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Decent starter crossbow

luberhill

By luberhill,
in CrossBow Hunting

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grampy Veteran

grampy

Posted
Posted

The Sniper 370 is a great starter crossbow. As well as the PSE Fang. I would rate these over a starter Barnett. I have all three of these.

Good luck, and have fun with whatever you get! Come back and let us know what ya get. And how ya like it!

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grampy Veteran

grampy

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Posted
1 hour ago, mowin said:

I've got the Fang. It's gotten the job done every time. I will say the glass is sub par.  I switched it out with a Nikon. 

With any budget crossbow package, the scope that comes with the crossbow is usually not very good. I too have swapped out the package scope, for the Nikon Bolt scope. What a huge difference it makes.

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nyslowhand Enthusiast

nyslowhand

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^^^ and once you decide to swap out the crappy scope for something better, you're in the mid-price range of Xbows considering total paid for Xbow AND upgrade scope. Anyone asking for my advice, always say look into the mid-$$ range or higher. Granted, low end Xbows with inferior scopes kill deer! Xbows are definitely in the purchase category of "you get what you pay for", to a point!!!

Edited by nyslowhand
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grampy Veteran

grampy

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Posted
17 minutes ago, nyslowhand said:

^^^ and once you decide to swap out the crappy scope for something better, you're in the mid-price range of Xbows considering total paid for Xbow AND upgrade scope. Anyone asking for my advice, always say look into the mid-$$ range or higher. Granted, low end Xbows with inferior scopes kill deer! Xbows are definitely in the purchase category of "you get what you pay for", to a point!!!

Very true.

But from what I've seen, until you get to the thousand dollar and higher crossbows, the scopes are mostly crap.I got way less than that in my set ups. If the season was longer, I could justify buying a better quality, more expensive crossbow. But for something I may only take out a couple of times a year, I'll stick to the cheap crossbow, with upgraded scope.

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stubborn1VT Proficient

stubborn1VT

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I grew up dairy farming and I'm pretty careful with my money (cheap).  After researching quite a bit I bought a Sniper 370.  I have killed a couple deer with it and feel that I got MORE than what I paid for.  It cost less than any bow, muzzleloader or deer rifle I have bought and it's wicked effective.  I haven't upgraded the scope and I am used to the trigger.  Just my .02

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518BowSlayer Proficient

518BowSlayer

Posted
Posted

I have the centerpoint specialist 370 which is the same as the sniper 370 but with some minor upgrades like an adjustable cheek piece and the quiver runs parallel with the rail. not sure if they make that anymore but it's the only crossbow I ever shot and it's deadly accurate. haven't had any problems with the scope myself. haven't shot anything with it yet but it's a great starter crossbow in my opinion

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wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

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The jury is still out on the Centerpoint sniper for me.  One thing I don't like about it is that it is very front-heavy, compared to my Barnett Recruit.   That will make it more difficult to use off-hand or from a hang on stand.  It packs a lot more punch for sure, which ought to extend my effective range out to 50 yards or so, from about 30 with my Recruit in it's current condition.   The downside of that, is my old rag-bag backstop don't does not stop the bolts so well at short range, and I damaged some fletching as a result.   I will have to keep my practice at 40 to 50 yards and with that one from now on, or maybe fill the bag with some tougher rags.   

It looks like I will be hunting with both crossbows this year, using the Recruit from my hang-on stands and and the Sniper from those with shooting rails.   I am 5 for 5 on bucks with the Recruit and I had a shooting rail for 4 of them.  Maybe they have upgraded the scope a bit this year on the Sniper, because the one on mine seems pretty good.  It is very clear and I really like how the top crosshair is right on at 20 yards, the second at 30 yards, the 3rd at 40 yards, and the 4th at 50 yards.   I have not tried it yet in low light conditions though, so the jury is still out on that also.   The factory. adjustible intensity red/green dot Barnett sight on my Recruit is very good in low light conditions.  I always worry about the battery dying on it though (I carry a spare), which wont be an issue with the non-electric factory scope on the Sniper.         

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nyslowhand Enthusiast

nyslowhand

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Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, wolc123 said:

......   The factory. adjustible intensity red/green dot Barnett sight on my Recruit is very good in low light conditions.  I always worry about the battery dying on it though (I carry a spare), which wont be an issue with the non-electric factory scope on the Sniper.         

Oh yeah, only takes one time forgetting to turn off the illumination and finding a dead battery the following morning! Keep a spare handy.

BTW - Isn't that the curse of compound style Xbows, being front end heavy?

Edited by nyslowhand
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wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, nyslowhand said:

Oh yeah, only takes one time forgetting to turn off the illumination and finding a dead battery the following morning! Keep a spare handy.

BTW - Isn't that the curse of compound style Xbows, being front end heavy?

Not all of them. My Barnett Recruit is a compound, 300 fps xbox that handles as easily as my Ruger 10.22 carbine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ApexerER Mentor

ApexerER

Posted
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I went from a cheap Barnett to a Scorpyd that I have a ridiculous amount of money in.....I wouldn't recommend a cheap Barnett. I put the Nikon Bolt scope on it as well which helped but it still felt like a cheap piece of crap to me.....Those are the only two crossbows I have any experience with.  I was looking at Ten Points Wicked Ridge line before I dove off the deep end. I think that is what I would go with although there are tons of people that are very happy with the Center Points.....

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  • 3 weeks later...
wolc123 Grand Master

wolc123

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I spent a bit of range time today with my Centerpoint Sniper and Barnett Recruit.   I got them both dialed in good with 100 grain field points and I will be hunting deer with each of them this fall.   I had been using 125 grain tips with the Recruit and it cost me a bolt today when I fired the first 100-grain tipped one over the top of my backstop.   It is definitely shooting a lot flatter with the lighter heads.   So far, the Recruit is my favorite.  It's primary advantage is it's lighter weight, better balance and much easier handling.  A close-range, offhand shot would be iffy with the Sniper, but a piece of cake with the Recruit.   Other advantages of the Recruit are: crisper trigger, eaiser loading (can do it bare-handed without a pulley device in a pinch), and illuminated dot-site (better for low-light conditions).    It was a bit too windy for shots over 40 yards today, which I certainly would not take at a deer anyhow with the Recruit.   The Sniper should have the advantage there, because it was holding tighter groups at 40 yards and really burying the bolts in the backstop, compared to the Sniper, which was only doing about half the penetration into the "block".   

I will have to see how that factory Centerpoint scope does in low-light conditions of the deep woods, but not needing a battery is an advantage in well-lit situations.  I really like having (2) cheap crossbows, compared to one mid-priced one, mostly because I should always have a backup, if something goes wrong with one of them during the 2-week season.  It is also nice to have ones with different strenghts: The Sniper should be great from stands with good rests and where 40-50 yard shots might be expected.   The Recruit will shine for close range work in low-light conditions, or for still-hunting deer in standing corn (something I have always wanted to try but have yet to do). That is all about close-range off-hand shots.   This might be the year for that, because my corn is looking as good as it ever has.  I

Besides the Sniper, my other big crossbow-season purchase this year was (3) new 100 grain NAP spitfire mechanical broadheads.   Hopefully, one of them can fill my buck tag and the other two a couple of my (5) antlerless tags this fall.  I was able to take (6) bucks with my last (6) mechanical broadheads, which included one used and destroyed to check the zero compared to field tips, and one resharpened and mixed and matched from the best "used" parts, to take a second buck (last fall's big 8-point).  Those were older o-ring style mechanicals designed for slower vertical bows (that is what I used on the first kill with them).  Then I went 5/5 using them with my 300 fps Recruit.  They are all gone now,  but probably would not work as well with the 370 fps Sniper.  The NAP's are supposed to be top-of-the-line and designed to work with the fastest crossbows.  We shall see this fall.   For the price of the NAP's, I ain't going to waste one checking the zero.  The research I have done indicates that they impact identical to field tips.                  

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  • 3 weeks later...
Downstate Dud Newbie

Downstate Dud

Posted
Posted

Confused beginner. requests informed advice

NY DEC regulations state  " A crossbow must have compound or recurve limbs with minimum width of 17 inches (outer tip of limbs excluding wheels and cams, uncocked); 
 a minimum overall length from butt of stock to the front of the limbs of 24 inches; and be able to launch a minimum 14 inch arrow/bolt, not including the legal arrowhead."

 

 Amazon advertises as "Ideal for the small framed or beginner, the compact Avenger Crossbow features an adjustable stock that grows with your young hunter. With a speed of 330 fps, the Barnett Avenger Crossbow is effective on big game animals. FEATURES: Compact size Adjustable stock Ideal for small framed or beginner hunters speed: 330 fps Kinetic Energy: 91. 9 ft. lbs. Power stroke: 12. 5” Axle-to-Axle: 16. 125” overall length: 34. 25” Overall weight: 6. 4 lbs."

So is "Axle-to-Axle: 16" legal in NY State.

 

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Downstate Dud Newbie

Downstate Dud

Posted
Posted
On 8/25/2020 at 6:41 PM, cdbing said:

I am not a x-bow user, but if axle to axle is 16", I doubt the limb to limb will be more than 16.5". Maybe ask the manufacturer to quote the critical outside limb dimension.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

I did ask the Manufacturer by email and phone. Apparently and so far they unable to say if their product is legal in NY State. I am persisting and will advise if/when I get a definitive reply

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fasteddie Grand Master

fasteddie

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Posted
27 minutes ago, cdbing said:

I am surprised that the manufacturer would not quote the outside dimension of the limbs. Seems like a harmless enough question.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 

If the Avenger crossbow is a Barnett product , I am not surprised . My oldest son made 2 or 3 phone calls to Barnett Customer Service with no luck . I sent them an email with no response . Their customer service sucks !

Barnett Avenger 

  • 4x32 Scope
  • Adjustable stock
  • Compact size
  • Ideal for small framed or beginner hunters
  • Speed: 330 fps
  • Draw Weight: 130 lbs.
  • Kinetic Energy: 91.9 ft. lbs.
  • Power Stroke: 12.5”
  • Axle-to-Axle: 16.125”
  • Overall Length: 34.25”
  • Overall Weight: 6.4 lbs.
  • Brand : Barnett
  • Country of Origin : United States of America
  • Style : BAR78098
  • DSG Pro Tips

 

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Downstate Dud Newbie

Downstate Dud

Posted
Posted

So back to my query from wiser more informed bow heads, if NY DEC regulations state  " A crossbow must have compound or recurve limbs with minimum width of 17 inches (outer tip of limbs excluding wheels and cams, uncocked);" 

Does Axle-to-Axle: 16.125” work out as 17 inches (outer tip of limbs excluding wheels and cams, uncocked? Please remember I am a complete novice with a crossbow so don't know what wheels/cams would do to overall width

If they were selling cannabis presume they would know if product was legal or not in different states. Why not for cross bows?

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