Intro/Method
The number of hunters using a crossbow has steadily increased in recent years for a few reasons. As vertical bow hunters are getting older, they may be dealing with more chronic injuries, which could make drawing a bow more challenging. Plus, as more states have legalized the use of horizontal bows, younger hunters and hunters who may not have the strength to draw back a compound bow can get in on the action and spend more time in the woods. And let’s not forget that a crossbow also extends the hunting season for many folks who have primarily hunted with firearms.
There are hunters out there who don’t like the fact that so many people are hunting with crossbows. That’s a discussion for a different day, but I say at this point in time, we need as many people on the side of protecting hunting rights as possible.
With all that being said, crossbows have come a long way since we bought our first one about 15 years ago. Each year, manufacturers seem to develop new technology and/or upgrade their latest designs to make their new crossbow offerings faster and more accurate. Sometimes those updated designs also lead to more compact and/or lighter options.
That brings us to the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 – TenPoint’s fastest forward-draw crossbow to date.
With all the new features and technology, we had to see what all the fuss was about. We took it to the range and tested out a few of TenPoint’s major claims.
- Will it actually shoot their ACU-X 20 Premium Carbon Crossbow Arrows as fast as they say?
- How effortless is the new ACUslide MAXX cocking and de-cocking system?
- Does their Custom TriggerTech Precision Trigger perform as you’d expect?
- Most importantly, will it really stand up to TenPoint’s accuracy claims that it can shoot 3.25-inch groups at 100 yards?
After spending the afternoon at the range, I think we have a pretty good idea of how we feel about it. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will too.
Product Description
The TX Ultra 29.5 is one of TenPoint’s nine offerings in the forward-draw configuration. At 29.5 inches long without the foot stirrup/bow hanger, 6.5 inches wide when fully cocked, and weighing only 8 pounds with the scope, it’s a nice, compact, and reasonably lightweight crossbow. And, as I mentioned, it is their fastest to date. Several factors contribute to the increased speed and accuracy. As a matter of fact, TenPoint claims that the newest engineered designs make the TX Ultra 29.5 one of the most accurate crossbows on the market.
Accuracy Features and Benefits
Zero-Torsion Technology
This crossbow is designed with 8mm axles, which TenPoint claims make it 175% stronger and 215% stiffer than standard crossbows. Combine that with the 20% wider and 120% stronger X-Wide Limbs, and all torsional movements along the limb axis should be eliminated.
Twin Riser Technology
The TX Ultra 29.5 is one of several top-tier TenPoint crossbows with Twin-Riser Technology (TRT). This unique construction uses symmetrical top and bottom plates that are 18% lighter and twice as stiff as traditional risers. Designed to reduce limb torque and riser flex, the TRT technology is another contributing factor to smoother arrow flight paths and increased down-range accuracy.
ZERO-Trac Barrel
TenPoint also claims their ZERO-Trac Barrel is another design feature that makes the TX Ultra 29.5 one of the most accurate crossbows available. The rail-less design eliminates arrow friction, causing the nock to travel straighter off the crossbow and follow a more consistent flight path to the target. The ZERO-Trac Barrel also reduces weight, which is a nice added bonus.
ACU-X Arrows with Snap-On Nock
TenPoint’s new ACU-X Arrows feature a high-performance carbon shaft built using a new technique that precisely indexes the spine during manufacturing. This technique ensures each arrow’s spine is consistently in the exact configuration that TenPoint tested and found to deliver the highest accuracy and most consistent performance in their rail-less forward-draw crossbows. Their ACU-X Snap-On Nock also aids accuracy and helps preserve the string’s life.
Premium String
Speaking of the string, TenPoint claims that their new strings are built using more advanced materials and construction processes. The new string is meant to work with the ACU-X nock perfectly to make sure your string will last longer than previous strings – up to 200%, they claim. The string is also designed to minimize serving distortion, adding one more link to the long-range accuracy chain.
Key Features and Benefits for Ease of Use
ACUslide MAXX
The patented ACUslide MAXX cocking and decocking system is one of the smoothest I have tried. It provides silent cocking, and you can stop at any point during the process; the handle stays in place. So if a deer walks in while you’re nocking another arrow in the woods, you can safely stop and wait until you can resume without peering eyes on you.
The cocking process is also noticeably smooth, and the free-spinning grip is very comfortable, allowing you to maintain a consistent hand angle throughout the entire rotation. That may not sound like a big deal, but this small feature makes cocking easy, even the last few cranks – and it doesn’t hurt your hand! De-cocking is also easy and safe, and it doesn’t involve discharging an arrow.
AR-Style Ambidextrous Thumb Safety
The safety on the TX Ultra 29.5 is very easy to reach and operate with your thumb, without having to move your head or take your eyes off the target. And the added bonus is that the safety is ambidextrous, meaning there is one on each side of the crossbow – a big win for left-handed shooters!
Trigger Tech Precision Trigger
Trigger Tech is well known for their high-quality triggers, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The trigger features what they call Frictionless Release Technology (FRT), resulting in a smooth, zero-creep break. With a trigger pull weight of 3 pounds, the TX Ultra 29.5 feels very similar to shooting a rifle and requires little force. That easy-to-squeeze trigger also limits jerking or pulling, which leads to better accuracy.
ACU-Lock Scope Bridge
The final structural piece I want to mention is the ACU-Lock scope bridge. TenPoint claims its scope rails are 25% stronger than standard scope rails, so you should feel confident that your optic will stay right where you put it. Having a solid base for your scope rings means your optic should line up for an ideal sight picture, making it easier to shoot. And, of course, contributing to better accuracy.
OPTICS OPTIONS
The TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 can be purchased with one of three optic configurations, depending on what type of hunting you do, what game you may hunt, what features you’re looking for, and how much money you want to spend.
100-yard EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope
This setup is the lowest-cost option. The EVO-X Marksman Elite scope is a traditional scope. It has a 2-8x zoom, variable speed settings, and ballistic markers for every 10 yards from 20-100 yards. It is illuminated, which is a nice touch. This is the configuration we tested, so I’ll talk more about it in a minute.
To get the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 with this scope, shop this link. It retails for $2599.
Burris Oracle X Rangefinding Scope
Moving up in the fancy-features department is the Burris Oracle X Rangefinding Scope. It features a built-in laser rangefinder that is easily activated by remote or button on the scope. It displays your target’s range, adjusts your aiming point accordingly, and remains accurate across the available zoom levels from 2x to 7x.
To get the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 with this scope, shop this link. It retails for $3,499.
Vision HD 3-12X Digital Rangefinding Scope
One more step up in features leads us to the Vision HD 3-12X Digital Rangefinding Scope. TenPoint partnered with DNT to provide a digital scope with a built-in rangefinder that ranges from 5 to 1,100 yards (not that you’d ever need to shoot your bow that far). Once you use the easy one-shot zero to get on target and pair with one of the five pre-loaded arrow ballistic profiles, you just range your target, and it adjusts the aiming point based on distance.
As an added bonus, this scope can also record full audio and video. From there, you can download it to the app and watch it back in live time, so you can check on shot placement – no more wondering. And don’t worry if you’re afraid you won’t remember to hit record. It has a recoil-activated setting that automatically starts recording and goes back a few seconds before the shot.
To get the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 with this feature – shop this link. It retails for $3199-$3299 depending on color options.
Real World Performance
Here is what you really want to know: How does the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 perform in the real world? Do all those new engineering and design features make it perform the way it claims to?
Well, after a day at the range, I’ll share my thoughts with you.
Speed & Consistency
TenPoint advertises a speed of 460 fps using the 410-grain Pro Elite 400 Carbon Arrows and 440 pfs with the included 440-grain ACU-X 20 Carbon Arrows. We took 23 shots using the included arrows, and the results were spot-on. We averaged 443.3 fps.
As for consistency, over those 23 shots, we had a standard deviation of only 1.5 fps. I’d say the spine indexing and other features have paid off.
Ease of Cocking
I already mentioned that cocking this crossbow was very smooth and comfortable. It was also easy to do, even toward the end of the cycle where it gets tighter. The one thing I want to mention here, though, is that it is very important that you read all of the directions before cocking and shooting this crossbow.
I think part of the trade-off for how easy it is to crank the cocking handle and get everything in the right place is that there are quite a few steps involved. You can’t simply attach the handle and start cranking. Once you get the hang of all the steps (If I remember correctly, there are 10 small steps), it isn’t hard to remember or follow the sequence. But I’ll reiterate: you need to know the steps and follow them all correctly so you don’t damage your crossbow.
It’s also important that you place the arrow according to the directions with the proper vein down. And make sure it clicks in completely, or it won’t fire.
Accuracy
I figure some of you may have just skipped down to this part of the article, because this is really what you care about.
For this article, we performed the test using the EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope. We took it to the range and tested it at 20, 50, and – yes – even out to 100 yards. So, how did it do?
At 50 yards, I shot 1.9” and 1.6” groups. Then once I got the feel for it, my best group was 1.15”. I even broke the nock on one of my arrows.
The really fun part was testing its accuracy at 100 yards. No, I don’t ever plan to shoot at an animal 100 yards away, but we had to test TenPoint’s claim of a 3.25” group.
Spoiler alert! Not only did we match that – but we beat it! My best group at 100 yards measured 2.98 inches. I was definitely impressed with that.
For future tests, we plan to use the Vision HD 3-12X Digital Rangefinding Scope. I’ll be very interested to see how it performs with a 3-12x zoom and automatic ballistic adjustments; keep an eye out for that.
EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope
Obviously, it did a pretty good job if I was able to shoot a sub-3” group at 100 yards. Plus, once sighted in, we were pretty close at varying distances. Some tweaking would be needed before we hunt with it, but at 40 yards and in, it’s on the money.
There was one aspect of the scope that I didn’t quite understand. Per the directions, once you use the turrets to sight it in at 20 and 50 yards, you then tweak your elevation using the speed settings (based on arrow fps).
That part makes sense; if you’re hitting higher than you’re aiming, your arrow is probably shooting faster than you’ve set it – slower = lower. Here’s what I don’t get: the speed and the zoom are the same adjustment knob. So if you zoom to 8x, then you’re setting your speed over 500 fps. I tested it at 20 and 40 yards with the zoom set at 2x and 8x, and the impact point was within a ½ inch. I wasn’t on a completely stable platform, so that difference could even have been my fault. So I’m not sure the speed adjustment makes that much of a difference.
SPECS
| Overall Length | 29.5 inches long without foot stirrup/bow hanger |
| Widest Width Uncocked | 11 inches |
| Widest Width Cocked | 6.5 inches |
| Power Stroke | 13.5 inches |
| Weight (w/EVO-X Marksman Elite scope) | 8 pounds |
| Draw Style | Forward Draw |
| Cocking/Safe Decocking Device | ACUslide MAXX |
| Advertised arrow speed | 460 fps with Pro Elite 400 Carbon Arrow (410-grains)
440 fps with included ACU-X 20 Carbon Arrow (440-grains) |
| Tested arrow speed with the included ACU-X 20 Carbon Arrows | 443.3 fps |
WHY WOULD YOU BUY?
TenPoint has one of the best reputations in the crossbow market and consistently ranks among the top options in crossbow field testing each year. Several outlets, including ours, have ranked the TX Ultra 29.5 the best crossbow for 2026. After our testing, I can see why.
This crossbow has a lot going for it, but there are a couple of considerations.
PROS
- Built in Ohio
- Ships fully assembled except for the optic
- Optic included
- 3 optic options to choose from
- Incredibly easy cranking/cocking
- Safe Decocking
- Super smooth Trigger Tech trigger
- Comfortable cheek rest
- Scope rail length allows for a wide range of eye-relief adjustments
- 3 ACU-X 20 Carbon Arrows included (440-grains)
- Ambidextrous thumb safety means left- and right-handed shooters alike can easily move from safe to fire (and back).
CONS
- I could not find an option to purchase without a scope
- There are a lot of steps involved in cocking that could be missed in the excitement of the hunt
- Unsure why the variable speed adjustment and zoom are on the same control dial
I also want to mention here that the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 has a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Some parts are warrantied for life while others are limited to 5 years. Make sure you register your crossbow, follow the directions, and check the website for all the rules and limitations.
Buyer’s Guide: Which TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 Scope Should You Choose?
The TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5 is available with three distinctly different optics. The crossbow’s core performance remains the same, so your decision primarily comes down to whether you prefer a traditional crossbow scope, an integrated rangefinder, or a fully digital optic with video capabilities.
Quick Scope Comparison
| Scope Package | Best For | Major Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| EVO-X Marksman Elite | Most hunters and best overall value, least expensive | Traditional sight picture, illuminated reticle, 2-8x magnification and aiming points from 20 to 100 yards |
| Burris Oracle X | Hunters who want fast, uncomplicated ranging, most expensive | Built-in laser rangefinder, angle compensation and a single automatically adjusted aiming point |
| Vision HD 3-12X | Hunters who want maximum technology | Digital display, integrated rangefinder, ballistic profiles, one-shot zeroing and HD video recording |
EVO-X Marksman Elite: Best Overall Value
For most crossbow hunters, the EVO-X Marksman Elite will be the most practical option. It provides a familiar, traditional scope experience without requiring the hunter to depend on digital displays, electronic ranging or ballistic software.
The illuminated 2-8x scope provides aiming points in 10-yard increments from 20 to 100 yards. Once the crossbow is properly sighted in, the hunter simply ranges the target with a separate rangefinder and selects the appropriate aiming reference.
This is also the scope used during our testing. It helped us produce groups as small as 1.15 inches at 50 yards and 2.98 inches at 100 yards. Hunters who already carry a dependable rangefinder may not gain enough from the electronic scopes to justify the additional expense.
Buy the TX Ultra 29.5 with the EVO-X Marksman Elite Scope:
Burris Oracle X: Best for Fast Rangefinding
The Burris Oracle X is the best choice for hunters who want an integrated rangefinder without moving to a fully digital optic.
Press the remote switch or the button on the scope, and the Oracle X measures the target distance, accounts for the shooting angle and displays a single illuminated aiming point. The aiming point remains accurate throughout the scope’s 2-7x magnification range.
Combining the rangefinder and scope can be especially useful when hunting from a treestand or when an animal moves unexpectedly. Instead of ranging the deer, repositioning behind the crossbow and finding the correct reticle mark, the hunter can complete the entire process while remaining behind the scope.
The Oracle X does not offer the recording features or expanded magnification of the Vision HD, but its comparatively straightforward interface may appeal to hunters who want electronic assistance without a fully digital sight picture.
Buy the TX Ultra 29.5 with the Burris Oracle X:
Vision HD 3-12X: Best Premium Technology Package
The Vision HD 3-12X is the best option for hunters who want the most advanced optic available with the TX Ultra 29.5.
Its integrated laser rangefinder measures distances from 5 to 1,100 yards and works with five preloaded TenPoint arrow profiles to calculate the correct aiming point. The one-shot zeroing process is designed to simplify setup, while the 3-12x magnification provides substantially more zoom than the other two options.
The Vision HD also records full-HD video with audio. A recoil-activated recording mode can capture footage from immediately before and after the shot, allowing hunters to review shot placement or save footage from a successful hunt.
This added technology makes the Vision HD particularly appealing to hunters who film their hunts, create outdoor content or want to review exactly what happened after the trigger was pulled. Hunters who prefer a traditional optical image or want to minimize their dependence on batteries may still be better served by the EVO-X.
Buy the TX Ultra 29.5 with the Vision HD Scope:
Our Recommendation
The EVO-X Marksman Elite is our recommendation for most hunters. It delivered excellent results during testing, costs less than the electronic packages and provides everything needed for accurate hunting at responsible crossbow distances.
Choose the Burris Oracle X when minimizing movement and combining ranging with the aiming process are your priorities.
Choose the Vision HD when you want greater magnification, automatic ballistic calculations and the ability to record your hunts directly through the scope.
Regardless of which package you select, compare final pricing, stock status, color options, shipping policies and included accessories before ordering.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was very pleased with the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5. After shooting a few other crossbows, I most appreciated how easy it was to cock (especially at the end of the cycle) and how comfortable the crank handle is. Again, those small details may not seem like much, but they stand out to me.
I also have to mention how impressive the speed and accuracy are and how comfortable the crossbow is to shoot.
If you’re looking for a fairly compact and reasonably lightweight crossbow with extreme accuracy that is easy to handle, cock, and shoot, you may want to take a look at the TenPoint TX Ultra 29.5.
