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+---- Thread: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow (/showthread.php?tid=2382)
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Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - NorthernRaider - 14 August 2012
Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow
© Northern Raider 2012
I was introduced to Barnett’s baby compound bow by Skean Dhude the forum owner of SUK.NET on a visit by him to my house. He brought with him various bows but the Banshee was the bow that caught everyone’s eyes.
Let’s make things clear from the word go, this is NOT a war bow, NOT an Elk killing machine, NOT something that will drop a rhino at 90 meters, but by god it is a very handy tool to have around for us British Island dwellers and the shorter ranges that constrict us.
If it was legal it would be an ideal EDC bow, kept by the kitchen door for bagging the occasional fat pigeon that alights on your fence, or nailing that rabbit that keeps getting through the netting into your cabbage patch. Indeed according the American HUNTERS FRIEND web site the Banshee rated at 25 lb draw is more than adequate for taking the smaller breeds of deer as well so Hare, Grouse, Pheasant, Rabbit, Pigeon etc are viable targets in a survival situation. My County is awash with Roe, Fallow and Muntjuic deer so after TSHTF the Banshee should come into its own.
Vermin control, Security issues up to about 30 yards is its upper limit, the arrows can be made to fly further but the ballistic trajectory required means you would be aiming very very high and the chances of hitting the target slight indeed. Use it as it is intended as a training bow, youth bow, small persons bow or short range bow and you won’t be disappointed.
As dispatched from the factory the bow is ready to shoot straight out of the box, the only job to do if you wish is to attach the very basic sight to the rail, after that just use the bow. I actually crimped a nocking point to the wire for convenience on the first bow to arrive but the second bow to arrive had a slightly different specification and it came with two sleeved draw / knocking points already attached.
I believe there may have been a slight change in the factory spec of the Banshee during its production run as some bows come with knocking / draw point and an extra flange on the side of the compound pulleys, whilst other bows do not have them fitted.
Out of the box the bow is 39 inches long (1 meter) it is a two pulley bow with a nylon coated steel wire instead of a polyester or synthetic string. The riser (the handle) is a synthetic material similar to that used on modern tactical rifles instead of wood. The grip on the riser is synthetic coloured rubber, some folks with larger hands may wish to increase the size of the grip with a leather sleeve or length of self-amalgamating tape. The riser is also shaped to be ambidextrous and incorporates an arrow rest both sides. (NOTE the pulleys and cables have to be reversed for Left handed shooters, this may not be a DIY job)
The design of the arrow rest area does appear to be suitable for fixing self adhesive spring loaded or magnetic arrow rests etc
The four limbs (two top, two bottom) are high density preformed glass fibre the two pulleys are attached to the limbs via two powder coated steel brackets. I am led to believe that if the steel wire becomes damaged, frayed or broken you need to replace the wire and both pulleys as they come as an interconnect set.
So for your average price of £49.95 you get a fairly useful EDC bow that requires little maintenance and can be left stung permanently. The short length means this bow will fit straight into a car boot, I’ve already been contacted by someone who keeps his attached to the boot lid using some cord attached to a couple of magnets.
You can shoot from the sitting position from larger vehicles like vans, or from wheelchairs.
What don’t I like?
The sights are a bit crude for my liking, but necessity is the mother of improvisation.
The supplied arrows are only good for short range target practice, lash out and get yourself some decent alloy or carbon arrows with screw in field heads.
One comment I keep noting on various forums I’ve visited is that a 25 lb compound bow is the equal of a 35 to 40 lb draw recurve !!!, you figure that out for yourselves.
What does it shoot like?
Not bad to be honest, after only 4 hours practise with the banshee I’m consistently getting 6 inch groups at 20 yards with an untweeked or mofified bow.
So if you are looking for a good basic, cheap, reliable low maintenance EDC bow to keep in the car, larger rucksack or kitchen you may wish to consider this bow.
.
If you have more expertise with compounds or more powerful bows and would like something similar but more powerful you may wish to check out the
SMK NOVA ARC 3112 bow which is rated as adjustable from 25 pound draw to 40 pound draw they are only about £40 to buy.
Purchasing footnote
I bought three Banshees from different sources, Amazon, E bay and Mail order on the 6th of August
The Amazon purchased bow arrived 24 hours after ordering, the Mail order bow arrived after 48 hours but the bow I ordered from a Scottish E bay seller has not arrived by the 14th. Caveat Emptor
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - Paul - 14 August 2012
I'd like to invite NR to write us a little brief on the basics of bows and arrows.
Including useful things like:
Selecting Arrow length for body height.
Nocks, draw points, silencers, arrow care, arrow tips, how to store a bow, restringing a compound bow, expedient bow strings, sights, etc.
Hows about it NR?
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - NorthernRaider - 14 August 2012
(14 August 2012, 22:34)Paul Wrote: I'd like to invite NR to write us a little brief on the basics of bows and arrows.
Including useful things like:
Selecting Arrow length for body height.
Nocks, draw points, silencers, arrow care, arrow tips, how to store a bow, restringing a compound bow, expedient bow strings, sights, etc.
Hows about it NR?
Why me? I'm no expert on archery ??
FYI for selecting your draw length IIRC you put your arms out to the side and measure from finger tip to finger tip then divide by 2.5 to get your draw length.
Nocks are just nocks as far as i am aware though there are dozens listed on the web, just go for the simplest and most reliable would be my guess.
Arrow tips (heads) guys like W & C and BP tell me the screw in types are the best cos you can swap em for broadheads after TSHTF
Storing bows dunno, guessing that recurves must be unstrung and kept away from temp extremes, Compound are kept strug but in cases I believe ??
You need a big blooming jig to restring a compound bow but I'm sure theres a way to improvise.
Dental floss wound togther is listed as a makeshift stringing material.
But you need an archery expert for this subject not me.
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - Paul - 14 August 2012
So you're like me, a bow user not an expert.
You've demonstrated your knowledge again and again with all your posts and you'll describe things in English not geeky technical terms which is what folk like to read.
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - Skean Dhude - 14 August 2012
Just bought a second one at Charlies for £39.95. Exact same spec as my first one.
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - Nemesis - 15 August 2012
Some have seen my thread about that girl that can shoot fast, well it got me shooting this Banshee bow I bought way back, I started shooting more instinctively and before I knew it I was hitting within 6 inch grouping with very little effort at 10 yard as that’s my max distance in my garden without trees or other in the way.
My mistake was I tried to learn to shoot bows using a high power yank hunting bow and therefore I was forced to put it down due to a few mishaps, so back to guns and crossbows for me, it seemed.
This Banshee has got me to the stage where I am enjoying shooting bows and this is important as learning bow it serves its purpose.
NR and SD are buying this kids toy “more than one†and claiming its good for our needs, ok so we will see.
I have shot this bow at ten yards about 2 hours max and I am now constant to where the arrows land.
![[Image: EZoN5SsM4VRxI26CljixcHA.jpg]](http://uploadpic.org/storage/2011/EZoN5SsM4VRxI26CljixcHA.jpg)
Will it penetrate clothes or hide, well look?
![[Image: Iq0mh4snWc9IjG7jDPcv0J4hI.jpg]](http://uploadpic.org/storage/2011/Iq0mh4snWc9IjG7jDPcv0J4hI.jpg)
![[Image: fT2H2RyPHBPGYjkeJSlzEURqo.jpg]](http://uploadpic.org/storage/2011/fT2H2RyPHBPGYjkeJSlzEURqo.jpg)
These are worth having and sold as a kids toy even better more so under the radar, if that’s what you need, I am going to put in 3 more hours and then get round to trying my main bow and see how my shooting has changed, but I think the banshee is a winner even though it has been knocked by more active archers, I did read a few forums.
The Banshee we should all get at least one.
There is another bow which I found and I think it will be my shtf main bow, but I am not going to post about that here, not wanting to hijack this review.
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - NorthernRaider - 15 August 2012
Slight correction Nemasis old chap SD and myself have bought these bows because they good for OUR needs, not everyones needs, they may not suit other people at all, I will for example keep these as handy EDC tools whilst my families skills develop and we can select bows suited specificially to our individual needs. EG my son who is away at summer camp (again) is now drooling over the bigger Barnett Compound Youth bow the Vortex. But he will have to wait a good while and become very proficent with the Banshee first.
http://www.barnettcrossbows.com/products/youth-archery/vortex-adjustible-compound-bow
I dont believe there is a one size fits all bow for preppers .
(15 August 2012, 14:29)Nemesis Wrote: There is another bow which I found and I think it will be my shtf main bow, but I am not going to post about that here, not wanting to hijack this review.
Bugger that, post and be damned you have info / opinion and advice on alternative bows for people it should be posted, thats what the thread is for IE promoting comment and debate.
Hey nemasis talking about penatration with the Banshee, my target backstop is a six in thick, closed cell polyfoam mattrass which stands behind the cushion stuffed cardboard box with the target on it, and even using these crappy practise arrows they are going right through box, cushions and mattress. Just FYI , I wonder what would happen with screw in pointy field arrow heads ? HINT HINT
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - Paul - 15 August 2012
Good pictures Nemisis.
Perfect use for a BT phone book.
Woops, sorry not a phone book, must change me glasses
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - NorthernRaider - 16 August 2012
My new EDC trio
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43478117@N00/7794082876/
RE: Review Barnett Banshee Quad Compound bow - Tigs - 16 August 2012
(16 August 2012, 10:18)NorthernRaider Wrote: My new EDC trio
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43478117@N00/7794082876/
very nice , are they different sizes or just an optical illusion?