Best Barnett Crossbow Reviews 2026

We have tested every barnett crossbow on the market and below you you will find our Barnett crossbow reviews outlining the features, specs, pros of cons of the best Barnett crossbows according to our testing.

Best Barnett Crossbows At A Glance

Click on the green for the barnett crossbow reviews and click on the orange to see the latest price.

How We Chose The Best Barnett Crossbows To Review

We polled our readers and our staff that use a Barnett crossbow and asked them which models were their favorite and why. We asked them specifically what features they liked and also if there was anything that they didn't like about a particular Barnett crossbow.

We gathered the most popular ones and tested them thoroughly, rating them on speed, balance, weight, versatility and accuracy.

Below you will find reviews of the crossbows that came out on top.

Best Barnett Crossbow Reviews And Recommendations

Barnett Whitetail Hunter 400XTR Review 

As the name suggests, the Whitetail Hunter 400XTR is designed specifically for whitetail hunting. With blistering 400 FPS bolt speed, it's incredibly accurate even over longer distances, and while it can be harder for newer hunters to handle, it can help an expert step up their game to take down the big trophy buck that's been giving them the slip season after season.

This is also another ready-to-hunt package that comes with everything you need to take advantage of whitetail season. That includes two bolts, a side-mount quiver and lube wax. Plus, you get an illuminated scope that helps you hunt in dim light like at dawn and dusk when whitetails are the most active as well as a cocking crank for more convenient cocking in the tree stand.

The weight is a tad high on this model at 6.9 pounds, but that's not too much to handle, especially if you've been hunting for a while. It also has a pretty narrow ATA width of just 17.625 inches, which is great for hunting in tree stands, especially climbing stands that don't have a lot of room. You won't accidentally bump into something with the crossbow and scare off your buck.

The Whitetail Hunter has plenty of safety features like a bristle arrow retainer and a finger safety reminder. Old time Barnett crossbow owners will recognize this bow as the next generation Whitetail STR.

Pros:

• Super fast 400 FPS
• Ready-to-hunt package
• Illuminated scope
• Integrated crank cocking device
• Narrow ATA width
• Tru Bark camo finish

Cons:

• Hard to handle for beginners
• Heavy

If you live in the Midwest or South and are crossbow hunting whitetails in the fall, you should definitely consider this crossbow. It has a number of great features that have the specific purpose of addressing whitetail hunting obstacles. For instance, the camo will keep you hidden in most whitetail environments, and the illuminated scope allows you to hunt when whitetails are most active. 

RELATED: Best Place To Shoot A Deer With A Crossbow

Oh, and don't forget its 400 FPS bolt speed. This means more accuracy over longer distances and more penetration to take down big bucks in less than ideal circumstances. If you're having trouble getting the trophy you want, this crossbow could be the solution.

Barnett XP410 Crossbow Review

Barnett has a wide range of crossbow models, but the XP 410 is one of the best values. Part of this is because it's a ready-to-hunt package that includes a number of great accessories.

For example, the multi-reticle scope helps you shoot the 410 FPS accurately, even if you haven't shot a lot of crossbows. Similarly, the lightweight quiver and string dampeners make the crossbow more stable, so you can shoot it more consistently as a beginner. The package also comes with a crank cocking device, which does make cocking a lot easier. 

Additionally, the package includes a 4x32mm MR illuminated scope and two bolts. Not only does that increase the value of the crossbow, but it makes it easier to improve your skills.

Finally, you can also use the XP 410 with confidence because it has nock sensors and an anti-dry-fire mechanism. This is high-tech safety at a great price.

Pros:

• Best value
• Multi-reticle scope
• Included string dampeners
• Crisp trigger with TriggerTech Frictionless Release Technology
• 3 Picatinny rails for easy accessory mounting

Cons:

• Loud

Obviously if you're on a budget, a value Barnett model like the XP410 provides you with a quality crossbow capable of taking down your quarry without draining your bank account. That said, it's also a great choice for beginners for a few reasons. First of all, you don't have to spend too much money when you might upgrade later. Furthermore, it comes with a lot of features to help the inexperienced like a multi-reticle scope and manageable 410 FPS bolt speed. 

Barnett Explorer Recruit XP Crossbow Review

The Explorer Recruit XP has manageable specs and important features to start you off on the right foot.

First of all, the Explorer shoots at 350 FPS. This is still enough for hunting, but it's much easier to manage for beginners. Just keep in mind that this will decrease the distance over which you can hunt. 

Additionally, it has some impressive specs for the price like a narrow ATA width of 13.1 inches and weight of just 6 pounds. This makes it easy to hold steady and move agilely for new archers who may not be used to the bulk of a crossbow.

Other great features for beginners include the multi-reticle scope that helps you shoot accurately without a lot of practice and the lightweight side quiver that doesn't interfere with your shot. While we wish it came with a full cocking crank, which would be much easier for newbies, we do like the included rope cocking aid.

Last of all, you really need to pay attention to safety features. They're more likely to forget to turn on the safety, accidentally dry fire their crossbow, cross their fingers in front of the bowstring, etc. The Explorer covers these situations with an anti-dry-fire system and bristle arrow retainer.

Pros:

• Low price
• Easy-to-handle 350 FPS
• Narrow ATA
• Lightweight
• Multi-reticle scope
• Extensive safety features

Cons:

• Slow shot
• No cocking crank

The great thing about a crossbow is that it doesn't take a whole lot of practice to start hunting effectively. That's doubly true with Barnett's Explorer Recruit. Thanks to manageable specs like 350 FPS and a 13-inch ATA length in addition to extensive safety features, beginners can take this crossbow to the ladder stand with enough confidence to start taking down their quarries.

What You Should Know About Barnett Crossbows

Barnett Outdoors, LLC, is based in Tarpon Springs, Florida, where the head offices and main manufacturing hub are located. However, things didn't start there. In fact, Barnett actually got going in Wolverhampton, England, in 1962 when bowyer Bernard Barnett began working on crossbows in his garage just as a hobby. Local people took notice of his impressive handiwork and started ordering their own crossbows.

After Barnett's business spread rapidly throughout the UK, he entered the American market and opened his first US factory in 1980. For two decades, Barnett maintained operations on both continents, but with a larger American market and more efficient manufacturing processes, Barnett moved everything to Florida in 2003.

In 2021 Barnett Outdoors, LLC was sold to Surge Outdoors.

Throughout its history, Barnett has been an industry leader and top brand in the crossbow market. With a focus on innovation that continues to this day, the company has been responsible for much of the technology we now take for granted on crossbows, such as:

• Crank cocking devices
• Break-action cockers
• Overloaded sound-dampening foot stirrups
• Adjustable stocks and cheek pieces
• Carbon risers
• Shoot-through and folding foot stirrups

Additionally, Barnett was the first company to produce a crossbow shooting at bolt speeds over 300 FPS. Always trying new ideas and technology, Barnett has a wide range of the best  crossbows from budget models to top-shelf weapons that push the limits of modern capabilities.  

Barnett Crossbow Designs

Barnett has one of the widest ranges of products in the archery world. Some are more basic, others more advanced. The result is that there's an ideal Barnett crossbow for just about any situation.

There are many different types of crossbows. Here are Barnett's three main designs.

Barnett Compound Crossbows

The Compound Crossbows are Barnett's most basic and straightforward models. Like a vertical compound bow, this design uses a cam system, a type of advanced pulley system, to increase the power of the crossbow while minimizing its width as well as the effort required to cock it.

Although a compound crossbow is more mechanically complex, it's faster and more powerful than a recurve crossbow with most of Barnett's compound crossbows reaching around 380 FPS with over 120 foot-pounds of kinetic energy. They also usually have ATA widths under 17 inches, which means they're agile and easy to maneuver.

Compound crossbows will require a fair amount of maintenance to keep them operating in peak condition.

Barnett Step-Through Riser Crossbows

Barnett's Step-Through Riser Crossbows are also compound crossbows but with one important added feature: a step-through riser. Basically, this is a cocking stirrup that's integrated into the frame of the crossbow itself. The riser has a big hole in it where you can stick your foot for leverage while cocking the crossbow.

Because the cocking stirrup is integrated into the riser itself, a Barnett Step-Through Riser crossbow is more balanced. As a result it's easier to use and shoot accurately, not to mention cock. Plus, it gets improved bolt speed of around 400 FPS and over 130 foot-pounds of kinetic energy.

Barnett Hyper Crossbows

Barnett Hyper Crossbows take the compound crossbow design to the extreme. They're arguably Barnett's most advanced models with impressive specs that outperform most competition. This is because a Hyper Crossbow uses Barnett Hyperflite bolts, which are essentially lighter-weight, narrower vertical bow arrows. 

This means bolt speeds of over 420 FPS and around 150 foot-pounds of kinetic energy. That improves accuracy and penetration for more lethal shots in more difficult situations.

It's also worth noting how technologically advanced the cam system is on a Barnett Hyper Crossbow like the HyperTac 420. Its innovative design provides for an extra narrow ATA width when cocked of just 9.1875 inches. That means it's easier to carry, maneuver and shoot in a tree stand.

Things To Consider When Shopping For A Barnett Crossbow

Intended Use

What do you want your crossbow for? Deer hunting, target shooting, survivalism? Your answer will play a role in which Barnett cross you should pick.

If you're a hunter, you should also consider the game you're hunting. For whitetail deer the power of most Barnett models is plenty, but you want a camo finish that blends in with the deciduous forests most whitetails live in. Meanwhile, if you're hunting larger game like elk or moose, you need a more powerful model like a HyperTac and a mountain or snow terrain camo finish.

However, if you want the crossbow just for hobby shooting, you don't need a camo finish at all. Rather, you want a lightweight and stable model that shoots fast. For survivalism, well, you mainly want something powerful, and camo isn't a bad choice.

Budget

One great thing about Barnett is that they have a crossbow model for just about every budget. As a general rule, specs and features improve the more you're willing to pay, but budget models are still effective and usually more than plenty to hunt with.

Besides simply wanting to save money, being a beginner is another reason to go with a value or budget Barnett model. That's because you'll get more manageable specs and you'll have more money to upgrade to a more advanced model in a couple of seasons when your skills have improved.

Speed

Speed isn't everything… but it is a lot. Higher speed means a crossbow bolt can travel farther before dropping, so it increases how far a crossbow can shoot accurately. 

More significantly, bolt speed combined with bolt weight, including broadhead, determines the kinetic energy of the bolt, which determines how deep it will penetrate and maintain its trajectory even when it strikes bone or thick soft tissue like cartilage. However, if you remember your high school physics class, you might recall that the formula for kinetic energy is Ek = ½mv2. Since the velocity (v) is squared, increasing speed has a bigger impact on kinetic energy than increasing mass (m).

That said, you only need around 40 foot-pounds of kinetic energy to take down a whitetail deer with larger game like elk and moose requiring a bit more. Modern crossbows usually top 100 foot-pounds, so they'll be enough to hunt with regardless.

If you're a beginner, you may want a slower crossbow, closer to 350 FPS, because it will be easier to handle and shoot consistently. Experts, however, can definitely benefit from the blistering speeds of top Barnett models.

Weight

Weight is an important spec to look at before deciding on a crossbow whether you're hunting or just target shooting. The reason is simple. You can hold a lighter-weight crossbow more steadily, and that means you can shoot it more accurately. This is even more important when hunting because you may have to hold the crossbow level for a long time while you wait for your quarry to move into position. 

As an extra bonus, a lightweight crossbow is also easier to carry into the woods. If you hunt deep in the wilderness or have a lot of tree stands on a large piece of property and have to walk a lot when you hunt, every ounce you can shave off your gear is a big plus.

Cocking Method

Barnett pioneered a number of different innovations for crossbow cocking, including the integrated crank, cocking rope and step-through riser. Almost all models come with some kind of aid, but which depends on the price range and complexity of the design.

An integrated crank is certainly the easiest to use. It takes little effort and basically no practice to do it right. However, this is usually only an option on Barnett's more expensive models that have other advanced design features. This one of the most important features in crossbows for women.

If you're on a budget, a cocking rope is still a good option that's accessible to most beginners. You'll just need to read the instructions to learn how to hook the rope onto your bowstring, and it will take a little more muscle on your part. 

When you use a cocking rope, you still need to use the cocking stirrup just like you would cocking the crossbow by hand. In this case, a step-through riser is a good feature to look for as it's more stable and provides better leverage.

Keep in mind that you will have to uncock a crossbow after unsuccessful hunts and you will need to have a plan to accomplish that.

Quality of Scope

Most crossbows come with an included scope, but the quality and accuracy over distance varies depending on the model and price range.

Click here for our guide to the best crossbow scopes.

One thing to look at is the magnification, usually expressed as something like 4x32mm, the 4 meaning four times magnification. You might think that you simply want more magnification, but that actually might be counterproductive if you're shooting at close range. For this reason, don't go for the highest magnification unless you're getting a powerful crossbow and plan to shoot at long distances well over 40 yards. 

Additionally, make sure the scope you're getting with your Barnett crossbow has multiple reticles, which most do. Reticles are calibrated for specific distances, so if you plan to hunt from a tree stand and take shots from varying distances, the more reticles at smaller intervals, the better.

Lastly, consider illumination. An illuminated scope lights up the reticles in red or green so that they catch the eye and are easier to see in dim light. Many game animals including whitetail deer are most active at dawn and dusk, so this is particularly helpful if you'll be hunting them. 

Click here for our guide to sighting in a crossbow scope.

Final Thoughts

Barnett crossbows are some of the most powerful, reliable and best crossbows on the market, but there sure are a lot to choose from. Our overall recommendation is the Hyper Raptor, a model that will work for just about anyone regardless of skill level or goals. That said, each Barnett crossbow has its specific advantages and disadvantages that could apply to your personal situation. 

Any of the Barnett models will work for bow hunting, it just depends on how much you want to spend.