Bear X Impact and Impact CDXV – 420 FPS Crossbow Review

It looks like Bear Archery is taking a shot at the small compact crossbow market with the Bear X Impact and the Impact CDXV. The Impact CDXV is basically the same crossbow, but it comes with a rope cocker instead of a crank.

Bear X is one of the oldest and best-known companies in the crossbow industry. They are known for providing high-quality crossbows at a relatively cheap price. They don’t have advanced technologies like TenPoint or Ravin, but their crossbows are always very well made. My Bear X crossbows last a long time and never disappoint me.

Both the Bear X Impact and the CDXV come pre-assembled in a convenient, ready-to-go crossbow package. Included in the package is a speed-compensated crossbow scope, three 20-inch Bear X TrueX bolts, a 4 arrow quiver, crossbow sling, standard cockerel, and of course, Bear X generously added some rail lube and string wax. The Impact comes with the silent crank.

Bear X Impact Crossbow Specs

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Size and Weight

The first thing that struck me is how compact the Bear X Impact is. Its dimensions are close to Killer Instinct’s SWAP XP. The Bear X Impact has a total length of 27.5 inches and an axle-to-axle width of 8-1/8 inches wide cocked and 12-1/16 inches uncocked. These dimensions are close to Ravin’s R29 and R26.

These dimensions make the Impact suited for use in tight quarters, in treestands, and in compact hunting blinds. The Impact and the CDXV both weigh 8 pounds, which is quite heavy for such a small crossbow, however, because the Impact is a well-balanced crossbow it does not feel as heavy as it actually is.

Assembly

These “ready to hunt” crossbows are ready to hunt right out of the box. This means that you’ll only have to mount and calibrate the scope which is very easy to do and you’ll have to install the quiver bracket and the X-TOP Tech quiver and you’re all set.

The X-TOP Tech quiver mount is attached to a short Picatinny rail at the front of the barrel. You can mount it on either side and it has 360-degree positional customization. Two screws secure the quiver mount to the barrel.

Durability

We tested the Bear X Impact extensively (500 shots) and we have no issues to report regarding the limbs, cams, and strings. Bear X clearly designed the crossbow to be durable. A buddy of mine even dropped the crossbow when he was sitting in a treestand. After shouting at my friend for being careful with my equipment I picked up the crossbow to find out it was not damaged. Not a scratch!

Optics

The Bear X Impact is accompanied by a four-dot scope that is specifically designed for crossbow use. The scope is illuminated for when you find yourself hunting in dark circumstances. With this crossbow scope, you can accurately aim beyond 50 yards. It is a fine scope considering the cost of the crossbow. When the scope is mounted you’ll have a 6” eye relief to play with.

Sighting In

Calibrating the scope was easy. If you are a beginner, here’s how to do it. First, start by setting it to the manufacturers advertised speed.

Now move to a measured 30 yards from the target. Using the 30-yard marker in the scope, (the second crosswire down) shoot the crossbow at the target.

If the arrow impacts the target lower, turn the speed selector lower. Once the 30-yard crosswire is sighted in the scope is now calibrated to the crossbow and all of them remain in this position to keep the scope and the crossbow calibrated to each other.

Cocking

The Bear X Impact is very easy to cock with the silent crank. The crank is attached at the end of the buttstock. The process is completely silent, so no annoying clicking noises. This of course decreases the chance that you’ll spook away potential prey with the noise you would make during cocking.

You can also decock the crossbow using the crank system!

The CDXV has a traditional rope cocker, which does the job fine. It cuts the pull weight in half, so you’ll have to be able to pull 92.5 pounds to properly cock the crossbow with the rope cocker.

Trigger

The trigger system on the Bear X Impact offers a trigger with a smooth pull that gives you no detectable creep and good control over the shot. It is not among the best trigger systems on the market but I have no real complaints about this trigger system. It works fine.

The trigger assembly also has all the safety features you’d expect from a modern crossbow. The trigger assembly contains anti-dry fire to prevent the crossbow from dry firing, which could potentially damage the crossbow and its user, and an auto safety mechanism.

Performance

Don’t let the size of this small crossbow fool you, the Bear X Impact is an incredibly powerful crossbow for its size. The Impact uses its 185 pound upfront limbs to propel arrows at speeds of up to 425 feet per second.

We speed-rated the crossbow using the chronograph that we use to speed test all crossbows that pass our bench. We achieved 421.4 fps with BearX TrueX 370-grain arrows.

The Impact is very comfortable to hold, the way the rail and grip fit together makes it perfectly balanced for any shooting situation.

We of course also took the Bear X Impact outside for some field testing. The Impact is very comfortable to hold, shoulder, and shoot with. The way the rail and grip fit together makes it perfectly balanced for any shooting situation.

The Impact is also highly accurate due to the good balance of the crossbow. The scope works fine when properly calibrated, no complaints there. After I got used to the crossbow I consistently shot my mark within 2 inches at 50 yards.

The standard 20-inch BearX TrueX 370-grain arrows are fine hunting arrows that contain TrueX nock technology. These nocks feature a wider, deeper nock compared to most crossbow arrows that are currently available on the market.

Recommended Accessories

Arrows and Broadheads

We recommend the Bear X TrueX Carbon Crossbow Arrows. These arrows are designed for crossbow hunters who demand the highest quality, speed, and accuracy from their equipment.

Each 6-pack of TrueX Crossbow Arrows come fully equipped with 100-grain field points, inserts, and TrueX nocks for consistent and accurate arrow flight shot after shot. Every TrueX Crossbow Arrow is inspected and sorted for straightness within +/-.005”, fletched with 4” vanes, 20” long, and 370 grains for bone-crushing penetration with each shot.

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Broadheads

We recommend pairing the TrueX arrows with Rage Crossbow X broadheads, which are great broadheads that are specifically designed for high-velocity crossbows. They have a 2-inch cutting diameter and ultrasharp .035 inch thick stainless steel blade that are tough enough for the largest big game.

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Storage and Transportation

If you want a case to keep the crossbow safe, then we’d recommend a good universal crossbow case. The Silfrae Tactical Crossbow Case is an affordable and good-quality case that will keep the Impact safe.

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If you want a crossbow sling so you can comfortably carry the crossbow then we recommend buying a universal crossbow sling from Southland Archery.

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Final Verdict

Bear X Impact CDXV Crossbow Review

Scott Christensen

Speed

Accuracy

Durability

Value

Summary

The Bear X Impact boasts an incredibly narrow frame and shoots arrows with a velocity of 420 feet per second. The crossbow is also durable and highly accurate. If you are looking for a compact fast crossbow for relatively little money then these crossbow packages will be interesting for you to look at. If you want a more compact crossbow in the woods this year, the Impact is a great choice!

3.8