The Barnett Recruit Compound Crossbow is an excellent choice for inexperienced archers that are looking to start shooting seriously. That doesn’t mean that seasoned veterans won’t find plenty of things to like about it. It just feels like a great pick for someone’s first crossbow before anything else.
This is a crossbow you will be able to use for deer hunting, it is quite user friendly with several features that will keep young archers safe. The price is affordable and the quality still manages to remain high. Read on to find out the details in our Barnett Recruit crossbow review!
Affordable
Easy to set-up and use
Great shooting performance
No sling in the package
Stock might be not extend enough for some
Things to Consider Before Buying a Crossbow
There are several reasons why people would opt for a compound crossbow rather than a different model. In general, we separate crossbows into three groups, compound, recurve, and reverse limb crossbows.
Out of the three, compound crossbows are arguably the most popular. They use cams to draw the string which means they are capable of storing a lot of energy. This is why they generally have a higher shooting speed and power.
However, compound crossbows are a bit noisier than recurve crossbows, and are harder to maintain. If they ever malfunction, you will probably need to take them to an expert for repair. They use complex mechanisms that shouldn’t be dabbled with if you’re unsure about what you’re doing.
Other things you should consider before getting a compound crossbow are its draw weight and speed, which is something to factor in when buying any type of bow in general.
Barnett Recruit Crossbow Features & Benefits
Assembly
This recurve crossbow comes in two main parts once you remove it from the box. You will get the main body (including the stock) and the head, comprised of the limbs and the string. When you start assembling the crossbow, you just slide one part into the other and use the bolt and allen key (included in the package) to bolt them together.
After that, you just need to attach the foot stirrup, which requires just a few screws, and the quiver and the red-dot sight, which are optional. Still, assembly is quite simple in general, and it shouldn’t take too long, not even for a complete beginner. You can always check the manual if you have issues.
Accessories
This crossbow is usually sold as a part of the Barnett Crossbows Recruit compound package and you will get plenty of accessories with it. It is basically a ready-to-shoot package that includes everything you need to start shooting right away.
You will get a quiver, a red dot sight, either three bolts or two arrows (depends on the model you buy), a rope cocking device and a tube of wax. This will save you the trouble of getting all of these things separately, and should be helpful to most novice archers.
Getting a red dot sight is especially nice because it will allow you to keep both of your eyes open. This means that you will be able to acquire your targets much faster. It allows you to be fully aware of your surroundings and makes it easier to judge distance. This is an excellent bonus at an affordable price.
The rope cocking device you get with this compound crossbow is another welcome bonus. This will make cocking the crossbow a lot easier. Those that are not happy with this can replace it with a hand crank or a lever cranking mechanism. A cocking device makes this crossbow a lot easier to use for young or female archers.
The Trigger
This compound crossbow is equipped with a technology called TriggerTech. This allows it to have frictionless release by using a roller between the components of the trigger. Normally, these components would slide over each other and cause friction, but with this technology they roll out of the way.
This trigger will make it so you don’t experience any creep and you will have a perfectly crisp release. The release will always happen on time because the trigger has no extra distance to travel to once you pull it. This is one of our favorite parts when it comes to the Barnett Recruit compound crossbow specs.
The Anti-Dry Fire Technology
Every crossbow can be easily worn out by firing it without an arrow on the stock. This is something many inexperienced people do, and we refer to it as dry firing. When you dry fire a crossbow, it causes all of the energy from the string to go into the limbs instead of the arrow. This can cause some serious damage to the limbs of your crossbow.
This is why many crossbows nowadays come included with Anti-Dry Fire technology (ADF). What this does is add a small safety bar loaded by a spring that can only be pushed down by a properly set arrow. This safety bar can’t be removed unless it is pushed down, and you can’t shoot the crossbow unless it is down.
This is a really nice addition that we will welcome on any new crossbow model and will help you avoid one of the most common crossbow-related problems.
The Design
You can get this compound crossbow in two versions, tactical and terrain, the only difference being the color of their design. The tactical version is all black, and the limbs are emblazoned with the Barnett logo. The body is designed in a way that helps reduce the weight drastically by keeping the extra material to a minimum.
Generally, it is a really nicely designed crossbow that will surely draw positive comments from anyone that sees it. The terrain version sports a solid desert tan color, which also looks great.
The stock of this compound crossbow is made from light composite materials. It is generally a compact product that will allow you to hunt in narrow spaces. You can carry it around without getting tired for a long time.
You can also adjust the length of the stock depending on your size, which makes it a highly adjustable product. This crossbow will grow with you, which is another reason why it is a good pick for younger archers.
Another great feature of this crossbow is the pass-through foregrip which allows you to easily wrap your fingers around the handle and grip it tightly. This way you won’t be able to rest your fingers near the bolt, which can prevent accidents from happening.
Shooting Performance
The Barnett Recruit is an excellent product, which can also be seen in its shooting ability. It is precise, light and easy to use. It has a draw weight of 130lbs, which means it can generate a nice amount of power. It is also really quiet, which usually isn’t the case with compound crossbows.
It can reach a shooting speed of 330 fps, which should be enough for most hunters. You can freely go on survival hunting trips with this crossbow. It is not that heavy, weighing in at just 6.4lbs. Overall we loved the shooting ability of this crossbow and everything it brings to the table.
Social Proof
By browsing through information about this crossbow online we stumbled upon many positive reviews from other users. These reviews generally share our positive sentiments and are by members of archery discussion boards and forums. We picked several we thought were the most interesting and included them in our review.
Alternatives
If for some reason you don’t feel like the Barnett Recruit is the right compound bow for your needs, we have several alternatives you might like more.
Barnett Jackal Package
Our first alternative is the Barnett Jackal package, an excellent package that definitely offers more than you pay for. You will get a crossbow made with the highest quality, a nice design and that still manages to remain quite durable, all for a nice price of under 550 dollars.
It is easy to use and you can start shooting with it as soon as you unpack it. The instructions are simple, and it also comes with a red dot sight, quiver and a couple of bolts. It has a separate grip and a military style stock, and a sleek design reminiscent of a pistol.
It excels at hunting, and is really good for beginners, which makes it a direct counterpart to the Barnett Recruit. It is a bit slower though, with a speed of 315 fps.
CenterPoint Sniper 370
The main selling point of the CenterPoint Sniper 370 is its high speed. It can shoot at a speed of 370 fps, which is extremely fast, especially if you are an experienced shooter. This crossbow falls a bit more into the premium category, and is on the expensive side. However, if you can afford it, you will see that it is an excellent product well worth the money.
It comes equipped with loads of accessories, including carbon bolts, a rope cocker, a quiver and a shoulder sling. However, some of these are not of the best quality. There are two safety mechanisms installed on the Sniper 370, anti-dry fire and the auto-safety trigger. This makes it safe to use for inexperienced shooters.
It is built with the highest possible precision in mind and will work excellent for big game hunting.
Ravin R29X
Our last alternative is the Ravin R29X, another premium crossbow that will work excellent with complete newbies and seasoned hunters. It prides itself in its rifle-like accuracy and a unique design that will surely draw positive comments from onlookers.
Naturally, the price is a bit more expensive, but in this case more than worth it. The Ravin R29X is equipped with the latest cutting edge technology. It has a Heli-coil system that allows you to rotate the cams up to 340 degrees, giving this crossbow the ability to achieve truly high power.
This product also uses a completely new technology that reduces the noise it makes, which makes it a unique product in the world of compound bows. Overall, it’s an excellent model that would be a great part in anyone’s hunting arsenal.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we have to recommend the Barnett Recruit compound bow to anyone looking for a good entry-level product that they can use for a long time. It will serve you well if you are into hunting, especially if you are a young hunter who is just starting out.
This crossbow is primarily aimed at younger hunters, although those with some experience should also try it out. As mentioned in our Barnett Recruit crossbow review, highly experienced shooters might try a different, more expensive product, but that doesn’t mean they won’t like shooting with this model.