Today we’ll be reviewing the Scorpyd Aculeus, the fastest rig on the market with patented reverse draw technology. This behemoth of a crossbow comes with some interesting features that we’ll discuss in this review.
Reverse Draw Technology was invented by Jim Kempf. By reversing the riser and limb arrangement and pulling the string into the curve of the limbs instead of away from the limbs, Jim eliminated all of the brace height, maximizing the power stroke. The Aculeus has a mighty power stroke of 18.5 inches.
We were very excited to get our hands on the Aculeus and we tested the crossbow extensively in the field. Is the Scorpyd Aculeus the fastest crossbow on earth? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
Scorpyd Aculeus Crossbow Specs
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Package Contents
The Scorpyd Aculeus comes with one of the most extensive packages available.
- ACUdraw
- String Stops
- Scope rail
- Sling Studs
- Sled or Rope Cocker
- 1.5×5 Hawke Illuminated XB1 SR Scope
- Fuse Quiver
- 12 Scorpyd Arrows
- Grim Reaper Broadheads
- Scorpyd Sling and Butt Pad
- Scorpion Venom Lube Kit
Size and Weight
The Scorpyd Aculeus has a solid sturdy construction. It is not a narrow compact crossbow by any means. The Aculeus has a total length of 34.5 inches and a width of 24.5 inches uncocked(axle to axle) and 12.875″ cocked.
Despite its sturdy construction, Scorpyd has managed to keep the weight of the crossbow as low as possible. The Aculeus weighs 7.5 pounds(without accessories.) That seems like a lot, however, its reverse draw design not only gives the crossbow exceptional power, it also helps with the balance a lot, because of this the crossbow feels less heavy than 7.5 pounds.
Design and Construction
The 6061-T6 forged riser is made of the same material as the barrel and the whole construction is anodized. The crossbow has Barnsdale laminated limbs and the fasteners are made of titanium so they are completely rust free. The crossbow has CNC engineered cams with sealed ball bearings and stainless steel axles.
The Aculeus has a non-folding buttstock that is nearly 1/2 a pound lighter than the folding stocks on other Scorpyd Crossbows. the ambidextrous glass-filled stock has a 1911 style pistol grip and an ergonomically designed safety forearm that helps prevent your hand from entering the danger zone.
The crossbow features a nice big aluminum stirrup with an integrated quiver mount and integrated string stoppers.
Arrows and Speed
The Scorpyd Aculeusis the fastest crossbow on earth right now. The crossbow has a draw weight of 180 pounds and a power stroke of 18.5 inches. The Aculeus propels 317-grain arrows with lightning speeds up to 480 FPS!
Scorpyd tested the crossbow professionally on the tried and true ORION platform.
The package contains twelve 425-grain arrows that let you shoot up to 460 FPS with the Aculeus. These are high quality 100% carbon arrows have a total length of 22 inches. You’ll also receive some good quality Grim Reaper broadheads in the package.
If you want to reach speeds in the range of 466-480 FPS, then I’d recommend buying the Pro-Lite 370-grain arrows from Tenpoint on Amazon.
The crossbow comes with a mountable quiver that can hold a total of four arrows with or without broadheads.
Optics
The Scorpyd Aculeus is installed with the high-quality 1.5×5 Hawke illuminated XB1 SR Scope. The scope is 8.3″ long, made from Aluminum, and weighs 13 oz. The scope has 1-inch optics with 11 Layer fully multi-coated lenses and an XB30 compact SR reticle. The scope has 3″ eye relief and features a fast focus eyebell.
The XB1 SR reticle has 10-yard aim points from a 20 yard zero out to 100 yards. Bracketing of 4 or 8 inches and aim marks measuring 1.5 inches across at the corresponding distances. Speeds from 250 to 425 fps.
The scope also features a crossbow speed selector that allows the scope to match speeds with any crossbow. The scope is Nitrogen purged, 100% shockproof, 100% waterproof, and 100% fog proof. The scope has a clear field of view and there is no fisheye.
Cocking
Scorpyd installed the Aculeus with an integrated AcuDraw cocking device, effectively reducing the draw weight of the crossbow by 50%. AcuDraw allows to cock it effortlessly and silently.
Trigger and Safety Features
The Scorpyd Aculeus has a Kempf TEC SEER-LOC 2.5 pound pull adjustable trigger. The trigger has 2 positions, one position allows for a smooth zero creep light pull and a slightly heavier pull position also with zero creeps.
The trigger comes with some nice safety features. It has Kempf-TEC anti-dryfire that prevents you from accidentally dry firing the crossbow and an ambidextrous safety lever that is positioned just above the pistol grip.
Assembly and Sighting-in
The Scorpyd Aculeus doesn’t come completely pre-assembled but the crossbow is easy to set up. Read the manual Scorpyd included in the package. The manual also comes with instructions on how to sight in the scope properly, which is also easy to do.
Range Test
With the crossbows patented reverse draw style, the Scorpyd Aculeus shoots lightning fast. With our chronograph, we measured speeds in the range of 450-480 FPS with 370 grain arrows. With the supplied 425 grain arrows we reached speeds in the range of 420-460 FPS.
The crossbow is really comfortable to hold and the balance of the crossbow is near perfect thanks to its reverse draw design. It doesn’t feel heavy at all. The Kempf TEC SEER-LOC trigger has a smooth pull with no detectable creep. Also in the slightly heavier pull position its a smooth pull with zero creep. The trigger works with the Scope rail-system to enable the string to be pulled-back further, shooting arrows with a lot of energy and high precision.
Once I sighted in the scope I shot groups within 2 inches on a distance of 60 yards. I decided to install the high-quality string stops that were included in the package to dampen to bow down and it helped a lot with reducing vibration and noise.
Verdict
The Aculeus is an extremely powerful and fast beefy crossbow that is a great crossbow to collect and own and made for hunting the biggest game out there. You can take the crossbow out to hunt elk, whitetail, black bears, and other big game animals. I highly recommend this sophisticated crossbow to any seasoned hunter out there, the crossbow is well built, made of high-quality materials, and performs well.
I would not recommend this crossbow to beginners. If you are new to the sport, check out the Ravin R10. For seasoned hunters that have some coin to spend and are looking for a heavy-duty, hard-hitting beast of a crossbow for the upcoming hunting season, I highly recommend this hard-hitting beast of a crossbow.
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Recommended Accessories
Arrows & Broadheads
For the Scorpyd Aculeus, I recommend buying Barnett 16075 Outdoors Carbon Crossbow 20-Inch Arrows.
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Combine them with Rage Crossbow X broadheads and you’ll have yourself a highly efficient hunting arrow.
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Storage and Transportation
There is no crossbow case included in the package. The Allen Company Hornet X1 crossbow case will fit the Aculeus nicely.
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Our Rating of the Scorpyd Aculeus
Summary
The Aculeus is a behemoth of a crossbow that propels arrows with speeds up to 470 feet per second. The crossbow is made from high-quality materials, is durable and accurate.
The crossbow has a lot of features like safe and effortless cocking with ACUdraw, a Kempf Tec Seer-Loc trigger, and an illuminated XB1 SR Scope.
What we like
- With speeds of up to 480 FPS, this is the fastest crossbow available!
- Safe and Silent cocking with Acudraw
- Good balance thanks to its reverse draw build
- High-end scope
- Adjustable trigger
What we don’t like
- No official Scorpyd case included in the package
