Welcome to the review of the Darton line of crossbows. Darton is known for being a company with a long history of building quality archery equipment. They offer an extensive line of vertical bows as well as several offerings of crossbows. Their crossbows shoot from 335 fps all the way up to 400 fps. All of their crossbows are well made, but the Viper Extreme and FireForce stand out. The Viper Extreme stands out for its ease of cocking and FireForce stands out for its incredible speed. The table below further compares these models for your convenience.
Best Darton Crossbows:
Darton Fire Force Check price on Amazon.com | Darton VIPER Extreme Check price on Amazon.com |
|
Velocity | 400 FPS | 360 FPS |
Draw Weight | 185 lbs. | 180 lbs. |
Stroke | 17.25" | 13.5" |
Suggested Arrow Length | 22" | 22" |
Crossbow Length | 38" | 35.5" |
Crossbow Weight | 8 lbs. 7 ozs. | 8 lbs. 7 ozs. |
Our Review | Our Review |
Ballistic Data Comparison For The Above Crossbows
- Speed Reduction
- Kinetic Energy
- Hunting Requirements
Characteristics of Darton Crossbows
Darton offers several crossbow models in its lineup with the primary differences being in the size of the crossbow, draw weight and speed. There are many features that are found on their entire line of crossbows.
Each features a trackless barrel design which greatly reduces friction to increase arrow speed. They also feature a really cool ambidextrous safety, similar to what is found on an AR rifle platform. This stands out as it is one of the few safeties on the market that allows you to release the safety without moving your firing hand from its firing position. Each Darton model also features an integrated riser and string suppressor with a patented barrel dampener. Essentially, you have a superior dampening system built in to the crossbow.
Each Darton crossbow is offered in one of two package configurations. While you can get your crossbow in just about any configuration depending on the dealer, these are the two that are most common.
The Hunter Package comes with:
- A 4 X 32mm multi-reticle scope
- Scope rings
- A BQ4 Quiver
- An E-Z Cocking rope
- Rail lube
- Four 22” arrows
The Pro Package offers multiple upgrades:
- A 2-7 X 40mm Toxin Hi Grade Illuminated scope
- Scope rings
- A BQ4 Quiver
- An E-Z Cocking rope
- An E-Z Cocking crank
- A telescoping mono pod
- A soft case
- A sling
- Rail lube
- Four 22” arrows
Darton offers a limited lifetime warranty on all of its crossbows for the original purchaser. Basically everything is covered except for wear parts and any damage caused by the user or by aftermarket modifications.
Darton Crossbow Accessories
Darton offers a number of accessories for the crossbows as well as a full line of apparel. All are discussed below in more detail.
Darton Arrows
Darton offers their own line of Executioner Crossbow Arrows. These arrows are 22” and are specifically designed to balance control and impact power. All include brass inserts and are designed to maintain speed and kinetic energy.
Darton Cocking Devices
Darton offers their E-Z Rope Cocker with all of their crossbows. This is designed to cut the felt draw weight by 50% when cocking the Darton crossbows, although we found in our testing, especially with the Viper Extreme, the felt weight was actually much less.
They also offer the E-Z Crank Cocker that is adaptable with their entire lineup. The E-Z Crank is designed for an easy on – easy off installation and allows users to crank the bow string back with only minimal effort.
Darton Scopes
Darton offers two crossbow scopes for use with their line. The first is the 4 x 32mm multi-reticle crossbow scope. This is a fairly basic, yet still quite usable scope. It offers multiple aimpoints to allow the shooter to have accuracy at a variety of distances. It is important for the user to practice with their scope using their actual hunting-weight projectiles to ensure they know what the exact yardage is for each reticle.
Darton also offers a variable power (2 – 7X) crossbow scope called the Toxin. The Toxin offers a 40mm aperture to allow for better light gathering in low-light hunting conditions. To further enhance its low-light capabilities, the Toxin also is illuminated in red and green.
Other Accessories
In addition to the above-listed accessories, Darton also makes soft cases for their crossbows as well as a neoprene sling. Their BX4 crossbow quiver allows for a quick detachable quiver that also has dual supports for each arrow as well as a sound dampening protector for the broadheads. Darton also offers a telescoping mono pod to allow for greater stability when shooting off hand.
Buying a Used Darton Crossbow
Buying a used crossbow is always a risky proposition as it is often difficult for even a trained eye to identify failings in a crossbow. If you are set on purchasing a used crossbow, be sure to have a pro shop do a thorough inspection to potentially identify at least any glaring defects. Craigslist or Ebay can be good sources for a used crossbow, but do not give up your money until you have had the crossbow inspected!
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