This Arrow Precision Inferno Hellfire II review was written by David Kingsley.
Specs
| Inferno Hellfire 2 | Speed | Draw Weight | Length | Weight | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Check Current Price on Amazon.com | 310 FPS | 185 lbs. | 36.5" | 7.5 lbs. | 8.1/10 |
Pro’s
- Good value for the money
- Great for beginners
- Very accurate at up to 50 yard range; comfortable grip and balanced weight
- Very quiet and vibration-free
Con’s
- Average quality of included scope
- Not suitable for hunting anything larger than elk
Package Contents
The following are items included with every new package bought in 2013 (and later):
- The Inferno Hellfire II compound crossbow
- Four 20″ crossbow arrows (carbon)
- Foot cocking stirrup
- Four practice field tips
- Arrow quiver with quick-detach lever
- 4×32 Multi-reticle illuminated crossbow scope
- Eye-protection goggles
- String maintenance kit
- Carrying sling
- Owner’s manual & Warranty
- Assembly bolts, screws, and Allen wrenches
Hunting broadheads are not included and you’ll need to purchase them separately.
Assembling The Arrow Precision Inferno Hellfire II
The riser is already strung, so you won’t need a stringer – although I do recommend getting one anyway for when you need to replace the string. Here are the steps you’ll be taking:
- Secure the riser to the crossbow stock
- Screw in the quiver mount and foot stirrup
- Mount and secure the crossbow scope
If you’ve never assembled a compound crossbow before, just follow the step by step assembly instructions within the owner’s manual.
First Impressions: Design, Resilience, Safety
- Solid arrow retainer, not made from some cheap material that will break or lose flexibility after a few months
- Fiberglass quad limbs (split) seem solid, and fit snugly inside the limb pockets.
- Padded fore-grip is comfortable and helps keep the inside of your palm warm. I would have preferred for the fore-grip to be slightly closer to the front of the crossbow, but that’s a minor detail.
- Decent shoulder plate. Comfortable and minimum recoil, but it could have been a little larger. Not a big issue overall.
- Arrow quiver quick-detach system is reliable and does not jam. The screws used to fix the quiver mount also do not loosen after every few shots, and you’ll only need to tighten them once in a few weeks.
- The crossbow does have an anti-dry fire system, which isn’t always the case in this price range. See on Amazon.com what other features it has.
- Foot stirrup is large and you’ll have no issues with it slipping while cocking the crossbow, as long as you keep your foot deep enough inside it.
Overall: a good and comfortable crossbow. Not exceptional, but for the money paid it’s solid quality.
Trigger Assembly
- Tested trigger pull was 3.1 lbs. – a little on the low side for my taste and took a few days before I got used to it (most of my other crossbows have a 3.5-4.5 lbs. pull.
- Smooth pull, with a nice and short travel distance.
- Make sure to keep the trigger assembly lubricated to keep the pull perfectly consistent.
Shooting Speed And Kinetic Energy
- Advertised shooting speed is 310 FPS. Our chronograph tests with the included arrows (average taken from 3 shots) resulted in 305 FPS
- Kinetic energy was 71 ft-lbs. at point blank range.
How Accurate is The Inferno Hellfire II Crossbow?
- The scope included is decent and, once the crossbow is sighted, will allow even a beginner to accurately hit targets from 40-50 yards away. 60 yard target will still be within your reach, though anything beyond that will require a lot of skill / experience.
- Wight distribution across the crossbow is excellent. Feels comfortable to hold and aim; no need to exert a lot of energy to keep the crossbow under control. Easy to aim.
- Trigger action is smooth and doesn’t interfer with proper aim.
Overall: very accurate at up to 50 yard distances.
Arrows For The Inferno Hellfire II
- You’ll need 20″ crossbow arrows, preferably made out of carbon – though aluminum will work out great as well, especially if you’re a beginner.
- If you want to choose the weight of your arrows, go for anything between 350 and 450 grain. (For target shooting go lighter, for hunting go a little heavier for more flesh penetration).
- Half-moon nocks are highly recommended by Arrow Precision, so try to use those whenever possible – mostly to avoid having your warranty voided due to not sticking to manufacturer recommendations.
- Arrows included with the package seem decent – none have broken despite shooting targets from as close as 10 yards.
- While field tips are included with the package, you’ll want to buy hunting broadheads separately if you want to go hunting.
The Quality of The Hellfire II Scope
- The four-reticle scope makes hitting 20, 30, 40 and 50 yard targets quite easy.
- You will need to sight the crossbow once you assemble it, as the scope isn’t factory-zeroed.
- The scope is advertised as water and fog resistant.
- After a few months of shooting, I haven’t noticed any vibration in the scope mounting area – the fit is tight with no room for extra movement.
- Since this is an illuminated scope, each cross-hair can be lit up with either a green or a red dot for a better view of your target in a low-light environment.
- The scope battery doesn’t last for long, so make sure to keep some spares on you.
- Decent field of view, although there is noticeable fogginess around the edges. This can be uncomfortable in a hunting scenario as it limits how much you can actually see.
Overall: good scope for target shooting. If you plan to hunt, give it a try and see if you like it – chances are you’ll want a replacement.
Is The Inferno Hellfire II Suitable For Beginners?
- The 7.5 lbs. weight makes it relatively easy to handle, even for a beginner.
- Trigger doesn’t require a lot of getting used to and is forgiving of trigger grip and pull mistakes.
- Comfortable and accurate – beginners will have tons of fun on the very first day, even with zero experience.
- Very cheap and offers great value for the money.
- The included scope, while not great, is more than enough from a beginner’s standpoint.
Overall: a solid crossbow for any beginner, regardless of his/her goals.
Is This Crossbow Suitable For Hunting?
For most hunters, the Inferno Hellfire II will be more than suitable for hunting:
- If using 350+ grain arrows (the overwhelming majority of crossbow arrows on the market weigh well over 350 grain), the crossbow will deliver 65-71 ft-lbs. of kinetic energy, depending on shooting conditions. This is enough to comfortable harvest a deer or elk, and allows for achieving a full arrow pass through from well over 30 yards – if you aim properly of course.
- If you want to hunt for game bigger than elk, this crossbow won’t do the job.
- 36.5″ length means you won’t have trouble re-positioning the crossbow inside a hunting blind or when seated in a tree-stand.
- It’s exceptionally quiet for a compound crossbow.
Overall: great for hunting anything up to the size of elk.
How Durable Is The Included String?
Keep the string waxed, and it will last you for 800+ shots. Remember to get a crossbow stringer for when you need to replace the string.
Where To Buy The Inferno Hellfire 2?
Take a look at today’s price on Amazon.com for the Hellfire 2. Also, check out GanderMtn. as well as eBay, although I do not recommend buying a used crossbow, ever, unless you are highly experienced with them.
