Barnett Wildcat C6 Review (In-Field) – Compound Crossbow

ModelDraw WeightStrokeVelocitySuggested Arrow LengthCrossbow Length / Weight
Barnett Wildcat C6

Barnett Wildcat C6

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125 lbs.13.5"320 FPS

Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning
20"35.75" / 7 lbs. 0 ozs.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Quiet
- Good Trigger

Cons:
- No Frills (could also be a pro)
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 Wildcat C6 Crossbow Package Contents

Barnett Wildcat C6Barnett Crossbows has brought forth a new offering for 2015 that may be what first-time crossbow shooters have been looking for, the Barnett Wildcat C6. The Wildcat C6 is a simple crossbow, as evidenced by the package contents. You will get:

– The Crossbow
– A 4×32 Multi-Reticle Scope
– 3-Arrow Quiver
– Three 20” Headhunter Arrows
– The Wildcat C6 is very intuitive to assemble, and the included instructions with large illustrations truly makes assembly a snap.

Kinetic Energy of the Wildcat C6

The Barnett Wildcat C6 has enough power to bring down just about any small to medium sized game. With its 320 fps speed, it is going to be slinging 400-grain arrows with about 91 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. That is a good punch for such an inexpensive crossbow. Keep in mind that at, say, 30 yards out, the kinetic energy will be lower by roughly 8%, so still over 85 ft-lbs. total.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Design, Safety, Comfort and Accuracy

The Wildcat C6 is a rather straight-forward, no-frills design. Barnett did actually put some thought into the Wildcat C6 as even though there isn’t much flash to the C6, there is a lot of functionality. The stock features a thumbhole and a cheek piece to better align your eye to the scope. The riser is made from magnesium and the picatinny rail is machined. We really like the pass-through front grip. The flared guards on each side add an extra measure of security to keep fingers clear of the string. Speaking of fingers, the finger reminders on the front grip also allow you to place your forward hand in the same spot for each shot, adding to the accuracy.

The Wildcat C6 is a very accurate crossbow. The trigger has only a small bit of travel before releasing crisply at about 3.5 lbs. All in all, the Wildcat C6 is a good performer and was very comfortable to handle.

Ballistic Data For The Barnett Wildcat C6

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 with the Wildcat C6

Barnett Wildcat C6The Barnett Wildcat C6 should really be a lot of fun to take into the field. At a mere 7 lbs. you shouldn’t be worn out by the time it comes time to shoot. At just under 18”, this is not the smallest crossbow out there in terms of axle-to-axle distance, but it can get into some tighter spots. The Wildcat C6 is going to have plenty of power to hunt anything from a deer on down.

The cheek piece really does a nice job of aligning your eye with the scope and the multiple reticles will allow you to more accurately put your arrow where you want it as you get farther downrange. There is a small click when you disengage the safety, but it is just enough to let you know it is off, but not so loud that it will spook anything more than a few yards away. Given how quiet the C6 is, we don’t expect to see deer jumping the string either.

How Quiet is the Wildcat C6

The Barnett Wildcat C6 is very quiet crossbow. The low draw weight certainly helps in this regard as we noticed when firing that there was very little sound and almost no vibration. All testing we did was with the stock configuration, this thing would be a stealth bow if you were to add additional suppressors.

Cocking the Wildcat C6

The low draw weight of the Wildcat C6 again shows the benefit of not going for overkill in terms of draw weight or arrow speed. With the use of a rope cocking aid, there should be no issues with most folks being able to cock this crossbow. Barnett offers a winch cocking aid, but this would really only be for those with very small frames, or with some type of physical disability.

Quality of the Optics

The optics that come on the Barnett Wildcat C6 are actually very nice, and should be well-suited for a variety of shooting needs. The 4x32mm scope does not have an illuminated reticle, but the light transmission is good enough that you shouldn’t have much problem except in the lowest of light conditions. The reticle also has multiple graduations to allow for more accurate shooting at a variety of ranges. The lines are thin, but crisp.

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

What Arrows to use with the Wildcat C6

Barnett Wildcat C62The Headhunter arrows that Barnett supplies with the Wildcat C6 should serve you well for most shooting situations. If you choose to stay with these supplied arrows there should be no issues, just make sure you get 20” arrows if you do go for something aftermarket. If you do go aftermarket, given the modest draw weight, you should consider something with a little less spine.

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

Overall Thoughts

Our overall impression of the Barnett Wildcat C6 is a good one. It is a light weight, accurate and simple crossbow. At the current price, it isn’t the least expensive crossbow out there, but it certainly offers a lot of functionality for the price. Some folks go for flash and fancy features…this is not that kind of crossbow. This is a crossbow for someone who is looking for a well-made, well-designed crossbow that is going to get the job done.

Some might call this a good crossbow for a beginner, and we would agree, but we would also encourage even more experienced shooters to take a look. It might be a simple design, but since when is simple a bad thing, especially in the outdoors miles from home! Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.

Summary
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Barnett Wildcat C6
Author Rating
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13 Comments

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  1. First off, thanks for creating such a cool website. I really learned a lot just by reading the reviews and comments and such. I just bought my first crossbow, which is a Barnett Wildcat Q6, which is apparently a Dunham’s Sports exclusive. It is basically a wildcat c6 but has been readjusted and advertises a draw
    weight of 150 pounds and a 330 feet per second velocity. It also comes with the rope cocking device, and ended up being a really great deal since I got it on sale at a very low price… I do have an update as far as the North Carolina regulations for hunting with a crossbow, they now only require a 100-pound draw weight for crossbows.

    1. Thank you for the kind words. Happy to hear you got a great deal. Also, thanks a ton for the info on the regulations – I just updated the North Carolina page.

  2. I recently purchased a c6 and had an issue while sighting in the scope. After 5 bolts I cocked the string and loaded a bolt. When attempting to release the safety I found that it wouldn’t disengage. I removed the bolt and placed a decocking bolt in and tried to release the safety again and or fire the decocking bolt. I was unable to do either. I returned the product to Dicks Sporting Goods where it was purchased. They inspected it and found that there was a problem inside the firing mechanism. The trigger would not set, it flopped around like a spring had broke. They exchanged the crossbow for a new one. That being said i’ve had the new one about about a week and shot about 100 bolts thru it. I LOVE this crossbow. It has proving extremely accurate when I do my part. Trigger is very good imho. I plan on going deer hunting with it this weekend. I would recommend this to anyone looking to purchase a crossbow. Its reasonably price, accurate and plain fun to shoot. I think Barnett did a great job on a moderately priced crossbow. Btw thanks for information listed on your site. I has been an invaluable resource.

    1. hey tim do u notice if ur bolt near the board head doesn’t sit flush on your rail ? i just bought 1 I’m wondering if I’m using the wrong bolts

  3. I had the same issue. Called tech support and they said it is designed to be that way for less drag. Love mine. Very accurate.

  4. Also, adjust the arrow retainer finger so that it’s just able to hold the arrow on the track when you are holding the crossbow with it pointed down. Do these two things and you should be able to get 2″ groupings or less at 30 yards after sighted in. There aren’t any other adjustments. Good luck.

  5. I am a Disabled Vietnam Veteran and purchased a Stalker Bow earlier this year and was having trouble rope cocking it. I called customer service at Barnett and they were really helpful and told me that they did make a cocking devise that fit the Stalker but if I really wanted a nice bow to fit my diability that maybe I should look into the Wildcat C6 series and see how I liked it and the Barnett cocking devise was compatible with it. To make a long story short I now own a Wildcat C6 with a cocking devise and I gave my son my Stalker to use this year and he said he is going to buy him a Ghost series for next year and we will pass the Stalker on down to my 11 year old Grandson to use and become a three generation Barnett Family. I love my Wildcat and it shoots right on and puts 3 bolts in a circle the size of a 50 cent piece at 35 yards. I couldn’t be any happier with its performance. Thank You Barnett for the wonderful advise you gave this old worn out 68 year Disabled Vietnam Veteran. God Bless America.

  6. I just purchased my first crossbow in Oct., the Wildcat C6. I couldn’t be happier with this purchase. Enjoy everything about this bow. I’m not into having the fastest or most powerful crossbow. Just wanted something easy to use when deer hunting. I couldn’t got exactly what I wanted with the Wildcat C6. Love it!

  7. I am 6’6″ Tall and have a long reach…. tried getting a vertical bow to “FIT” me. Just wondering will I be comfortable a x bow? Here in Alabama you can hunt Management Land all season with a x bow. Any suggestions for us TALL folks? Looking at the Ten Point Invader G3 or the Barnett Wildcat C6. Any help? New to X bows, but excited to hunt all season. Thanks for the GREAT Site

    1. Hey im 6 foot 7 and bought the c6 i couldnt be more happier with it also fits me perfect for the price is one hell of a deal i shot it once before i bought it at cabelas mines the all black one came with 3 bolts. Just didnt come with the yardage paper for the scope .

  8. i got a like brand new c6 barnett shot it twice and it blew up in my face
    i wasn’t hurt but my feelings was
    my brother bought it new some where ( he passed this last year of cancer)
    i’m wondering if any what my options are
    any suggestions would be great 2053580004

  9. Call Barnett we can repair this bow in our service department. It will be brand new when its done.

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