Barnett Ghost 350 Crossbow Review

ModelDraw WeightStrokeVelocitySuggested Arrow LengthLength / Weight
Barnett Ghost 350

Barnett Ghost 350

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175 lbs.12"350 FPS

Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning
20"37" / 7.5 lbs.
Pros:
- Excellent weight distribution to reduce frontal heaviness
- Very quiet and smooth
- Ready-to-shoot package

Cons:
- Strings fray and break far too easily
- Assembly instructions are vague on how to install the cable guide
Small Game Hunting?yes2
Deer, Elk Hunting?yes2
Moose, Bear Hunting?yes2
Target Shooting?yes2
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Also Recommended:Best Barnett Crossbows

Package Contents

Welcome to my review of the Barnett Ghost 350 Crossbow. Each package delivered by Barnett includes the following items:

  • The Barnett Ghost 350 Crossbow
  • Quick-detach quiver
  • 3 20” arrows with field tips
  • 3 x 32mm four-reticle illuminated scope
  • Padded crossbow sling
  • Rope cocking device
  • String wax
  • Warranty card
  • Owner’s manual
  • All assembly hardware

Assembling The Crossbow

I’ve assembled quite a few crossbows, and this one was trickier than most. Attaching the bow assembly to the stock was pretty easy, but the instructions for installing the cable guide leave something to be desired. After about 20 minutes, though, I had the crossbow assembled and the scope mounted, and was out to the yard to sight in and check the accuracy.

Accuracy And Power

The Ghost 350 has a draw weight of 175 lbs. with 12” worth of power stroke. It will fling your arrows off the rails at 350 fps with 116 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. This sort of power proved to be enough to blast through my target and backstop so regularly that I had to put a second foam target behind the first to stop the arrows! From 20 yards, my bolts flew so fast that I couldn’t even see them hit the target.

The trigger pull is smooth and easy, which is a nice feature that helps keep the shooter from pulling down on the bow while pulling the trigger.

Once I had the Ghost 350 sighted in, I was able to accurately hit 3” groupings at 50 yards, and 1” groupings at 30 yards. This crossbow could easily drop a buck or an elk from 45 yards.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Barnett Ghost 350

Your actual results will vary slightly depending on weather, and significantly with arrow weight change. See our Crossbow Ballistics Guides section for a complete understanding of how we conducted our tests and why this data matters.

Hunting: What To Expect

Barnett Ghost 350 ReviewThis is really what it’s all about, isn’t it? Taking down the deer or elk. As luck would have it, my Ghost 350 arrived just a few days before I was planning to do some elk hunting. From 45 yards, I was able to fire my arrow at a cow and watch the arrow go almost all the way through her. She ran off for about 100 yards, and then dropped from blood loss.

Deer hunting with the Barnett Ghost 350 is even better, as I’ve regularly fired arrows that went clear through the deer’s shoulder and out the other side.

Overall, the Barnett Ghost 350 is excellent for hunting small-, medium-, and large-sized game.

Cocking The Barnett Ghost 350 Crossbow

Barnett’s Ghost 350 has a draw force of 175 lbs., more than enough to stop all but the strongest of men to want to hand-pull the string. Fortunately, Barnett includes a rope cocking device that makes cocking the bow much, much easier. With the rope cocking device, you’re pulling only 87.5 pounds of draw weight, and the cams allow the weight to let off at just the right time. All in all, this crossbow is very smooth to cock, as long as you use a rope cocking device.

The Crossbow Scope

The Barnett Ghost 350 ships with the same 3 x 32mm scope that seems to ship with other crossbows in the Ghost lineup. Made by Cross, a company owned and operated by Barnett, this scope is powered and provides illuminated reticles with markings up to 50 yards, in 10 yard increments.

I’d like to say that the scope was sighted in out of the box, but that would be a lie. My first shot flew so far to the right that I twisted the windage knob at least 3 full rotations left and still shot right. When you sight in, make sure you start at 10 yards and work out from there.

Once sighted in, the scope held zero reliably through all of my testing, both on the range and in the bush.

See our detailed guide on how to sight-in your crossbow

Bolts For The Ghost 350

The Barnett Ghost 350 ships with three 20” arrows with field tips. These arrows are okay, but I quickly switched to my Carbon Express arrows before heading out into the woods to stalk deer.

Barnett recommends a weight of at least 400 grains, including the broad head. I used 425-grain arrow/broad head combinations, and found the bow to be very accurate up to and beyond 50 yards.

You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendations

Safety and Design Of The Crossbow

Barnett has patented the only lightweight but extremely strong carbon riser available for crossbows. Their CRT (Carbon Riser Technology) reduces the weight in the front of the crossbow, making it easier to hold on target than most other crossbows I’ve fired.

The total weight of the Barnett Ghost 350, without the quiver and arrows, is just over 7.5 pounds, making it a fairly lightweight crossbow to carry around. Most of this is because of the carbon and composite materials used to construct the bow. It also seems very durable, since I tend to bump my bows quite a bit when hauling them into the stand and the Barnett Ghost 350 took the abuse without a single complaint.

Barnett’s Anti-Dry Fire (ADF) mechanism never failed once, and their metal injection molded trigger makes for a smooth, gliding trigger pull that helps tremendously with accuracy.

Warranty

The Barnett Ghost 350 includes a 5-year warranty on the stock, trigger mechanism, and limbs. The scope has a lifetime warranty. You need to send in the warranty card upon purchase of the bow, or the warranty is void.

Barnett’s customer service is excellent, and they are very helpful with any problems that you might run into with your crossbow.

What Crossbow Case Fits the Barnett Ghost 350?

The Carbon Express Deluxe Case is a good soft case for the Barnett Ghost 350. It runs close to $70, but it is not the best choice for large scopes. Another popular choice, especially for Barnett crossbows, is the Barnett Case (Model 17083) for barely over $50.

Review Summary

Thanks for reading this review of the Barnett Ghost 350 crossbow. The Barnett Ghost 350 is made fairly well, with only the problem of strings fraying and then breaking. This, unfortunately, is a common problem amongst Barnett crossbows. Other than the admittedly large safety concern, I’d say this crossbow is a good choice for beginning and expert archers alike. A brand-new beginner, though, might be better off staying away from Barnett, simply because they might not recognize the signs of a string ready to snap. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.

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