| Model | Draw Weight | Stroke | Velocity | Suggested Arrow Length | Crossbow Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Killer Instinct 350 Check price on Amazon.com | 165 lbs. | 14" | 350 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning | 20" | 6.2 lbs. |
| Pros: - Illuminated scope included - Tactical side-mount quiver - Adjustable fore grip Cons: - Heavy trigger pull | Small Game Hunting? |  |
| Deer, Elk Hunting? | |
|
| Moose, Bear Hunting? | |
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| Target Shooting? | |
What’s In the Box?
Welcome to our review of the Killer Instinct 350. Each package delivered by Killerincludes the following items:
- The Killer Instinct 350 crossbow
- 4×32 Illuminated Glass Reticle scope
- Assembly hardware and tools
- 3-arrow tactical side mount quiver
- Rope cocking device
- 3 20” carbon arrows
- Starter pack of rail lube
- Owner’s manual
- Warranty card
Putting it Together
The Killer Instinct KI-350 crossbow is easy to assemble, but a bit more complicated than most because of the adjustable fore grip. The adjustable fore grip is a nice feature, though, so take the time to adjust it to your preferences. Assembling this crossbow consists of attaching the riser to the stock, installing the foot stirrup, and then mounting the quiver and scope. Round things out by adjusting the fully adjustable fore grip to fit your body size and clothing, and you’re ready to go.
Accuracy And Power
The KI-350 deals out the arrow at 350 fps, with 109 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy on a 400-gr arrow. The bow is more than powerful enough to topple your target block, so be sure to prop it against your backstop or some solid object to keep your shooting pleasurable.
The scope sights in easily, and I was able to quickly move on to testing the accuracy. Every shot I fired from this crossbow, from 25 yards all the way back to 75 yards, was inside the bull’s eye ring of my target block. Groupings? How about half an inch at 25 yards, a three-quarter inch grouping from 50 yards, and a two inch grouping from 75 yards. This crossbow is insanely accurate for a sub-$500 crossbow.
Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.Ballistic Data For The Killer Instinct 350
- Speed Reduction
- Kinetic Energy
- Hunting Requirements
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.
Will Hunters Enjoy the Killer Instinct 350?
Since it is nicely balanced and very powerful, this crossbow is perfect for hunting. The blackout design makes it suitable for either tree stand or ground blind hunting, and the bow is powerful enough to take on any legal quarry in North America. At just 6.2 pounds of weight, the crossbow is easy to carry without getting fatigued or sore, and the 14.5” width when cocked makes it a cinch to maneuver, whether you’re walking through the woods or trying to come to bear on a target in a tree stand or ground blind. This crossbow is new for 2014, so I haven’t had too many opportunities to hunt with it yet, but I was fortunate enough to have it sighted in and ready to go in time for my first deer hunt of the season.
Set up in my tree stand, it was pretty early in the archery season, so I wasn’t really expecting to see anything worth shooting. Lo and behold, though, a massive 13-point buck came ambling down the trail a mere 20 yards from my tree stand. I carefully aimed at his forequarter, and took the shot. My arrow passed clean through and out the other side of the deer, but the heavy trigger pull caused the shot to not be quite as clean as I would have liked. It was still a kill shot, but I had to track him for about 100 yards before I found him dead from blood loss.
Cocking The Killer Instinct 350
This crossbow has a draw weight of 165 pounds, and comes with a rope cocking device. Make sure you use the rope cocking device, even though the draw weight is light, because otherwise you won’t get a clean, even, consistent draw on the string. The draw is smooth and easy, and the anti-dry fire and safety engage flawlessly every time.
The Crossbow Scope
This x-bow comes with a pro-grade illuminated glass reticle scope, which has excellent light gathering capabilities and fantastic coating to make it fogproof. The scope came sighted in almost out of the box, requiring just a couple of tweaks to get the scope completely zeroed in. It has held zero for as long as I’ve had the bow, which is just a month, but I expect it to hold solid for the entire season and beyond.
Bolts
The KI-350 comes with 3 20” carbon bolts, but these bolts are not the best quality. I’ve only got one of the original bolts left, because the other two shattered on impact after three shots at the archery range. I quickly switched over to my Firebolt arrows, weighted at 400 grain, and have had excellent luck with that combo. You can choose your own bolts, just make sure to stick with 20” arrows with a weight of at least 400 grain.
You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendationsSafety and Design
This x-bow is only 6.2 pounds, and it is very compact and well-balanced. There is no frontal heaviness to speak of, and the anti-dry fire and safety are both reliable and flawless in operation. My only beef with this crossbow is a rather heavy trigger pull of just under 5 pounds. I’m used to shooting crossbows with 3.5 pound trigger pulls, but this is pretty decent for a sub-$500 crossbow.
Warranty
Killer Instinct provides a limited lifetime warranty on the Killer Instinct 350. Killer Instinct’s customer service representatives are friendly and helpful, and do a great job of making sure you get the most out of your investment. Did I mention the lifetime warranty? For a crossbow that’s under $500, it’s pretty astounding to get such a lengthy warranty period, so make sure to send in that warranty card!
Crossbow Review – Summary
Thanks for reading our crossbow review. The Killer Instinct KI-350 is a high quality bow at a budget bow price. It is well-suited for target archery and hunting, and its compact size makes it a pleasure to carry and shoot. The only chink in the armor is the 5 lbs. trigger pull, but that is something I can easily get used to with a bit more practice. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.
bought the bow put it together, sighted it in, needed a little adjustment, my shoulder is going to be replaced can’t shoot rifle, shotgun or pistol hurts to much, shooting killer bow is a delight, accuracy is excellent, now all i need is to see a deer to harvest.. do your self a favor buy a discharge bag to unload the bow.. would highly recommend this bow.. also bought 6 extra bolts, carrying sling and scope cover
For the money you can’t get a better bow, until 2018 when KI comes out with their new line up. I’ve hunted two years with this bow and found it a delight to hunt with. Light, compact, accurate. I found the trigger to be very good on mine, it didn’t seem heavy at all and was very crisp. I was only getting 335/337 FPS on my chrony with the stock bolts and 100 grain tips though. The folding foot stirrup would interfere with the flight track when fully extended, I had to make sure it was slightly folded back or it would send bolts off on a wild goose chase never to be found again.
Looking at the ki 379 bone collector. Was almost ready to by one until I read the liability warning. The manufacture claims that they will not be responsible for any injury the bow causes even if it is ki fault.