| Model | Draw Weight | Stroke | Velocity | Suggested Arrow Length | Crossbow Length / Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Darton Rebel 135 SS Check price on Amazon.com | 180 lbs. | 13.5" | 350 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning | 20" | 32" / 7 lbs. 8 ozs. |
| Pros: - Quiet - Light Weight - Good Trigger - Great Balance Cons: - Slightly Expensive - Safety Location | Small Game Hunting? |  |
| Deer, Elk Hunting? | |
|
| Moose, Bear Hunting? | |
|
| Target Shooting? | |
|
| Today's Online Prices: | Compare Prices | |
| Also Recommended: | Best Darton Crossbows |
Darton Rebel 135 SS Crossbow Package Contents
As with their other crossbows, the Darton Rebel 135 SS crossbow is offered in multiple packages, but the two most common are the Hunter and the Pro Package. The Hunter is the more basic of the two, but still offers everything you need to get going at the range. It includes the crossbow, a 4 x 32mm scope and rings, a BQ4 quiver and four carbon arrows. Also included are an EZ Draw cocking rope and rail lube.
As you move up to the Pro Package, you will notice a big upgrade in optics in the form of a 2-7 x 40mm Toxin Hi-Grade Scope and rings. There is also a BQ4 quiver, a quiver side mount and a telescoping mono pod. Additionally, you will find an EZ Draw rope cocker as well as a neoprene sling. The Pro Packages also includes a case, which is always nice to have, as well as rail lube and four carbon arrows.
Kinetic Energy of the Darton Rebel 135 SS
The Rebel 135 SS offers plenty of power for most hunting situations. Using a 400-grain projectile, the Rebel 135 SS is going to be slinging it at around 360 fps (we know it is rated for 350 fps, but in just about every chrono test, the Rebel 135 is firing arrows at 360 fps). This translates to a hard-hitting 109 ft. lbs. of energy at the muzzle, with still around 101 at 30 yards. This should be plenty to take most small to medium game animals.
Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.Ballistic Data For The Darton Rebel 135 SS
- Speed Reduction
- Kinetic Energy
- Hunting Requirements
Your actual results will vary slightly depending on weather, and significantly with arrow weight change. See our Crossbow Ballistics Guides section for a complete understanding of how we conducted our tests and why this data matters.
Design, Safety, Comfort and Accuracy
The Darton Rebel 135 SS is a well-designed crossbow with a lot of cool features, both for safety as well as comfort. When you first shoulder the Rebel 135, you will notice that the trigger has been moved well forward, putting more of the weight of the crossbow back towards your shoulder. This provides a great element of balance as well as making the crossbow feel lighter than its already light weight of 7.5 lbs.
There is the inclusion of a custom cheek piece to really allow a comfortable shooting position as well as stock extenders to help you get the right LOP. The trigger is crisp and the oversize front hand grip, with the soft touch finish, really makes your grip feel natural while also protecting your offhand fingers and thumb from the string. The safety is ambidextrous, but is set way back so you have to move your firing hand to access it. We have seen some literature that states the Rebel 135 has the new rifle-style safety as on some of the other Darton models, but the 135 we tested had the safety set way back.
To ensure the Rebel 135 stayed light, even the rods for the string stops are made from fiberglass. The oversize foot stirrup works well, even with thick insulated hunting boots. The Rebel 135 SS is offered in the Next G1 Vista, the pink Muddy Girl, and a really cool carbon/black.
Hunting with the Darton Rebel 135 SS
The Darton Rebel 135 promises to be a great hunting companion. Its light weight and compact size will make it a pleasure to take into the field. The Rebel 135 SS is only 17” axle to axle uncocked, and around 13” wide when cocked. There is plenty of power when you pull the trigger and very good accuracy, so bringing home the bacon…or venison…should be no problem!
How Quiet is the Darton Rebel 135 SS
The Rebel 135 SS is actually pretty quiet, especially when you consider the 180 lb. draw weight. This is in large part to the integrated suppressor system that includes string stops and a patented barrel dampener. We have never seen a truly silent crossbow, but the Rebel 135 SS does a good job of keeping sound to a minimum.
Cocking the Darton Rebel 135 SS
Cocking the Rebel 135 SS is actually fairly easy, especially when you consider the 180-lb. draw weight. This is in large part to the short power stroke as well as to the short overall dimension of the crossbow. Using a rope cocking aid really makes life easy and we would recommend this as a reasonable crossbow for most folks to cock.
Quality of the Optics
Having a crossbow with high speeds and thus capable of long-range shots without a variable power scope can really limit what you do with your crossbow. You don’t want a scope with too much fixed magnification or low-light hunting is going to suffer. You also don’t want a scope with too low of a magnification or you won’t be able to take advantage of the longer range capabilities.
The 2-7 power magnification of the Toxin scope upgrade offers a good range of power and the larger 40mm aperture ensures you will have enough light to do the job. The 4 x 32mm scope included in the Hunter package is certainly capable of putting your arrows on target, but we would strongly recommend looking in to the Toxin upgrade.
See our detailed guide on how to sight-in your crossbowWhat Arrows to use with the Darton Rebel 135 SS
As you look at the Rebel 135 SS it becomes apparent that a 20” length is the way to go. The short length of the overall crossbow makes for a good fit for the 20” length. Keep this in mind as many other Darton crossbows use a 22” arrow, so you want to ensure you are getting the right arrow for your crossbow.
You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendationsOverall Thoughts
The Darton Rebel 135 SS is a really innovative crossbow that you can tell has been designed using the thoughts of hunters in the field. The comfort of this crossbow when in the shooting position is some of the best we have experienced. The quality that has gone in to this crossbow is evident, especially when you realize that a crossbow rated for 350 fps is consistently shooting at 360 fps.
Looking at the solid machined scope mount with extended picatinny rail that does not flex at all, tells you that Darton really thought things through. The Rebel 135 SS is on the upper end of the price range, but really delivers a lot of value for the price.Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.
