Crossbow Review: Ravin LR | Grand View Outdoors

It’s windy and snowing in the Rocky Mountains on the last day of your Colorado elk hunt. Only 20 minutes of legal shooting light remain when a handsome 6×6 bull appears 350 yards away in the aspens. He’s broadside and unobstructed. The clock’s ticking. Would you rather be carrying a .30-30 Winchester or a 7 PRC? If you want to fill your tag, you’re choosing the latter, and so am I.

The .30-30 Winchester is a deadly caliber, but 350 yards is beyond a poke for it, especially on an elk. Contrarily, 350 yards is well within the 7 PRC’s wheelhouse. My point is that only specific tools are up to certain tasks.

Let’s reframe my analogy to fit crossbows. The bull’s distance is 73 yards. Would you rather have a decent crossbow or one that you have loads of confidence in? Like the 7 PRC, a high-end, high-performance crossbow is the obvious choice if you want to pack that bull off the mountain, and Ravin’s new LR is one of the most suitable tools for the task. 

Before I proceed to the results of my recent LR test and evaluation, let me acknowledge that “LR” is an acronym for “long range.” To clear the air, this article is not to promote surplus-yardage shots on big game for hunters toting this particular crossbow. Every hunter has individual skills and capabilities, and is responsible for identifying their limitations and avoiding exceeding them while hunting.

With that aside, let’s discuss why Ravin’s LR is an excellent choice when a now-or-never shot opportunity presents itself 20 minutes before dark on the last day of a dream hunt.

Test Crossbow Specs

• Make/Model: Ravin LR
• Finish: Flat Dark Earth
• Mass Weight: 8.10 pounds (crossbow only)
• Overall Width: 10.50 inches (uncocked); 6 inches (cocked)
• Overall Length: 34 inches
• Draw Effort: 12 pounds (with crank)
• Power Stroke: 13 inches
• Bolt Length and Weight: 20 inches; 400 grains with 100-grain tip (measured with Last Chance Archery Pro Grain Scale)
• Manufacturer Listed Velocity: Up to 450 fps
• Test Velocity: 447 fps with 400-grain arrow (found with Caldwell Ballistic Precision chronograph)
• Manufacturer Listed Trigger Pull: 2.5 pounds
• Cocking Device: Integrated Silent Cocking System
• Scope: Ravin Adjustable Turret Scope
• MSRP: $2,549.99
• Contact: ravincrossbows.com 

The Kit

First things first: What comes with the LR? Well, Ravin outfits it with a top-notch accessory package. Most notable is the Ravin Adjustable Turret Scope, which comes with computer-generated yardage tapes, as well as MOA and MIL tapes for the more technical folks. This might sound intimidating to some hunters, but it actually makes sighting in easier and accuracy far more precise than when using a scope with a multi-line reticle in 10-yard increments. Also, multi-line reticles require a scope’s magnification to be set and left so that the lines correspond with their respective yardages. Zoom in or out from that setting, and now the middle line is the only one that will be accurate. That isn’t the case with a turreted scope.

To get started with the Adjustable Turret Scope, begin by fixing it to the long, rigid Picatinny mounting rail, which allows shooters of all statures to find the ideal position for a comfortable cheek weld and eye relief. When set, shoot a bolt through a chronograph. My chronograph read 447 fps, so I selected the closest yardage tape, which is labeled 448 fps. Once I was sighted in at 20 yards, I loosened the turret set screws and positioned the turret to allow for maximum adjustability, then tightened them. Then, I stuck the yardage tape to the turret, the 20-yard line aligned with the small white dot just below the turret.

With the tape fixed to the turret, I adjusted the turret to 30 yards and stepped back to 30 yards. My bolt hit exactly where I aimed. Ditto at 50. I found the turret and yardage tape accurate out to my test’s maximum distance, which was 115 yards. Sighting in and achieving to-the-yard accuracy was inconceivably easy. 

Regarding the scope, I love that it has only one crosshair with a center dot. When shooting at a critter during an intense encounter, a multi-line reticle can be distracting, especially in dim lighting. With the Adjustable Turret Scope, you simply range the animal, twist the turret to the correct yardage, and aim dead on using the center dot. Crank the magnification in or out all you want, as it will not affect the point of impact.

Also included with the LR are three Ravin Premium Carbon Arrows. These are match-grade bolts with an impeccable +/- .001-inch straightness tolerance. The nock is designed for a Ravin crossbow’s punishing velocity and is housed by an aluminum bushing to bolster strength. A brass insert enhances the front-of-center while standing up to hard-hitting impacts. Each bolt weighs 400 grains when outfitted with a 100-grain point. As a side note, these bolts also pull easily from foam 3-D targets, which isn’t the case with some crossbow bolts.

Next, there is a three-bolt quiver, which can be mounted for right- or left-handed shooters. It is quickly detachable with the push of a button, and it securely and conveniently mounts over the bottom Picatinny rail. That same rail is ideal for accessories such as a bipod. 

Let’s not forget the Ravin Premium Arrow Rest. This allows the LR to utilize a no-rail design, eliminating bowstring contact, friction and wear. The bolt sits on the rest’s two stainless-steel ball bearings, reducing friction and amplifying downrange consistency. The final components in the package are a draw handle for the Integrated Silent Cocking System, and a scope level, which allows shooters to monitor tilt and achieve tighter groups at surplus yardages.

Technology, Fit and Feel

Now that we’ve discussed the accessories, let’s get to the meat and potatoes. HeliCoil Technology utilizes helical cam grooves, which allow the cables to track and coil above and below where the axles pass through the cams as the cams rotate 340 degrees to full draw. This balances the cams all the way through, producing truer, faster flight.

The LR also harnesses Ravin’s Trac-Trigger Firing System, which slides forward and clasps onto the bowstring. The result is faster cocking in conjunction with the Silent Cocking System, and it produces consistent nock travel to boost accuracy. The LR can also be safely and silently de-cocked following unsuccessful hunts.

The LR is longer and heavier than the R29X I tested last year, and probably isn’t the most suitable Ravin crossbow for smaller-framed hunters. The intention behind this is to improve long-range performance. A heavier hunting tool is more stable to aim and moves less during the shot. In my opinion, the additional length and weight are worthwhile trade-offs.

The LR embraces a tactical, rifle-like design with flawless aesthetics, and it’s also customizable via the adjustable cheek comb and length-of-pull, in addition to the long Picatinny rail. The stock is composite and coated in Soft Touch, and it’s loaded with purposeful features, such as a flared foregrip for safety, and a naturally contoured and textured pistol grip to optimize comfort. It also has integrated stowage for the draw handle and rubber overlays on the cheek comb, foregrip, pistol grip, and butt pad, giving the shooter greater control. The finishing touch is a rubberized handle located just below the cheek comb, which is designed to be gripped while cocking the LR.

Hunters constantly toss around the words “long range.” Six different hunters probably have six different opinions as to what long range is in yardage terms. Regardless, I think we can all agree that 115 yards is a long shot with a crossbow, and that’s how far I tested it out to.

First, I shot from a Primos TriggerStick Gen 3 tripod. Every shot I took was a kill shot on my sub-sized Rinehart antelope target. When I sat on the ground and rested the LR on a Morrell bag target, my scope dot was substantially steadier, and my groupings were the size of a deer heart or smaller. At 115 yards, that’s astounding. In addition to the other engineering, the unrivaled 2.5-pound trigger is a big reason why this crossbow is so accurate at such long distances.

The Takeaway 

When I began this report, I said that only certain tools are up to certain tasks. Can Ravin’s LR kill an antelope at 115 yards? Absolutely. Should hunters attempt such shots? I’ll say “no” based on all of the variables that can affect shot placement, including an animal moving while the bolt is in flight. But when it comes to a more reasonable but still longer-than-average shot, it’s nice to know that the LR is beyond capable, and that the Adjustable Turret Scope eliminates the guesswork of where to aim. Ravin engineers aimed to simplify and amplify long-range accuracy with the LR, and based on my test, I believe they’ve hit their target.

In-the-field photos by Becca and Darron McDougal