Crossbow Test: Mission Sub-1

The Sub-1 has a radical new design and was perhaps the most anticipated crossbow of 2018. Despite its chronograph performance (at 346 fps, it was the second-slowest bow of the test), the Sub-1 excelled in about every other category—­particularly accuracy, where it tied with the Barnett as the best shooter of the test. All shooters on the test panel averaged, well, sub-1-inch groups with the bow. There is a crank-style ­cocking device available called the Removable Silent Draw, but we preferred the simple rope with hooks. Thanks to the Sub‑1’s Sync‑X cams, the bow has a unique draw cycle with 80 percent let-off; cocking it feels like drawing a vertical compound. That and the Benchmark Fire Control system make this bow easier to decock than any crossbow I’ve used.