PSE Fang Crossbow Review
Crossbows seem to be all the rage now thanks to a certain TV show. The problem however is that they are exceedingly expensive with most compound styles exceeding $400 and more than a few breaking the $1000 mark. That’s fairly cost prohibitive for your average zombie hunter. Fortunately, PSE has released the new Fang model for about $329.99. So what do you get for your money? For starters this little beauty includes a quiver, three carbon fiber bolts (arrows) with field points , 4x scope, foot stirrup, cocking tool (it looks like a rope with a couple hooks and handles) and rail lube. That’s quite a few accessories considering the price.
Recently, my friends at Wapsi Valley Trading Company let me test fire the Fang at their indoor range. My first concern was the difficulty loading. Cocking a crossbow is not a simple task, especially when the draw weight is 155 pounds. However, the cocking rope, when looped over the back riser (just behind and below the scope), provides a surprising amount of leverage and made cocking the Fang quite easy. Like most crossbows, each time the Fang is cocked the safety will automatically engage so you can slide a bolt into place without fear of losing a finger.
Reloading is a bit time consuming but the same can be said of any crossbow, so that really isn’t an issue. I only mention it because many people still believe that if Daryl can reload quickly on TV, anyone should be able to do it in real life and that simply is not the case.
My next concern was accuracy. I didn’t have much faith in that little 4x scope. Honestly, when a scope is included with a rifle, it generally is of low quality. However PSE has provided a good one with the Fang. You will need to sight it in of course, but the optics are clear with a fairly standard archery style reticle. At 20 yards my first two bolts were nearly touching. No doubt that with a little practice the Fang could easily take squirrel and other game without issue.
That’s not to say that it could not take larger game like deer. The bolts were buried up to the fletching at 20 yards so there is no question that the Fang is plenty powerful with arrow speeds in the 330-345 feet/second range.
The last thing that really stood out about the Fang was its weight. PSE lists this bow at 6.8 pounds. I’m not a big guy, tipping the scales at only 175 pounds in my boots, and I could easily hold the Fang with one hand for an extended period of time. This means you could carry it without having to sacrifice any of your important gear.
All in all I’d say that it easily the best crossbow on the market for under $600.
Guy Cain
