Horton Vision HD 175 Review

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
Horton Vision 175 Check Best Price	175 lbs.	13"	300 FPS How to sight a crossbow?	20"	35-3/8" / 8.3 lbs.

Pros:

• CH arm equipped for in-field string replacement
• Ultra-compact design perfect for all field conditions
• Extremely well-balanced with no frontal heaviness

Cons:

• Horton has closed its doors, so no warranty
• Heavy trigger pull

Package Contents

Welcome to our review of the Horton Vision 175 crossbow. Each package delivered by Horton includes the following items:

• The Horton Vision 175 crossbow
• Horton Mult-A-Range 4x32mm scope
• Cocking sled
• Hunter Elite 3-arrow quiver
• 3 20” arrows
• Owner’s Manual
• Warranty Card

Once you’ve unboxed your crossbow and made sure everything is included, it is time to assemble it and then get out to the archery range for some shooting time.

Assembling The Crossbow

Assembling the Horton Vision 175 is quite easy, and the owner’s manual does an excellent job of explaining every step of the way. You attach the prod to the riser, then attach the foot stirrup, and finally mount the quiver and scope. From start to finish, it took me about 15 minutes to assemble the Vision and have it ready for shooting.

Accuracy And Power

I’ve ready people scoff at included scopes, insisting that the first thing you should do is replace the scope with a “real” scope. I’m not sure many of these reviewers have used Horton’s Mult-A-Range scope, because for my money, it’s one of the finest scopes on the market. It comes out of the box dead-on, and I was able to quickly sight in the bow and start accuracy testing.

The first thing that amazed me about this bow was the fact that I could shoot ½” groupings at 25 yards. When I got out to 40 yards, my groupings fell off to about an inch and a half, but that is still quite respectable for a crossbow with such a heavy trigger pull.

What To Expect When Hunting With This Crossbow

The Horton Vision 175 is a dream in the field, and is capable of taking down large bucks with ease. I would not rely on this crossbow for elk or larger game, though, because it only deals out 85 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. Even so, I’ve filled my freezer several times over with venison provided courtesy of the Horton Vision 175.

One of the nicest things about hunting with the Vision is the compact size. Whether you are hunting from a deer stand or a popup blind, the narrow axle-to-axle width of the Vision 175 makes it easy to work in confined quarters. At only 8.3 pounds, the Vision 175 is pretty light for carrying in the field, and I was able to hike around my hunting grounds all day without any fatigue.

Cocking The Horton Vision 175

Some strongmen might look at the draw weight of the Horton Vision and say, “175 pounds? I can pull that myself!” Well, sure, and so can I…but I don’t. For one thing, it’s bad practice to hand-cock a crossbow, since a rope cocking device is much more consistent and even with the pullback. For another thing, the tight angles of reverse technology bow strings makes hand cocking much more difficult than it might sound. Don’t do it, folks. Use the rope cocking device that comes with the bow. There is a reason Horton includes the cocking sled.

The Crossbow Scope

Possibly my favorite part of this crossbow is the Mult-A-Range scope. I’ve had at least 5 of these scopes on different crossbows, and they all perform wonderfully. The scope is zeroed in almost out of the box, and requires only a few minor adjustments to be completely sighted in. The adjustment knobs are easy to access and use, and the scope holds true even with bumps and scuffles.

The optics on the Mult-A-Range are clear and crisp, and the scope is almost as effective in lower lighting conditions as it is in full daylight. I can get a very good picture of my target through the scope, and the eye relief is about as close to perfect as can be.

Arrows

Like most reverse draw technology crossbows, the Horton Vision 175 uses 20” crossbow arrows. You’ll get three decent arrows with your crossbow, but I use those only for casual shooting and initial testing. I quickly move on to my favorite Firebolt arrows, set up at 425 grain to match what Horton recommends and rates the crossbow for.

Safety and Design

The Horton Vision 175 is very compact, and easy to use in tight quarters. I’ve used mine from a popup blind with narrow windows several times, and don’t feel at all cramped. The trigger pull is a bit heavy, but the excellent balance and lack of front-heaviness in this crossbow more than makes up for that oversight.

The bow is quiet and effective, and the anti dry fire mechanism works flawlessly every time.

Warranty

Sorry, folks, but Horton has closed its doors, so the manufacturer’s warranty that Horton used to be famous for is no more. Many sellers are providing short warranties with replacement or refund-only clauses, but just as many sellers are selling the crossbow as-is, with no warranty.

Summary

Thanks for reading our crossbow review of the Horton Vision 175. If Horton were still in business, this would probably be my top recommendation for deer hunting. Unfortunately, the lack of any warranty support makes it difficult to recommend this crossbow unless you are looking for reverse draw technology on a budget. Take a look at Amazon.com’s great price on the Horton Vision 175 if you’re interested.