Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350 Review – Compound X-Bow

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350 Check price on Amazon.com	180 lbs.	13"	350 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	20"	35.5" to 38" / 8.75 lbs.

Pros: - Mil-Spec buffer tube for AR-15 stocks - Hard-hitting and accurate - Includes everything you need to get started Cons: - Included arrows are aluminum, and bend/break easily - Scope is only adequate for daylight hunting - Quite heavy, at 8.75 pounds	Small Game Hunting?
	Deer, Elk Hunting?
	Moose, Bear Hunting?
	Target Shooting?

What Comes With This Crossbow?

Hi there, and welcome to our review of the Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350. Each package delivered bySouthern Crossbow includes the following items:

• The Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350 crossbow
• 4×32 crossbow scope
• Assembly hardware and tools
• 6-bolt quiver
• 4 arrows
• Safety glasses
• Rope cocking device
• Rail lube
• Owner’s manual
• Warranty card

Assembling the Risen XT 350

When you get your crossbow home and unbox the parts, you’ll see that there is a bit of assembly to be done before you can start shooting. Assembly of this crossbow is quick and easy, and the instructions provide an excellent guide to getting it up and running. You attach the cable slide to the cables, then attach the limb assembly to the stock. Then you can attach the foot quiver, being careful not to overtighten the fastening screws for the stirrup. Next, you’ll mount the quiver bracket and quiver, then mount your scope, and you’re ready to go. It took me around 15 minutes to have this x-bow fully assembled.

Accuracy And Power

This crossbow is rated to deliver arrows at 350 fps with 109 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. This is insanely powerful, and will delivery more than enough of a punch to knock your target block over if you don’t properly secure it.

The first step to really testing the crossbow, of course, is to sight in the scope. I was able to have the scope sighted in within 5 shots, making just minor adjustments to windage and elevation before I was able to put every 15-yard shot closely packed inside the bull’s-eye of my target block.

Now the fun started, as I tested just how well the x-bow would lay down patterns. From 25 yards, I was able to maintain ½” groupings, and I kept my groupings down to an inch from 40 yards. Out to 50 yards, my shot groupings were just over an inch and a half, making this crossbow definitely accurate enough for either target shooting or hunting purposes.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350

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.

Will Hunters Enjoy This Crossbow?

At 8 pounds 12 ounces, this is a meaty crossbow to carry around. I definitely prefer lighter crossbows, since carrying close to 9 additional pounds when you’re trekking to your hunting spot is a chore, one that will leave your back a bit sore and lead to fatigue pretty readily. If you aren’t bulky and strong, you might want to look for a lighter crossbow—plenty of the competition is much lighter than the Risen XT 350.

Other than the weight, this crossbow is perfect for either tree stand or ground blind hunting, due to its black out finish. The x-bow performs perfectly for taking down even the toughest game, including grizzly and Cape buffalo. I had the opportunity to take this bow with me on a grizzly hunt, and was able to easily dispatch a medium-sized grizzly with one shot. The arrow passed clean through the bear, leaving a very large exit wound that led to him bleeding out within a few yards of where I shot him.

Cocking The Risen XT 350

Cocking this crossbow requires a bit of strength, with its 180# draw weight. I recommend using the included rope cocking device, which reduces the effort required to cock the crossbow by around 50%.

The Crossbow Scope

The included scope is mediocre, but it functions reliably. It is a 4×32 non-illuminated scope, and sights in very quickly. The scope holds true for months, and has multiple reticles that correspond to about 25, 30, and 36 yards. That 36-yard mark is a bit odd, but there you have it. The optics are nicely coated, proving to be quite fog-resistant, but the light gathering capabilities of the scope are adequate, at best.

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

Bolts

You’ll find 4 aluminum arrows included with the Risen XT 350, which are mostly useless. Aluminum arrows aren’t designed to stand up to a crossbow this powerful, so I quickly switched over to my favorite Firebolt arrows, 20” long at 400 grain. Southern Crossbow recommends either 20” or 22” arrows for the Risen XT 350, with a weight of at least 350 grain. Personally, I would stick with 400 or 425 grain arrows, since these will give you the weight and stopping power you need to take down the serious game this crossbow is fantastic for.

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

Safety and Design

This crossbow is manufactured in the USA, down in Texas, and is designed with the tactical hunter in mind. It includes a telescopic stock for customizing the butt length to your body and clothing, and has a vertical folding foregrip for an excellent grip. The collapsible stock is designed to Mil-Spec dimensions, so you can even use Mil-Spec AR-15 stocks on your Risen XT 350.

The safety mechanism works flawlessly each and every shot, and the trigger pull is just light enough for a very accurate shot without much pull-down. Overall, this is a solid, sturdy crossbow that functions very well and should provide years of target shooting and hunting use.

Warranty

The crossbows manufactured by Southern Crossbow are covered by a limited lifetime warranty, except for the limbs, cams/wheels/axles, safety glasses, strings, and cables. The limbs and cams/wheels/axles are warranted for five years from the date of purchase, and the warranty is non-transferable. Southern Crossbow has an excellent group of customer service representatives, folks who are very friendly and helpful if you have any problems or questions about your x-bow.

What Crossbow Case Fits the Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350?

The Plano 1133-00 Manta Crossbow Case is a nice hard case companion for the Risen XT 350 for $120. For a little more than twice that you can opt for the hard SKB Hunter Series Crossbow Case. For about $70 theTarantula Deluxe Crossbow Case is a nice soft case option.

Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading our crossbow review. The Southern Crossbow Risen XT 350 is a fine crossbow for either hunting or target shooting, and its ability to accept Mil-Spec AR-15 parts makes it a very nice crossbow to trick out with all the latest technologies. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.