Barnett Crossbows, Bolts and Youth Bows

What Barnett makes for hunters

On this site, Barnett covers more archery types than most brands: crossbows, crossbow bolts, a lighted nock, a pair of fletched arrows, broadheads, youth compound and recurve bows, crossbow scopes, cocking devices, a case and a replacement string.

The crossbows come in three families. The XP models are compound crossbows, with cams that ease the pull. The Wildcats are recurve crossbows, with plain curved limbs and no cams. The Demun models are small handheld crossbows that shoot 7-inch bolts.

The grid above shows what's on Amazon right now, filtered by type. It changes as models come and go, so I'll write about the families and what separates them, not about how many are listed this week.

Barnett crossbow families at a glance

XP and other compound crossbows

The compound models are where the maker puts its full-size hunting crossbows. The Recruit XP, Explorer XP370 and BLK OPS 390 in the grid are all compounds, and on the last two the number in the name matches the speed the maker claims.

What the maker states on its own pages:

• Recruit XP: 150 lb draw weight, which the maker says the included rope cocker cuts in half; pitched as a first crossbow
• XP370: 165 lb draw, 13.6-inch power stroke, 13 inches axle to axle when cocked, speed tested with a 380-grain arrow
• BLK OPS 390: 175 lb draw, 13.8-inch power stroke, 13 inches cocked, a stated weight of 6.0 lb

Here's what actually changes as you go up the line: more draw weight, a slightly longer power stroke (the distance the string pushes the bolt) and more speed. Width cocked stays the same, which matters in a ground blind with a narrow window.

The XP370 and BLK OPS 390 pages both list a TriggerTech trigger with a stated 3-pound, zero-creep release, an anti-dry-fire system and nock sensors. The maker also lists a Rope-Hold groove on the XP370 stock and says it's crank-compatible. Compound crossbows across brands are on the compound crossbow page.

Wildcat recurve crossbows

The Wildcats skip the cams. The maker describes the Wildcat CRX as a lightweight crossbow that reaches up to 280 fps (FPS is arrow speed in feet per second), tested with a 380-grain arrow. It comes with a red dot sight, a rope cocker, two 20-inch Headhunter arrows and a side-mount quiver, per its page.

The trade is plain physics. With no cams there's no let-off, so you pull the full draw weight the whole way back. In return you get fewer parts. (Fewer parts means fewer things for Uncle Walt to adjust with a 7/16 wrench. He considers that a loss.)

A second Wildcat in the grid, a camo recurve package, takes its details from its Amazon listing, and the grid marks those values. Recurve crossbows across brands are on the recurve crossbow page.

Demun handheld crossbows

The Demun models are a different animal. They're handheld, pistol-style crossbows that shoot 7-inch Hyperbolts. Per the maker:

• Tri Strike: recurve, with a 3-shot magazine and break-action cocking, up to 180 fps
• AccuStrike Pro: recurve, two-stage break-action cocking the maker says cuts the effort by half, up to 210 fps
• Storm: compound, with a riser that rotates 90 degrees to lie flat for transport and a butt stock extension the maker says cuts cocking effort further

The Tri Strike's bolts are a closed system: the maker says its 2-fletch Hyperbolts are only compatible with that model's magazine. The Storm and AccuStrike Pro use their own Hyperbolts. Before you plan a hunt with one, check your state wildlife agency for crossbow and draw-weight rules. More on the type is on the pistol crossbow page.

Whitetail Hunter and other older names

People search for the Barnett Whitetail Hunter. No Whitetail Hunter crossbow is among the Barnett listings on Amazon right now. The maker still sells parts for it: a replacement string set for the Whitetail Hunter STR (and the Droptine STR), and a crank cocking device that lists the Whitetail Hunter 400 XTR among the models it fits. If you own one, the replacement string page names it by model number. Strings in general are on the bow string page.

Barnett crossbow bolts

Barnett bolts in the grid come in three groups, and they don't swap freely.

Headhunter

The Headhunter is the bolt that comes in the box with several Barnett crossbows. The maker lists the 20-inch Headhunter at ±.006 inch straightness, a .300-inch inside diameter, standard moon nocks and 11/32 field points.

The Headhunter Strobe adds a lighted nock that the maker says starts strobing on impact, with an on/off switch at the base. Its page carries a warning in capital letters: don't use the strobe nocks with the Hyper Raptor, XPX 410, XPX 420, Wildcat CX and a few other high-power models, because they can damage the crossbow.

Hyperflite

The Hyperflite is the small-diameter bolt. The maker lists it at a .204-inch inside diameter, ±.001 inch straightness, 9.8 grains per inch, Capture nocks and 100-grain field points, and says it's designed for the Hyper series. The lighted version uses a nock the maker says is made only for Hyperflite shafts, and only the red-and-white vane version at that.

Quick math on straightness: the Hyperflite's ±.001 is six times tighter than the Headhunter's ±.006. Both numbers are on the maker's pages. The bigger difference for you is the nock, because a Capture nock and a moon nock are not the same part.

Demun Hyperbolts

The 7-inch Hyperbolts belong to the handhelds. They come in 2-fletch and 3-fletch versions, and the Tri Strike's magazine takes only the 2-fletch.

The weight rule

Barnett's FAQ sets a weight floor. It says its crossbows require arrows of at least 400 grains, and warns never to use arrows under 380 grains, including a 100-grain point. The maker does the math itself: that makes a 280-grain shaft the minimum. Lighter arrows, the FAQ says, can act like a dry fire, damage the crossbow and void the warranty.

Use only the bolts your crossbow's maker recommends. Never dry-fire a crossbow. Wisconsin DNR's advice is the same, plus one more line worth keeping: check that the crossbow is on safe right after you cock it.

The crossbow bolts page covers lengths and nock types across brands, and best crossbow bolts has a ranked list.

How to choose within the Barnett lineup

Pick the cocking method first

My one opinion on this page: pick how you'll cock the crossbow before you pick the crossbow. The reason is on Barnett's own pages. The maker says the Recruit XP's rope cocker cuts its 150 lb draw in half, and its Hyper Raptor rope cocker reduces cocking tension by up to 50 percent. That still leaves a real pull, every time, in the cold, often in the dark.

As a physical therapist, I see plenty of shoulders that did a heavy, awkward pull a few hundred times too many. A crank costs you a little time in the morning and saves you some strain all season.

Barnett crossbow cocking devices

Barnett sells two kinds:

• Rope cockers: included with several models, sold separately too
• Crank cocking devices: attach to the stock or replace the butt stock

The maker's sled-style crank page says it reduces cocking resistance by as much as 93 percent, and then lists the only three models it fits. The Hyper Raptor crank replaces that model's butt stock. So the rule is simple: match the crank to the exact model name on the maker's compatibility line, not to the family.

Danny asked if the crank was a fishing reel for deer. It isn't, but I'm not going to stop him from calling it that.

Then the speed and width

Within the compound models, the deciding specs are draw weight, power stroke and width cocked. More speed comes with more draw weight. If you hunt from a tight blind, width cocked matters more than the last 20 fps. The crossbow page explains these specs across brands, and the compact crossbow page covers short, narrow builds.

Then the optic

Most Barnett crossbows come with an optic: a red dot on the Recruit XP and XP370, a 4x32 multi-reticle scope on the BLK OPS 390, per the maker. Barnett also sells scopes on their own; two are in the grid with details from their listings. Reticles and bolt speed are on the crossbow scope page.

Barnett broadheads and nocks

The broadheads in the grid are mostly hybrids, with a fixed front blade and expanding rear blades. The maker describes the Gamecrusher as a 4-blade hybrid made for crossbows and fast compound bows, with two expanding blades and a tanto tip. The Gravedigger and Grave Digger Extreme take their details from their Amazon listings. The Demun Helical broadheads screw onto the threaded tips of the Hyperbolt 3F, C7 and C10 only, per the maker.

Handle broadheads with care: keep blade covers on until you're ready to shoot, and carry them in a covered quiver. Weights and blade types across brands are on the crossbow broadheads page and the mechanical broadheads page.

The lighted nock in the grid is the Headhunter Strobe nock, sized for the Headhunter's .300 inside diameter. Other options are on the lighted nocks page.

Barnett youth bows: Vortex, Tomcat and Lil' Buck

People search for "Barnett Vortex" more than you'd guess, and it's a youth line, not a crossbow. Barnett calls its 2024 youth refresh "G3". Per the maker:

• Tomcat G3: right-handed, for ages 8 and up, light draw weight, with sight and quiver
• Vortex Lite G3: short draw lengths and a light draw weight, with two arrows
• Vortex G3: draw weight from the high 20s to 45 lb, 6 lb stated weight
• Vortex Hunter G3: 45 to 60 lb draw weight and 26 to 30-inch draw length, pitched at teens and young adults
• Lil' Buck: a 12 lb ambidextrous recurve for younger kids

The Vortex models list a 60 to 70 percent adjustable let-off (how much the pull eases at full draw), a 3-pin sight, a brush rest, a quiver and a D-loop. The Centershot youth compound in the grid takes its details from its Amazon listing.

More on fit is on the youth compound bow page and the youth bow arrows page. For adult first bows, see best compound bow for beginners.

The Justice and Punisher arrows

Two fletched carbon hunting arrows carry the Barnett name in the grid, the Justice and the Punisher. Their spine, diameter and straightness come from their Amazon listings, and the grid marks those values. They're for vertical bows, not crossbows. Spine and diameter across brands are on the hunting arrows page.

Care basics from the maker

Barnett's FAQ gives two care rules. Apply lube wax to the flight track every 5 to 10 shots; the kit includes a tube. Check and wax the string regularly, especially after it gets wet.

For storage and travel, the maker sells a ballistic nylon crossbow case with two removable pouches, backpack straps and a padded carry strap, with a compatibility list by model. Cases across brands are on the bow case page.

If you hunt from a stand, wear a harness every time your boots leave the ground, and raise the unloaded crossbow on a haul line.

Who's behind Barnett

Barnett's history page says Bernard Barnett started building crossbows as a hobby in his garage in the United Kingdom in 1962, that factories followed across Europe, and that operations moved permanently to the United States in 2003. The company's site names it Barnett Outdoors, LLC, of Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Shooting Sports Retailer reported in September 2021 that Surge Outdoors had bought Barnett, with David Barnett as Surge's president. Barnett's FAQ now says David Barnett and a business partner bought the company back to make it a private, family-owned business again. I couldn't verify where today's crossbows are built, so that's left out.

On warranty, the FAQ says the length varies by model and that registration within 10 days validates it. Strings, cables, dry fires and misuse aren't covered.

Bolt name, nock type, minimum weight. Write all three on a sticky note inside the case lid, and the bolt aisle gets a lot shorter.