TenPoint Stealth SS Crossbow
Derrek Sigler 05.05.14
Crossbows have emerged as a major force in the hunting industry. In recent years the advancements in crossbow technology have been simply amazing. One of the premier brands in crossbows is TenPoint Crossbow Technologies out of Mogadore, Ohio.
TenPoint traces its origins back to Horton Crossbows. In the mid-1990s, Rick Bednar grew dissatisfied with the direction of Horton and left to form a new company, which eventually became TenPoint. Bednar’s plan was to produce the highest-quality bow he could. One of the newest models from TenPoint, the Stealth SS, is one of the best crossbows I’ve had the pleasure of hunting with.
Stealth SS specifications
- Length (with stirrup): 34.4 inches
- Axle-to-axle width: 17.5 inches uncocked/13.5 inches cocked
- Power stroke: 12.6 inches
- Weight: 6.8 pounds
- Draw weight: 185 pounds
- Velocity: 352 feet per second (370-grain bolt with 100-grain field tip)
The Stealth SS has a bullpup design, making the bow very compact. The grip is very comfortable and is of a thumbhole-type design. The main rail is aircraft-grade, fluted aluminum which is very strong, yet lightweight. To reduce the chances of you giving yourself a case of crossbow thumb, the Stealth has TenPoint’s rubber thumb guards helping you keep your thumbs from getting in the way of the rapidly-advancing string when you shoot at a big buck. As one of my relatives found out, that has a way of ruining a hunting trip. It can also put a damper on your hitchhiking career. There is an additional guard included with the bow to help train yourself not to do something stupid during practice. Crossbow companies are being pretty proactive in preventing this condition.
The bow is decked out in Mossy Oak Break Up Infinity camo. It’s topped with TenPoint’s three-power multi-reticle illuminated crossbow scope that is screaming-accurate right from the factory. Most of the fine details you’d expect from a higher-end bow can be found on the TenPoint—everything from swivel studs for a sling to a rubber-coated stirrup for cocking. You can add on silencers to the string and vibration dampers to quiet the bow down if you need to.
Shoot!
Like all TenPoint bows, the Stealth SS is offered with two different cocking aids: the AccuDraw 50 and the AccuDraw. Both aids take the form of a cocking rope that is built into the buttstock. It retracts into the stock when not in use and makes cocking the bow quick and easy.
The AccuDraw 50, which my bow came equipped with, reduces the cocking draw weight by 50 percent. The only drawback to my test bow was that the rope came a little un-sprung during testing and I had to disassemble the entire mechanism and rewind the rope. It wasn’t a big deal in that it still functioned flawlessly, but occasionally the string hook on one side wouldn’t retract all the way when I was in the field. This could have been an issue if I wasn’t watching for it and it made noise when a deer came around. Again, it never became a serious issue. I’d still get the AccuDraw 50 without hesitation. It is the best cocking aide I have used of any manufacturer.
The top cocking aid that TenPoint sells is the AccuDraw. It is very similar to the AccuDraw 50 but it goes a step further—it has a crank that does all of the work for you. Simply set the hooks on the string and crank up the AccuDraw until the bow cocks. If you need to, you can use a cordless screwdriver to do it. For a hunter with disabilities, this would be the hot ticket. I’ve tested the AccuDraw system in the past and it is slick!
A big plus for the Stealth is the compact feel of the bow. For those of you who hunt from a ground blind, this is one of the best bows you can get. It is compact, fast, and accurate.
I started out shooting at 15 yards with a 390-grain bolt and a 100-grain field tip. Bull’s-eye on the first shot. I then backed up 10 yards, and got the same result. I finally stopped hitting the 10-ring on my target when I hit 67 yards. That is pretty confidence-inspiring. Would I ever take that far of a shot while hunting? No, but it’s nice to know that at ranges I would shoot at, I’m pretty sure I could hit the target. The speeds of bolts put out by the bow combined with the right broadhead is a very lethal combination.
TenPoint lists the MSRP for the Stealth SS at $1,119 for the AccuDraw 50-equipped bow. Compare that to a top-shelf vertical bow, and it’s in the ballpark for what you’d expect to pay. Still, like you, I work for a living, so the price is a little hard to swallow. Of course, when you hunt every day you can and put yourself into the position to take the buck of a lifetime, it gets easier to pay that much knowing the bow isn’t going to fail. I have been asked before which crossbow I would recommend to someone. I’ll tell you the same thing I tell people every time I’m asked that—what is your honest budget for a crossbow? If you’re looking to spend in the price range of the Stealth SS, or other TenPoint bows in that higher range, I’m going to recommend a TenPoint every time.
