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Gifts · For crossbow hunters

Best Gifts for Crossbow Hunters

Crossbow gifts divide cleanly: four that work without knowing anything about their bow, and two that need one specification you can read off the stock or the box in the garage. Each note says exactly which.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

If you want one gift that lands for any crossbow hunter, buy the BLOCK Infinity Crossbow target. It is rated to 520 FPS, which covers every crossbow currently sold, it takes broadheads as well as field points, and it has six shootable sides — so it is the rare crossbow gift that cannot be the wrong size, the wrong brand or the wrong spec. Almost everything else in this category is matched to a specific bow, and that is what makes crossbow gifts harder than they look.

Crossbows are specified weapons. Bolts have a length, a weight and a nock style the manufacturer requires, and shooting the wrong one can damage the bow and void a warranty. Scopes mount to a particular rail. Cocking devices are often model-specific. Buy any of those blind and the odds are against you.

So this page is in two halves. The first four picks need nothing at all from the recipient’s crossbow: a target, a maintenance kit, a light for the recovery, and a rangefinder. The last two need one fact each, and the note on the card tells you what it is and where it is printed — usually on the stock, in the manual, or on the box the last bolts came in. Every product here already earned a place in one of our crossbow or field-gear comparisons on published specs. We have not tested any of it, which is why each note links back to the comparison that argued for it.

How this is funded:we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we recommend, and we’ll tell you plainly when to skip one. Full disclosure.

Quick picks

Ranked on published specs, package value and buyer fit. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We have not tested these products — here is exactly what we do instead.

#ProductBest forPrice
1
BLOCK Infinity Crossbow

BLOCK Infinity Crossbow

The one to buy if you shoot a crossbow. A modern hunting crossbow leaves the rail around 380 to 400 fps, and a target not built for that either lets bolts through or swallows them so deep you damage one getting it out. This is rated to 520 fps with six shootable sides, which answers both problems honestly.

Best crossbow gift overall
$145.75 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

2
Barnett Rail Lube & Lubewax Combo Kit

Barnett Rail Lube & Lubewax Combo Kit

The whole maintenance job in one box: rail lube for the barrel the string drags across, and wax for the string and cables that do the work. Buying them together is the difference between doing this properly and doing the half of it you remembered.

Best small gift
$19.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

3
NEBO IllumaTrace Blood Tracker Flashlight

NEBO IllumaTrace Blood Tracker Flashlight

Publishes what most of this category will not: 180 lumens and a three-hour runtime. A blood light that dies an hour into a track is worse than useless, and three hours is enough for a genuinely difficult recovery.

Best gift for after the shot
$41.68 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

4
Leupold RX-1400i TBR/W Gen 2

Leupold RX-1400i TBR/W Gen 2

The rangefinder to buy if you hunt from a stand and shoot a bow or a gun. TBR/W gives you the angle-compensated 'true' distance to aim for on a steep downhill shot, and the Flightpath mode shows an arrow's arc so you know if a branch is in the way. For deer inside 200 yards it does everything you need and nothing you don't.

Best big-ticket gift
$197.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

5
Barnett Crank Cocking Device

Barnett Crank Cocking Device

Barnett publishes a 93% reduction in cocking resistance for this, which is the honest way to describe what a crank does: it does not make the crossbow lighter to hold, it makes the one hard moment of operating it disappear.

Best gift for a heavy bow
6
TenPoint Pro Elite 400 20-inch, 6-pack

TenPoint Pro Elite 400 20-inch, 6-pack

The bolt a crossbow maker builds for its own machines, which matters more with a crossbow than with a bow — every manufacturer publishes a minimum bolt weight, and shooting under it is how limbs get destroyed. Comes with the aluminum bushings and Alpha-Nock the TenPoint manual specifies.

Best gift if you know their bow
$84.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of October 16, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

The picks in full

#1Best crossbow gift overall

BLOCK Infinity Crossbow

The one to buy if you shoot a crossbow. A modern hunting crossbow leaves the rail around 380 to 400 fps, and a target not built for that either lets bolts through or swallows them so deep you damage one getting it out. This is rated to 520 fps with six shootable sides, which answers both problems honestly.

Why it lands
Most crossbow hunters are shooting into something that is not rated for their bolt speed, or into a bag that has started letting bolts through. This one publishes a 520 FPS rating — faster than any crossbow we cover — takes broadheads, and has six shootable sides, so it wears out evenly instead of developing one blown-out face. It is the crossbow pick in our archery target comparison.
Who it suits
Any crossbow hunter, and anyone shooting a very fast compound. It does not suit someone who already owns a current, intact crossbow-rated target — a second target is a dull gift.
Check before you buy
Nothing on their bow. The only thing to confirm is that they have somewhere to shoot it, which rules out a few apartment dwellers and nobody else.

Strengths

  • 520 FPS rating covers every hunting crossbow on this site with room to spare
  • Six shootable sides spread the wear instead of blowing out one face
  • Takes broadheads as well as field points, so you can confirm bolt-and-broadhead impact

Trade-offs

  • The most expensive target here by a clear margin
  • A 16-inch cube is a small aiming face — fine for grouping, less forgiving of a flier
StopsField points and broadheads
Dimensions16" x 16" x 16"
Shootable sides6
Speed rating520 FPS

Worth knowing. Check the FPS rating against your own bow before you buy. A crossbow at 400 fps shot into a target rated for 300 is how people bury bolts to the fletching and snap them pulling them back out.

Specs read from the product listing, on August 31, 2026. “Not published” means the manufacturer does not state that figure.

#2Best small gift

Barnett Rail Lube & Lubewax Combo Kit

The whole maintenance job in one box: rail lube for the barrel the string drags across, and wax for the string and cables that do the work. Buying them together is the difference between doing this properly and doing the half of it you remembered.

Why it lands
Rail lube and string wax are the two consumables a crossbow genuinely needs and almost nobody buys until something sounds wrong. This kit covers both in one purchase: one rail lube for the flight rail, two lubewax for the string and cables. It is the cheapest gift here and the one most likely to be in use within a week.
Who it suits
Any crossbow owner, new or experienced. It is also the right size to be a stocking gift rather than the main one.
Check before you buy
Nothing. Rail lube and string wax are not bow-specific. Just do not let them mix the two up — wax belongs on the string and cables, lube on the rail, and our maintenance guide explains why that matters.

Strengths

  • Covers both jobs — rail lube and string/cable wax — in one kit
  • Ships with two wax sticks, which is roughly two seasons of use
  • From a crossbow manufacturer, so the rail lube is rail lube

Trade-offs

  • Costs more than buying a single tube of the one you actually need
  • Rail lube goes further than most people expect — you will not use it up
Contents1 rail lube, 2 lubewax
ForRail, string and cables
VolumeNot published
Application intervalNot published

Worth knowing. Rail lube goes on the rail only, in a thin film, roughly every five to ten shots. More is not better — excess lube collects grit and turns the rail into sandpaper.

Specs read from the product listing, on August 22, 2026. “Not published” means the manufacturer does not state that figure.

#3Best gift for after the shot

NEBO IllumaTrace Blood Tracker Flashlight

Publishes what most of this category will not: 180 lumens and a three-hour runtime. A blood light that dies an hour into a track is worse than useless, and three hours is enough for a genuinely difficult recovery.

Why it lands
Crossbow hunters shoot in low light more than most, and the recovery is the part of the hunt nobody equips for until the night it goes badly. This is the light that publishes the two numbers that matter on a long trail — 180 lumens and a three-hour runtime — where most of the category publishes neither. It is the runtime pick in our blood-light comparison.
Who it suits
Any deer hunter, which makes it a safe gift if you are not certain they still hunt with the crossbow. It suits a hunter who tracks alone most of all.
Check before you buy
Nothing. It is rechargeable, so there are no batteries to match.

Strengths

  • Published 180-lumen output and 3-hour runtime, not vague claims
  • Rechargeable, so there is no scramble for spare cells at midnight
  • From a general flashlight maker, which shows in the build

Trade-offs

  • Rechargeable means it is flat if you forgot to charge it
  • 180 lumens is modest if you also want it as a general work light
TypeHandheld blood tracking light
Output180 lumens
Runtime3 hours
RechargeableYes

Worth knowing. Charge it the day before opening weekend, not the night you need it. A rechargeable light on a shelf since last January is a flat light.

Specs read from the product listing, on August 22, 2026. “Not published” means the manufacturer does not state that figure.

#4Best big-ticket gift

Leupold RX-1400i TBR/W Gen 2

The rangefinder to buy if you hunt from a stand and shoot a bow or a gun. TBR/W gives you the angle-compensated 'true' distance to aim for on a steep downhill shot, and the Flightpath mode shows an arrow's arc so you know if a branch is in the way. For deer inside 200 yards it does everything you need and nothing you don't.

Why it lands
A crossbow shoots flat enough that hunters over-trust their eyes, and a bolt dropped under a deer at 45 yards is almost always a ranging error rather than a shooting one. This is the angle-compensating pick in our rangefinder comparison, and the angle compensation is the feature that earns its place for a stand hunter — a steep shot travels the horizontal distance, not the longer line of sight.
Who it suits
A stand hunter, a hunter who has started shooting past 30 yards, and anyone who currently guesses. It is wasted on someone who only hunts a 20-yard blind lane.
Check before you buy
Nothing on the crossbow. If they already own a rangefinder, check whether it does angle compensation — many budget models do not, and that is the upgrade.

Strengths

  • TBR/W gives the true horizontal distance that a bow or bullet actually follows on an angled shot
  • Flightpath mode flags whether an arrow clears intervening limbs
  • Compact, fast, and well within a serious deer hunter's budget

Trade-offs

  • 1,400-yard reflective max is far more than a deer hunter needs, but short of a long-range rifle shooter's wish list
  • Red display can be harder to read against a dark target in low light
Max range (reflective)1,400 yd
Magnification6x
Angle compensationYes — TBR/W (true horizontal + wind hold)
Bow modeYes — Flightpath arc display

Worth knowing. From an elevated stand the arrow follows the true horizontal distance, not the line-of-sight number — an angle-compensating rangefinder does that math so you don't shoot high.

Specs read from the product listing, on August 7, 2026. “Not published” means the manufacturer does not state that figure.

#5Best gift for a heavy bow

Barnett Crank Cocking Device

Barnett publishes a 93% reduction in cocking resistance for this, which is the honest way to describe what a crank does: it does not make the crossbow lighter to hold, it makes the one hard moment of operating it disappear.

Why it lands
Cocking a 180 to 210 lb crossbow by rope gets harder every season, and it is the single most common reason a hunter quietly stops carrying the crossbow. A crank — Barnett publishes up to a 93% effort reduction — turns it into something they can do seated in a stand in the cold, which is the whole point. See our cocking-device comparison.
Who it suits
An older hunter, a hunter with a shoulder or back injury, a youth hunter on an adult bow, and anyone who hunts from a seat. It does not suit a hunter who values a fast follow-up shot above all else — a crank is slower to reload than a rope.
Check before you buy
This is the first pick that needs a fact. Cranks are not universal: check the make and model of their crossbow against the device’s stated fitment before you order, and check that their bow does not already have a built-in crank. The model name is printed on the stock.

Strengths

  • Manufacturer-published 93% reduction in cocking resistance
  • Ambidextrous handle position suits either shoulder
  • Removes the shoulder and back strain that ends some hunters' seasons

Trade-offs

  • The most expensive way to solve the cocking problem
  • Fits the Barnett pattern — verify against other brands before buying
TypeCrank cocking device
Effort reductionUp to 93% (manufacturer figure)
HandednessAmbidextrous
De-cock capableNot published

Worth knowing. A crank that cannot de-cock still leaves you with a cocked crossbow at the end of the hunt. Plan to discharge into a target or a purpose-made de-cocking bolt — never at the ground.

Specs read from the product listing, on August 22, 2026. “Not published” means the manufacturer does not state that figure.

#6Best gift if you know their bow

TenPoint Pro Elite 400 20-inch, 6-pack

The bolt a crossbow maker builds for its own machines, which matters more with a crossbow than with a bow — every manufacturer publishes a minimum bolt weight, and shooting under it is how limbs get destroyed. Comes with the aluminum bushings and Alpha-Nock the TenPoint manual specifies.

Why it lands
Bolts are a consumable, they get lost and broken every season, and most hunters are shooting a mixed set with inconsistent nocks because replacing six at a time feels like an indulgence. A matched six-pack of the bolt their bow specifies is the most useful thing in this list — if it is the right one. These are the TenPoint-and-Wicked-Ridge pick from our bolt comparison.
Who it suits
A TenPoint or Wicked Ridge owner, specifically. For any other brand, read the bolt comparison and buy what their manual specifies instead.
Check before you buy
Three facts, all easy to find. The brand of their crossbow, the bolt length it requires (20 inches on most current bows) and the nock style — flat, half-moon or a proprietary nock like TenPoint’s Alpha-Nock. All three are in the manual and usually printed on the box of the bolts they already own, which is in the garage. Getting the nock wrong is not a cosmetic error.

Strengths

  • Supplied with the Alpha-Nock HP the manufacturer's manual calls for
  • Aluminum half-moon bushings resist the nock damage repeat shots cause
  • Six to a pack, which is the practical minimum for practice plus hunting

Trade-offs

  • Priced well above a generic carbon bolt of the same length
  • Nock style must match your crossbow — do not assume it is universal
Length20"
ShaftCarbon
NockAlpha-Nock HP (aluminum bushing)
Pack size6

Worth knowing. Nock style is not cosmetic. A flat nock in a crossbow specified for a half-moon can let the string slip past the bolt on release — a dry fire, and the fastest way to ruin a crossbow.

Specs read from the product listing, on August 22, 2026. “Not published” means the manufacturer does not state that figure.

The two gifts to avoid unless you know the bow intimately

A crossbow scope. It has to match the rail, and more importantly it has to be sighted in — a gift that arrives needing an afternoon of work and a box of bolts before it is usable is not a gift. If they want one, our scope guide is the page to send them, and a gift card is the better purchase.

A crossbow itself. Fit, draw weight, de-cocking, cocked width and legality in their state all matter, and the one they would have chosen is rarely the one somebody else chooses. If the budget is there, the honest move is to hand them our crossbow comparison and let them pick.

What the four blind-buy gifts have in common

None of them touch the crossbow’s own specification. A target stops a bolt regardless of which bow sent it, as long as the speed rating is high enough — which is exactly why the 520 FPS figure on the BLOCK matters and why a 300 FPS bag target is the wrong gift. Rail lube and string wax are chemistry, not fitment. A blood light and a rangefinder are not crossbow products at all; they are deer-hunting products that a crossbow hunter uses harder than most, because bolts kill quickly but not always instantly, and recoveries happen after dark.

How to find the one number you need

If you are buying either of the last two picks, here is where the information lives:

  • Crossbow make and model. Printed on the stock or the barrel, usually in white or silver lettering. Photograph it.
  • Bolt length and nock. On the end label of the bolt box, or page one of the manual. If you can see their bolts, count the fletchings and look at the back end: a half-moon nock has a visible groove, a flat nock does not.
  • Whether a crank is already fitted. Look for a crank handle or a recessed socket at the back of the stock. Built-in crank systems make an add-on crank redundant.

Everything else on this page you can buy today without asking anyone anything, which is the point of ordering it this way.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best gift for a crossbow hunter?

A crossbow-rated target, if they do not already own a good one. The BLOCK Infinity Crossbow publishes a 520 FPS rating, stops broadheads as well as field points and has six shootable sides, so it fits any crossbow on the market and cannot be the wrong spec. It is also the gift most likely to get used in the week after it arrives, because almost every crossbow hunter needs more practice than they get and most are shooting into something that is either worn out or not rated for their bolt speed.

Can you buy bolts for someone else's crossbow?

Yes, but only with three facts: the crossbow's brand and model, the bolt length it requires (20 inches on most current bows) and the nock style - flat, half-moon or a proprietary nock. All three are in the manual and usually printed on the bolt box they already own. This is not a detail you can safely guess: the wrong nock can misfire or damage the bow, and shooting an underweight bolt can void a warranty.

Is a crank cocking device a good gift?

It is an excellent gift for the right hunter and a useless one for the wrong hunter. It transforms a heavy crossbow for an older hunter, a hunter with a shoulder or back injury, a youth hunter on an adult bow, or anyone who hunts seated in a stand - Barnett publishes up to a 93% effort reduction. But cranks are not universal, so check the fitment against their specific model, and check they do not already have a built-in crank system, which many mid-range and premium crossbows now include.

What should you not buy a crossbow hunter?

A crossbow, and a scope. A crossbow has to fit the shooter, suit their draw strength, be legal for their season and ideally de-cock, and the one somebody else chooses is rarely the one they would have. A scope has to match the rail and then be sighted in, so it arrives as a chore rather than a present. For both of those, a gift card plus the relevant comparison page is a better gift than a guess.

Do crossbow hunters need different gear from bowhunters?

Some of it, and not as much as the aisle suggests. Bolts, cocking devices, rail lube and crossbow-rated targets are genuinely specific. Everything else a crossbow hunter carries - a harness, a blood light, a rangefinder, a knife, game bags, a pack - is shared with every other deer hunter, which is why our gift guides for new hunters and bowhunters overlap with this one.

Sources

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