Field Testing Barnett Assault Recurve Crossbow at 15 - 40 yards ($159.99 245 FPS 150 lb crossbow)
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2024
- Field testing the Barnett Assault Recurve Crossbow using 20" carbon bolts and 100 grain field points.
I fired the 150 lb draw weight recurve crossbow in groups of three at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 yards at a Glen Del Shooter Buck 3-D target.
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I love these barnett recurve. They've been perfecting this design since the 70s "wildcat".
Few tips. The newest ones have a brush for arrow retention.. this is quieter, but significantly less durable. Im not a fan. The ones prior to that into the panser V have a plastic arrow retention spring.. also garbage.
I used the mounting holes from the old plastic spring and modified a tenpoint metal arrow retention spring. Works much better and cannot break.
I wrapped my front limb in hockey tape and that quieted the bow down substantially. Also, a small piece of rubber to shim the limb increases accuracy quite a bit.
With carbon arrows i can group 1.5" at 50 yards.
I prefer this crossbow to my expensive excalibur matrix. Much lighter, quieter and easier to cock. Dont forget a buy a rope cocker for the wifey, cuts the weight down by more than half.
As a survivalist, i have made prods out of hickory as a replacement, they are much longer and a bit weaker but they are still capable of killing large game at closer ranges. The crossbow needs zero modification to achieve this.
Also, i find that this poundage (150# fiberglass prod) for a crossbow is perfect in my opinion. Anything heavier shreds primitive ammunition.
I find that 3/8 shafting works quite well in a variety of materials and arrows for this are much easier to make for this rather than my longbow where knocks and arrow spines culminate to a less durable projectile.
If you are unable to source natural shafting or simply want something higher quality go to a department store and buy straight grained 3/8 oak dowels. They make an extremely durable arrow and It takes very little straightening and they are like $0.75ea and you can get them in 36" length which will give you 2 arrows per shaft. They are quite durable. So if you buy a bulk pack of feather or vanes (i'd reccomend a straight fletching jig for feathers and no more then a 3° helical offset for vanes) you can buy field points and decent broadhead in bulk which makes these deadly arrows just about a dollar depending on how you tip them. I've made trade points from cheap spoons and kept hunting arrow cost under a dollar before. Its a fun project for you and the kids. Just be sure the cut the knock at 90° and SLIGHTLY round off the sharp edge. as long as your shaft is straight grained you should be fine.
Ive been able to achieve 4" groups at 50 yards with this type of arrow.
If i really take my time on fully fledged primitive arrows (including a flintinapped stone point and made with only a knife) i can achieve about 3.5" groups at 30 yards... this accuracy is far better than any other primitive hunting implement and why i think this is a hell of a sustainable hunting tool.
Your kid is adorable btw.
Best comment! You, sir, are the type of person who makes the world a better place. Your kind built civilization & will rebuild it after the rest of us cock it all up. Thank you.
If you ever have time maybe yiu can do a review on how to make the metal arrow retention
Would you recommend this crossbow for shtf/ durability?
@@Иванпонимаете-г4ш i used the plastic arrow retention spring to guide my hole placement on the metal one. Then i used the very end of the plastic retention spring where the holes were as a shim to fill out the void in in the rail segment that the assembly is attached to. The metal spring needed to be filed down to fit the width of the plastic spring where it attaches in the void of the optic rail above trigger group. the now plastic shim needed to be sanded down lower to accommodate the height that the metal spring added- this was very slight but is very important for sound/vibration/longevity.
Yes, its one of very few crossbows I'd actually reccomend for "SHTF" the only mod it NEEDS is the metal arrow retention spring.
Since then i have actually trimmed the package down a bit.
My barnnet recruit crossbow itself now weighs 4.5lbs exactly making it the lightest 150lb modern recurve crossbow ive been able to make and its lighter than anything else I've been able to find. The only exceptions to that rule are chinese "toy" (sub$100) crossbows that aren't of hunting quality (3lbs 13.3oz broke catastrophically in a week). It actually even lighter than the 1970s wooden barnett wildcat crossbows which in its absolute lightest usable configuration i got down 4lb 8.3oz. Even after updating and polishing the trigger to death (literally) it still had poor accuracy/durability/ergonomics compared to the modern Barnetts. Now all the chinese clones that you see are based on the 1970s wildcat trigger design and are generally made from cast aluminum and use cheaper metals for the triggers. Their triggers are "somewhat" compatible with old wildcats... i digress.
To achieve this i removed the stirrup that cut almost 8 oz of weight and replaced it with a webbing stirrup covered with bicycle inner tire. I also removed the lightweight sling i made for it, the sling took 2.5oz total weight off and the new flexible stirrup only added 1. This new stirrup setup allows me to "hang" the crossbow off the axe handle protruding from the top on my pack which is less intrusive for drawing my firearm and more secure than a traditional slinged left side shoulder carry with a pack. It is about a half second slower to transition, but it is far more comfortable for long distance carry.
I also completely removed the angled fore end section and this cut 5.5 ounces off the total weight. i added a vertical 1oz magpul verticle grip in its stead which is so much better to carry long distance as your wrist is not locked out in an odd position. I have hiked well over 250 miles since doing that modification and the crossbow is functioning perfectly. I have taken game with it and point of impact has not changed as i didn't need to even re-sight it after the mods. I think I'm gonna sew in something a little stiff to the flexible stirrup to increase my rate of fire a bit. The metal stirrup was fantastic for reloading quickly cause you could about instantly drop it onto your boot so I'm gonna try to to source a a durable flexible flat 1" wide material that weights no more than a quarter ounce. Thatll hopefully hold the stirrup shape so i can drop it over my boot a bit faster. I know rate of fire doesn't matter but i got a real kick out of beating the recurve/longbow crowd in rate of fire/accuracy simultaneously.
So yeah... I'm pretty happy with it.
Still running strong after 8 years. Only thing i ever had to replace was a gate return spring in the trigger due to a friend mishandling it.
Grandmaster! What you said is really good! I am from Taiwan and like your opinion very much!😘👍
Absolutely. I've been kind of rough on this bow but if you keep the strings/rail waxed it will last a long time. Plus the actual bow itself (the only major thing I could see needing less than 10 year repaclement can be purchased fairly reasonably.
0-25 maybe 30 yards just as deadly as a $1000 crossbow in my opinion, thanks for sharing👍
"Is Sparky fine with all those holes in him?" Great review, thanks.
Hahah! Sparky was a gift from a local gas station and he's still going strong. Thanks for your concern!
Was just given this bow as a early birthday present. I think 35 yards is just about its maximum accuracy range unless it's really fine tuned with a great scope. Perfect starter crossbow for anyone.
I agree. I kick myself for not buying every last one when Walmart sold them for $49. The new wildcat is right at this price range. I'm interested to get my hands on one. I will say I've shot it out to 70 yards but that would be more for fun or pop. Control on a flock of geese as a Hail Mary. Definitely would feel great about using this outside of 35 yards for big game.
i love how she called it sparky
Kids! A buddy of mine cleverly further named him sparky the keystone lighttail. Backstory, i used to buy tobacco....every.....day at this one particular gas station. It had that deer as a display with the keystone light.
One day the owner, who shared ownership with his brother (both from Yemen) was about to go back home (they took turns running the store and being back in Yemen) and casually mentioned that I could have the deer (which I had fawned over many times). He left without warning but made good on his promise indicating to his brother that the deer was mine. Next I stopped by, they told me they had a little surprise for me, and loaded it up.
I brought it home to excited kids and not so thrilled wife. The latter eventually embraced him and the former decided he should be called Sparky. Which he is to this day. It's actually a decent target. I've used it sight it my long bow, this Barnett and my Bear Vast compound.
Thanks for watching! Subscribe if you haven't already King Jr!
So pretty much I don’t “need” a $300-$500 crossbow... great video man!
Absolutely not. My nephew and I both harvested 130 pound cull bucks this year with this weapon and I’m convinced that unless you “need” to take shots out past 35 yards, there is not a better value in crossbows.
🗽 Not only can you hunt with your crossbow...you can fight with it 👌🏻
This and the Jaguar are the best for the price range IMO good and reliable
I agree on this end, but if Jaguar is of similar quality and price, you can convince me on both. Do you target shoot or hunt with both?
I am interested in your thoughts The Red Queen because if you have (and I haven't) your knowledge would be valuable to other folks reading. Share away, and thanks for watching!
cutest kid ever great bow... im getting one!
thats a cool bow and powerful
And cheap!
Just got the Barnett whitetail hunter STR and so far loving it. Wish me luck.
Good luck LH! Any of these modern crossbows are such a step up from from many vertical bows in terms of accuracy and lethality. What are you hunting?
I just bought the Barnett blackcat is that a good bow also ? it will be my first I think it may have more draw weight I remember it said 260 feet per second..
I found this crossbow at a swapmeet for $45, I love it! Though it is discontinued and “slow” for today’s standards I like how simple it is, replacing the string of my compound crossbow would be expensive and there are no bow shops near me, this one I can do myself.
The only con is the scope eye relief, it has to sit far at the front. Is there an upgrade scope you’d recommend?
I haven't even thought to change it, save moving down the rail.
@@bartonoutfitters I’m amazed you’re still shooting it, it is a great xbow for sure.
Will typical recurve crossbows or this cross bow last a lifetime? im looking for a hunting recurve cross bow that i have when the ammo runs out and survive the apocalypse.
Yes just keep the rail lubed and strings waxed, the string won’t last forever but if the recurve crossbow is well built It will just need to have extra strings.
get a 200lb or below . in life this type of recurve can usually last 10years if stored correctly , you wax the rail and string , unstring the bow and seal it in bag when off season . in apocalypse it's basicly the same way storing it , for 10ys using u need extra strings (1for each 2 years, 5for10 years ) , and at least 3dozens of bolts , you get the most pricy fiber carbon ones , those are strongest and most durable , bytheway a reason why u get 200lb or below coz high speed damage the bolts , 240-310fps (150lb-200lb recurve) dont.
there is no guarantee for any bow to last for more than 10ys but dont worry u wont last longer than the bow .
I got this same exact crossbow for Christmas but have yet to shoot it. I've had no clue what length of arrow to purchase. I ordered the crossbow from Dicks and on their page they suggest an 18" Barnett arrows. What throws me off is that the arrows made by them dont have any specs on what grain they are. The manual with the crossbow gives you no information on the crossbow either on what length to use. They only tell you to use no less than 380 grain arrows. So does it matter what length arrow to use? This is my first crossbow. Barnett customer service closes early every day.
you can use 18in 20in or 22in... as long as the total weight of the arrow is above 380 grains you should be good
You wouldn't have these problems if you would have bought an Excalibur.
@@ethanwalker885 Aluminum bolts can weigh more than 400 grains as long as 15"
@@moderndaydrifter4672 Well said. However, these bows are a great choice for people on a budget. I have a Ecomax and an Assault and love them both.
Update! I still hunt with this. Have done nothing other than tighten bolts, re-sight in, and keep the strings and rails waxed. I wish I would have bought a couple more of these. As far as length, that’s a matter of choice. I will say that on these slower bolts, what you really want is maximum to mass to make up for kinetic energy loss of slower velocity. Whatever length/type arrow that exceeds recommendations will work but patterning the crossbow at your preferred target or hunting distances are what’s going to tell you what’s the “right” bolt
Great review brother, I bought the crossbow after watching this, I’m struggling to mount the quiver, any tips? I just can’t seem to lock it in
I struggled too, my advice would be try some lubricant, don't force it. It will break. I don't know about the coefficient of thermal expansion of the quiver but unless it's negative, it wouldn't hurt to try placing the quiver in a cold environment to shrink it just enough for lube to make it slide. Would not recommend freezing or putting in the refrigerator just talking about outside on a cold day
Good review and thanks for sharing! Is there a picatinny rail were the quiver mounts to the front end? I would personally limit my shots to 25 yards on deer hunting and use a cut on contact broadhead. Thanks again!
Yes on scope mount, no on quiver mount. And I agree, 25 yards with cut on contact is a recipe for an ethical and lethal shot. Thanks for watching!
Yes, this is a great review. I just ordered one! I noticed it does not come with arrows. When I was looking to buy some there are different ones. Flat notch, curved notch. Can you tell me which ones are you using? Thanks in advance.
Yes and thanks for watching. First off I use the carbon express carbon cross bolts 20". Second the bolt you'll use will need to have a half moon nock. Hope that helps.
@@bartonoutfittersI appreciate I! Thanks!
Barton Outfitters Why MUST this Barnett recurve crossbow use a half moon nock? None of my others do & I have owned Barnett crossbows since the 1980’s...all use flat nocks perfectly well...they are superior to risky half moons, in my experience.
Is the Barnett assault or recruit newer? Do you how these would compare to the center point tyro? Looking for my first recurve crossbow around the 150 dollar mark
Do you unstring the crossbow when you're not using it?
I have not unstrung it ever since making this video.
At some point string will fail, but it will take years if used under normal conditions and if the string is lubed properly
@@bartonoutfitters the strength of the bow is not weakened if it is left with the string on?
Kid is adorable
I agree and thank you.
My same crossbow has the string when it sits on the rail its like each end of the string where the caps are it sits lower and causes the string to bow up a little is that why I couldn't get good shots at 20 yards with a 5 reticle scope and I tried bringing the arrow down but it kept shooting up and im just abt to give up on trying do you think I should take my string off adjust the limb and put it back on?
That's interesting. The string definitely shouldn't bow up because that means it's creating too much friction that will wear out the string faster, cause erratic flight and lower the FPS. I have noticed that depending on how tight the nose cone bolt is screwed in (the bolt that actually holds the recurve limb to the crossbow) the bow itself sits differently all the rail. You can't overtighten or you'll damage it, but it has to be tight enough that it stays in a good spot through several shots.
@@bartonoutfitters oh okay thankyou I'll try and fix it
If you can get it adjusted right, darn good xbow. Just busted my 1st deer ever. 25 yd Dbl lung shot, dropped instantly. Get good quality 125 gr broad-heads, best tip I can give you.
@@TheBlackSheepDiaries just fixed it the other day going to sight it in tmr cant even wait!
@@wesleyshuntingfishingandre7059 Great! You're gonna love it, super quiet. Rope pullback and proper use will get you very tight groups, not needed but keeps the string in same position every shot. Good luck man! Check one here at my lil chan called hawk vs snake, bet you might like.
Do you know the length of the string for replacement?
According to Barnett customer service (I just called them when I saw your question) it's 27.5" thanks for watching
As I could see you have plenty of little helpers
That's cool that you are shooting with your son.
Thanks Rick. He's always out with me trying to get in harm's way while I try to keep him alive. But that's part of raising outdoor people children. Find something you love outside and grab your kids and go do it!
i have a question i looked up the bolts and they seem a little cheap do they break very easily and i am thinking of becoming a hunter is the Barnett assault enough to kill a deer or a buck
They may seem cheap and they are, but one thing to note is if your using the appropriate weight arrows and inspecting them before each shot, they tend to perform fine but might just wear out quicker than other bolts. I've shot mine into wood fences (on accident) and then still gotten 100 reps out of that bolt. Lube the flight track to reduce friction wear on any bolt every 5-10 shots. Lastly, the bolt does not kill the deer, the broad head does. Unless the bolt shatters upon hitting a shoulder plate or ribs, it will be lethal to kill a buck at appropriate range with optimal target placement. If you feel more comfortable and confident with more expensive arrows, buy them. You'll shoot better because a lot of this is mental. But since you asked a fair question and logical for safety, hunting ethics, etc. my best good answer is yes, the carbon Crossbolt bolts with a cut on contact fixed blade broadhead and a vital shot will kill a deer. Hope that helps, and thank you for watching! I'll get some hunts with this bow uploaded once fishing slows down.
@@bartonoutfitters thanks i am going to buy some better bolts but thanks it was very helpful
Youl want to get an excalibur crossbow for the recurve limbs
Smart kid
Genius 😂🙄
Been having a problem trying to find the right arrows, any link to the ones you have?
Carbon Crossbolt 20" from Wal-Mart. Sorry for late reply Tim
How would you bypasse the anti fire device when you need to restring thanks for your time
Good question. The anti-dry Fire mechanism only comes into play when the cross bow is fully drawn. If you're restringing the recurve Limb, you would just need to loosen the nose cone and remove the limb for restringing. I would not advise attempting to do it with the limb attached to the bow. If that doesn't answer your question, I'm happy to help further. Send me an email at huntfish@bartonoutfitters.com with a picture of you're set up and your concern. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the reply I actually bought the same crossbow after watching you shooting it just got it today hoping you can send me a picture of how you do it thanks so much I also subscribed to your channel
@@bartonoutfitters I have the same crossbow as you hoping you could send me a picture of your setup restringing your bow thanks so much for your help
I have the same bow. When I restring I use a old bolt with no fletching to fire out my paracord restringing rope. Not a lot of force from the paracord and most of the time will clear under the new string or just get pinched in the rail
Sirve para caza mayor? jabalí o ciervo?
Si, aunque es una pregunta de ética, no de ley. cada estado tiene diferentes mínimos de peso de extracción. por ejemplo, Alsaka y Oklahoma pesan 100 libras. Arkansas 125 libras.
Im guessing that the recurves are ez to cock. I got me a rampage 360 and thats only 175 lbs draw weight. I cant get that all the way in. I guess because its narrower, its harder?
If it comes with a rope cocking mechanism, I'd always use that. It may be loud, but it would prevent you from locking the string on at the wrong angle that might cause limb failure.
I want one!
‘Assault’?? Guess they’ve not seen the Cobra RX Adder, with its 7-round magazine and stripper clip that reloads the magazine in a few seconds.
Says a guy focusing on brand name rather than function. You’ve obviously never owned an Adder. I’ve shot that thing hundreds of times, and it’s holding up just fine. As for the ‘Assault’ moniker: I own a couple compound crossbows that are in a higher price/performance bracket than that Barnett. I can shoot seven bolts from the Adder in the time it takes me to shoot two from those others.
Anybody else notice he has the scope mounted on backwards or is it just me?
I think it's just you because when you look through a scope mounted backwards you can tell it's mounted backwards. But I appreciate that attention to detail!
Aaron Barton I actually bought it. It’s a great beginner crossbow. I just noticed that the scope was backward.
Would have been a much better test if you had shot from a bench. I'm sure there was a lot of user error in those shot, especially the longer ones.
I’m sure there was Jeddia Jones. Though I was shooting from a bench 😂
Rope is for accuracy
What do you mean “rope is for accuracy”?
I think in this case it means cocking with a rope cocking device is for accuracy versus the potential for slight offset cocking using your hands to cock as I do in this video.
I believe I'm still seeing these at field and stream in league city texas. It has a dicks built into it.. and they are still on sale for 159. Bucks.. with the slow speed, would you trust these for taking deer or pigs at 30 yards and closer?....I use 20 inch bolts with 100 grain broadheads as well .. I didn't buy one because they just seem very very slow for big game hunting... plus the noise level.. I've had deer duck my bolts for shooting a slow bow.. I have a fierce 405, and an xp 350 that I'm very happy with, but what about this one?? Backyard shooting only? Or would you personally trust it for a hog or deer? Oh by the way I have a dozen of the carbon cross bolts too. Lol... mossy oaks and bone collectors...
They're slow. But we killed deer with them this season! Never got full pass through but had a broadside with exit wound at 15 yards and a 30 yard shot the hit a branch, deflected high, and stuck completely spinal cord dropping deer. With well placed shots from non spooked deer, it is more than lethal at 30 yards or less!
I've had the assault recurve for a few years now, have taken 2 6 points and a 4 point, 30 yards and closer; complete pass through on 2 of them, the other broke the arrow off at about half it's length on the exit side. That was my fault as the deer was turning when I shot and wound up hitting him quartering to me, so there was more meat to go through. I recovered all 3 deer and the broadhead on the broken arrow. The longest one of them went was about 100 yards downhill to a nearby creek, the other 2 less than 50 yards. This crossbow is really good for the money and will reliably take deer at 30-35 yards and closer. I love having it because it is quiet and gives me an extra month to hunt (bow season). I've even taken it a few times during gun season to stands in the deep woods where the longest shot was withing range. I would buy it again.
Ware I get arrow s for the thing
I shoot the carbon express carbon Crossbolts. You can get them at Walmart, Academy, Amazon, etc
That's not hitting too low the further back you are the lower the dear drops when he here's you shoot and drops down all dear drop down when they hear you shoot a crossbow
buy better bolts...go to 18 inch bolts
Restring
Barnett bows are junk
I mean they're inexpensive but they are lethal. What's your beef with them at the price point? Just curious as my 4 year old bow that has killed a handful of 140-200 lb deer and cycled through 2,000 bolts hasn't had a lick of trouble.
Not arguing just curious about your personal experiences with these bows as that might inform other folks decision making.
Customer service.