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20 Comments

    1. Most typical deer hunting recurve bows have a 40 pound draw weight. Most compound bows have a 60 pound draw weight. A crossbow with a 130 pound draw weight is not a “toy.”

  1. I would consider this a competent training tool for the beginner. Seems to be put together fairly well. I would not use this outside the boundaries of target or introductory archery. For the money, a decent training piece.

  2. There are people who should not hunt animals with a high powered rifle or shotgun loaded with slugs.
    It is all about judgement some people develop this trait while other people do not.
    Thank you for this review. I have been dabbling in 80 % lowers and archery given the current politics.
    I can definitely see this crossbow as a tool to learn and practice. I have no doubt it could come in handy in a sticky situation.
    I do like Cold Steel products. Once again, thank you.

  3. I have to seriously question the comment about “half a dozen arrows stuck in the elk’s rump”. The elk would immediately run a half mile after the first arrow was shot or sometimes even if it missed him completely. I have been bow hunting elk a long time and never seen an elk stand around for 5 more shots!!! Come on! Other comments…40# draw weight for a standard or even compound bow is considered the minimum legal draw weight in many states. Most women bowhunters I know shoot at least 48# to 50# with a traditional bow and over 50# for a compound. Most men, use substantially heavier. However, the key to bowhunting success is accuracy/shot placement into the vital areas no matter how large and or dangerous the game hunted is. If you aren’t capable of that then use another weapon. The problem with lightweight crossbows such as this is that their downrange energy and trajectory is a problem due to a very short power stroke. On the opposite side of the coin would be that it IS capable of killing large game when shot accurately at close distances. Typical crossbows , however, are very noisy and string jumping is an issue with a crossbow this slow.

  4. Jima

    Agree with you wholeheartedly on shots at an elk. I mainly hunt white tails and if you miss one with the bow they USUALLY don’t hang around for another shot, although it has happened to a couple of my friends because compound bows, suitably silenced, are very quiet. I defer to your expertise on elk never having hunted them. ( very limited draw in WI ).

    Clearly Pat Cascio, although a very nice fellow and fine reviewer, has not hunted a ton of large game animals. I myself use a vertical bow, but have a lower end crossbow simply for a SHTF type situation where members of my prepper group do not have the skill set to use the vertical bow. One would have to admit that not having to draw on the animal and move as much is a decided advantage when hunting to survive. I always want the challenge of the vertical bow in any non survival situation, like I am sure you do.

    Keep on hunting brother. Wish I could elk hunt with you. God bless.

    1. I have a couple of Chekmate recurves with no strings ( picked up at a garage sale )trying to find some info on these if they are worth keeping

  5. ” It was nothing to see elk, walking down our road with as many as half a dozen arrows stuck in their rump – ”

    You folks out there who cannot understand the anti-hunting mentality that is gaining converts by the day, please read and re-read the above words. If you are so lazy that you cannot master the process of humanely harvesting a wild animal, if you are too busy to take the time to master a skill, if you don’t have time to practice with your bow or whatever your weapon of choice, then stay the hell out of the woods and buy your meat at Costco. I personally am repulsed at the thought of an elk walking down a road with a half dozen arrows stuck in it. Shame on some of you who call yourselves “hunters”.

    1. TWB:
      Point is that is NOT going to happen. ie) to have an elk on the road with a half dozen arrows in it’s rump. Not happening. Take one shot and miss and you might if very lucky and a quiet bow get another shot, but not if you hit the animal in an non-lethal location, it runs, it’s gone. I consider that comment to be an archery insult from someone who only knows firearms. In my 40 years of archery hunting with longbows and recurves, I have taken approximately 110 big game animals, mostly whitetails, but also 2 bull elk and 1 bull moose. I can recall only 2 wounding losses. No baiting! All fair chase hunting where the animal has the advantage. I’m not boasting, I’m just illustrating a point. Aargh!

  6. Thank you for the review Pat. It is always nice to see alternative methods of harvesting game in a SHTF situation, or anytime it is legal to use these great tools.
    It is funny how everyone becomes Robin of the Hood and knows everything about archery because their Uncle Tommy taught them how to shoot a bow in Scouts when they were twelve.
    I was a cop on the Oregon Coast in the 90s and I can attest to the lack of technique and ability by many, but not all, so-called bow hunters on the Coast. Most probably woke up half-way in the bottle and it was amazing we didn’t have to pull five or six arrows from their hunting buddy’s hairy butt from time to time.
    Hope this didn’t hurt any feelings with the reality check coast dwellers, but Pat speaks the truth!

  7. Most important aspect of a crossbow in a SHTF situation is the ammunition problem.
    Conserving ammo will be a priority. You can reuse a crossbow bolt (assuming you can find it after miss). You can also fabricate a bolt, a heck of a lot easier than improvised gun powder and primers. Its not ideal, but its better than nothing when you shoot that last 22lr.
    Also look into “stone bows.” Its basically a crossbow modified to shoot a pellet, pebble, marble, clay ball, or even a lead ball. I’ve seen modern ones on ebay which fire ball bearings. Although one capable of firing a stone might be more practical.
    In the old days people used these for small game, which you are far more likely to encounter than an elk. Think “4 and 20 black birds baked in a pie…”

  8. There are a lot of crossbows on the market, this one included, that do not have the speed or power to reliably and cleanly kill a large game animal. Cold Steel says it will shoot 226 fps, and a good hunting crossbow for deer-size game should shoot at least 300 fps and some go over 400. When this product came out, I asked if longer/heavier prods would be coming out to make it suitable for anything more than fun shooting and small game. At that time, they said no. Please don’t try to use this for large game until it can generate more speed and power. I think at least one of the Gulf states allows use of succinylcholine (suxamethonium choline) for poison arrows for some hunting. I would not do that, but that might be the only way to use such a lightly prodded crossbow.

  9. Saw a lot of comments about not using the Cheap Shot 130 on large game. Sorry, but after killing two white tail, two wild boar and a javelina with it, I have to disagree with you. If you keep your shots to 20-25 yards and use a 2 blade broached like the Magnus Stinger you can kill just about anything. This last deer season (2018) we had complete pass-throughs on two bucks and one doe out to 22 yards. The Cheap Shot is a very competent close range killer and is ideal if you are pressed into using a crossbow for self defense. As for bolts, any standard carbon or aluminum arrow can be used in a pinch. Just cut off one of the vanes or feathers and shorten the “nock” to a “stub”. It will shoot pretty darn straight and if you have time, you can shorten the shaft to 16″ or so as well.

    Here is the YouTube video showing us hunting with it and having pass-throughs for proof.

    https://youtu.be/-CNaUbG54R8

    Sincerely,

    Lynn C. Thompson

  10. I just ordered the cs130 for bowfishing. I am excited to try it and hope it lives up to my expectations. I like the cocking lever idea. We shoot a lot of fish from bullheads to alligator gar. I have 3 bowfishing boats lots of bows and a ravin crossbow but that is too powerful for bowfishing. Compound bow at 45-50 # works good so the arrow doesn’t go all the way through as bad. Also when you miss if the bow is too strong it can be really hard to pull out of the bottom or cattail roots. Season is soon but the ice is still thick here in NW Minnesota and we are already back from Texas.

  11. Where can I get additional strings for this? I’ve tried several string shops and they don’t have anything even close for the Cheapshot 130. Cold Steel doesn’t even carry them.

  12. Draw weight is one thing, power stroke is another, the cheap shot 130 which is based on the ek archery r9 system. The 130lb limb delivers roughly 30ft/lb of enery.
    To put it in perspective a full size crossbow delivers anywhere between 100 and 200 ft/lb of energy.

    Its a great little bow for fun, for hunting i have some reservation, close range maybe, wouldn’t try anything passed 20yards. Bolts are also an issue, not the most accurate

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