This was an unusual Field Test Review for me to do as I really don’t test out Bows or Crossbows all that much and I don’t have the best backstop setup for doing such reviews. So I spent some time making a backstop that was capable of stopping these just over 6 inch almost 10 gram or 150 grain bolts. It required some layers of foam and cardboard along with a blanket behind just in case, and even with this setup the bolts managed to lodge themselves right up to the Fletching (feather part of the arrow). Also make sure to watch my Table Top Video Review for the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow to see it up nice and close and get all the specifications and features.
I kind of wanted to change up this review just a bit and so I recorded my Chronograph Velocity at the same time as I did my Target or Accuracy Test to simplify things. I used 5 bolts in all and got what I felt was a good result using the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow.
In terns of velocity Bear X claims that the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow will shoot around 175 fps. I was able to get consistent 190+ fps readings using the 147 grain 6.5 inch aluminum bolts with my lowest fps being 192 and the highest being 194 so super consistent. This gave an overall Foot Pound energy of 12.4 foot pounds! 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.
I did do a pre test to make sure I was on target and duding this test I was able to get about a 5 inch 5 shot grouping. During my recored Accuracy Test this did open up a bit as one arrow went high and to the right so if I leave that arrow out of the test I did manage to get another 5 inch grouping with three of the arrows all within 1.5 inches of each otter. I figure with high quality arrows and some practice time using the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow, you should be able to use it for small pest control at least at closer in ranges.
All in all the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow surprised me with how powerful it really was and with the accuracy using standard default bolts. This is for sure not a toy and you would never want to accidentally shoot this at someone as it could cause a very serious injury or even death and I mean that since these arrow would for sure pierce several inches into the body. So if you’re looking for something with a bit more raw power than your standard non-regulated Airgun, then check out the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow over in both our Canada and US Online Replica Airguns Stores.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is medium to heavy, it is a single action only trigger as you need ot cock the bow in order for the trigger to be engaged. The safety is also engaged when you cock the bow requiring you to take the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow off safe before shooting as an added layer of safety.
Accuracy: I have not made my Field Test Shooting Video for the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow and so I have not sea what to expect for it. I have watched a few videos of other people reviewing it and it looks to perform fairly well but until I get a few bolts in a target downrange I can not say for certain the accuracy of the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow. I will have to figure out some sort of a usable back stop in order to make this Field Test Shooting Video but have some ideas already on material to use as my back stop. FPS is claimed ot be around 175 and I will be doing my best to Chronograph the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow so we can confirm that rating for ourselves…
Build Quality: The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is actually made pretty decently, yes it is mostly plastic and light weight but feels sturdy enough to hold, 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 bow itself may be a composite material but I am not sure what exactly it is?
Realism: The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is not a Replica as is what I usually review here on the channel. But I think their is a crossover in terms of interest for a product like this with people that are also interested in airguns. I know I like the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow and can see a place for it in my collection even if it’s not a replica product.
Pros:
Fairly inexpensive.
Super light weight.
Can shoot in a variety of situations.
Easy to draw the bow.
Safety is automatically engaged.
Picatinny rail already has iron fully adjustable rear sight but can mount a red dot if you like.
Fiber optic front sight.
3 bolts included.
175 fps (not sure of the ft/lbs)?
Comes with fore grip.
3 portion adjustable rear but stock.
Cons:
Will need a good backstop or will lose or damage a lots of bolts.
Takes a little bit of time to set it up but not too hard if you follow the instructions.
Comments:
The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow is an interesting product that once purchased and if you manage to not lose the bolts will cost virtually nothing to shoot since you can reuse the bolts all day long given you shoot them on target and that target does not damage the bolts. It may not offer the rapid fire action shooting of a replica semi auto CO2 Pistol but still challenges the shooter in terms of getting the best possible accuracy out of it and at the end of the day trigger time is trigger time! If you are looking for something a bit different than your CO2 Air Gun then maybe the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow will fill that requirement.
In this Preview Unboxing Vimeo Video I take a look at five very different products! A Spring Piston .177 Caliber Pellet Pistol, an Airsoft GBB Pistol, a Compact Crossbow, a full auto CO2 Blowback BB Pistol and a PPC .22 Caliber Pellet Rifle.
First up is the Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol which is a single shot replica pellet pistol that shoots .177 caliber pellets at up to 320 fps using a spring piston break barrel system. The Umarex Ruger Mark IV Spring Piston Pellet Pistol is a target plinker with fully adjustable fiber optic sights and should be a lot of fun to shoot!
Next I take a look at a Gas Blowback Airsoft Pistol from Action Army that closely resembles the Ruger Mark IV pistol with perhaps a more compact look. The Action Army AAP-01 GBB Airsoft Pistol is full blowback a full size drop out magazine and fiber optic sights. It also come with a threaded barrel and barrel extension for adding a longer barrel and much suppressor.
Next on my list of new items is the Bear X Desire XL Crossbow which is a 2.2 pound compact bolt shooting crossbow that sports a rail system with included adjustable iron sights that also allow for a red dot if you want to really customize it. The Bear X Desire XL Crossbow has a 60 pound draw and shoots arrows/bolts at up to 175 fps.
Another AR BB Rifle/Pistol from Crosman is the Crosman A4-P Full Auto CO2 BB Pistol which is essentially a pistol version of the AR Platform. If you like the Crosman DPMS SBR, R1, PDW then you will probably also like the Crosman AP-4. Like the others it uses dual CO2’s and shoots 4.5mm Steel BB;s in semi or full auto at 1400 rounds per minute until the 25 round magazine is empty.
Last included in this preview video is the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle. I’m a bit uncertain about this one as I am pretty sure it is the non detuned PAL version that requires a firearms license here in Canada as it shoots at full velocity (.22 caliber pellet at 950 fps). If that’s the case then it will not be available in our Canada Replica Airguns Store but may be available in the US Replica Airguns Store. If it is the detuned version or a detuned version becomes available in Canada then I imagine we will at some point have it in the Canada replica Airguns Store. That said the Air Venturi Avenger Regulated PCP Pellet Rifle uses compressed air and shoots either .177. .22 or .25 caliber pellets using a latch system and rotary magazine.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Kimar Model K 760 is a bit stiff but on a beginner gun I would recommend the trigger to be on the heavy side for safety reasons and also to teach correct trigger control. It did not seem to effect my shooting at all which was nice.
Accuracy: Very good, I was surprised at the tight group I got from a semi rested position and with open sights, I nearly got a 3/4 inch group from 30 feet out which is about the best I can expect from just about any gun I have shot in the same manner. The Kimar Model K 760 spring piston break barrel rifle also shot true to it's claimed feet per second rating and got right around the 450 fps velocity mark.
Build Quality: The Kimar K 760 .177 air rifle is not going to win any prizes for style or craftsmanship but it gets the job done and in about as simple a manner as is required. With that said, what can really go wrong with it?Crank the barrel and pull the trigger. The lack of a safety does not really bother me as I never ever trust a safety and it's always good to learn how to keep a gun safe at all times even when you "believe" it is not loaded or ready to shoot. There is some plastic found on the Kimar K 760 like in the sights and the stock but the mechanical parts are all metal including the trigger.
Coming in at around $50, you can not ask the world from the Kimar Mod. K 760 .177 Caliber Spring Piston Rifle! What you can ask for is for decent accuracy and usable fps, and that's exactly what you are going to get from the Kimar K 760. This break barrel air rifle is really perfect for a beginner shooter on a budget or even for someone who may want to pack it around in some ugly situations where you wouldn't want to subject your high priced top quality air rifle. For the money you really can't lose with this one!
Looking for an ultra compact, super inexpensive, Italian made air rilfe for target or small pest control? Look no further!
This brand new air Italian made rifle from Kimar in .177 caliber is an ideal first air rifle for plinking targets in the back yard and because of it's very compact size it is excellent for small or first time shooters. Don't assume it doesn't have any power? You get up to 450fps velocities which makes the Kimar K 760 useful for shooting small rodents.
The Kimar 760 is very inexpensive yet has a high quality finish on the synthetic stock and metal work and fires accurate groups from 15 meters out with its open sights which are adjustable for windage and elevation.