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I’ve tested dozens of crossbows over the last four years — including the fastest, most compact, and most expensive on the market. But, what impresses me the most is a crossbow that’s accurate, has good ergonomics, and is easy to load and unload. If a bow can do all those things, the rest is just gravy. The new TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 offers a good helping of everything I look for in a crossbow, plus a some extras that hunters will certainly appreciate.
Here’s a look at what’s new about this bow and how it performed on the range.
TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 Specs and Features
Specs
- Speed: 431.7 fps (10 shot average with a 440 grain arrow)
- Legnth: 29.5 inches
- Width Cocked: 6.25 inches cocked
- Width Uncocked: 14.5 inches
- Weight: 7.1 pounds
- Price: 2,500 (solid green) and $2,600 (Vektra Camo)
What’s Included
- ACUslide MAXX cocking and de-cocking system
- 100-yard EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope
- Three TenPoint ACU-X 20 Arrows
- Quiver
- Bow hanger
- Bubble Level
Zero-Torsion Technology
Rigidity is one of the keys for an accurate arrow launching platform. TenPoint created large-diameter, 8mm axles, which they say are 215 percent stiffer than standard axles and help maintain cam, axle, and limb alignment during the shot cycle. They also made their limbs 20 percent wider to increase torsional rigidity. They say the design eliminates all torsional movement along the limb axis.
NEW ACU-X 20 Arrows with Snap-On Nock
The TX Ultra 29.5 uses a snap-on nock that TenPoint says will eliminate lateral nock travel and improve accuracy. The new nock is on the new ACU-X 20 arrow, which is spine indexed, has .001-inch straightness, and +/- 1 grain weight tolerances. They also developed a new string for those nocks that has a longer-lasting center serving.
Testing the TX Ultra 29.5 at the Range
I’ve tested crossbows that were marketed as being accurate, but in-fact were not. So my first stop when reviewing any crossbow is the 50 yard line — OL‘s standard accuracy testing distance. At our crossbow test we shot bows head-to-head off a bench to squeak the most accuracy possible out of these platforms. For this review, I shot the crossbow off the TenPoint Axis XL tripod to see its accuracy in a field shooting set up.
The TX Ultra 29.5 was already dead on at 50 yards straight out of the box. All I had to do was put the EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope’s 50 yard mark right where I wanted to hit and I was immediately stacking arrows. I shot groups measuring 1.25, 1, 1.25, 1.5, and 0.8 inches at 50 yards for an average of 1.16 inches. That’s tighter groups than the most accurate crossbow we tested at this year’s crossbow test.
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I had the chronograph running for the first ten shots and it recorded some stellar consistency. Over ten shots the TX Ultra 29.5 only had a 3.8 fps extreme spread and a 1.1 fps standard deviation. The average speed for those ten shots was 431.7 fps with a 440 grain ACU-X 20 arrow.
I stretched the TX Ultra 29.5 out to 100 yards where it shot groups measuring 3.63, 3.75, and 3.25 inches. That was while shooting from the Axis XL tripod from a seated position. It’s worth noting that shooting a crossbow at 100 yards isn’t the same as shooting a rifle at that distance. To produce good accuracy you need to focus on your follow through because you can easily throw off your shot while the arrow is leaving the string. The key for me is to pull the stock tight into my shoulder and make sure the crossbow doesn’t move after the shot.
The TX Ultra 29.5’s loading procedure is very similar to other TenPoint crossbows. Loading the bow is an intuitive and fast process that can be done in a treestand or a small ground blind. The one difference is the new snap-on nocks. The nocks clip on with light pressure and you’ll hear a “click.”
The TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 weighs 7.1 pounds, which is similar to the TenPoint TX28 and Ravin R29x. It’s a good weight for balancing a bow that’s accurate and still easy to carry. I shot some offhand, seated, and kneeling groups at 50 yards that were shockingly close to my tripod groups. I saw very little movement through the scope because the bow balances really well.
My praises for many great crossbows were soured by a safety position that forced you to break your shooting position to disengage it. Thankfully, the TX Ultra 29.5 has an ideal safety location. You can put the target in the scope disengage the safety with you thumb and squeeze the trigger while maintaining your shooting position.
Where it Can Improve
The new snap-on nocks are a significant improvement for TenPoint crossbows, but the loading procedure isn’t totally fool proof. You have to be careful when loading the arrow to make sure that the vanes are level as you seat the nock onto the string. It’s possible to seat the arrow with the vanes at an angle and the nock not clipped on and still fire it. I did this a a few times and instead of crisp click, you’ll feel the nock squish into place. Also, there’s a cut out on the scope rail just above where the nock seats that can catch your vane and put it into the cockeyed loading stance.
What it Does Best
This crossbow is accurate, but what’s notable is how easy it is to shoot accurately. I didn’t exert a great amount of focus or effort to shoot sub-1-inch groups at 50 yards. I just put the 50 yard reticle on the dot and squeezed the trigger.
Everything on this crossbow — from the case to how the cocking handle stows — is smartly designed. I’ve never been impressed with a crossbow case and I’ve never been able to get them packed neatly, until now. The case that comes with this bow is absolutely a value add. The main compartment stows the bow in a protected hard shell. Then there are compartments that line the bottom of the case for your arrows and accessories.
Final Thoughts
TenPoint built one heck of a crossbow. It’s light, compact, accurate, easy to load, plenty fast, and ergonomic. Really my only quibble is that the loading isn’t completely idiot proof. But still, this might be one of the most well-rounded hunting crossbows I’ve tested. It checks a lot of boxes for me and I think serious crossbow hunters should certainly check this one out.