Model | Draw Weight | Velocity | Crossbow Weight |
---|---|---|---|
BladeUSA Eagle 2 Check Price on Cabelas.com | 150 lbs. | 250 FPS | 2.2 lbs. |
Pros:
- Unique design looks more like a Mossberg shotgun than a crossbow
- Nice accuracy and power for the price
- Solid wood stock and foregrip are sturdy and attractive
Cons:
- No bow stringer included
- Only ships with 2 arrows
- No warranty
Package Contents
Welcome to my review of the BladesUSA Eagle 2 crossbow. This 150 lb. draw crossbow has a design more reminiscent of a rifle or shotgun than a crossbow, with its solid wooden stock and foregrip, making it very different in an industry marked by crossbows trying to differentiate themselves from rifles and shotguns. Each package delivered by BladesUSA includes the following items:
- The BladesUSA Eagle 2 crossbow, including stock, riser and prod
- Crossbow string
- Vibration dampening pads
- Steel compression plate
- Retention screw and Allen key
- 2x 14-inch aluminum crossbow arrows
Assembling The BladesUSA Eagle 2 Crossbow
To put the BladesUSA Eagle 2 together, you first need to insert the bow assembly, or the prod, into the riser. Vibration dampening pads and a steel compression plate are included; put one vibration pad on either side of the prod and then place the compression plate between the bow and the retention screw. Tighten down the retention screw with the included Allen key, being careful not to over tighten the screw.
That part is pretty easy. What is not so easy is stringing the bow. I tried doing this as a two-man job, but frankly, I found it’s better to handle it using a bow stringer. The Eagle 2 does not come with a bow stringer, so spend a bit of extra money and buy one, if you don’t already have it. This will be very handy down the road when you want to unstring and restring your bow to save the life of the string.
Accuracy And Power
The BladesUSA Eagle 2 has a draw weight of 150 pounds, and fires 14” crossbow arrows at speeds near 250 fps. This gives it a bit of a wallop, with almost 32 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. To put this into layman’s terms, I fired mine at a watermelon from 40 yards, and the bolt went clean through the watermelon and lodged 4” into my backstop.
The accuracy of this crossbow is surprisingly good, given its power and inexpensive price tag. From 20 yards, I was able to maintain 1” groupings, and several times actually split my crossbow arrows. As I moved out in range, I saw my groupings expand pretty much the way I expected them. From 50 yards, I was able to keep my groupings down to an average of 3”, which is pretty good for shooting from 150 feet without a scope.
Hunting: What To Expect
While this crossbow is inexpensive (see price on amazon.com), it definitely has some promise to it for hunting purposes. I took this with me on one hunting trip recently, and had a chance to take a short-range shot on an antlerless deer. With 32 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy, the Eagle 2 is solidly in the middle of what’s considered humane for taking down deer or antelope, and this crossbow proved herself. The shot did not go all the way through, but it did penetrate deep enough to hit the vitals. The downside to a shot not going all the way through, however, is that the animal doesn’t lose blood nearly as fast, so I spent a couple of hours tracking her before I found her expired from loss of blood.
I would recommend buying swivels to attach a padded sling to, and adding the sling to the crossbow. It makes it much easier to carry through the bush, and the crossbow doesn’t have the swivels preinstalled for you.
Cocking The BladesUSA Eagle 2 Crossbow
With a draw weight of 150 pounds, this is a crossbow that you could cock by hand, but why bother? You can do a much nicer job of it by using a rope-cocking device, since that allows you the symmetry that assures your arrow will fly in the exact direction you want it to.
The Eagle 2 has a nice, smooth draw. It is not the smoothest I’ve ever felt, but it’s surprisingly nice for such an inexpensive crossbow.
The BladesUSA Eagle 2 Crossbow Sight
The Eagle 2’s sight is simple and effective, and allows for adjustments for windage and elevation. My crossbow wasn’t even close to sighted in out of the box, but I had it perfectly zeroed within fifteen shots. Once it was sighted in, the crossbow’s sight held zero without any problems.
For serious target shooting or hunting use, I would recommend removing the included sight and installing a red dot scope or a multiple reticle scope. Either one of these will greatly improve your accuracy and allow you to make kill shots from longer ranges than you could using the included sight.
Arrows
The BladesUSA Eagle 2 ships with two 14” crossbow arrows. These included arrows are aluminum and have a total weight, including the shaft, brass insert and field tip, of 229 grains. Any 14” arrows will work fine with the Eagle 2, but I would make sure to shoot arrows that are at least 225 grains. In fact, I shot a couple of 20” Carbon Express Maxima Blue Streak bolts on mine, and had decent results. The heavier arrows definitely bring my range and speed down a bit, but I would still call it well within the required speed and KE (kinetic energy) to take down a deer from close range. You can buy a 5-pack of the same arrows (amazon.com link) that come with the Eagle 2 very cheaply online.
Safety and Design
The design of the BladesUSA Eagle 2 is quite nice, with its solid wood stock and foregrip. The rail and other components of the stock are aluminum, and are quite solid. I’m not so sure about the polyester string, but it has held up to over 500 shots so far, so I’d call it pretty solid for the money.
Warranty
This is going to sound strange, but I couldn’t find any mention of a warranty anywhere on the box or in the included instructions. My guess would be that this crossbow doesn’t really have any warranty coverage, but it seems to be pretty solid and safe. I would feel comfortable recommending it, despite the lack of a warranty.
BladesUSA Eagle 2 Crossbow Review – Summary
Thanks for reading this crossbow review of the BladesUSA Eagle 2. This crossbow is a really nifty design, and the price is right for those with a very limited budget. While it doesn’t seem to have warranty coverage, I’d feel pretty confident recommending this crossbow to a beginner wanting to make their entry into crossbow archery and/or hunting. Check Amazon.com’s price on the Eagle 2.
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