Barnett BC Raptor Reverse Review (In-Field) – Compound Crossbow

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
Barnett BC Raptor Reverse Check price on Amazon.com	155 lbs.	15.125"	330 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	20"	31.7" / 6 lbs. 5 ozs.

Barnett Buck Commander Raptor Reverse Crossbow Package Contents

Barnett has come out with an incredible new design on their Buck Commander Raptor Reverse Crossbow, and offers it in a fairly complete package. You will get the crossbow: three 20” arrows, a rope cocking aid, and an illuminated 4x32mm multi-reticle scope. The only reason we use the word “fairly” complete is that there are no practice points included…a small thing, but enough to keep you from shooting it right out of the box!

Kinetic Energy of the BC Raptor Reverse

The Barnett BC Raptor Reverse has plenty of energy for you to hunt just about anything you want. Its 155-lb draw weight combines with its long power stroke of just over 15” to produce a sizzling 330 fps. When combined with the included 20” arrows, you end up with about 97 ft. lbs. of energy at the muzzle. This should be enough to take down most game in the North American region.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Barnett BC Raptor Reverse

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.

Design, Safety, Comfort and Accuracy

The BC Raptor Reverse is a completely “flipped” out design. Flipped is a good word to describe it as the limbs actually face toward the shooter. The result is one of the coolest looking crossbows we have seen in a long time. The best part is that this reverse draw design actually has function to add to the beauty! By placing the limbs in the reverse configuration, the center of mass is shifted back towards the shooter, so there is less weight for the forward hand to hold, resulting in much better control and tighter groups.
The other result of the reverse system is a longer power stroke, giving more speed to the arrow. Barnett also went with a skeletonized stock to really cut back on the weight. The placement of string stops helps further dampen the sound, already minimized as a result of the reverse design.

Another cool feature is the forward grip. It is designed such that you can pass your fingers and thumb through it so there is never a chance to get those digits up in the string path! There are also grooves in the forward grip to serve as “finger reminders”…these will allow you to place your forward hand at the same location every shot, thus improving your accuracy. The CNC machined aluminum flight rail should ensure years of use without issue.
Yet another big feature to note is the great trigger this crossbow has. It breaks consistently right around 3.5 lbs. and is very crisp, so you should really be able to Robin Hood some arrows!

Hunting with the BC Raptor Reverse

The Barnett BC Raptor Reverse has a lot of great features that are going to really shine when out in the field. The long power stroke translates to a fast 330 fps, so you are going to enjoy the ability to make longer shots more accurately. The BC Raptor Reverse is also an incredibly narrow crossbow, especially when cocked. From Axle to axle, the crossbow measures a mere 10” when cocked, and only about 16” when not cocked.

Think about it…put your hands out in front of you and measure 10”…that is incredibly narrow. This crossbow is going to allow you to hunt in places you never thought you could hunt in except with a rifle. The adjustable butt pad will also help you get the proper eye relief and, combined with the crisp trigger and rear-shifted center of mass, should really help you stock the freezer this season!

How Quiet is the BC Raptor Reverse

The Barnett BC Raptor Reverse is actually one of the quietest crossbows we have shot straight out of the box. This is a result of the reverse draw design, which actually dampens vibrations and cuts sound. The other nice feature of the Raptor Reverse is the inclusion of dual string stops in the design. These do a great job of further minimizing string vibration during firing.

Cocking the BC Raptor Reverse

The BC Raptor Reverse is actually much easier to cock than you might think, given the 15” power stroke. Since the limbs are reversed, the string actually starts right down by the rubberized stirrup, so you don’t really have to lift any higher than you normally would when cocking a conventional crossbow.

One important note is to ensure that you cock the string evenly, or you will find your grouping will suffer greatly! If cocking is an issue, you can purchase the integrated crank which is designed to mount right on the Raptor Reverse.

Quality of the Optics

The optics that come on the Barnett BC Raptor Reverse are actually very nice, and should be well-suited for a variety of shooting conditions. The 4x32mm scope features an illuminated reticle, which is great for taking those low-light early morning and late evening shots. The reticle also has multiple graduations to allow for more accurate shooting at a variety of ranges.

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

What Arrows to use with the BC Raptor Reverse

The Headhunter arrows that Barnett supplies with the BC Raptor Reverse 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. Given the modest draw weight, you shouldn’t need to be too choosy…just get what you like and practice, practice, practice!

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

Overall Thoughts

Our overall impression of Barnett’s new BC Raptor Reverse are quite favorable. The reverse draw design provides added power while minimizing vibration and sound. The reverse design also brings the center of mass towards the shooter creating a more stable firing platform. This is a light weight, very portable, and highly maneuverable crossbow.

The only real problem we are aware of is that some of these have issues with the limbs and pockets where the crossbow does not draw evenly, resulting in severe grouping problems. Barnett is working on this and we would expect that this will be resolved soon. All in all, this is certainly a crossbow to take a close look at. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.