Most folks will tell you that the Tenpoint series and the Excalibur brands are the two most prestigious out there...and rightly so considering their construction and designs. Cost is relatively high though as well. If I am not mistaken the least expensive Ten Point crossbow (I believe with a kit) is around $500. The least expensive Excalibur (again with a kit) is around $400 to $450.

Both Barnett and Horton make crossbows in a variety of price ranges. Least expensive model for both brands is around $200 to $250 with their most expensive being right up there close to what the Tenpoints and Excaliburs go for.

One word of warning, avoid the Barnett Rhino Sport Magnum. We have had more of those come back to the shop because of various quality control issues than any other crossbow.

As Bigbulls stated, they offer practially the same effective range as a compound bow...30-40 yards for most folks. Accuracy is a tad better in my opinion depending on model (and with the assumption we are talking about average shooters).