Barnett Raptor FX Crossbow

Barnett has used the word Raptor across three different products. The plain Raptor is grouped with the Recruit on the fit by model page as a bow sold as a set, with no separately documented spec sheet of its own. The Raptor FX is a fuller package reviewed here, with its own listed speed, draw weight and included accessories. The Hyper Raptor, Hyper Raptor GTX and Hyper Raptor BCX are a current, separate line entirely - they take the narrow Hyperflite shaft, not the standard bolt the plain Raptor and Raptor FX use.

The word that decides the bolt family is Hyper, not Raptor or FX. If a listing or a secondhand bow does not say Hyper anywhere in the name, it takes standard-diameter Headhunter bolts.

The Raptor FX is built around a 150-lb draw and a listed 330 FPS with a 400-grain, 20-inch arrow, for roughly 97 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. The power stroke runs 12.5 inches, the bow measures 18 inches axle-to-axle uncocked and 12.75 inches cocked, and the whole package weighs about 6.5 lbs at 34.25 inches overall.

The standard box includes a 4x32 multi-reticle scope (a red-dot sight was offered as an alternative), a quiver, three arrows with field points, a rope cocking device, lube wax and the hex wrenches needed for assembly. The trigger is a patented Anti-Dry-Fire design with a spring-loaded redundant safety bar, and the arrow retainer is adjustable for different bolt diameters.

There is no Hyper in the Raptor FX's name, so the rule holds: it takes standard Headhunter bolts, and either 20-inch or 22-inch length fits on the bolts page depending on which the package shipped with. The string length is the independent check - aftermarket makers cut the Raptor FX's bowstring at 32.938 inches, the same figure already documented for this model on the fit by model page.

That is a notably shorter string than the 38-inch-plus figures common elsewhere in the Barnett range, a reminder that string length tracks the individual bow's riser and limb geometry rather than scaling neatly with speed or draw weight.

The Raptor FX is not part of Barnett's current catalogue, and there is no new listing for the crossbow itself. What is still easy to find: a 32.938-inch string and cable set, standard Headhunter bolts in 20-inch or 22-inch, and lube wax.

Before buying secondhand, check the limbs, cams and rail the same way you would on any older Barnett - those structural parts are not made aftermarket once stock runs out. The included rope cocker is usually enough at a 150-lb draw, but a crank cocking device is worth adding if the stock has the mounting provision and shoulder strain is a concern. Re-zero the scope at 20 yards before the first hunt either way - the sighting-in guide covers the order that avoids wasted bolts.

The Raptor FX is not the only Raptor people confuse. The Raptor Pro STR is a faster 2018 model built on a step-through riser, running around 400 FPS against the Raptor FX's 330, but both take the same standard-diameter Headhunter bolts. Only the Hyper Raptor breaks from the family and uses narrow Hyperflite shafts.