Ballista Hawkwing: 500 FPS You Can Carry Into the Deep Woods

Most crossbows that shoot 500 feet per second feel like hauling a fence post through the woods. They’re fast, sure — but by the time you’ve dragged one a mile into public land, your shoulders have filed a complaint. The Ballista Hawkwing was built to solve exactly that problem: full-throttle speed in a package you can actually carry.

Speed that fits in a pack

Let’s get the numbers out of the way, because they’re the reason this bow turns heads: 500 FPS, a 200-pound draw weight, and a 10.51-inch power stroke. In practical terms, that means a flat trajectory and the kind of energy that makes for clean, ethical shots at hunting distances. This isn’t a target toy dressed up as a hunting bow — it’s a legitimate big-game crossbow.

But here’s the part that matters just as much: it weighs 4.8 pounds and measures 27 inches long with the stirrup. The folding-stock design lets it fit into a regular backpack. Think about what that changes. You can hike in with your hands free, climb into the stand without banging limbs on every branch, and still have 500 FPS waiting when the moment comes.

Built for the walk in

If you hunt the way a lot of us do — parking at the gate and walking deep — weight and bulk decide whether a bow is a joy or a chore. At under five pounds, the Hawkwing disappears on your back. The compact length means you’re not playing limbo with low branches or announcing your arrival to every deer in the county. For still-hunters and anyone who covers ground, that’s not a luxury feature. It’s the whole point.

Cocking without the wrestling match

A 200-pound draw weight sounds intimidating until you factor in the built-in self-retracting cocking assist, which cuts the effort down to about a third. That matters in two ways. First, you can cock it quickly and quietly in the stand without a production that spooks everything within earshot. Second, at the end of a long day when your arms are cooked, you’re not dreading the reset. The assist retracts on its own, so there’s no loose crank handle to fumble with in the dark.

A crossbow press in your pack

Here’s a clever bit: the Hawkwing doubles as a portable crossbow press. String maintenance is one of those things everybody means to do and nobody wants to drive home for. With the press function built in, you can service the string in the field — and Ballista even includes string wax in the box. A waxed string lasts longer, shoots quieter, and behaves consistently. Five minutes of maintenance at camp beats a frayed string on day three of your hunt.

What’s in the box

The Hawkwing ships as a genuinely ready-to-hunt package: the crossbow itself, three stock bolts, a 4×32 scope, string wax, a draw weight adjustment wrench, and the user manual. There’s also a Picatinny rail up top, so if you already have an optic you love, mounting it is straightforward. The draw weight adjustment wrench is a nice touch — it means you can tune the bow to your comfort rather than living with factory settings.

The bottom line

The Ballista Hawkwing is for the hunter who wants serious speed without the serious bulk — the public-land walker, the deep-woods sitter, anyone who’s ever wished their crossbow weighed half as much. Fast, packable, and thoughtfully equipped out of the box.

You can find the Ballista Hawkwing at Adventure Outdoor Supplies — we’re an online-only outdoor retailer based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and every order ships securely via USPS.