Barnett Quad Edge Review – Compound Crossbow

ModelDraw WeightStrokeVelocitySuggested Arrow LengthCrossbow Length / Weight
Barnett Quad Edge Crossbow

Barnett Quad Edge Crossbow Review

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125 lbs.14.625"340 FPS

Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning
22"36" / 6.9 lbs.

Pros:
- Comes with terrific bolts
- Included scope offers 4X magnification


Cons:
- Many units (mine included) have variance on the rail after assembly
which makes it impossible to properly sight in the crossbow
- No rope cocking aid included
Small Game Hunting?yes2
Deer, Elk Hunting?yes2
Moose, Bear Hunting?yes2
Target Shooting?yes2
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Also Recommended:Best Barnett Crossbows

Howdy, and welcome to another crossbow review. Today we’re taking a look at Barnett’s Quad Edge, a compound crossbow that’s widely available from several vendors. Barnett used to be infamous for poorly-manufactured crossbows, but they seem to have come around and have, of late, been putting out some real gems. Let’s see if the Quad Edge is a gold nugget or just another piece of cow dung painted gold.

What Comes In the Box?

One of the first things folks want to know is what they’ll get for their money. When you purchase the Barnett Quad Edge, here’s what you can expect to find in the box:

  • The Barnett Quad Edge crossbow itself
  • A 4×32 scope
  • Quiver
  • Three 22-inch Headhunter bolts

I’m very disappointed in Barnett for this model: it doesn’t come with a rope cocking aid. These are inexpensive enough that it should be included, but fortunately I have several of them laying around. Be sure to buy one if you get this x-bow.

How Hard Is the Assembly Of the Barnett Quad Edge?

Putting together your crossbow should be pretty painless and quick. You attach the riser to the stock, making sure to route the cables and string properly, and attach the quiver, foot stirrup, and scope. Then you’re ready to go.

Is This X-Bow Powerful and Accurate?

barnett-quad-edgeWhen I first received my Quad Edge and examined it, I noticed that arrows wouldn’t sit flat on the rail. Even though the rail and the stock were both perfectly level, when the crossbow was assembled, the arrow would rise at the tip between 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. This makes it impossible to reliably sight in your scope, so I called Barnett’s customer service.

They told me the variance was within their engineering specifications, even after I patiently explained to them the intricacies of properly sighting in a crossbow. Fortunately, my archery shop was willing to exchange the “defective” unit with another one, and the second unit did not suffer from that problem.

Once you get a Quad Edge that’s able to be sighted in, it’s insanely accurate. I was able to keep 2-inch groupings from 50 yards. It’s also quite powerful, providing you with 105 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, more than enough to take on any legal game in North America.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Barnett Quad Edge

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.

Is It Good For Hunting?

With a 19.875-inch axle-to-axle width and a short 36 inch length, the Quad Edge is easily maneuverable in a tree stand or ground blind. It is a bit on the heavy side, but not too much so, so most hunters should find the Quad Edge to be an able companion for hunting any legal game in North America.

How Difficult Is Barnett’s Quad Edge to Cock?

With a draw weight of just 125 pounds, this is one of the easiest crossbows I’ve ever cocked. Using a rope cocking device, it’s even easier. Unfortunately, Barnett doesn’t include one, but you can find one easy enough at a pretty decent price.

What’s the Included Sight Like?

Barnett ships the Quad Edge with a 4x32mm scope, which is pretty good quality. You shouldn’t have any problem sighting it in, as long as you don’t have the rail variance that some units ship with. Once it’s properly sighted in, though, you can count on it staying true for quite a while. It’s not illuminated, so you might not be able to use it during twilight hours.

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

What Kind of Bolts Do I Need?

The Quad Edge comes with three 22-inch Headhunter arrows, which are pretty decent quality. If you want different bolts, any 22-inch ones will work perfectly, as long as they are 425-grain. I generally prefer carbon arrows, since the aluminum varieties have a tendency to bend or break at such high levels of kinetic energy.

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

How’s the Safety and Design?

Quality control isn’t the greatest here, but the crossbow is definitely safe and well-built (once you get one that’s properly manufactured.) You get an automatic safety, an anti dry-fire mechanism, and solid magnesium riser.

What Kind of Warranty Backs This Crossbow?

Barnett backs the Quad Edge for the lifetime of the original owner, but their customer service is a little too rigid and focused on their scripted responses. My defective unit should have been covered under Barnett’s warranty, but I had to rely on the great customer service of my local archery shop instead.

Barnett Quad Edge Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading my review of the Barnett Quad Edge. This is a great crossbow, once you get one that is properly constructed. The hit and miss nature of that, however, might be enough to steer you away from this model. Still, it’s pretty hard-hitting and highly accurate once you get a good unit. Mine has served me well all season long, and it was worth a bit of a hassle in figuring out why the thing wouldn’t sight in at first.

Make sure to check today’s Amazon.com price on the Barnett Quad Edge Crossbow Review if you’re interested.

6 Comments

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  1. This has been so helpful thank you.

    Now I know why my bolts don’t sit flat on both my units by barnett

  2. Helpful and informative, just purchased one and I am impressed. They don’t let us play with guns in Canada but crossbows and bows are unrestricted.

  3. All right, this one has no rail issues and I now have it sighted, it is powerful, accurate and easy to operate. I will need a chiropractor though as I blew my back out cocking it… I did buy a crank cocking mechanism for it, it simply works.

  4. Ultimately, I did discover that the jolt of firing the Quad Edge loosened some fasteners including the inner locking ring on the objective (front) lens of the sight resulting in the “O” migrating out. Permatex loctite was used on all fasteners and I rebuilt the scope with loctite as well. It is now stable and accurate.

  5. I’m trying to decide between the Quad Edge s for $320, and the Raptor FX2 for $290. The raptor is smaller and lighter, and the Quad is faster and more powerful. Any other factors I’m missing? Any opinion to help me with this decision?

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