Crossbow Review: Barnett Hyper Raptor BCX BUKOPS X-Factor

For this intro, let’s categorize hunters in three ways. One group seeks every possible advantage. The next group harnesses some equipment advantages but with limits. Then, there are purists who consider today’s technological advancements “cheating.”

I’m a very successful hunter, but I’ve eaten enough tag soup — yep, rifle tags included — to keep me humble and reaffirm that even a long-range rifle doesn’t make success automatic. For instance, I toted a new Benelli Lupo in .300 Winchester Magnum for 7 days on Kodiak Island, Alaska. I’m in great physical shape and pounded the mountains. So did the fellow who organized the hunt. Neither of us turned up a mature Sitka black-tailed buck to shoot at. Is carrying a rifle cheating? I guess not.

Where am I going with this? Barnett’s Hyper Raptor BCX BUKOPS X-Factor is not only a modern, tactical crossbow, but it’s rigged with a rangefinding scope with a reticle for 20-100 yards. At first, some will say, “That’s cheating!” I’ll agree that this setup can make mediocre hunters more successful by giving them the confidence to take and make longer-than-average shots. However, this setup doesn’t make success automatic. Woodsmanship and marksmanship are still prerequisites of success.

If your stance on hunting gear and technology is like mine, then the Hyper Raptor BCX BUKOPS X-Factor deserves their fair share of consideration as you shop for a new crossbow. Here’s why.

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Test Crossbow Specs

• Make/Model: Barnett Hyper Raptor BCX BUKOPS X-Factor
• Finish: Black
• Mass Weight: 6.9 pounds (without accessories)
• Overall Width: 11.5 inches (uncocked); 7.25 inches (cocked)
• Overall Length: 32-34 inches
• Draw Effort: Not listed
• Power Stroke: 14 inches
• Bolt Length and Weight: 20 inches; 400 grains (measured with Last Chance Archery Pro Grain Scale)
• Manufacturer Listed Velocity: 425 fps (with 380-grain bolt)
• Test Velocity: 408 fps (400-grain bolt; found with Caldwell Ballistic Precision chronograph)
• Manufacturer Listed Trigger Pull: Not listed
• Cocking Device: Sled-Style Rope Cocking Aid (included)
• Scope: BUKOPS X-Factor Range-Finding Scope
• MSRP: $999
• Contact: barnettcrossbows.com

The BUKOPS X-Factor Range-Finding Scope

When someone says, “That’s cheating,” I’d urge you to address them like this. As hunters, our main goal must be to make clean shots yielding fast, merciful kills. If a technological advantage boosts our individual ability to do that, then why not go for it?

The BUKOPS X-Factor Laser Range-Finding Crossbow Scope decreases the margin for error by letting the hunter range the animal with less movement. This decreases the likelihood of the animal detecting the hunter and being alert during the shot. It also keeps the hunter’s focus on the scope rather than on a separate handheld rangefinder. Clicking the range button instantly gives you an angle-compensated range, and holding it down activates the scan mode, which is great for moving animals.

Speaking of moving targets, sometimes, an animal gives the hunter mere seconds to make the shot. If it’s now or never, the hunter either must pass or estimate the yardage and shoot. I’m sure that at least half of hunters would choose option B. With an incorrect estimate, the shot could miss or hit marginally. With the BUKOPS X-Factor Scope, there will likely be time to get an accurate yardage reading before shooting, even in a fast-paced scenario.

For bowhunters who still aren’t on board, the Hyper Raptor BCX is available in a different package with a more standard 2-7x32mm scope for $300 cheaper.

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Forward-Thinking Details

One of the Hyper Raptor BCX’s best attributes is its TriggerTech Trigger with Frictionless Release Technology, a $200 value that Barnett wraps in for free. It breaks cleanly with zero travel and has an anti-dry-fire feature. I’ve shot other crossbows with TriggerTech Triggers, including the Barnett Recruit XP, and they’re simply unbeatable. Another thing, the trigger guard is larger than most to accommodate a gloved finger — perfect for cold-weather outings.

I love the Rope Hold roller ball where you loop the cocking rope around the back of the stock. When crossbows have only a groove, it can be difficult to get a rope cocker in place, but the Rope Hold, well, holds the rope in the groove until you are ready to pull it out once the crossbow has been cocked.

Many crossbows have foot stirrups extending beyond the riser, but Barnett builds it into the BCX’s patented Step-Through Riser. This provides more solid support for foot placement, and rubber-coated feet keep the riser and limbs from contacting the ground and getting all dinged up. The design yields a shorter overall length than some competing models and exudes quality.

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The Infinity Cams are self-timing, which alleviates lateral nock travel. The Halo System also relates to straight nock travel and alleviates cable crossing common with most other crossbows. The result is superior accuracy. The Halo System also has string stops, which provide consistent arrow departure while muting string vibrations.

Lightweight, Comfortable, and Balanced

Barnett builds the riser from a lightweight composite material, so the Hyper Raptor BCX weighs only 6.9 pounds (without accessories). Further contributing to the weight savings are the AR-style adjustable stock and the ventilated foregrip. Nothing about the crossbow is cumbersome.

Because the stock features adjustable length-of-pull, the BCX makes an ideal fit for virtually anyone. Also, if you’re wearing bulky clothing in cold weather, you can shorten it to achieve greater comfort. Further improving comfort and control are the rear pistol grip, which features textured rubber for positive hand traction, and the fore-grip, which features the three-position Verti-Grip, also clad with rubber textures. When shooting from a bench or box blind window with sufficient clearance, the Verti-Grip could double as a monopod for a nice solid rest.

I’ve noticed that many of today’s crossbows are front-heavy, but the BCX’s balance point is near the center of the crossbow. It shoulders and aims more naturally, at least for me.

Accuracy and Silence

The Hyper Raptor delivers next-level accuracy. I shot it out to 70 yards in brutally cold temperatures, and I’d call it a tack-driver. I don’t condone super-long shots at game, but it’s nice to know that animals within normal to slightly longer-than-average ranges are in big trouble if the hunter does their part with shot execution. I’d suggest not shooting groups because you’re bound to ruin arrows given how accurate the Hyper Raptor BCX shoots.

I won’t name them, but some of the faster crossbows I’ve tested are fairly loud. I don’t have a decibel meter, but the Hyper Raptor is clearly one of the quietest crossbows I’ve had in my hands in some time. Most animals aren’t ducking a 400-plus-fps arrow, but they can at longer ranges, so silence is a good attribute. Plus, the BCX doesn’t hurt my ears with a percussive pop! like some of the others do.

I do have two minor complaints. The rope cocking device is slightly difficult to remove once the crossbow is cocked. It gets wedged into place, and it takes some effort and wiggling to free it. Another thing, the scope has some play, even when tightened down, but it didn’t seem to affect accuracy at all.

I shot the HyperFlite arrows, which are a small-diameter crossbow arrow. The Hyper Raptor BCX is also compatible with HeadHunter standard diameter arrows, depending on your preference. Please note that lighted strobe HeadHunter arrows should not be shot from the Hyper Raptor BCX per Barnett’s warning.

Final Thoughts

In addition to the killer scope, the package includes a quiver, sling, three HyperFlite arrows with points, neoprene scope cover, rope cocking device, quick-detach quiver, and lubricant. You’ll need only broadheads and a hunting license in order to hit the woods. The accessories are straightforward, but a noteworthy feature is that the quiver can easily be mounted to one of two Picatinny rails, and then the other rail can be used for a flashlight or laser where nighttime hog and predator hunting is legal.

Let me conclude the review like this. Every hunter’s goal should be to take an animal as cleanly and mercifully as possible. If equipment advancements can help a hunter to be more lethal for the animal’s sake, then I’d call that equipment choice ethical rather than “cheating.” Virtually everything about the Hyper Raptor BCX is designed to give hunters literally no excuses for missing or wounding an animal. Most whitetail hunters can get on board with a crossbow that checks that box, especially when the accessorized cost is $999.

In-the-field photos by Becca McDougal