Wicked Ridge Invader G3 Ten Point Crossbow Review

I want to walk you through my thoughts on what I believe is the best value for money piece of bow hunting equipment out there today in the Wicked Ridge Invader G3. This Ten Point crossbow review is purely focused on the Invader G3, and we all know that all crossbows are not created equally, so for a comparison between the Invader G3 and its peers, I'll steer you in the right direction a little further on.

Crossbow hunting seems to have spiked dramatically in popularity around my area ever since Daryl (Norman Reedus) made his first appearance in episode 3 of the first season of The Walking Dead with his Horton Scout HD 125.

But for me, bow hunting has been something I've been around a lot longer than the silver screen debut of Reedus back in 2010. For a lot of my buddies, Reedus epitomizes the true survivalist and hunter, but I think that there was one shortfall in his character; the HD 125 should have been an Invader G3.

Before I decided to buy the Ten Point Wicked Ridge Invader G3 I'd looked online at a lot of different options, and read a lot of reviews. Some of the others I looked at included PSE (too many warranty claims and defects from what I saw in reviews), Barnett (too much plastic in their manufacture for my liking), and Excalibur (a bit far out of my price point at the time).

With the level of quality in the manufacturing of the Invader G3 for its price point, you'll see here that it stacks up against its competitors at a higher price point very nicely. Honestly, when you throw in DynaFlight 97 string and cables, 12.3 inch tactical black W12 limbs, energy wheels, and 165 pound draw weight for under $600, how can you possibly go wrong?

ACUdraw Bow Cocking System

Another thing that I like about the aptly named ACUdraw assembly is that the accuracy of the shot is dramatically improved as the bowstring is evenly set in the string latch, unlike what can be encountered when manually cocking a bow by hand, or using a rope cocker.

One of the things in this Ten Point Crossbow review that I really like is the ease of cocking the Invader G3. The crank option on the ACUdraw gear assisted cocking mechanism fitted to the Invader G3 is something that I really like.

All you need to do is push down on the 'engage' lever to release the claw mechanism, pull it forward so it holds the bowstring, push up on the 'engage' lever, and use the crank to pull the claw mechanism back until the bowstring is firmly within the string latch.

This is a great option if you suffer from any previous back injuries as the force required to cock the bow is dramatically reduced. It does take a bit longer, but it does open up the scope of operation of the crossbow to virtually anyone of any fitness level. Something to keep in mind is that it is considerably more time consuming using the crank when compared to using a cocking rope like the ACUrope.

Impressive Finishing Touches

Using rare earth magnets to ensure that parts are kept where they should be and connect in the best manner possible is a great finishing touch in my opinion. Older crossbows I've had in years gone by have not had this depth of thought put into them, and have been a little less easy to use and keep well maintained.

The Invader G3 does require some minor assembly when purchased new. This is easy enough to complete following the instructions that Ten Point provide fresh out of the box. I was really impressed to see that the 3x multi-line scope had been mounted before the unit was packaged, which takes a lot of the hassle out of the process. I remember spending hours working on getting my first sight up with a previous bow and I really appreciate the fact that this has been done professionally to the manufacturer's specifications.

With the dry fire inhibitor, and the auto-engaging safety trigger I'm impressed with how this 6.6 pound unit is capable of firing at 330 feet per second. It's little wonder why the Invader G3 continues to be a top seller, even for what is essentially an entry level crossbow. From where I stand, the Ten Point Crossbow review on this unit is ten stars all around for the money spent.

For me, the best resource for all things bow hunting related, and a great place to see how the Invader G3 compares to other bows in some very comprehensive crossbow reviews which further build on this Ten Point crossbow review, head over to BowAuthority.

This was originally posted on my blog at Wicked Ridge Invader G3 Ten Point Crossbow Review and shared here to add value to the Steemit Community.