Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is a single action only trigger as you need to cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The trigger mechanism basically just pushes the bow string up and over the lip of the rail releasing the bow, so there is a bit of friction and I would guess it is about 8-10 pounds maybe a bit less. There is a metal bolt style safety just above where the trigger releases that is ambidextrous, push it forward for safe and back for fire.
Accuracy: I have not recorded my Field Test Shooting Video for the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow and so I am not sure what to expect so far. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform a lot like that one but without the auto loading bolt system. If you want, you can check that Field Test Shooting Video out, I expect the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow to have a bit more power over the Bear X Desire XL as it is rated to have a 75 pound draw as compared to the 60 pounds of the Bear X Desire XL. In terms of accuracy I do not expect anteing similar to a pellet or even BB rifles or pistol but I hop to get somewhere near a 6-8 inch grouping with the 10 bolts.
Build Quality: The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is well made but does consist of mostly plastic or polymer, that said it feels sturdy enough when holding it and is one of the heavier compact recurve Crossbow systems at 4 pounds. The bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts, bolts, safety and sling ring are some sort of plastic. Fit and finish is good. I am hoping the auto bolt loading system will perform well and be consistent but we will find out when I make my Field Test Shooting Video for it
Realism: The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is not a Replica pistol or rifle, it is a target bow that one could perhaps use of small game if you become proficient with it. I do think there is a crossover product in terms of interest with people that are also interested in Airguns. The other benefit is that it has a lot more power than a non regulated Airgun as the it uses nice heavy 142 grain bolts traveling at near 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds. If raw power is what you are interested in, then this is your best option for something still compact and quiet if you do not have a firearms license or want to avoid that hassle and the legalities around it.
Pros:
Light weight and compact.
More power than an airgun yet still quiet to shoot so can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.
Auto loading system for quick follow up shots.
Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.
Comes with bow pre-strung and ready to mount.
Lots of Picatinny rail mounting options for sights and accessories.
Fiber optic front sight with two rear sight options (grove and peep).
Ambidextrous bolt safety easy to engage and disengage.
20 bolts included to fully load both 10 round magazines.
190-200 fps (11-12ft/lbs).
Comes with upgraded fore grip.
6 portion AR compatible adjustable rear but stock with cheek adjustment.
Cons:
Fairly expensive.
Sights are not adjustable.
Will need a good backstop or will lose lots of bolts.
Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard, just follow the steps in the manual.
Comments:
The Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow is an interesting product, the autoloading system with 10 round magazines turns this from a simple target bow into a bit of an action shooter once you get the reloading down. As a potential pest control solution it for sure has the power as long as you can harness it by practicing to the point where you can get those 142 grain bolts on target and make a humane shot. Having quick follow up shots is nessiscarry just in case the first shot does not quite get the job done. The upgraded add on accessories you get with the Steambow M10 Tactical Recurve Crossbow really give it a quilty feel and it is nice you not only have a fully adjustable AR compactly rear stock with a cheek rest but you have the option of a peep or grove rear sight to line up the fiber optic front sight. The price is on the high side but if you want the most ultimate Compact Recurve Crossbow auto loading system with maximum ammo then this is for sure the product for you.
I did my unboxing vide for both the Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and M10 Tactical already which is generally a preview of the products I am unboxing but with these types of compact crossbows, they generally need a bit of setup before they are complete and ready to view and use.
For that reason I wanted to make a quick combined Preview Video for Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical and M10 Tactical Crossbows so you can see what they look like all put together, and what the main differences are between the two of them. This way you can figure out which one might be the best choice if you are in the market for a product like this.
Let’s go over the main specifications and differences to determine what you get with each one:
Distributed by: Steambow GmbH Austria.
Materials: Mostly plastic with some metal parts.
Weight: M10 4 pounds / AR-6 2.6 pounds.
Lengt: M10 24.2 inches / AR-6 22 inches.
Width: M10 17.5 inches / 17.5 inches.
Magazine Capacity: M10 10 bolts per external magazine / AR-6 6 bolts per internal magazine.
Another Mystery Box to share with everyone but this time I peaked a bit so it’s not as much of a mystery for me, but it will be for you. I was glad I peaked as the items inside where not the usual assortment and it was good I was able to get a bit of pre-intel on them before I jumped into this unboxing, as there was a lot to discover about each of the three items in the Mystery Box. I hope they appeal to some of you, I think they are very interesting and after checking them out, some of you may decide to add one or two of them to your collection.
The first two items I looked at are from an Austrian based company called Steambow. They are both compact crossbows that offer a unique reloading system with built in Magazines that hold either 6 or 10 rounds depending on the version you buy. The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical is the less expensive yet still “kind of expensive” version with a built in 6 round magazine While the AR Series Steambow M10 Tactical has an upper that accepts 10 round magazines you can preload. The Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical comes with a 55 pound pre-strung bow that produces around 10 foot pounds of energy, while the Steambow M10 Tactical come with a 75 pound pre-strung bow which should produce close to 12 or more foot pounds of energy. Both incorporate fiber optic slights, lots of rail mounting options, AR style rear stocks which shoulder mount easy and quick cocking to make the most of the automatic bolt loading systems.
Another Archery based item also in this months Mystery Box was the Umarex AirJavelin FishR PCP based arrow launcher designed for anglers. It is intended to work with a fishing real of your choice and comes with a single retrievable barbed arrow, so a lot like bow fishing but with a PCP propulsion system. The Umarex AirJavelin FishR has a built in 4500 psi tank that is regulated to 800 psi and the arrow is a whopping 1250 grain to cut through the water with ease. The entire system is salt water resistant so you can use it in both fresh and salt water conditions. There are both picatinny and M-LOK mounting options for sights and accessories.
Stay posted for my Table Top and Field Testing Video Reviews coming shortly…
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I have only tested out another similar Crossbow setup one other time so this is not my normal Field Test Review. Like last time when I made my Bear X Desire XL Crossbow Field Test Video, in this Field Test Video I record my Chronograph velocity for the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow at the same time as I shoot at the target so I did not have to make two separate video segments and basically did it all in one go. I did have a bit of a brain fart and forgot I needed to setup two separate cameras, one on the Chronograph and one on the Target, as I generally only need one camera at a time for my usually two segment Field Test Videos. So getting to the point, I did not have dedicated camera on the target while shooting and in hind sight it would have been better to have the camera on the Target rather than the Chronograph as my camera glasses generally record the Chronograph readings for me too. I do walk up to the Target at the end of the video so we do get to see exactly where all the bolts landed, so I can show you the final result at the end of the day.
In terns of velocity, CenterPoint claims a velocity of 191 fps. I was able to get consistently just over 180 fps so pretty close. My Chrono readings using the included 147 grain 6.5 inch aluminum bolts ranged from 180 to 182 fps so very consistent. This gave an overall Foot Pound energy of 10.61 foot pounds so velocity and foot pound energy were just a little bit under the claimed rating! This is enough for small pests for sure, it really comes down to accuracy at this point as you will want to get either a head or shoulder area shot for a humane kill, and I am not sure if this bow is up of the job? You will have to see how accurate it will be for you and make that decision for yourself..
In terms of accuracy I found the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow to be fairly accuracy on the windage side (left and right), basically with all the bolts only being about 2 inches apart side to side. Where it did not perform as well was in elevation with the bolts ranging about 8 inches top to bottom. I am not sure why this was the case as the velocity is very consistent and generally less consistent velocities account for elevation changes. All the bolts hit the target using the included red dot with no pre adjustments but it did shoot just a bit to the right and maybe overall a bit low. This can easily be corrected using the red dot windage and elevation adjustments.
Interestingly the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow has a higher claimed velocity over the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow I tested a while back, yet the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow actually shot a bit faster hitting 190+ fps, not a huge difference but an interesting observation. The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow does come with a red dot but both have Picatinny Rails so Red Dots will fit on both Crossbows no problem. I am going to address the elephant in the room, if you compare both of these Crossbows they are virtually the same with the exception of the branding and distribution of them. So I would say get either one, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is actually less money as it does not come with an included Red Dot but at least right now it is out of stock so your only option may the the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow, both are a lot of fun and pack a lot more punch than your standard non regulated Air Rifle.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is a single action only trigger as you need ot cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The trigger mechanism basically just pushes the bow string up and over the lip of the rail releasing it so there is a bit of friction and I would say it is about 10 pounds maybe a bit less. The safety is also engaged when you cock the bow requiring you to take the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow off safe before shooting as an added layer of safety.
Accuracy: I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video for the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow and so I am not sure what to expect from it. I have shot a similar bow, the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so it should perform similar to that one if you want to check that Field Test Shooting Video out, but I expect the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow to have a little bit more power as it has a rated fps and draw weight a little bit higher than the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow, we will see?
Build Quality: The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is actually made pretty decently, yes it is mostly plastic and light weight but feels sturdy enough to hold, the bow itself is fiberglass and the only real metal I can confirm is the cocking rail, mostly everything else other than the nuts and bolts that hold it together are some sort of plastic, The only part that does not feel up to par with the quality is the included red dot, it is fairly entry level but I am sure it will get the job done, and if it stops getting the job done at some point you can upgrade it then, or simply use the included rear iron sight which is fully adjustable.
Realism: The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is not a Replica as is what I usually review here on the channel. But I think there is a crossover in terms of interest for a product like this with people that are also interested in Airguns. The other benefit is that it has a lot more power than a non regulated Airgun as the CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow uses nice heavy 146 grain bolts traveling at almost 200 fps which gives an energy rating of around 12 foot pounds. So if raw power is what you are after, then this is your best option for something still compact if you do not have a firearms license.
Pros:
Fairly inexpensive.
Super light weight and compact.
More power than an Airgun yet still quiet to shoot so you can use discreetly just about anywhere with a good back stop setup.
Easy to draw the bow using the stock for leverage.
Safety is automatically engaged.
Picatinny rail already has iron fully adjustable rear sight and comes with a very basic red dot sight to get you started.
Fiber optic front sight.
3 bolts included.
191 fps (12ft/lbs).
Comes with fore grip.
5 portion adjustable rear but stock.
Cons:
Will need a good backstop or will lose lots of bolts.
Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard, just follow the steps in the manual.
Careful not to wash you hadn't or thumb with the string (Ouchy).
Comments:
The CenterPoint Hornet Recurve Compact Crossbow is a nice crossover product that appeals to Airgun enthusiasts as it does not require a firearms license and can be used in a lot more locations than a standard gun. It also has decent power as compared to a non regulated Airgun hitting 12 foot pounds which is at least 4x more than most non regulated Airguns can achieve. In terms of pest control, it does have the power required for small pests but accuracy is not going to be as good as an Airgun so hitting the rather small sweet spot on a small pest is not going to be easy and you want to be humane about it, so make sure if you do plan on using this for some sort of pest control, that you practice your accuracy and are confident in your shot placement. Personally I would just enjoy shooting it as a target bow that literally cost you nothing after purchase as long as you don’t lose the bolts.
Another box showed up at my door and this time I had no idea what was inside it, I asked the boys in the warehouse to surprise me and send some new product as I was low on review items, and in a couple of days later this tall somewhat large box showed up. In this Replica Airguns June Mystery Box Unboxing Video I open the box and take a look at what’s inside. I recommend you just watch the video and enjoy the suspense with me, but if you want to cheat and find out now, then look below at quick breakdown of each item…
Type:Blowback BB Pistol. Manufacturer: Made and Distributed by ASG. Model:CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow. Materials: Mostly all Metal. Weight: 2.37 pounds (1076 grams). Barrel: 4.5 inches (114mm) metal non-rifled. Total Length: 8.26 inch (210mm). Propulsion: 1 x Co2. Action: Semi auto blowback, single & double action trigger. Ammunition Type: 4.5mm steel BB's. Ammunition Capacity: 17 round drop out full size metal magazine. FPS: Claimed 312.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is both single and double action, by either pulling the slide or hammer back you engage the single action trigger which is nice and short and light with a medium take-up. You will need to pull the slide back to load a BB into the breach area for your first shot or you will simply be shooting CO2 on that first shot. If you drop the hammer down once a BB is in the breach, you can shoot in double action which is much heavier but it is fairly smooth without any noticeable sticking points.
Accuracy: I have not shot the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol or made my Field Test Shooting Video for it, that will happen next week. So for now I can not comment on the true velocity or accuracy of this product. It is very well made so I expect it to perform like most Full Blowback CO2 BB pistols which means it should shoot around a 1-2 inch 10 shot grouping at 30 feet away, and I expect it to achieve a velocity close to the manufacturers claimed fps, so around 300 fps or just above. We will find out for sure next week!
Build Quality: TheASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is distributed by ASG but I am not 100% sure who makes it for them. I feel it could be either KJWorks or KWA. In either case both companies make very high quality Airguns and that is present with the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. Fit and finish are excellent and the entire gun is virtually all metal. It weighs in at almost 2.5 ponds and has a very solid feel to it.
Realism: The ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol is a 1 to 1 copy of the real steel CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow and side by side it would be very hard to tell them apart. It features full blowback operation and can by fully field stripped. All the mechanical parts work like the real steel version adding to the realism of shooting this CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. Again it is almost all metal which not only helps it look the part, but also feel the part. It is a very realistic replica and to make it even more believable, ASG has provide the CZ licensing to add all the correct markings to this product.
Pros:
Single and double action trigger with a nice light short single action trigger.
Fit and finish is excellent, very little slide wiggle, all metal build.
This pistol is pretty heavy at just under 2.5 pounds!
Extremely close replica of the real steel CZ SP-01 Shadow in both looks and function.
Well priced for a quality Airgun.
Fiber optic front sight helps with quick target acquisition.
I like the stainless barrel, it won’t be as prone to scratches and wear marks.
Deep recessed barrel for added realism.
Full size 17 round metal magazine holds the CO2 and BB’s and adds additional weight.
Rail for adding accessories like a laser or tac light.
Most mechanical parts work just like the steel version and can be easily field stripped to access the hop-up.
Heavy slide spring with fast blowback action, great for action shooting.
Licensing all over this gun, true to the real steel version.
Cons:
Rear sight is not adjustable.
FPS is perhaps a bit low at 312?
May be a bit heavy for some people.
Comments:
I am pretty sure that the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol started out life as a 6mm Airsoft Pistol, and then this version was simply converted over to shoot 4.5mm Steel BB’s by more than likely swapping out the barrel, perhaps changing the nozzle and modifying the magazine to allow for 4.5mm BB’s over the 6mm Airsoft BB’s. And that is OK with me as I really like how Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols recreate that realistic shooting experience. The downside to all of this is a bit of a perforce hit since Full Blowback Airsoft Pistols use up a lot of CO2 to create that full heavy blowback experience. You also lose some power along the way. I am fine with that but some people may not be. Overall I really like the ASG CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. It is high quality and looks awesome. Now I just need to find out how it shoots :)
Many Canadians ask about options for what they perhaps could use for home defense since we are not allowed to really use any kind of a weapon to defend ourselves. A product classified as “Less Lethal” may be of interest to people living in Canada. I interviewed Byrna, just such a company that offers alternatives to standard “Lethal Interventions” for self protection and Josh from Byrna was kind enough to go over their pistol and rifle offerings specifically built to shoot paintball type ammunition for the purpose of stopping bad guys.
I am hoping this is a product we will be able to add to our online Replica Airgun Stores, as they do tick the boxes for import into Canada such as shooting well under 500 fps, yet having the ability to cause serious injury so as to allow them to be considered a non regulated firearm.
This year at the KWA Booth I had the pleasure of running into John, and we went over a bunch of new items KWA had on display. John was even rocking a similar pair of Ray Ban Meta AI Glasses which made us look a little bit like twins…
In this KWA SHOT Show Interview John higgled the following products from KWA: The KWA ATP-Z and ATP-CT Optics Ready GBB AIrsoft Pistols which are convertible to SMG versions, along with a new prototype TAC-9 GBB Airsoft Rifle.
KWA AIrsoft products have always been one of favoriteAirsoft guns for their quality, looks and performance. They tend to offer a lot of Gas Blowback options which I really appreciate as a Replica AIrgun Collector.
It’s alwasy nice to have a chat with Bob at ASG, I have been interviewing him for years now and really missed not being at SHOT Show the last three years. As always, Bob really knows the ASG product line inside and out and took us through some of the new products and changes to the ASG lineup in 2024.
Some of the products include: The ASG CZ P-10 C CO2 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Steyr L9-A2 CO2/Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the USW Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the new Hybrid Airsoft line including the CO2 Blowback H-22 and the AEG H-15, the ICS Ape SE AEG Airsoft Rifle, and lastly the ICS Carnotaurus, Legacy, ACME High-Capa Pistol Series.
I am looking forward to get my hands-on many of these new ASG products and making reviews for everyone to checkout in the near future…
I’m pretty sure I have never made an Interview for Barra before in any of my past SHOT Show Videos, so I was really happy when I visited their booth and discovered a bunch of really great new products to talk about with GEO. Like many other Airgun companies, Barra does incorporate rebranded products from other manufacturer popular Airguns, but they also have some unique products I have never seen before. They are either working really closely with dedicated manufacturing companies or making these items in house. Either way it’s great to see new and interesting products.
Some of the products Geo went over with me in this SHOT Show 2024 Barra Interview where: The Barra CO2 1866 Lever Action Rifle, some Rifled Pellet Barrel Kits for the Schofield Revolver and 1866 Rifle, the 1858 CO2 BB Revolver, the 357 Shell Loading CO2 Revolver, the 400 AEG Airsoft Rifle and two new nameless Airguns they are still working on and perfecting, a full Blowback Competition Style BB/Airsoft Pistol and a compact AEG Airsoft Rifle.
It was great talking with the team over at the Barra Booth and I look forward to testing out their new items as they become available.
Kicking off my SHOT Show 2024 Interviews, I present my Umarex Interview with Mark Davis, you may remember Mark from past Umarex SHOT Show Interviews? This is a fairly long interview as Mark had a lot of product to show me including…
The new Marlin Lever Action BB Rifle, the Walther PDP CO2 BB Pistol, the BBX11 1911 Blowback CO2 BB Pistol, the MarkPoint Break Barrel .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, the Trinity Hi-Cap 2011 Blowback Airsoft Pistol, the Gambler High Stakes Single Action Army CO2 Airsoft Revolver, the Glock 380 GBB Airsoft Pistol, the CQC Elite Force AEG Airsoft Rifle with i-Trace, and the Beretta PMX GBB Airsoft Rifle.
Yep, that’s a lot of products to go over in one Interview, and Mark did a great job! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on these new products from Umarex to review for everyone!
I’m back from SHOT Show 2024 and I always like to start off my series of SHOT Show Interview videos with a Teaser Video that not only shows off a few new guns but also gives everyone a vibe of what it feels like to visit Las Vegas and SHOT Show. I can only show you so much because as you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…
I did get the chance to interview several Airgun Companies that I will be putting together Interview Videos for, including Umarex, ASG, KWA, Barra, EKOL and Byrna. Unfortunately Sig Sauer is no longer attending SHOT Show and Crosman had significantly reduced the focus of their booth and really did not have much in the way of Replica Airguns to show.
As Christmas and New year approach, I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. According to my religious beliefs I concelebrate Christmas and I do so unapologetically. I know we live in a multicultural world with a variety of religions and beliefs. If you do not celebrate Christmas as many of us do here in Canada, then I wish you a wonderful holiday season nonetheless.
I look forward to 2024 and hope the new year brings prosperity to those deserving of it. May the righteous prevail over the unrighteous and good over evil.
For those following me over on Replica Airguns, I will be going to SHOT Show this year after a three year hiatus. I am really looking forward to seeing all the venders and new products they are showcasing at SHOT Show 2024.
For my GetFitOver40 audience I am taking things day by day and as I feel better and better I hope to be able to do more and more and perhaps maybe even do a show this year, but more on my own terms and my own timeline
When it comes to video and audio components that I use for making my videos, I am always looking for something that can improve the creativity or quality of my videos and audio in the videos so I keep an eye out for any new tech that I think is ingesting.
I tried using a drone in the past but found them too time consuming to setup and the drone noise always got into the sound of the video which can be a problem when you need live audio.
And then along comes the Hover Camera X1, it’s not really what you would expect exactly from a drone or camera. As a drone you would expect a remote along with GPS and the ability to go super high and far away and fly really fast. Well the Hover Camera X1 doesn’t do any of that.
As a camera you would expect something you can put on a tripod or at the end of a selfie stick and that is for the most part a more static object. Again the Hover Camera X1 is not really any of this.
What the Hover Camera X1 is is a new type of tech that allows you to have many of the benefits of what a camera man can do along with some of the cool tracking shots that a drone can do. And all in a device that fits easily in your pocket and weighs less than a smartphone.
In this Video I go into what the Hover Camera X1 can and can not do and where it really excels as compared to what a typical camera and typical drone is capable of. Yes there are some similarities but there are for sure something newish a conventional camera or drone can match.
Watch my video review with my take on the Hover Camera X1 with samples videos showing off the capabilities this very versatile video and photo tool can perform.
