Barnett Quad 400 Review

ModelDraw WeightStrokeVelocitySuggested Arrow LengthCrossbow Length / Weight
Barnett Quad 400 crossbow

Barnett Quad 400 crossbow
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150 lbs.15.25"345 FPS


Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning
22"37.5" / 9 lbs.
Pros:
- Insert for installing a hand-crank cocking device
- Ability to choose between 4 x 32mm scope or red dot scope, depending on your preferences

Cons:
- Base package does not include cocking device (I recommend you get this one, it's extra long)
- Limbs and bolts are prone to breakage
- Strings fray easily
Small Game Hunting?yes2
Deer, Elk Hunting?yes2
Moose, Bear Hunting?yes2
Target Shooting?yes2
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Also Recommended:Best Barnett Crossbows

Barnett Quad 400 Package Contents

Welcome to this review of the Barnett Quad 400 crossbow. Each package delivered Barnett by includes the following items:

  • The Barnett Quad 400 Crossbow
  • Quick-detach quiver
  • 3 arrows
  • 4 x 32mm scope or premium red dot scope (depending on package)
  • Owner’s manual
  • Warranty card

Assembling The Crossbow

Barnett’s Quad 400 crossbow is relatively easy to assemble. The bow assembly is prestrung, so all that’s required is to attach the bow assembly to the stock, attach the quiver, and mount the scope. All told, it took me less than 15 minutes to put the crossbow together and have it ready to sight in and shoot. If you purchase the optional hand-cranking cocking device, add another 5 minutes to your assembly time.

Note: The Barnett Quad 400 held a spot on our best crossbow list between Jule 2014 and December 2016.

Barnett Quad 400 crossbow

Accuracy And Power

The 4 x 32mm scope that came with my Quad 400 was close to zero (sighted in) out of the box, so it only took me a few minutes of fine-tuning. This crossbow is a fast shot, slinging arrows at a whopping 345 fps with 106 ft.-lbs. of energy.

Once I had the crossbow sighted in, I tested the consistency of my groupings. At 25 yards, I was able to hold less than 1” groupings, and kept 2-3” groupings at 50 yards. I was fairly impressed with the consistent accuracy of the crossbow.

With 106 ft.-lbs. of kinetic energy, the arrow nearly knocked my target over during my first shot. After that, I set a second foam target behind the first, and watched my arrows embed themselves into the target. I had to remove the arrows from the rear of the target, they went so far in!

Ballistic Data For The Barnett Quad 400

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 Quad 400 crossbowThe Barnett Quad 400 is suitable for most small- to medium-sized game, meaning you should be able to hunt rabbits, deer, and smaller elk with it. Unfortunately, Barnett doesn’t include a sling with this model, so you’ll have to invest in an after-market sling for carrying the crossbow through the woods.

My first hunting trip with the Quad 400 was for feral hogs. From 40 yards, I was able to bring down a 200-pound hog with one bolt. He ran for no more than 10 yards before he stopped charging and dropped to the ground. On another hunting trip, I was able to bag a 10-point buck with the Quad 400.

If you’re looking to hunt small game, such as rabbits, this might not be the best crossbow for the job. Because of its power, the crossbow is louder than less powerful bows, and the rabbits tend to crouch or jump out of the way as soon as they hear the string.

Finally, this crossbow is fairly heavy to carry around. Purchasing and installing a padded sling would definitely be in your best interests if you choose this as a hunting bow.

Kinetic Energy Of The Barnett Quad 400

Of course, what you really need to know when deciding if a x-bow is good for hunting is how much power gets delivered with each arrow. Using 400-grain arrows, the Barnett Quad 400 delivers arrows at a blistering 345 FPS, which translates to 106 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy at point blank range. Of course, most shots will probably fall outside of point blank range, so you should know that you lose approximately a few ft. lbs. of kinetic energy for every yard beyond point blank range. For example, a shot from 30 yards would have around 98 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy, more than enough power to kill even the toughest game, like Cape buffalo or grizzly bears.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Cocking The Barnett Quad 400

The draw weight on the Quad 400 is 150 pounds, so you’d be well advised to invest the extra money in the optional hand-crank cocking device. With this installed, cocking the bow can be done easily and without any back or shoulder strain.

If you don’t want to spend the money on the hand-crank cocking device, at least get a rope cocking device. This will help you draw the string evenly, improving the accuracy of your shots and prolonging the life of the limbs. I highly recommend the Jandao cocking aid (amazon.com link) as it’s affordable and extra-long when compared to other models.

The Crossbow Scope

The scope that comes with the Quad 400 is fairly simple and unpowered, if you purchase with the 4 x 32mm scope. The red dot scope is another option, if you plan to hunt mostly close-up.

As explained earlier, the 4 x 32mm scope was mostly sighted in when I unboxed the bow, and it took me only 3 shots before it was fully sighted in. Like other Barnett scopes I’ve worked with, the scope holds zero reliably.

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

Bolts

Barnett ships the Quad 400 with 3 22” arrows. The arrows are by no means outstanding, but they are quite good for sighting in the scope and target shooting. For hunting, I switched to Carbon Express 22” arrows with broadheads. Barnett specifies 22” bolts at 400 grain, but I shot 425-grain arrows with consistent results. As is usual, you should never shoot an arrow lower than the manufacturer recommends.

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

Safety and Design

In safety and design is where problems creep in with this bow. After about 30 shots, I noticed my string beginning to fray. After 50 shots, I inspected my string and found that 4 of the strands had snapped completely. My problems, though, were minimal compared to some of my hunting buddies’ problems.

One of my hunting friends had just begun to sight in his Quad 400 when the one of the limbs snapped completely. Another saw the bolts holding the bow assembly to the stock snap, and yet another had his Anti-Dry Fire (ADF) mechanism fail.

Warranty

As with other Barnett crossbows, this bow ships with a 5-year warranty that does not cover string breakage or damage caused by misusing the crossbow. This is unfortunate, given the predilection Barnett crossbows have for snapping the strings.

Barnett customer service is pretty good, though, and if you get one of their representatives on a good day, they will sometimes send replacement strings at no charge.

What Crossbow Case Fits the Barnett Quad 400?

The SKB Hunter Series Crossbow Case is a beautiful hard case option for close to $300. Of course, the soft Barnett Case (Model 17083) is at the lower end of the price spectrum. Even with the lower price it has the room required for large scopes and quivers.

Barnett Quad 400 Crossbow Review – Summary

We hope this review of the Barnett Quad 400 crossbow has given you the information you need to make a purchasing decision. When this crossbow is good, it’s very, very good, taking down hogs and deer with ease. When it’s bad, though, it’s dangerously so. Reports of people nearly losing fingers or eyes from limbs breaking and strings snapping are everywhere. Unless you are very confident in either your luck or your ability to jump out of the way quickly enough to avoid injury, it might be worth your while to pay a bit more for a crossbow with a better safety record. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow.

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