Gear Review: Barnett Ghost 410 Crossbow

With bow season just around the corner for most of us, you can imagine my excitement as the UPS man showed up with the Barnett Ghost 410 for me to review. With the laws changing from state to state, the crossbow is the newest kid on the block. Anticipation for crossbow seasons in many areas around the country has reached its peak not just for crossbow enthusiasts, but also for individuals who have lost their physical ability to hunt with a traditional bow.

When I designed the bow hunting Ghillie suit with my name on it, I was amazed how many former hunters emailed me or stopped by to talk to me after one of my seminars to tell me how excited they were to be back in the game. Older and physically challenged people who were once thought to have hung up their equipment and unable to climb a tree, are now hunting from the ground in one of my suits and have the ability to bow hunt during the warmer months of deer season. For many of them, it’s like they were given another chance at life! That holds true regarding the crossbow too! When they couldn’t climb a tree stand or draw back a bow, the reality of our inability to remain youthful can be a bit depressing. Well, that’s changing!

More and more people are now flocking to the stores in search of the perfect crossbow. That “perfect” crossbow may be based on price, quality or performance. Whatever the reason, they want the best of all worlds and they want it to last. In my years of testing hunting products, rarely has a product excelled in all categories by my standards, but I believe the Barnett Ghost 410 has.

Specs:

Out of the box, 1 Allen screw was all it took to assemble the riser to the stock. From there, 2 more screws to hold the quiver and that was that. The scope was pre-installed from the factory and was dead-on @30 yards. All of the hardware was properly identified and the instructions were very simple. It came with a rope cocking device (RCD), a sling, 3 bolts (arrows) and some other extra items that you can use to customize the bow with.

410The features of this bow are all refined and well thought out, like the CNC machined aluminum flight track and the CNC machined 7/8? Picatinny Rail, both precision built for excellence.

What a difference it makes when a company of over 50 years in the business building crossbows is compared to “pop up” companies trying to get in on the action in the 11th hour. Barnett is well ahead of their game! I particularly like their safety mechanism and feel it’s the best in the industry. Now, not all hunters will show the signs of enthusiasm I do for safety features, but look at it this way; if someone were to get injured, wouldn’t it leave a bad taste in your mouth? These are tools, weapons and anything but toys! They are built for us to enjoy, so I can’t stress safety enough (just ask my 3 children how much fun it was having their father, a former pilot and flight instructor, teach them how to drive a car safely).

Barnett’s safety incorporates an anti-dry fire feature along with its ability to lock the trigger. The safety is automatically engaged once the bow is cocked. Once cocked, the bolt is simply inserted into the flight rail and the bow is now ready for action. This greatly minimizes the risk of injury when handling this bow.

Another feature Barnett has been incorporating into its lineup recently, is their Carbon Lite Technology which greatly reduces weight in their riser and shifts it back towards the shooter. That alone helps make the Ghost 410 a dream to shoot! When you add near perfect trigger pressure, comfortable grips and a scope that works well, you have a crossbow that needs nothing but a person behind it to enjoy the fruits of Barnett’s labor.

One thing I can say for sure is the fact that with each and every crossbow I’ve ever tested from Barnett, their quality has always been consistent. That reflects back to a company that has total quality control over their products. I wish I could say that with the other manufacturers bows I’ve tested. I’ve had bows sent to me that the camouflage paint started chipping as soon as I removed it from the box, the safety switch poorly identified, uneven weigh distribution and so many other things wrong with them. Maybe you can see why I’m happy to give the Barnett Ghost 410 not only a thumbs-up, but rather the best I’ve tested!

Barnett does make a Crank Cocking Device if you want to purchase that extra. It makes it even easier to cock your bow than the RCD.

Bottom line; if you want one of the fastest production crossbows on the market, one of the finest ever built and a product that will last for years, I highly recommend the Ghost 410! For more information regarding the Barnett Ghost 410, please visit their website: Barnett Crossbows.

Prices on the internet have ranged from $790-$1000 for the Ghost 410, which is compatible for a high-end bow.

For more from Marc please go to: Marc Anthony

and:

www.marcanthonyoutdoors.com 
www.nontypicalhunter.net 
www.heartlandoutdoors.com