The history with Barnett products are that they usually shoot rather well...until they don't!Basically, they aren't too bad for the $200 but they tend to not hold up. This bow leaves me with the impression it's made on the old Horton/CSS technology. Not really all that bad, but it's not anything too exciting and new either. There is a lot of confusion with this bow amongst retailers. Barnett lists it as a youth bow others list it as an intermediate bow. Most agree it is 45-60# in draw weight, but no one can agree what draw length it is. Not sure if that has to do with confusion in packaging, or quality control standards in Asia. And you certainly are not going to find any clarification at your local Wal-Mart store
In contrast Diamond, PSE, Mission and Bear Archery all have bow packages similar in price where you know without question what they are and how they shoot. And you can usually buy them from a retailer that can answer a basic question or two.
I'm not yet certain of the changes other bow companies are making in 2014, but Bear Archery is changing virtually everything in a significant way. I expect to see retailers dropping the bottom out of these 2013 bargain priced bows any day now. Many like Sportman's Warehouse take a loss on old model bows at times just to make room for the new hot models. I think if you take the time to watch carefully you can probably do yourself pretty good buying some last year model bows at huge discounts.
If you really want the dirt on this Barnett bow I'd ask you to do yourself a favor and call Lancaster Archery. Possibly the most knowledgeable shop in the country and they do carry this Barnett bow package. They are
serious bow nerds, but unlike many they are not bow snobs. You should be able to get a straight answer no matter what the limit is on your wallet. That's a rare quality among serious archery shops!
I, myself? I would look for an end of the model year deal on something proven to hold up and perform as advertised. Or for $200 bucks you can often find one heck of a quality used bow if you are patient. Good luck to you!
