrum, but this is one of those times where you truly get what you pay for. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.