Gun Trade World - 2024 Gear Guide

The feature of Steambow’s
repeating crossbows that
shook the archery world so
comprehensively was that
you could shoot six shots,
one after another. Fast and
accurate, thanks to the lever-action
cocking system of the Tactical frame
and the integral magazine of the AR-6
upper, which can be reloaded with
speedloaders or by hand.
A competent shooter, using the
standard 55lb limb and shooting from
the shoulder, can get an average shot
cycle of around five seconds per shot to
fully empty the magazine. The reload
process is easy and straightforward, but
to make it fast as well, the shooter will
need to commit time and practice to
hone those fine motor skills.
Steambow’s latest creation is a
different beast. The M10 upper on the
Tactical frame uses the same repeating
crossbow principle but feeds from a
detachable box magazine, holding not
six but ten arrows. With the option to
reload by just replacing the magazine,
that same practiced shooter can expect
their reload time to drop to around two
seconds instead of the minimum 10
seconds it took to reload the AR-6.
Together with that faster reload, the
shooter will also have that satisfying
feeling of “seating a fresh mag”. That
cycle rate can just keep on going for
as long as you have loaded magazines
at the ready. Let’s look at both these
trailblazers of the archery world in more
detail.
Steambow’s continued dominance
The AR-6 Tactical was the first serious
design of this new generation of
crossbows, adding a shoulderstock
to the mix. The AR-6 Tactical (and
the subsequent attempts by other
manufacturers to compete with it)
formed the basis for a serious new
archery sector that had, hitherto,
been largely a gimmick: the repeating
crossbow sector.
The Tactical was the only one
designed to be a bona fide weapon
from the outset, regardless of the end
user’s intentions. It’s been a best-seller
for Steambow and an easy market
leader ever since, with the appeals to
the buying public continuing to grow
with the introduction of an impressive
list of upgrades. Those upgrades helped
turn the Tactical into the foundation of
a truly modular crossbow platform with
Steambow parts being usable on it or
its original AR-Series brethren: the AR-6
Compact and the Survival.
A modular range like no other
The parts list is impressive. There are
parts to make it easier to aim: faster or
more accurately, for low light or no light.
Others allow you to turn a crossbow into
something that you can pack away in a
bag or drawer: about a minute to take
down or reassemble.
There is a range of limbs that go
beyond the three draw weights
currently offered as standard, adding a
further three more performance levels
to choose from. These options give the
AR-Series the kind of fps-to-weight ratio
unseen in other brands.
New standards, new expectations
A quick calculation of what’s on sale in
the recurve crossbow market shows that
a Steambow AR-6 Tactical, weighing in
at about 2.5lbs fitted with Steambow’s
steroidal 150lb “Hunting” limb, delivers
a staggering 90fps per lb of crossbow.
Some of the leading, full-power, full-size
hunting crossbows on the market barely
deliver 60fps per lb of crossbow weight.
And the Tactical’s power-to-weight ratio
takes into account a full payload of six
arrows.
The AR-6 Tactical can punch well
above its weight should the owner want
it to. And that is the crux of the issue:
it’s up to the owner to decide what they
want. Steambow has the accessories
needed to enable a customer to build
the ideal crossbow for their desires.
Each with a purpose
What more do you get with the M10
Tactical? The first and most obvious
benefit of the M10 is the fundamentally
new reloading system and capacity. Ten
shots over six, held in box magazines
that you can carry in any standard AR-
15/M-4 magazine pouch.
With that, an improved shoulder stock,
a 75lb limb as standard to the AR-6
Tactical’s 55lb draw weight, integral
string dampeners for the increased
service life of components, and a
smoother shooting experience. Not to
mention a few other improvements, too.
So, does the AR-6 still have a place at the
table?
In short, it absolutely does. The M10
offers a whole stack of performance
improvements over the AR-6, true, but
those come at an additional cost. And if
S T E A M B O W
Steambow’s Quick Detach range makes
storage, deployment, and maintenance
effortless, whichever variant you use.
someone is happy to shoot and reload
in a relatively leisurely manner, the AR-6
is a proven platform. It is inherently
accurate, reliable, and robust. There are
fewer moving parts, too, and the singlestack
inbuilt magazine is also known to
accept and work with Steambow’s wide
range of projectiles.
Also, not everyone needs such a high
volume of fire or the ability to shoot
hundreds of arrows in one session.
Sometimes, a few arrows are enough.
And especially for hunting or defensive
scenarios, you will likely never need
more than a couple of arrows at once.
For applications where lightningquick
reloads are necessary, especially in
action-packed dynamic shooting sports,
the M10 really shines.
Steambow’s ingenuity has meant
that a crossbow no longer needs to be
heavy, it no longer needs to have a slow
shot cycle, and it no longer needs to be
awkward to store or carry with dynamic
shooting sports now on the list.
sales@steambow.com
www.steambow.at
No more missed targets and no
missed opportunities
If you recognise the potential of these
kinds of products, get in touch with
Steambow to see how you can get
yours. You can order straight from
Steambow. Use code STEAMBOW5
for a 5% discount on a single order.
If you are a retailer or distributor,
Steambow has an excellent starter
kit: just email sales@steambow.com
for details. Steambow is also offering
retailers a generous 15% reduction
on orders worth €15,000 or more.
Between great offers and the best
product lineup in the sector, becoming
a Steambow customer has never been
a better move.