Ravin R18 Crossbow Review

Ravin is leading the way to a new era in crossbow design with their most compact crossbow ever, the Ravin R18. Well known for their crossbows being accurate and powerful without sacrificing size, Ravin certainly sticks to that philosophy, but in a design we have never seen before. 

The Ravin R18 is a revolutionary piece of art. Powered by the Ravin Verticoil Cam System, the R18 was built with limbs that run parallel on top of the crossbow instead of horizontal like the traditional designs. The Verticoil Cam System rotates the cams 720 degrees compressing axel to axel down to an astonishingly compact, 1.3 inches. Since the Verticoil Cam System doesn’t use horizontal limbs, the width of the crossbow doesn’t change with cocking or firing it. This compact design allows you to shoot out of an opening roughly the size of a paper plate without fearing limb contact when the limbs release. 

The total length of the R18, with the take down stock attached, is only 25 inches. At 6 pounds you can easily maneuver this crossbow in extremely tight quarters. The red dot helps keep this package light. The R18 uses a reflex style 3 dot sight good for a wide range of distances depending on your zero preference. The Ravin R18 feels so similar to a weapon you would use to tactically clear rooms, it was almost disappointing once you realize it is still a crossbow and you have to reload it after every shot. 

Shooting the R18 was an interesting experience to say the least. The bolt is coming out at a respectable 330 fps. Since the limbs release vertically it has a different recoil than a typical crossbow. Shooting it freehand versus shooting off a tripod seemed to produce slightly different results because of the limbs traveling vertically. It’s fair to note however this crossbow is meant for the run and gun hunter who will typically be making a freehand shot at close distance rather than using a bench rest or support to shoot 80 yards.

The Ravin R18 meets the power demands of a hunter, feels incredibly light, and will catch the eye of anyone who sees it. With a price tag of $2,024.99 it’s a more affordable option for the higher end crossbows. If you are looking to get in close and feel like a Navy SEAL, ready to kick in doors, you need to get your hands on a Ravin R18 and see why size definitely matters.