Who Barnett Recruit XP is for
Built around adjustability rather than speed, which is exactly right for a shooter who has not settled on a stance yet.
What the maker claims
Straight from the manufacturer's own listing, unedited. We have not independently measured these figures - they come from the maker's own listing.
BARNETT EXPLORER RECRUIT XP CROSSBOW: Compound crossbow with complete hunting accessory package in Gray. This Barnett crossbow is the perfect combination of size, weight, and ease making it perfect for hunters of all ages and abilities
DURABLE: The Recruit was built to be fun to shoot yet lethal to hunt with. With a 330 FPS rating, it sends arrows at speeds rivaling premier vertical bows while offering more accuracy. Plus is light draw weight makes it a workhorse for many shots
SAFETY FEATURES: Barnett put safety first. Featuring a Soft Lok Floating Bristle Arrow Retainer, Anti-Dry Fire (ADF) Trigger System, and TriggerTech Frictionless Release Technology, the Recruit is a great choice for hunters of all ages & abilities
READY TO HUNT PACKAGE: Includes 1x30mm 3-Dot Sight, Lightweight Side-Mount Quiver, Two 20" Headhunter Arrows, a Rope Cocking Device, and Lubrication Wax. Ships mostly assembled. The color is Gray
BARNETT: The most trusted name in crossbows since 1962
How it compares
The Recruit XP and the CenterPoint Dagger 405 are the two most budget-minded picks here, so buyers often decide between them; our Recruit XP vs Dagger 405 comparison weighs the adjustable Barnett against the cheaper complete kit.
The Recruit XP is easy to load and unload, which matters more than it sounds - a bow you can de-cock without fuss is one you will not leave loaded between hunts. If you are weighing that, see how long you can leave a crossbow cocked before it costs you string life.
At 330 fps the Recruit XP is the slowest bow on this test stand, so shooters chasing more speed at the same $$ price point should read our Recruit XP vs Lethal 405HD comparison, which lines up that 75 fps gap against what each package includes.
Barnett's own Whitetail Hunter II sits a step up in both speed and score within the same lineup - our Whitetail Hunter II vs Recruit XP comparison breaks down whether the extra 20 fps and the 8.6 score are worth the step up for a smaller shooter.
Barnett also sells a pistol-format Demun Tri-Strike mini crossbow at a 50-lb draw and 180 fps - a different category entirely from the Recruit XP's full-size 330 fps package. Our mini crossbows guide compares it and four other pistol-style models against each other, not against bows like this one.
Shooters who want more speed at a step up should weigh the Killer Instinct Burner 415 - our Recruit XP vs Burner 415 comparison sets the Recruit's easy-handling 330 fps against the Burner's 415 fps.