Steambow AR-6 Stinger II Tactical Repeating Crossbow

It assembled really well, and works well also .

The forward front handle was a bit of a problem. It would not tighten firmly and solid on the rail I then used a small hex nut on the little pin on the tightener, works well now , not loose or wobbly but solid (I like solid ) thanx

Just use the stringer with caution and the right way as described. All is good now .

This is a very powerful miniature crossbow when you mount the 90lb hunting limbs. I haven't used the 55lb. limbs as much, but accuracy is pretty good for me out to 20 yards or so with the hunting limbs. The version I'm reviewing is carbine style Stinger AR-6 Tactical version 2 with the AR style adjustable stock (not the older version with the safety). This can do follow-up shots in a way that other crossbows can only dream of doing. There is no safety to get in the way here, which was a con others mentioned in the previous versions. I haven't tried any farther than 20 yards yet, but I'm sure it could be decent at even 25 yards. Farther than that is beyond pistol crossbow territory. Accuracy is very good though, assuming you are able to get a red dot sight at the very least. Groups are excellent (about 1-3") at 10-11 yards and under. Small game would not be safe from hunters equipped with this and the broadheads. I also like that it uses picatinny rails and the weight is low.

It should be noted that Steambow is constantly improving on the Stinger line, which is one reason I got this instead of one of the other options. Being able to get off follow-up shots without working a safety really sets this apart. Still, it is not the cheapest crossbow out there. For the price, you could get a more powerful full sized crossbow or even a firearm. It is not crazy to end up spending $500 once you get it and the hunting limbs, extra strings, arrows, and maybe an optional laser sight and spare parts kit. That is no small amount of money. Also, the original black spring near the trigger broke early on for me. I got a replacement from the manufacturer. Steambow has since upgraded this part to a silver one what has lasted way longer than the original two that come with it. I'd have changed that, but they already got to it. They also added a thumb screw for the rear magazine, which is another change I'd have made. It allows you to access the string for waxing without tools.

You really should get a red dot sight mounted on this as soon as you can. The fiber optic sight and spring co-witness combo are not a sighting system I could be consistent/accurate with. Also, Steambow makes a wide range of accessories to kit out your crossbow. This is one of my favorite things about this product. You can get things like an integrated laser (which is dead-on for me, even though it has an odd 3-screw adjustment method), a sling, light, scope mountable rail, folding stock adapter, various limb weights (35, 55, & 90 lbs), and even an upgraded trigger! While I favor the 90lb limbs for the overall versatility, the trigger pull requires some effort. The new trigger cuts that effort in half, as stated by the manufacturer. And they've recently added a new lower part that allows for a quick detach limb setup, adding to the portability of the crossbow. I think it is a really great crossbow system, and it shoots ammo made by tons of manufacturers. Just don't go cheap with arrows.

for its size very powerfull

the initial string wore out quick but rounded the edges of the rear load area and the new string is doing fine

buy extra shafts