The speed gap is real but not decisive
405 fps against 350 fps is a genuine difference, and at 40 yards and beyond it shows as a flatter arc that forgives a misjudged distance. The catch is that the Dagger gets there with a 220 lb draw weight, which is a lot of bow to cock by rope, and both bodies of the argument come back to the same place: how far are you actually going to shoot?
Inside 30 yards the Whitetail Hunter II gives up nothing that matters. Past 40 the Dagger's trajectory is easier to work with, provided you have sighted it properly and replaced the arrows it came with.
The bundled arrows are the Dagger's weak point
Every complete package saves money somewhere, and on the Dagger 405 it is the arrows. They are the first thing to replace, and that cost belongs in your comparison: a set of decent bolts closes a meaningful part of the price gap between these two bows before you have taken a shot.
The Whitetail Hunter II's compromises are cosmetic and structural rather than functional - the stock finish marks easily and the quiver mount is the flimsiest part of the package. Neither affects where the bolt lands.
Weight and handling
At 6.4 lbs the Whitetail Hunter II is light enough to carry all day, and 16.125 inches axle-to-axle makes it manageable in a blind. The Dagger is heavier than its rivals, which is the trade for the price and the draw weight. If you walk in a long way or hold the bow up waiting, that difference accumulates in a way the spec sheet does not convey.
Which one to buy
Buy the Dagger 405 if the budget is genuinely tight and you accept that new arrows are part of the purchase. Buy the Whitetail Hunter II if you want the package that needs the least work before it is trustworthy - the scope alone justifies much of the difference. See the <a href="/reviews/centerpoint-dagger-405/">Dagger 405 review</a> and the <a href="/reviews/barnett-whitetail-hunter-ii/">Whitetail Hunter II review</a>.