TenPoint GT Flex Review – Recurve Crossbow

ModelDraw WeightStrokeVelocitySuggested Arrow LengthCrossbow Length / Weight
TenPoint GT Flex

TenPoint GT Flex

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180 lbs.13.3"300 FPS

Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning
20"37.8" / 6.4 lbs.
Pros:
- Multi-position power stroke for different archer strengths
- Terrific starter crossbow
- Deadly accurate

Cons:
- Underpowered, even at maximum draw weight
- No sling included
Small Game Hunting?yes2
Deer, Elk Hunting?yes2
Moose, Bear Hunting?yes2
Target Shooting?yes2
Also Recommended:Best Tenpoint Crossbows

Putting the TenPoint GT Flex Together

gtflex3Assembly of the GT Flex is simple and easy, and can be done in about 10 minutes. You slide the bow assembly between the top and bottom barrel until you have it in the desired power stroke position, then insert the assembly bolts to hold it together. Next, you attach the foot stirrup, then mount the scope and quiver, and you’re ready to shoot some arrows.

Accuracy And Power

The TenPoint GT Flex can be assembled into 3 possible variants, which TenPoint refers to as “short,” “medium,” and “long.” The short variant provides a draw weight of 90 pounds, medium gives you 125 lbs. of draw weight, and long will leave you with a draw weight right at 180 lbs. I assembled and tested mine in the long position.

With that said, this crossbow is not a heavy hitter. Even at 180 lbs. draw weight with the full 13.3” power stroke, arrows barely hit 300 fps, and that’s assuming you are using the lightweight (370 grain) Pro Lite arrows that ship with the crossbow. Kinetic energy with these arrows is around 74 ft. lbs., so this is one of the least powerful crossbows I’ve ever shot.

What the GT Flex lacks in power, however, it makes up for in accuracy. Once the scope was sighted in, I was quickly shooting ¼” groupings from 20 yards, ½” groupings at 30 yards, and 1” groupings at 40 yards. This is a consistent shooter, and definitely works well on the practice range and in the field.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The TenPoint GT Flex

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.

Hunting with the GT Flex by TenPoint

gtflex2With its light 74 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy, this crossbow is really only suitable for medium-sized game and smaller. I’ve used the GT Flex to hunt deer, turkeys, and even rabbits and squirrels. It doesn’t weight much, so it is easy to carry this crossbow around all day long without getting fatigued. I do recommend installing a sling on the crossbow, though, and that will have to be an additional purchase—the crossbow does not come with a sling.

When I took the GT Flex turkey hunting, I was able to bag two turkeys in the same morning. Each of my shots went exactly into the kill zone for each turkey, leaving me with some good Thanksgiving and Christmas eating that year! I’ve also used the GT Flex to bag a couple of does and a buck, and found that the penetration is good enough to go through the animal and out the other side, leaving them just a dozen yards of run before they drop from blood loss.

Cocking The Crossbow

At its highest draw weight of 180 lbs., the TenPoint GT Flex is still a breeze to cock because of the integrated AcuDraw rope cocking system. Using the rope cocking device, the effective draw weight of the crossbow is decreased to about 5 lbs. of effort, making this one of the easiest crossbows I’ve ever cocked. The draw is nice and smooth, just like it should be on a recurve crossbow.

The Crossbow Scope

gtflex1TenPoint includes its 3x Multi-Line crossbow scope with the TenPoint GT Flex. This scope sights in easily, coming out of the box almost sighted in. It only took me a few shots before I had the lines all sighted in and was shooting consistently at 20, 30, and 40 yards. You can even back out to 50 yards by using the portion of the line where it goes from thin to thick as your aiming point.

The scope features nice, coated optics with 3X magnification, excellent field of view, and awesome light gathering capabilities.

See our detailed guide on how to sight-in your crossbow

Bolts

TenPoint includes its lightest arrows with the GT Flex, the Pro Lite arrows. These are fine enough arrows, but they’re only 370 grain arrows. I quickly switched to 425 grain arrows, which eke another pound or two of kinetic energy out of the bow. The crossbow requires 20” crossbow bolts.

You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendations

Safety and Design

The design of the TenPoint GT Flex is innovative, since you can adjust the power stroke by remounting the prod in a different position. The anti-dry fire mechanism is simple but works flawlessly every single time, and the crossbow is very well constructed. One of the nicest features of this crossbow is the fact that you can restring the bow, if needed, without a bow press—any bow stringer will work to help you restring your crossbow.

Warranty

The TenPoint GT Flex, like all TenPoint crossbows, comes with a lifetime limited warranty, if you send in the warranty card to activate your warranty within 30 days of purchase. TenPoint’s customer service staff are friendly and helpful, and quick to answer any questions or problems you might have with your crossbow.

What Crossbow Case Fits the TenPoint GT Flex?

The TenPoint GT Flex is fairly wide and will not fit the standard cases available on the market. Plano 1133-00 Manta Crossbow Case is a hard case decently priced at $120. The Tarantula Deluxe Crossbow Case is a soft case large enough to house this crossbow. It is around $70, but it is not deigned with retainer straps.

Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading our crossbow review of the TenPoint GT Flex. This is a terrific starter crossbow, for getting your feet wet in crossbow archery. It is particularly useful for young archers, since it can start out with 90 pounds of draw weight and grow with the archer. My only beefs with the crossbow are the fact that it is a bit underpowered for the draw weight, and the lack of an included sling. Other than that, this is a good buy and an excellent bow. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.

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