What Crossbow Does Daryl Dixon Use in Every Season?

The Short Version

• Seasons 1 to 3: Daryl carries a camo-finish Horton Scout HD 125, a compact hunting bow with a light pull weight (the muscular effort needed to cock the bow) that matched his early backcountry tracker roots.
• Seasons 3 to 8: He upgrades to the all-black Stryker StrykeZone 380 after finding it in Morgan Jones's apartment, turning this fast, aggressive compound model into his signature weapon for most of the series.
• Seasons 9 to 11 and spin-offs: After losing his gear in later conflicts, Daryl moves to a PSE Fang 350 along with customized field rigs that keep his classic silent shooting style alive.
• Buying today: Both the Horton and Stryker models are long discontinued, meaning fans must choose between hunting for used collector pieces or buying modern compact bows that share the same dark, tactical profile.

Quick Season-by-Season Model Reference

Daryl Dixon changes weapons as the world around him breaks down and resources run dry. While viewers often remember him holding one specific weapon, the prop department swapped models several times to reflect his story, his scavenging luck, and production needs on set.

In the first two seasons and early into season 3, Daryl depends on the Horton Scout HD 125. It has a classic outdoor camouflage finish and a simple frame. It looks like an everyday hunting tool grabbed from a rural Georgia pickup truck, which fits his background before the outbreak.

Midway through season 3, during the episode titled "Clear," Daryl discovers a tactical black Stryker StrykeZone 380 inside Morgan's barricaded shelter. This bow quickly became the visual staple of the franchise. He carries it through the prison defense, the road to Terminus, and the war against the Saviors.

Following the massive time jump in season 9 and the chaos of the Whisperer war, Daryl's main weapon shifts again. He is seen carrying a PSE Fang 350, identifiable by its split limbs (the flexible arms of the bow that store shooting energy) and blacked-out finish. Later episodes and spin-off appearances feature modified compound setups built to handle rough field conditions without spare factory parts.

The Horton Scout HD 125 (Seasons 1 to 3)

When the series begins in the Atlanta quarry camp, Daryl's weapon looks lived-in and practical. The Horton Scout HD 125 was designed originally for younger hunters and smaller-framed shooters. It features a pull weight of 125 pounds, which describes how much effort a shooter needs to draw the string back into the firing latch.

That 125-pound pull weight launched arrows at roughly 250 feet per second. In the real world, that is on the slower side for big game hunting, but it offered two huge advantages for the production crew. First, the lighter frame meant actor Norman Reedus could carry the bow across his shoulders through hot Georgia summer filming days without exhaustion. Second, the modest draw tension allowed easier handling during rehearsals and camera setups.

The Scout HD 125 featured a traditional camouflage pattern, an open-sight setup, and an attached side quiver. It looked authentic to an outdoorsman who lived off small game and venison before society collapsed. Daryl used it to hunt deer, eliminate walkers quietly, and retrieve his arrows to save ammunition. That habit of pulling bolts out of fallen targets became one of his most famous character traits.

The Stryker StrykeZone 380 (Seasons 3 to 8)

The mid-season 3 discovery of the Stryker StrykeZone 380 marked a major turning point in Daryl's on-screen presence. Moving from the weathered camo hunter look to a jet-black, military-style weapon gave Daryl an intimidating, modern edge. It matched the darker tone of the prison conflict and the fight against the Governor.

In real life, the StrykeZone 380 is a serious, high-output hunting tool manufactured by Bowtech under their Stryker brand. It pushed arrows at an impressive 380 feet per second, driven by a 160-pound pull weight. It uses a compound system with dual cams (the round pulleys mounted at the limb tips) that multiply shooting power while keeping the overall frame relatively short.

Several mechanical details stand out on this bow:

• The Rail: The grooved track where the arrow sits is precision-machined, providing flat, true arrow flight over longer shooting distances.
• Compact Limbs: The flexible arms of the bow bend inward aggressively, keeping the wheel-to-wheel length (the distance between axle pins) narrow enough to shoulder comfortably in tight corridors or inside vehicles.
• The Custom Sling: Daryl carries the StrykeZone upside down across his back using a simple webbed rifle sling, letting him grab the grip and pull it forward in a single motion.

During filming, the crew used multiple versions of the StrykeZone 380. A fully functional hero bow appeared in close-up shots where mechanical realism mattered. For stunt sequences, wrestling moves, and fast action around other actors, the prop team substituted lightweight rubber and foam replicas. These stunt copies prevented accidental injuries and eliminated the risk of dry-fire damage (firing the bow without an arrow loaded), which can shatter flexible limbs and snap cables under tension.

Late-Season Bows and the PSE Fang (Seasons 9 to 11)

Daryl loses his weapons more than once throughout the later seasons, particularly during the prolonged conflict with the Saviors. When season 9 introduces an extensive multi-year jump in time, Daryl is living on his own in the woods. His equipment changes to match his isolated life.

Viewers can spot him carrying a PSE Fang 350 during this period. The Fang series is known among target archers and bowhunters for offering high arrow speeds in an affordable, lightweight package. It shoots around 350 feet per second and features split limbs, which separate each flexible arm into two thinner bars to reduce vibration and overall weight.

The PSE Fang gives Daryl a slightly slimmer silhouette than the bulky StrykeZone 380, while maintaining his signature tactical black finish. As ammunition and factory bolts become scarce, his later rigs are shown with mixed field points, improvised fletchings (the stabilizing vanes on the back of an arrow), and field-wrapped grips. Even in spin-off adventures set overseas, Daryl continues to track down crossbow platforms because silence and recoverable ammunition remain his primary survival advantages.

Buying Options Today and Practical Modern Alternatives

If you want to buy Daryl's exact gear, you will face an immediate hurdle: both the Horton Scout HD 125 and the Stryker StrykeZone 380 are out of production. Horton Archery closed its business years ago, and Bowtech retired the StrykeZone line in favor of newer designs. Finding an original model means searching secondhand classifieds, archery forums, and collector markets.

If you decide to shop for a used show-accurate model, run through this inspection checklist before spending money:

1. Inspect the flexible limbs: Run a cotton ball lightly across the surface of the limbs. If the cotton snags, it has caught on a splinter or hairline crack. Never shoot a bow with cracked limbs.
2. Examine the rail: Check the track where the arrow sits for deep scratches, gouges, or burrs. A damaged rail will chew up arrow shafts and cause erratic flight.
3. Check for dry-fire history: Ask the seller directly if the bow was ever fired empty. A dry-fire forces all the stored energy back into the bow frame instead of transferring it into an arrow, which can bend axles, warp cams, or break the trigger housing.
4. Plan for new strings: Crossbow strings sit under hundreds of pounds of continuous tension. Even if a discontinued bow looks mint, budget to take it to an archery pro shop to have fresh strings and cables installed before cocking it.

For shooters who care more about hitting targets or hunting than screen accuracy, buying an outdated collector piece is rarely the best path. Discontinued platforms lack manufacturer warranty support and replacement parts. Modern technology has also made huge strides in safety, decocking systems, and size.

If your goal is real-world shooting with the same aggressive, compact feel that Daryl brought to television, explore a dedicated hunting crossbow with up-to-date safety catches. Modern compact designs, such as the TenPoint TX Ultra series, offer ultra-narrow wheel-to-wheel widths that maneuver easily through dense brush and tight spaces while delivering speeds that far surpass older production models.

For cosplayers who just want the visual look for conventions or photography, real hunting bows are rarely allowed inside event venues anyway. A safe, lightweight replica made from foam, 3D-printed parts, or a painted toy frame is cheaper, legal for event security, and much easier to carry on your shoulder all day.

FAQs

Why did Daryl leave his first crossbow behind?

Daryl lost his original Horton Scout HD 125 during the chaos of season 3 when the survivors were scattered and scavenging for survival. Finding Morgan Jones's weapons cache in the episode "Clear" gave him the chance to claim the faster, more tactical Stryker StrykeZone 380, which served him much better in heavy combat.

Can you still buy the Stryker StrykeZone 380 brand new?

No, the Stryker StrykeZone 380 is no longer in production and cannot be bought brand new from retail stores. You can only find it on used marketplaces, archery buy-and-sell boards, or auction sites. Anyone buying one used should inspect the limbs and cables carefully before attempting to cock or shoot it.

Did Norman Reedus actually shoot real arrows on set?

Norman Reedus rarely fired real, sharp arrows during scene takes due to strict television safety rules. The prop department used rubber bolts, digitally removed arrows, and unloaded bows that clicked without launching dangerous projectiles toward other actors. Real arrows were only used in tightly controlled target setups with no cast members downrange.

What is the pull weight on Daryl's black crossbow?

The Stryker StrykeZone 380 has a pull weight of 160 pounds. That number represents the muscular effort required to cock the bowstring back onto the firing latch. It generated roughly 380 feet per second of arrow speed, making it a powerful hunting rig by real-world archery standards.