Tenpoint Venom Crossbow Review – Compound Crossbow

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
TenPoint Venom Check price on Amazon.com	185 lbs.	13.5"	353 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	20"	34.6" / 6.5 lbs.

Package Contents

Hi there, and thanks for stopping by for this review of the TenPoint Venom. Each package delivered by TenPoint includes the following items:

• TenPoint Venom Crossbow
• AcuDraw cocking aid
• Assembly hardware
• Bowjax limb vibration dampeners
• RangeMaster Pro scope
• 3-arrow quick-detach quiver
• 6 TenPoint Pro Elite arrows
• Instruction Manual
• Warranty Card
• Sample tube of rail oil

Putting It All Together

Assembly of the TenPoint Venom is quick and easy. You attach cable saver to the cables, then attach the riser to the stock, securing it with the main bolt and the included Allen wrench. After that, you attach the foot stirrup and mount the scope. Finally, you can attach the included quiver to your crossbow, and you’re ready to shoot. I had my Venom ready to go within 25 minutes of unboxing it.

Accuracy And Power

The performance of this crossbow is absolutely stellar, like almost all of TenPoint’s products. Sighting in the scope was a cinch, because it was already zeroed in right out of the box. When I started shooting, my groupings at 25 and 30 yards were so tight I almost split a couple of arrows. From 50 yards, I could maintain a ¾” grouping with ease, and my 75 yard groupings were a mere 1” in diameter.

How powerful this crossbow is depends on what weight arrows you use. I was using 425-grain arrows, and the force from the arrow was hard enough to pass clean through my target block and halfway into the backstop. According to the numbers, that arrow flew 353 fps and hit with 118 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy.

Ballistic Data For The Tenpoint Venom

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.

How Good is the Venom for Hunting?

With the amount of power that the arrow hits with, the TenPoint Venom is perfect for any legal game in North America. Its compact size makes it easy to maneuver through the woods and in the deer stand or ground blind, and the light weight of the crossbow means you won’t be breaking your back hauling it around.

This crossbow has served me well on several hunts, including a Cape buffalo hunt. I tell ya, that buffalo didn’t know what hit him when my arrow ripped through his chest like a hot knife cutting through butter! He stumbled off for about 20 yards, then keeled over from blood loss. I’ve also bagged my limit of deer with the Venom, because the thing is wicked powerful and superbly accurate.

Kinetic Energy Of The Parker Venom

So, how much power will a 425-grain arrow flying at 353 fps really have when it hits the target? This is where the TenPoint Venom really shines, because it has both accuracy and power behind each shot. From point blank range, the arrows hit with an astounding 117 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. Even though you lose a few percent ft. lbs. with every 10 yards beyond point blank range, this still means that your typical 30-yard shot will hit the target with 110 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. This is more than enough power to take on even the meanest, toughest game in North America: the grizzly bear or the Cape buffalo.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Cocking The TenPoint Venom

With 185 pounds of draw weight, this is a back breaker to draw if you don’t use a cocking device of some sort. Luckily, TenPoint includes its AcuDraw integrated rope cocking device, which makes drawing the string a cinch. I’ve gotten it down to a fine art with this crossbow, and can have it cocked and ready to fire within about 5 seconds.

The Crossbow Scope

TenPoint’s RangeMaster Pro scope is one of the top in its class. It gives you duplex crosshairs above two black dots at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yard aiming points. The dots can be illuminated either red or green with the turn of a dial, and the brightness can be adjusted between five different brightness settings.

The multicoated optics magnify from 1.5X to 5X, and the light transmission on this scope is nothing short of breathtaking. Every shot is clean and crisp, and the scope is just as useful in low light conditions as bright daylight.

The scope sights in easily, and holds true even after a lot of bumping around in the back of a pickup truck. With this crossbow, you won’t need to replace the scope with a better one, because the included scope rivals some of the best aftermarket crossbow scopes.

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

Bolts

The Pro Elite arrows included with the TenPoint Venom were specially crafted by Easton for the Venom. They have Omni-Nocks with three bowstring channels to help alleviate indexing problems. The arrows are strong and durable, and I found them very straight and accurate in flight.

TenPoint recommends 20” arrows for the Venom, and ships the bow with 425-grain arrows. You can run with the included arrows, or even go down to 3370-grain or up to 545-grain full metal jacket arrows, if you choose.

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

Safety and Design

The bullpup stock on the TenPoint Venom is very comfortable and easy to hold, and the crossbow lacks the frontal heaviness that so many crossbows suffer from. The trigger pull is light and smooth, with its break exactly where you would expect it to be.

The anti-dry fire mechanism and safety work flawlessly every time, and this crossbow is basically a dream to shoot.

Warranty

TenPoint offers a limited lifetime warranty on all of its crossbows, but you must fill out and return the included warranty card within 30 days of purchasing the crossbow to activate the warranty. TenPoint’s customer service staff are the best, maintaining a friendly and professional demeanor and helping to resolve any problems you might have with your crossbow.

What Crossbow Case Fits the TenPoint Venom?

A favored pick to store the TenPoint Venom in is the Carbon Express Deluxe Case and is a bargain for smaller crossbows with smaller scopes. For a little more than twice that price there is the Plano 1133-00 Manta Crossbow Case. It features an adjustable tall-stock.

Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading our crossbow review on the TenPoint Venom. This crossbow is a fantastic purchase, and will provide years of pleasure both on the range and in the field. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.