TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX Review – Compound Crossbow

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX Check price on Amazon.com	160 lbs.	16"	365 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	20"	37.5" / 6.9 lbs.

Welcome to another x-bow review, this time for the TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX. TenPoint has a solid reputation for building top-of-the-line crossbows, but you’ll pay for the name on their signature lines. Let’s examine the Carbon Phantom RCX and see if it’s worth the money.

What’s Included in the Box?

When you unpackage your new Carbon Phantom RCX, here’s what you’ll find:

• The TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX itself
• Preinstalled string dampening rods
• A TenPoint RangeMaster Pro scope
• Either the ACUdraw hand-crank or the ACUdraw 50 rope cocking device
• Instant-detach three-arrow quiver with ambidextrous side-mount bracket
• Six TenPoint Pro Elite 20-inch carbon arrows with 100-grain field tips
• Sample tube of cable lubricant
• Assembly hardware and tools
• Owner’s instructional DVD
• Assembly manual
• Warranty card
• TenPoint vehicle window sticker

How Difficult Is It to Assemble Your New Crossbow?

You’ll need to attach the riser to the stock, insert the cable saver, and make sure the main assembly bolt is properly installed. Then you’ll attach the foot stirrup and quiver. Finally, you should mount your scope. It’s all relatively easy, and the included instruction manual does a fantastic job of illustrating the steps.

Is the Included Scope Challenging to Sight In?

TenPoint’s RangeMaster Pro scope is quite easy to sight in. Dial in the proper velocity for the arrows you’re using first. If you stick with the included Pro Elite 425-grain carbon arrows, you should set it to 365 FPS. The advertised speed of up to 385 FPS assumes Pro Lite arrows, which only weight 370-grain. More on that later.

Once the velocity is dialed in, follow the standard procedure for sighting in. Take a couple of shots at 10 yards, adjust the windage and elevation according to the instructions, and make sure you’re close to the bull’s eye. Then step back to 20 yards, and repeat. Finally, test your sight-in from 50 yards. If all goes well, as it did for me, you’ll be fully sighted in within seven or eight shots. Once sighted in, the RangeMaster Pro has a reputation of keeping zeroed for as long as it remains mounted on your x-bow.

How Powerful and Accurate Is the Carbon Phantom RCX?

With the included 425-grain arrows (100-grain field tips, remember), your x-bow will shoot a bit slower than advertised. However, it will power those arrows with 126 foot-power of kinetic energy (compared to 122 FP KE with the lighter arrows.) Either way, that’s more than the recommended kinetic energy to take down any legal game in North America. This baby’s got the power you need.

Accuracy is dead-on once you’re sighted in. The crossbow is a bit front-heavy, but most models of this type are. Even so, I was able to maintain one-inch patterns from 25 yards, and one and a half inch patterns from 50 yards. That’s actually a personal best for me, I think.
Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX

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 Useful Is This X-bow for Hunters?

You won’t run into any snags using this x-bow in the bush. Its axle-to-axle width when cocked is a mere 13.375 inches, keeping it narrow enough to be maneuverable in most tree stands and ground blinds. It’s also very lightweight, tipping the scales at just 6.9 pounds. Most importantly, it’s one of the quietest crossbows I’ve ever fired, thanks to the included string dampeners.

How Easy Is This Model to Cock?

You get your choice of cocking systems with the Carbon Phantom RCX. You can opt for the ACUdraw hand-crank cocking system, which does make a tad bit more noise than you might like. These systems also have the unfortunate tendency of suffering from lost handles. The upside is that the “draw weight” is only about nine or ten pounds of cranking action.

Your other choice is the integrated ACUdraw 50, a rope-cocking system that reduces the draw weight by about 50 percent, to 80 pounds. This system has the benefit of being quieter, and it’s fully integrated so there are no parts to lose.

How Good Is the Included Scope?

TenPoint bundles this x-bow with its RangeMaster Pro scope, its best optic. This model offers three duplex crosshairs and five dots calibrated for 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards. The scope offers variable zoom from 1.5X to 5X, and it also provides illuminated red or green dots for use during low-light conditions. The brightness settings on the rheostat-controlled illuminated dots are perfectly-matched for almost any lighting condition.

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

What Kind of Arrows Do I Need?

You get a six-pack of TenPoint’s best carbon arrows, the Pro Elite model. These are terrific arrows, but if you do decide to buy different ones, just make sure they are at least 400-grain total weight (with field tips or broadheads) or more. If you go below 425-grain, you’ll have to dial in the appropriate velocity on the scope and then sight in again.

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

How’s the Safety and Design?

The safety and anti dry-fire mechanism work perfectly, and the trigger pull is quite light and smooth. The foregrip is built to keep your fingers well clear of the strings and cables, which is important.

What Kind of Warranty Backs This Crossbow?

TenPoint warranties all of its crossbows for the lifetime of the original owner. This doesn’t apply to the limbs or scope (warranted for five years) or the strings and cables (no warranty). Make sure to send in the warranty card within 30 days of purchase.

TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading my review of the TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX crossbow. This is a great tool for target shooting or hunting. It’s just a tad bit expensive and slightly front-heavy, like most front draw crossbows.

Make sure to check today’s Amazon.com price on the TenPoint Carbon Phantom RCX if you’re interested.