Barnett Whitetail Pro STR is one of the most talked about crossbows of 2020. 2021 is arriving soon, yet the crossbow reigns supreme. How good is the Barnett Whitetail Pro STR? Does it deserve all the hype? If you have followed our reviews for a while, you already know Barnett Whitetail Pro STR made a lot of our crossbow reviews.
That should speak volumes for this crossbow. To increase that volume, today I present you the Barnett Whitetail Pro STR review. Now that I made it seem like a shameless plug, I have to admit, that Barnett isn’t sponsoring this review. But hey Barnett if you are willing, you know where to find us 😉 Anyway, on with the review.
Barnett Whitetail Pro STR: Outlooks
Specifications | Speed: 400 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 122 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 16.25 Inches; Draw Weight: 187 LBS; Axle To Axle: 17.75 Inches; Length: 36.5 Inches; Weight: 6.9 LBS.
Build Quality & Size
When you first look at the crossbow, you can guess how much effort Barnett put into this crossbow. It’s one of the best crossbows from Barnett. Barnett Whitetail Pro STR is a compact compound crossbow. The width of the crossbow is only 20″. It’s not as low as the Ravin R10, but it’s still quite compact.
The weight of the Whitetail Pro STR is 6.9 lbs. It’s on the lower end of the scale. For a crossbow of this size, the weight is quite well distributed. You won’t feel like you are holding a heavy crossbow at all. This crossbow uses a patterned step-through riser to shift the stock weight.
The flight track of the crossbow is made from CNC-machined aluminum. It provides excellent flight speed and momentum. The friction between the string and the flight track is also minimal. Increasing the longevity of the string.
With this marvelous build quality. I was hoping Barnett would provide a lifetime warranty. It’s disappointing that the warranty is a limited time. But hey, it’s guaranteed that nothing will happen to the crossbow during that warranty period.
Design
Whitetail Pro STR uses a finish called TruBark HD. It’s a camo finish that suits the crossbow quite well. The camo finish is not to everyone’s liking. if you don’t like it, I get it. It will take some time, but the design will most certainly grow on you.
Power
As this is one of the fastest crossbows available from Barnett, they made sure the crossbow didn’t lack any firepower. Whitetail Pro STR is capable of generating 135 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. That much power is capable of nailing any big-size bear. You can imagine how fluent the hunting will be.
Speed
Whitetail Pro STR is capable of firing 22″ bolts at a whopping 400 FPS. That’s right, 400 FPS. Barnett went all out with this crossbow. Previously we talked about the Barnett TS390. That is another excellent crossbow from Barnett. That crossbow is capable of firing bolts at 390 FPS.
Whitetail Pro STR goes beyond that to hit the prestigious 400 FPS club. Combine that with the power you are getting, you have a monster in your hand.
Noise
All of the strings of the Whitetail Pro STR have noise dampeners installed. It reduces the vibration of the crossbow and provides a fluent experience.
Without the vibration and noise, this is a deadly crossbow. Not only you can fire it at 400 FPS, but the crossbow is also silent on top of that.
Draw Weight
A little bit late to talk about it, but we should talk about it. Like all other Barnett crossbows, the draw weight of Whitetail Pro STR is not that good. The draw weight is 187 lbs, which is on the higher end of the scale.
You can cut that in half using the included rope cocker. Yet, the draw weight is quite significant. To address this issue, Barnett made the Whitetail Pro STR support a cranking device just like the Barnett TS380.
Barnett makes its cranking device. You can use that to cut down the draw weight by a lot. You will end up having a draw weight of 10-13lbs.
A crossbow that can fire a bolt at 400 FPS with 135 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. And you can cock that crossbow at 13lbs. How crazy is that? Purchasing the cranking device is a no-brainer decision for me. It’s the easiest decision that you will ever make.
Trigger
Barnett uses TriggerTech technology in this crossbow. TriggerTech is a frictionless low creep trigger technology. Ravin perfected this technology now everyone who bought the rights to TriggerTech, uses it on their crossbows.
The trigger is made of a metal injection-molded trigger. There are zero creeps on the trigger. To prevent misfires, Barnett included an anti-dry fire safety mechanism.
Scope
The crossbow comes with a 4×32 illuminated multi-reticle crossbow scope. The performance of this scope is fairly good. As the rail of the crossbow is Picatinny rail, you can easily swap out the scope for a better scope that also supports Picatinny rail.
Pros
- Excellent build quality.
- Highly accurate.
- Step-through riser reduces stock weight and increases accuracy.
- Lightweight.
- Fairly compact.
- 400 FPS.
- CNC machined aluminum flight track.
Cons
- Cranking device not included (have to purchase separately).
- No lifetime warranty.
- Without the cranking device, the draw weight is quite high.
Barnett Whitetail Pro Str Review Summary
Barnett Whitetail Pro STR is one of the best crossbows Barnett ever made. Even after 3 years, it holds the crown. Stepping in 2021, I have no doubt it will remain to be an excellent crossbow. If you were wondering whether purchasing it now is worth it or not, I have to tell you it’s 100% worth it.
I hope you found this helpful and I was able to answer all of your questions. If not, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments. Much appreciated for reading the review. Till next time.
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
