Got this from the Amazon Warehouse for my son who is turning 13 and I was "less than pleased" when it arrived in pieces. Of pieces! It was described as "used in Very Good condition". It was missing the string, bolts, and other items. I opened the box to find it's contents crammed inside as one might stuff a garbage bin.
But thankfully there's more to the story....I did an online chat session with an Amazon Rep and He issued a call tag to pick up the mess of a "crossbow" that the warehouse sent, and had a NEW replacement sent out 1 day shipping! Customer service REALLY stepped it up on this one. As some of you know, Amazon Warehouse Deals can REALLY drop the ball sometimes. But I, and my son, are sure pleased with the outcome on this occasion. Thanks Amazon Customer Service!
Ok, so here's the scoop.....Up front, the Barnett Recruit is, without a doubt, one of the best crossbow bargains of all time. And I am being somewhat conservative here. Of course time will tell how she holds up over the long haul, but as one familiar with crossbows/manufacturers and their history, I can tell you that this one performs very well for the money. At this moment, people are buying el cheapo bargain crossbows for only fifty bucks or so less than this well engineered wonder! What you get for 250 bucks is quite probably, the best high tech, miniaturized, light weight bolt thrower on the planet. We LOVE the balance, the light weight, (6.5lbs) the VERY short width (12" drawn/18" undrawn!) and at only 130lb draw weight It shoots over 300fps and out performs my 150lb draw, 8.5lb medieval giant war club of a crossbow, handily. It's even got upper and lower picatinny rails. Great for a foregrip and other fun add ons. We are burying the 20" carbon arrows into a stacked foam target up to the fletching, and sometimes the back end of the bolt disappears into the target.....and this is from forty yards out! With performance like this from such a small, light weight package, who needs the "gravitically challenged" over sized monsters of yesteryear? One could carry this thing all day and forget it's there. No snagging it on every branch that comes along. It sports an aluminum riser and Delrin (or similar plastic) rail, which is a good thing as the plastic's inherent qualities mimic those of Teflon, for less friction on the serving and rail at launch. Nearly every detail is well thought out and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one again. In fact, I am seriously thinking of getting one of my own! I wouldn't hesitate to hunt ANY of North America's big game species with it.
Barnett clearly had their collective thinking cap on for this project. And it's obvious that they are hoping to make a life long impression on new shooters. This is the one to win 'em over. Look out Crossbow Community.....Barnett is Legacy Minded and is coming for your children!
Truly, a few qualitative changes (longer draw stroke, higher draw weight, better, ie. longer, beefier stock extension etc.) and this could be "the" revolution in crossbows.
Rebadge it, market it to veteran hunters and call it.....
The Wolverine.
| Model Name | 78134 |
|---|---|
| Brand | BARNETT |
| Color | black |
| Material | composite stock |
| Item Weight | 6.5 Pounds |
| Hand Orientation | Ambidextrous |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 33.07 x 13.39 x 7.87 inches |
| Package Weight | 5.98 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 33 x 8 x 14 inches |
| Brand Name | BARNETT |
| Suggested Users | "", hunter |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Sportsman Supply Inc. |
| Part Number | 78134 |
| Model Year | 2017 |
| Included Components | Barnett Recruit Tactical Compound Crossbow Package w/2 Bolts |
| Size | 330 Feet Per Second |
| Sport Type | hunting |
