Have you visited the ice cream freezer at the local grocery store lately? Isn’t it remarkable how many different flavors there are? The crossbow category is like that, too. There have never been more options than there are today, which makes for an exciting yet perplexing experience as hunters shop for a new crossbow. In other words, why choose this crossbow over that one or vice versa?  

I have a few points for consideration as I lead into this review. First, there is something to be said for longevity. TenPoint has deep Ohio roots and has been in the crossbow business for nearly 3 decades. That alone can calm concerns in a space with a lot of newer brands. Another thing is that TenPoint is a distinguished leader in USA-made quality and technological innovations. Those points mean something to me, and they’re selling points to your customers, too. 

Now, TenPoint has released eight different models for 2024, all of which offer something a little bit different. I had the pleasure of testing the TX 440. Like all TenPoint models, it radiates quality, and I can honestly say I found a new “flavor” that truly stands out amidst the sea of options.

Test Crossbow Specs

• Make/Model: TenPoint TX 440
• Finish: Vektra Camo
• Mass Weight: 7.2 pounds (without accessories)
• Overall Width: 11 (uncocked) 6.5 inches (cocked)
• Overall Length: 28 inches
• Draw Effort: Not listed
• Power Stroke: 12 inches
• Bolt Length and Weight: 20 inches; 445 grains
• Manufacturer Listed Velocity: 440 fps, measured with a 410-grain Pro Elite 400 Carbon Arrow; 420 fps, measured with a 445-grain CenterPunch HPX Carbon Arrow
• Test Velocity: 416 fps (445-grain arrow; found with Caldwell Ballistic Precision chronograph)
• Manufacturer Listed Trigger Pull: 3 pounds
• Cocking Device: ACUslide MAXX
• Scope: EVO-X Marksman Elite
• MSRP: $2,449.99 – $2,549.99
• Contact: www.tenpointcrossbows.com 

Small and Shockingly Powerful

First impressions are important in the sales field, and the TX 440 certainly makes a great first impression. The word that resonated in my mind as soon as I held it was “easy.” It’s easy to hold, shoulder, aim and shoot. There are plenty of clunky crossbows on the market, and the TX 440 is anything but that. The overall length? Only 28 inches. The width? Only 6.5 inches (cocked). 

Not only is it ideal for hunting in tight spaces, but it’s also an excellent fit for virtually any hunter. Many youths and women can easily cock, handle and shoot it, and all of that is without sacrificing power. How about a blistering 440 fps velocity? And while I found it incredibly comfortable to handle and shoot, so did my husband, Darron, who is taller and has a wider wingspan than me. In fact, he raved about how awesome it feels and shoots. He was so fond of it that he swiped it from me and took it turkey hunting. More on that later.

New Features  

Now that I’ve discussed my initial impressions, let’s transition into the TX 440’s keynote features. First up, we have Twin-Riser Technology. TenPoint rates it at 18% lighter and twice as stiff as traditional risers. In turn, this cuts riser flex and limb torque by 70%, and the byproduct of that is a boost in accuracy and consistency.

Next, TenPoint outfits the TX 440 with a TriggerTech Precision Trigger. It has absolutely no travel and breaks with 3 pounds of pressure. Many crossbow shooters are accustomed to heavy triggers with lots of travel, so this TriggerTech trigger is a much-welcomed attribute for anyone who appreciates a clean, crisp trigger. The TX 440 also has a new AR-style ambidextrous safety that is easily accessible, quiet and smooth to operate. Darron and I both give these two features accolades.

Equally impressive, the TX 440 debuts TenPoints Zero-Trac Barrel paired with the Guide-Lock Arrow Rest System. With conventional designs, a common problem is string wear due to the bowstring riding the rail. The Zero-Trac design allows the bowstring to free float, and then the arrow is supported by three points of contact: two ball bearing rollers and a top brush to secure the arrow from above. The design prolongs bowstring life and provides a cleaner arrow departure.

The ACUslide MAXX, which allows the bow to be silently cocked and de-cocked with zero pressure on the handle when you let it go midway through the cycle, has a new storage option for the cocking lever. It conveniently mounts to the ACU-Lock Scope Bridge (TenPoint’s take on a Picatinny rail) in front of the scope. Speaking of the scope rail, bridging at several points boosts strength and dependability; it’s 25 times stronger than traditional scope rails. The extended length gives the user more scope-positioning options to optimize comfort relative to eye-relief when acquiring a target and aiming. 

The new quiver design attaches to the lower Picatinny rail in front of the foregrip. It has a quick-detach feature and also can be positioned on either side of the grip depending on the shooter’s dexterity.  

It’s Locked and Loaded

The TX 440 is offered with three different sight options. There are Garmin Xero and Burris Oracle rangefinding scopes, and the third option is the Evo-X Marksman Elite, which is what I tested. It features red and green illumination, not to mention hold points with drop compensation out to 100 yards. In most aspects, the scope is awesome. I’ll note that older eyes might struggle with reading the corresponding yardage next to the aiming point, as I even found it slightly difficult. But, that’s the only negative I came up with. 

The Evo-X Marksman Elite can be used with TenPoint crossbows shooting up to 515 fps by adjusting the zoom, which changes the minutes of angle to match each individual crossbow’s velocity. While the TX 440 is rated at 420 fps with a 445-grain arrow, a Caldwell chronograph measured the velocity at 416, which is a minimal difference. I found that the scope’s hold points weren’t valid when the zoom wheel was adjusted to 420, but at 410, all were dead on. It wasn’t a big hassle to figure that out but worth noting.  

In addition to the Evo-X Marksman Elite scope, the TX 440 comes with three 445-grain CenterPunch HPX arrows with Snap-In Nocks. When you load this nock onto the bowstring, you’ll feel and hear a click that confirms the arrow is in place. Of course, the ACUslide MAXX cocking mechanism is integrated, which makes for a superior streamlined design that exudes convenience. Scope caps, practice points and the quiver are also included. It’s a simple but tight package that flat out works.  

Accurate Beyond Belief

Darron and I spent some time shooting arrows out to 70 yards. We didn’t shoot very much at 20 and 30 yards because it was so easy with the TX 440. We spent more time shooting at 50 and 60 yards, and the consistency was phenomenal. Darron and I often hit the same arrow hole as our last shots. 

For our first shots at 50 yards, I shot for the center bull’s-eye, then I passed the TX 440 over to Darron. There was zero gap between our arrows in the target, and they were just a little to the right. A handful of windage clicks solved that. When we test other crossbows, it’s not uncommon to find that Darron is a little off when the crossbow is sighted in for me. But, with this one, we could pass it back and forth and shoot arrows so close together that we were scared of ruining them. As time goes on, we’ll definitely shoot it out to 100 yards, and we have big expectations based on what we’ve seen so far.

In the Field

As I mentioned earlier, Darron took the TX 440 turkey hunting and successfully shot a gobbler. He has sold crossbows during his archery retail career, and he’s tested and reviewed crossbows for years. But, this was his first kill with a crossbow because he’s a compound-bow guy. I’ll let him briefly recap the hunt.

“While I was hunting with the TX 440, I felt 100 percent confident that any gobbler within 60 yards was toast,” he said. “I don’t condone just taking long shots like that, but from a Primos TriggerStick, I can hit a golf ball-sized dot or smaller every time at that distance. Plus, I confirmed that my Rage broadheads fly exactly like the field points. The crossbow is so consistently accurate that I sat in the turkey blind feeling deadly. 

“When a gobbler came in hot and hopped on top of my breeding-pose hen decoy 14 yards away, there was no doubt the gobbler was 100 percent mine. I took my time, waited until he stopped moving, then applied pressure on the sweet TriggerTech trigger until the shot surprised me. My arrow struck right in between the waddles and beard (it was a head-on shot), and the tom flopped a couple of times and was done. It was an instant kill — as ethical and pure as you can hope for. That is the level of confidence hunters toting the TX 440 can have.”

There are a lot of ice cream flavors and a lot of crossbows to choose from, and what we’ve found while testing TenPoint’s TX 440 is it stands out from the rest as possibly the most accurate crossbow we’ve tested, and one that is just as easy for me to handle as it is for Darron. There is so much to love about the TX 440 that I’m sure it will become a favorite new flavor on your shelf.

In-the-field photos by Becca and Darron McDougal