Today I’m reviewing the Wicked Ridge Invader 400 crossbow, a new member of TenPoint’s Wicked Ridge Invader series, built in the good old USA. The forward draw crossbow comes with the well-known, safe & silent ACUdraw ACUdraw crank cocking device or an ACUdraw 50 rope cocking device.
ACUdraw is officially a Tenpoint crossbow feature, but because Wicked Ridge is owned by Tenpoint, they’re licensed to equip their crossbows with ACUdraw. Wicked Ridge is a budget brand by Tenpoint. Wicked Ridge released the RDX 400 in 2019, and it is still one of the best reverse draw crossbows for the money in 2020.
In the package you’ll find the Invader 400 Crossbow, foot-Stirrup, ACUdraw or ACUdraw 50, TenPoint Pro View Scope, 3 Wicked Ridge XX75 20-inch arrows, quiver, and a user manual.
Table of Contents
Wicked Ridge Invader 400 Specs
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Size and Weight
The Invader 400 is a really well-manufactured crossbow, the materials used for the bow are of high quality and the bow is durable and tough. The Invader 400 has a length of 35.5 inches and a width of 19 inches axle-to-axle uncocked and 15 inches cocked.
The Invader 400 is certainly not too big but not too small either, the weight and size of the Invader 400 make the crossbow suitable for long hunting trips and it is suitable to use in a tree stand or ground blind.
I was very impressed by how lightweight the Invader 400 is, the crossbow tips the scales at just 6 pounds, which is very impressive for a powerful 400 fps crossbow considering the price.
Design and Construction
TenPoint specifically designed the Invader 400 to offer excellent maneuverability and in my opinion, they did a great job. The first time I picked up the xbow it felt really lightweight, comfortable, and perfectly balanced.
The bow assembly of the Invader 400 is built with advanced 5S cams, durable DynaFLIGHT 97 string and cables, and durable 11” WRX double-laminated limbs.
This crossbow is really well designed. The crossbow is comfortable to hold and shoulder, the pistol grip offers a good grip and the forearm is well placed. The Invader 400 features flight wings to prevent your fingers from getting in the way of the path of the bowstring.
Speed and Arrows
TenPoint claims that the Invader 400 currently is the fastest Wicked Ridge forward-draw crossbow that TenPoint has ever produced. Like with most crossbows from Wicked Ridge (and TenPoint) they offer multiple arrows at different speeds and kinetic energy.
Included with the Wicked Ridge Invader 400 package is a 3-pack of Wicked Ridge XX75 aluminum arrows. They’re made from aluminum and should give you speeds of 380 feet per second and 132 FP KE. To actually reach 400 feet per second, you’ll need to separately buy the Pro-Lite Carbon arrows from TenPoint. These arrows come in at 370 grains, a lot lighter than the XX75 arrows.
| Arrow Type | Speed / KE | Price |
| Pro-Lite Carbon Arrow (370-grains) | 400 FPS / 132 FP KE | Check Price on Amazon |
| Wicked Ridge XX75 Aluminum Arrow (435-grains) | 380 FPS / 140 FP KE | Check Price on Amazon |
To make sure your strings and crossbow have a longer life, we highly recommend sticking with the XX75 arrows. Shooting with these arrows will only reduce the speeds by 20 fps but you’ll have more kinetic energy and therefore deeper arrow penetration in your targets than with the Pro-Lite Carbon arrows.
Pro View Scope
The Invader 400 comes with TenPoint’s Pro View scope, which is a solid scope. The lightweight scope is made of aluminum and is 8.5 inches long. The scope comes with a fully coated 3x optic, with 3 reticles and a total of 4 dots.
The dots are calibrated for 20 yards, 30 yards, 40 yards, and 50 yards and the fourth dot is freestanding. The illuminated dots are perfect for hunting in the dark.
After a week of hunting with the bow, I could easily adjust the light intensity without having to look through the scope. It is a fine crossbow scope for the Invader 400.
Trigger
The Wicked Ridge Invader 400 comes with the ultra-crisp T4 3.5-pound trigger system. The trigger assembly is equipped with an ambidextrous safety switch and a dry fire inhibitor.
Assembly
The Invader 400 comes mostly assembled. You’ll have to install the foot-stirrup, scope, and quiver yourself. It’s one of the easiest crossbows from Wicked Ridge to assemble. You should’ve received an installation-manual with your Invader 400, make sure to read it through before you start the assembly process. The crossbow is relatively very easy to assemble and disassemble.
Note: For optimum eye relief, align the rear scope bell with the rear of the dovetail mount.
Note: Use the 1-inch setscrews when you’re mounting the quiver to Wicked Ridge Invader 400.
ACUdraw or ACUdraw 50
The Wicked Ridge Invader 400 comes with an ACUdraw crank cocking device or an ACUdraw 50 rope cocking device that is fully integrated into the stock. The device has no bulky clamp-on assemblies or hang-on accessories, ACUdraw reduces the draw weight to a mere 5-pounds. It is the most user-friendly and safe cocking mechanism that is currently on the market. A crossbow with ACUdraw can be used by everyone and all ages.
The ACUdraw 50 is a rope cocking device that is mounted on the stock that you manually pull back. It cuts the draw weight of the Invader 400 in half so you’ll only have to pull 100 pounds instead of 200. It draws the bow accurately every time.
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Performance
I practiced for a few weeks and made over 250 shots. I shot from 20 to 50 yards, I had to shoot around the center of the bull to avoid hitting other bolts and damaging them in the process, that’s how accurate this crossbow is.
The Invader 400 is also remarkably silent. We installed the limb and string dampeners on the Invader 400 to further dampen the bow. Because this crossbow is quiet it is very much suited for hunting. I would recommend buying the ACUdraw 50 version because it allows for more silent cocking adding to the stealth nature of this crossbow.
Recommended Accessories
Arrows & Broadheads
I recommend using TenPoint 20-inch Pro Elite 400 Carbon Crossbow Arrows. They are also available with Alpha-Brite lighted Nock System nocks.
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Wicked Ridge XX75 Aluminum Arrows(435-grain) is also a fine choice. They are also available with Alpha-Brite lighted Nock System nocks.
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Pair the arrows with Rage’s Crossbow X Broadheads and you will have a very efficient hunting arrows.
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Storage and Transportation
There is no crossbow case included in the package. To properly store and carry the Invader 400 we’d recommend the Wicked Ridge Soft Crossbow Case with backpack straps.
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There is also no crossbow sling included in the package. If you want a sling for the Invader 400 then we’d recommend buying a Wicked Ridge Neoprene crossbow sling.
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Our rating of the Wicked Ridge Invader 400
Summary
The Wicked Ridge Invader 400 is a lightweight, quiet and maneuverable 400 FPS crossbow with advanced technology that TenPoint somehow managed to keep low-cost. (Similar models have the same features but are way more expensive).
The Invader 400 comes with a crisp T4 trigger, integrated ACUdraw crank cocking device or an ACUdraw 50 rope cocking device and a Pro View Scope.
What we like
- Powerful and fast
- Accurate
- Durable
- Safe and silent cocking
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Manufactured in the USA
What we don’t like
- To actually reach 400 feet per second, you’ll need to separately buy the Pro-Lite Carbon arrows from TenPoint
If you have a bigger budget to spend, then I would like to recommend you to take a look at TenPoint’s Viper s400. You can read our in-depth review of the Viper S400 here.
