Ravin R29 is the equivalent of a raid boss in the crossbow world. It is one of the most compact and powerful crossbows ever made. It’s the successor of the highly appreciated Ravin R20, R29 offers even better performance and results.
Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Yes, this is better than Ravin R26, you can read our Ravin R26 vs R29 to find out more information. Yes, it’s expensive. It’s not a $1000 crossbow and never will be. Now that we have those out of the way, let’s start our Ravin R29 reviews.
Ravin R29: Outlooks
Specifications | Speed: 430 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 164 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 12.5 Inches; Draw Effort: 12 LBS; Axle To Axle: 6 / 10.5 Inches; Length: 29 Inches; Weight: 6.75 LBS.
HeliCoil Technology
Thanks to HeliCoil you won’t notice any sound or vibration from the crossbow. HeliCoil was developed by Ravin to improve the longevity of their crossbow cables.
The HeliCoil technology coils keep the cable away from the top and bottom. Allowing the crossbow to rotate at an incredible 340° angle. Most crossbows can’t even work with full potential if you slightly tilt them. While Ravin just chilling at almost 360°.
Frictionless Flight System
Another excellent technique is to keep the firing string healthy for a long time. If the string does not rub with the body, then there won’t be any sound or vibration. Every time the string touches the body it loses a bit of its life.
Ravin made sure that this did not happen. Thanks to that Ravin R29 bowstring can last almost 2x longer than regular crossbows.
Trac-Trigger System
Every time you trigger the bow, the trigger system slides forward towards the rail. And it clasps directly to the precise center of the string. Allowing for straight-line nock travel.
This mechanism allows the Ravin R29 to be more precise and accurate than any crossbow on the market. You can go on and hit two bolts on the same bullseye from a 100-yard mark. Yeah, Ravin wasn’t joking about that.
Versa-Draw™ Cocking System
I don’t know about you guys, but for me, if the draw weight and mechanism are not good enough, I don’t feel good suggesting you guys do that. If a $2300 crossbow were to have 180lbs of draw weight and rope cocker. No one would even consider buying that.
That’s why Ravin uses the Versa-Draw cocking system. It needs HeliCoil and Trac-Trigger to work together. This ultra-compact fully integrated cocking mechanism is built into the sleek stock design and is advanced, to say the least. To my knowledge, no other crossbows besides Ravin provide this.
Sure, you can get many crossbows with a built-in cocker. But how many can you get to work with the trigger and cams together?
It’s an ambidextrous design. Allowing you to safely cock and de-cock the device without much force. 12 lbs is not a large force by any means. Thanks to the fully integrated cocking mechanism, Ravin R29 delivers unmatched downrange accuracy and speed.
Crossbow Scope
Ravin uses 100 yards of 4×32 illuminated crossbow scopes. It provides excellent vision and clarity. The reticle is out of the box calibrated with the crossbow. You need to calibrate your accords.
But I can say, it does perform like a $150 or so scope. If that’s not your jam, I can understand. But I am glad Ravin didn’t opt for a cheap crossbow scope that is not even worthy of your grace.
What Makes Ravin R29 Best!
What makes a crossbow unique from the others is its build quality. If you want to have the most durable crossbow then you need to sacrifice the lightweight value. But if the crossbow uses a durable material that is also lightweight.
Then you get the best of both worlds. That’s exactly what Ravin went for. Instead of Carbon Fiber, Ravin uses cast polymer to make their stocks. This makes the crossbow more grippy without giving up on durability.
When it comes to the build quality, I can say the 2300$ price tag is completely justified. Though like you, I also wished that this year Ravin would use carbon fiber. But hey, if they can make a crossbow as durable as carbon fiber, without using carbon fiber then why not?
Ravin R20 vs Ravin R29
This year, alongside the aesthetic department the crossbow had a new makeover. The total size is reduced from 34.5″ to 29″. That’s an incredible gain for compact crossbow lovers.
Making this one of the best if not the best compact crossbows on the market. As the size decreased, the weight of the crossbow decreased by a lot. Coming at 6.75 lbs, Ravin R29 is almost .500 lbs lighter than previous years R20.
How Fast Is The Ravin R29?
Speed is a term where Ravin doesn’t want to compromise. This year the flagship Ravin R29 can shoot at 430FPS. With just 12 lbs of draw weight, this bow is capable of generating 164 lbs of kinetic energy.
A crossbow that can be loaded by a kid (don’t let your kid use it though) can fire a bolt at 430 FPS with 164 lbs of kinetic energy! How incredible is that? When you cock the device, the width drops to a mere 6″. That’s less than a 10″ Ipad. Ravin nailed the home run with design and speed this year.
Pros
- Excellent build quality.
- Compact.
- Lightweight.
- Great warranty.
- 430 FPS.
- Only 12 lbs draw weight.
- Massive 164 lbs kinetic energy.
- 6 – Ravin .003 Arrows & Field Trips (400 Grain Total) for free.
Cons
- Super-Duper expensive.
Ravin R29 Review Summary
Ravin R29 is worth the money. I can easily declare this as one of the best crossbows on the market without any hesitation. If you have the budget to spend, you can’t go wrong with this choice. Just be prepared to pay a hefty amount for an excellent work of art.
Throughout my Ravin R29 review, I could only think of this as a work of art. Art does come with a hefty price tag.
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
