If you’re looking for an advantage this hunting season, the TenPoint Vapor RS470 reverse draw crossbow might be for you! TenPoint Crossbow Technologies released their new 2020 flagship model, which was presented at the 2020 ATA show in Indianapolis, IN, and offers incredible quality and overall performance and is packed with new features and high-tech innovations.
TenPoint has been one of the leading brands, together with Excalibur, Ravin, and Barnett, in the crossbow industry for a while now. Last year TenPoint amazed the industry with their Nitro XRT crossbow.
The Vapor RS470 was introduced by TenPoint to replace the Nitro XRT from last year. The Vapor RS470 is compact, lightweight, and easy to maneuver. What separates the TenPoint Vapor RS470 from its competitors is its revolutionary ACUslide feature, which allows the user to cock and decock the crossbow safely and with minimal effort.
Table of Contents
TenPoint Vapor RS470 Crossbow Specs
Package Contents
The factory package is complete and gives you everything you need to start using your TenPoint Vapor RS470 efficiently.
- Optics: EVO-X Marksman Scope mounted on a machined aluminum 7/8-inch Fixed Dovetail Mount
- Bubble Level
- Cocking Device: ACUslide Cocking and De-Cocking System
- Quiver: 6-Arrow Tech Quiver
- Arrows: Six Lighted Evo-X CenterPunch premium carbon arrows with 100-grain practice points
- Arrows: Six Evo-X CenterPunch premium carbon arrows with 100-grain practice points
- Broadheads: 3 EVO-X CenterPunch Broadheads
- Noise Dampening: Integrated String Stop System
- Case: TenPoint STAG hard crossbow case
- Sling: TenPoint Neoprene Sling
Size and Weight
The Vapor RS470 has a full length of 32 inches in length and it has a width(axle-to-axle) of 12″ uncocked and a mere 6.5″ cocked. Without the accessories, the Vapor Rs470 weighs 6.5 lbs. With all the accessories installed the crossbow has a total weight of 8.5 lbs, which is remarkably light considering its power and all the tech it holds.
ACUslide
The crossbow hunting community has asked for a safer cocking/decocking mechanism for years now and Tenpoint delivered! The new ACUslide features the Auto-Brake-Gear-System, allowing for silent cocking and safe and controlled de-cocking, with minimal effort.
The internal brake system prevents dry firing. You can remove your hand from the handle at any point, whether cocking or de-cocking, and the handle will not get away from you and spin out of control, which can lead to injury or costly bow damage. The system works perfectly and it is very comfortable to use.
The handle is 5 inches but can be extended to about 7,5 inches to give you more leverage. The trigger box in the ACUslide locks into the same exact place each time the bow is cocked, which yields a consistent launch of the arrow each time it is shot.
This is a big feature that TenPoint added to their crossbows. Ravin, unfortunately, released the Ravin R29X without the possibility to let go mid-draw.
Click here to read our review on the Ravin R29X Sniper.
Reverse draw advantage
The TenPoint Vapor RS470’s 17-inch power stroke generates more speed with less draw weight. Its elongated power stroke also increases the distance the arrow nock is engaged with the string, a critical component in performance, as the longer the nock remains engaged with the string, the more accurate the crossbow will be upon impact. It has a draw weight of 165 lbs. The Vapor Rs470 is perfect for any big game that is allowed to be hunted.
Speed and Arrows
The TenPoint Vapor RS470 sends bolts at a spectacular 470 feet per second, which is incredibly fast. The RS470 features TenPoint’s RX-7 Cams that rotate an industry-leading 404 degrees during the draw cycle. This increases the amount of energy stored in the system and provides a “turbo boost” of speed upon launch that TenPoint calls SLING-SHOT technology.
TenPoint delivers a total of 12 arrows with the Vapor RS470. This includes 6 Lighted Evo-X CenterPunch premium carbon arrows and 6 Evo-X CenterPunch premium carbon arrows. As you can see in the table below, these arrows only manage to reach speeds of 440 FPS because they weigh more than the Pro Lite Carbon arrows that do reach speeds of 470 feet per second.
You’ll have to buy the Pro Lite Carbon arrows separately on Amazon. We recommend you to stick to the EVO-X CenterPunch Carbon arrows. They’re a bit heavier than the Pro Lite Carbon arrows, but this reduces wear and tear on strings, cables and basically the whole crossbow.
EVO-X marksman scope
The 5×30 scope on the TenPoint Vapor RS470, the EVO-X marksman, is mounted on a machined aluminum ⅞-inch fixed dovetail mount. It has three duplex crosshair markers and five yardage markers which are illuminated for low light situations. The yardage markers can be illuminated either red or green and have five brightness settings, calibrated for 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards. The speed ring is adjustable from 330 – 450 feet per second.
TEC-X Stock
This new stock design cuts down on the overall size and weight of the crossbow by 1/2-pound. It is well designed and very comfortable to hold.
New S1 Trigger
The new S1 trigger is a 2-stage, 3.5-pound, zero-creep design trigger. It features a roller sear system that sets a new standard in high-performance crossbow accuracy. It allows for greater accuracy and consistency. When you pull the trigger the rolling sear gives you a crisp break. I think the people who had issues with the Nitro XRT’s trigger will appreciate the triggers on the ACUSlide series. Big improvement!
Micro-Trac Barrel
Reduces string-to-rail contact by an incredible 50% – leading to increased accuracy and the longest string life in the industry to this date.
Shooting the Vapor RS470
Update: It’s been several months now and we didn’t keep count on how many shots we made, but it’s definitely more than 1000 shots and we just needed to replace the string and cables. We could see some string-wear happening and it’s best to just replace it immediately then.
According to tests from TenPoint, their competition is getting somewhere around 200 shots maximum on average before a string and cable change is required. ‘We are achieving 1300 shots on a string and cables prior to them needing to be changed,’ says Tenpoint.
Verdict
Our Rating of the TenPoint Vapors RS470
Summary
The Vapor RS470 is a revolutionary rig that pushes the market forwards, mainly because of its new ACUSlide feature and its incredible speed of up to 470 feet per second. Its 190-foot pounds of kinetic energy that the Vapor RS470 delivers is very efficient to knock down even the biggest animals that are allowed to be hunted.
What we like
- ACUslide: Safe and Silent Cocking and Decocking
- 470 FPS: Fastest crossbow currently on the market!
- Compact
- Dead Silent Shooting
What we don’t like
- The price is rather high, definitely worth it though!
- Assemble it yourself or work with a local dealer
The Vapor RS470 is a revolutionary rig that pushes the market forwards, mainly because of its new ACUSlide feature and its incredible speed of up to 470 feet per second. Its 190-foot pounds of kinetic energy that the Vapor RS470 delivers is very efficient to knock down even the biggest animals that are allowed to be hunted.
It might be a little bit pricey and it might not be the best pick for consumers with a small budget but if you want the quietest, most accurate, and safest rig on the market, the TenPoint Vapor RS470 is definitely the best crossbow!
