Many of these mid-priced crossbows list good speeds and come ready to hunt with accessories and optics. Two new flagship models—the TenPoint TRX26 and Ravin LR—are priced over the $2000 mark.

There’s a crossbow speed race happening, and there are some real benefits to the new ultra-fast bows. Consider that an arrow traveling 500 fps drops only 2.5 inches from 20 to 50 yards, not to mention ...