Fit against refinement
The Recruit XP adjusts stock length and draw weight. Nothing else in our top five does both, and for a young or smaller shooter that is not a feature, it is the entire reason to buy the bow. A crossbow that does not fit gets shouldered differently every time, and inconsistency at the shoulder is inconsistency on the target.
The Lethal 405HD makes no concession to fit and spends the money on the shot instead: quieter than its price bracket, noticeably well balanced in the hand, and 405 fps against the Recruit's 330.
Setup effort differs
Neither bow is ready in the sense the Whitetail Hunter II is. The Recruit's scope is basic and will want attention; the Lethal's scope needs re-sighting before you trust it past thirty yards, and its trigger is stiff until broken in.
The difference is what you get at the end of that work. The Lethal becomes a refined hunting bow. The Recruit becomes a well-fitted training and hunting bow for a shooter the Lethal will not suit.
Cocking: rope against crank
The Lethal 405HD ships with a crank as well as a rope cocker. The Recruit ships with the rope only. On the Recruit that is less of a gap than it sounds, because its adjustable draw can be set lighter - the shooter who needs the Recruit is often the shooter who cannot use a heavy draw at all.
Which one to buy
This is a decision about the person, not the budget - the two sit at similar prices. If the shooter is under-sized for a full crossbow, the Recruit XP is the answer and the Lethal is not. If they are a full-size adult, the Lethal 405HD is the better bow by a clear margin. Full write-ups: <a href="/reviews/barnett-recruit-xp/">Recruit XP</a> and <a href="/reviews/killer-instinct-lethal-405hd/">Lethal 405HD</a>.