If you are looking around at crossbows then you have undoubtedly seen the Barnett Quad 400, maybe on the shelf at Cabela's, online somewhere, or maybe a friend has one. The Barnett Quad 400 crossbow is a hugely popular choice among crossbow hunters because of its excellent stats and reasonable price. But at such a great price can it really deliver that big game bang for your buck? Today I will take a deeper look into this crossbow and share all of its details in this Barnett Quad 400 Review.
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UPDATE: Barnett has released an updated crossbow in their Quad series. Click here to check out our Barnett Quad Edge review, or check the price of the latest Barnett Crossbows on Amazon.
There are cheaper crossbows on the market but many of those aren’t what you want if you intend to use it for anything besides target practice. The price range for the Quad 400 is about where you would want to begin looking for crossbows. With such a crossbow, you are well equipped to go out and hunt anything from white tail deer to the biggest game out there. If you go for a much cheaper crossbow then you will just be looking at toys, and the Quad 400 is no toy. To see today's price, you can find the Quad 400 Crossbow here on Amazon.
About the Barnett Quad 400 Crossbow
The Barnett Quad 400 is the evolution of the Barnett Quad 300, which is no longer made. The Barnett Quad 300 was a very popular choice for crossbow hunters during its day. The legacy continues and is expanded with more impressive speed, power, and functionality. Review the Barnett Quad 400 specs below to learn more about this crossbow.
SPECS
Mass Weight: 8.35 lbs
Draw Weight: 150 lbs
Length: 37"
Axle to Axle Width: 26.75"
Power Stroke: 15.5
Shooting Speed: 345 fps
The Quad 400 is named for its 4 (quad) arms that will send a bolt flying at an impressive 345 fps (feet per second) firing velocity. You will really be surprised by the speed and power that this bow has. Be sure to use a really thick or dense target for practice shooting or your bolts might go straight through the target and come out the other side. If an bolt hits a rock at the speeds that the Quad 400 delivers then it will probably shatter into a million pieces.
The Barnett Quad 400 has some serious stopping power. A bolt from this crossbow will hit a deer like a ton of bricks and it is great for taking down even bigger game than deer.
Part of what helps deliver such power and speed is the longer 15.5 inch power stroke. The Quad 400 has a longer power stroke than many other competing crossbows. Between 12 and 14 inches is a more standard power stroke for other competitors.
The long power stroke and the quad arms are a slight disadvantage when you are trying to cock it. With a 150 pound draw weight it’s a bit of a struggle to cock. The Quad 400 can be cocked by hand but there are some serious disadvantages to it. When you cock it by hand you are actually cocking it slightly different every time and this can lead your shots to be inconsistent. You can buy a rope cocker that will make it much easier to cock and increase the consistency of your shots. And you can easily find this item wherever you prefer to get your crossbows. Almost any rope cocker will do the trick.
Even better than a rope cocker, but a little more expensive, is a compatible crank cocking device. The stock of the Barnett Quad 400 comes ready to integrate with a Barnett crank cocking device. The crank cocker is really easy to use once you install it. You just clip the string in, attach the crank to either side of the stock and crank it back until the string rests against the trigger mechanism. However, it is a little annoying having to decide what to do with the crank once the bow is cocked and ready to fire. But you can just rest it on the sight rail.
When you are consistently cocking the Barnett Quad 400 with the rope or crank cocker, and you have it sighted in, you should be able to hit a 50 cent piece at 50 yards. That’s pretty impressive. But be sure to aim at different places on your target or you’ll risk splitting your bolt like Robin Hood!
The trigger has a 3 to 4 pound pull with anti dry fire. The trigger won’t even pull without a bolt in it. This is, of course, an important safety feature as well as a feature that will save your string. Fortunately for left handed hunters, the Quad 400 is an ambidextrous crossbow. The stock has a thumb hole and grip that is equally comfortable with your left and right hands. Also the cheek rest is symmetrical and the attachments for the crank cocker work on either side. Lefties will have no problem using the Quad 400.
The company says that the Barnett Quad 400 uses a high density gas assist composite stock. When I first read that, I thought that “gas assist” might mean it takes a co2 cartridge that helps with cocking or something. There isn’t a lot of information out there about it but basically “gas assist” just refers to the manufacturing process to make the composite stock. The process is supposed to help make the stock lighter, which is necessary on the Quad 400 because it is actually a pretty heavy crossbow.
The Barnett Quad 400 weighs in at 8.35 pounds, and at 10 pounds with all of the gear attached. That is quite a bit heavier than most crossbows that usually weigh between 6 and 7 pounds. The Quad 400 is a bit longer and wider than many other crossbows at 37 inches long and 26.75 inches wide. The greater length and width is probably what accounts for the extra weight but is also responsible for the extra power.
What comes in the package?
The package comes with the the Barnett Quad 400 crossbow, a 4 x 32 multi reticle scope, a 3 bolt quiver, 3 carbon bolts, and a small tube of lubricant. Also included is a limited 5 year warranty against build quality and parts, which you will want to keep track of.
The Quad 400 itself comes disassembled in two pieces, the arms and the stock. The arms come with the string already assembled which is really nice. No need to take it into a shop for assembly. Attaching the arms to the stock is very simple and anyone should be able to do it without a problem. Assembly is really no more than tightening a few screws in place.
It’s nice that the Quad 400 has a quiver included in the package. The 3 bolt quiver that comes with it attaches on the underside of the arms, ahead of the foregrip. It’s not necessary to have the quiver attached if you don’t want or need it. It does add weight and bulk which is not something I want.
The 22 inch carbon bolts that come in the package are really good quality. You should have no problems with them. I would recommend getting an extra set from Barnett with the crossbow so you have plenty of them. If you are going to use another brand of bolt, be sure that it is 22 inch. That is the only size that will work with the Quad 400 and using a different size is dangerous. Barnett recommends you use 125 grain tips but really you can use 100 grain or any other. If you want your Barnett Quad 400 to stay accurate and consistent, you should use the same grain tips all the times, otherwise your bolts will fly differently due to the different weights.
The big weak spot in the Barnett Quad 400 package is the scope. The 4 x 32 multi reticle scope is not at all a good quality scope. It’s also not the worst thing you could imagine. Most people will definitely want to replace the scope and you really don’t need to spend too much to get one that is good quality. Supposedly some Quad 400 packages come with a red dot site but I have never seen it. Most anywhere you buy this package it will come with the scope.
Who is the Barnett Quad 400 for?
The Barnett Quad 400 is a great all around crossbow that any number of people will be impressed with. Whether you are a deer hunter or just enjoy target practice, this crossbow will easily meet your needs. A real hunter knows that spending a thousand dollars on a crossbow won’t make you a better hunter, and the Quad 400 is proof of that.
I wouldn’t recommend the Quad 400 as a first crossbow for newbies or for children because it might be too big and too powerful for them to fully utilize it.
Where can I buy it?
You may be able to find the Barnett Quad 400 at your local shop but most small shops don’t have a big selection of crossbows. If your local shop doesn’t have the Quad 400 then there are 4 places I know of online that carry it. Amazon, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Cabela’s offers free shipping to their store locations when you order online but then you need to pick it up in store. There are only two Cabela’s locations in my whole state, which makes driving to it to pick up an order pretty difficult. Dick’s Sporting Goods is another option but they don’t have free shipping.
Amazon is the best place to purchase the Barnett Quad 400 online. They have free shipping and the price of the Quad 400 is almost always reduced from the $400 MSRP. I hope you enjoyed our Barnett Quad 400 review, let me know what you think in the comments below!
Quad 400 Documentation
If you're looking for an electronic version of the Barnett Quad 400 manual, we found one hosted on Cabela's website, click here to view it. It includes maintenance tips, warranty information, and other general information about your crossbow.
Quad 400 Assembly Instructions
Below is a good video I found online someone made on how to properly assemble your Quad 400 crossbow. If you have additional questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below.
