Every so often a product rethinks a category rather than iterating on it. The R18 is that product for Ravin. Instead of the horizontal limbs every other bow in the range uses, the R18 goes vertical, and the result is a crossbow that measures just 4.75 inches wide and 25 inches long with its stock attached. It is, plainly, the most compact bow the company has ever built.
The heart of it is the VertiCoil cam system. Those ultra-small cams rotate a full 720 degrees, winding the strings and cables around the cam and axle until the axle-to-axle height collapses to 1.3 inches cocked, 4.1 uncocked. That is not a typo. The static width of the whole bow is under five inches, which means it goes through shooting houses, ground blind windows and thick timber that would swallow a conventional crossbow whole.
Ravin pitches the R18 squarely at saddle hunters, and the design backs the pitch up. At six pounds with a removable stock, it is a bow you can actually carry on your back all day, then strip the stock off if the situation calls for an even smaller package. The stock itself is nylon fiber with an ambidextrous soft-touch profile, and the cocking effort is the same friendly 12 pounds found across the range.
Performance is real rather than toy-like: 330 feet per second with a 400-grain arrow, and 85 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, enough to fill any tag you are after. The Frictionless Flight system keeps the arrow floating above the rail, the Trac-Trigger system clasps the center of the string on every draw, and the auto safety with anti-dry fire protection is standard.
Out of the box the R18 arrives with a 3-dot reflex sight, built-in sling mounts, a detachable quiver, three .003 R18 arrows at 16 inches and 350 grains total with field points, and the removable draw handle. At $1,749.99 on the official store, it is not the cheapest Ravin, but nothing else on the market does what it does in the same footprint. If your hunting style is mobile, tight-quarters or simply allergic to bulk, this is the bow that was designed for you.
- Brand: Ravin
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