The Ghost 410 I am doing the majority of the shooting and testing with was purchased in 2015 but was a 2014 model. Once I upgraded to better quality (60X string and cable system) this crossbow has thousands of shots on it. I wish I could have had a shot counter.
Shortly after buying this crossbow, still in the factory stapled box from a dealer, I discovered many manufacture faults, mainly it was not properly assembled, parts were missing (2 limb rockers on one side). The string and cable system Barnett used was very poor quality as well as stretching due to not enough tension when manufactured. None of my Barnett crossbows were properly tuned, even to their spec. with out my additional tuning.
Both my Barnett Ghost 410's had limb replacements and riser replacements shortly after purchasing them. One was purchased from a dealer where unknown to him it had been dry fired. Cam bearing failure which had poor quality bearings with over size axle holes and some with little to no grease. Replacement bearings had to be purchased with cams (which were not required) had the same poor quality bearings with the over size axle holes. This is why I installed one piece bushings which also re enforces the axle as they are mild steel. A slight bend and the axle could be easily straightened.
On two of the trigger boxes, the tiny spring broke, one on each. These springs: one return the latch system partially up right after the arrow is shot. The second spring returns the latch to the upright position after the bow string crosses, putting the crossbow in the cocked position. Both springs are identical but one mounts on the opposite side facing the opposite way in the trigger box. The spring that failed to return the latches partially upward after the shot, with care the latches could be repositioned with a tiny flat screw driver. Not so, when after the bow string crossed to be in the cocking position. The scope and trigger housing top section were in the way. Fortunately, I could make one out of the two. Thousands of shots later and no further problems.
Most of the replacement parts were salvaged from new, deeply discounted crossbows I purchased from Canadian stores that wanted out of Barnett and to this day they have not brought Barnett crossbows back. For me, the crossbow I am now shooting would have made 7 or 8 trips to Tarpon Springs Florida from Canada if I had got Barnett to fix one thing individually each time. This would be a six week turn around in travel time plus their shop time. Barnett does not sell individual parts and even trying to purchase complete riser assemblies and willing to pay the shipping, they required my bow. One bolt fastens the riser to the rail-stock so why was the stock required.
Since switching to 60X, I have only had one string failure when a loop broke. All my 60X bowstrings are continually used over and over, just reserving the arrow-latch serving area . The new 60X bowstring I have on now has the BCY .030 serving installed over the top of the original. Since installing the BCY .030 I am able to get a lot more shots and now with the shims between the upper area of the riser and the rail-stock, the serving is lasting much longer. For those using a rope cocker, there would be a huge difference as the rope cocker pulls straight back, not downward as the Barnett Crank Cocking Device does.
60X cables far out last the center serving on a bow string. Where the cables eventually wear is crossing back and forth in the "J" section when cocking and shooting the crossbow. This cable area has to be well lubricated before installing the riser. The only way lubrication can be brought into that area is cocking and shooting the crossbow.
Once my serving test is done, I won't be shooting that crossbow as much as this is my last modification. Due to the stock design I have no plans to modify the Barnett Crank Cocking Device.
Re enforcing the riser with the plate system made a big difference for strength. Some of the newer models have a small gusset across that opening to add strength.
As for Barnett's Cross scope, I never used them due to the feed back where they failed due to vibration. My Barnett Ghost 410's have the HHA Optimixer with Bushnell AR223 3 x 12 x 40 Drop Zone scopes with the side parallax. These scope do not have illumination as I do not require that for target shooting. These scopes are rated up to 600 yards.
As for chronographed speed with the 410 grain arrow-point combination, if I remember correctly I hit around 465 feet per second. As a reference, I shot the 290 grain arrow-point combination at 509 feet per second. The 410 would be 120 grains heavier divide by 10 x 3 = 36 feet per second loss. There fore the 410 with cams advanced at that time as they were when shooting the 290 grain, the arrow would shoot very close to 473. The 465 seems to me to be what I remembered.
At the present time, the Ghost 410 is shooting a 20" Carbon Express Pile Driver 450 grain arrow-point combination at averaging 421 to 423 feet per second which equates to 436 to 438 feet per second with a 400 grain arrow-point combination. I still have room for more cam advancement which would increase speed if I wish to go that way.
When I originally purchased the Barnett Ghost 410, the name meant nothing to me. When I saw the nice rifle style stock and the actual big attraction was the built in riser, not the jut out style like my old Darton had back in the 1970-1980 era. If other crossbow brands would have had this style stock and built in riser, I may have bought a different brand???
In the future, do I have plans for purchasing a different brand of crossbow, I am going to say no, because I know what I have done to make a crossbow reliable. With the upgrades and tuning, I have made my Barnett crossbows very reliable and extremely accurate. Purchasing the newer series of crossbows that Barnett came out with, with the exception of the Barnett BCXtreme 365 Ultra Lite and the 2018 Droptine STR (which was a challenge to see why the string was coming off or dropping to a lower cam area), I have nothing to gain speed wise, as the Ghost 410 is out shooting all of them.
In my testing on the serving, I am shooting 48 to 64 arrows per day (8 shots each time before retrieving the arrows). If I miss a day, then I may shoot extra the following days to catch up and end the shooting tests sooner.
All the best.
Shortly after buying this crossbow, still in the factory stapled box from a dealer, I discovered many manufacture faults, mainly it was not properly assembled, parts were missing (2 limb rockers on one side). The string and cable system Barnett used was very poor quality as well as stretching due to not enough tension when manufactured. None of my Barnett crossbows were properly tuned, even to their spec. with out my additional tuning.
Both my Barnett Ghost 410's had limb replacements and riser replacements shortly after purchasing them. One was purchased from a dealer where unknown to him it had been dry fired. Cam bearing failure which had poor quality bearings with over size axle holes and some with little to no grease. Replacement bearings had to be purchased with cams (which were not required) had the same poor quality bearings with the over size axle holes. This is why I installed one piece bushings which also re enforces the axle as they are mild steel. A slight bend and the axle could be easily straightened.
On two of the trigger boxes, the tiny spring broke, one on each. These springs: one return the latch system partially up right after the arrow is shot. The second spring returns the latch to the upright position after the bow string crosses, putting the crossbow in the cocked position. Both springs are identical but one mounts on the opposite side facing the opposite way in the trigger box. The spring that failed to return the latches partially upward after the shot, with care the latches could be repositioned with a tiny flat screw driver. Not so, when after the bow string crossed to be in the cocking position. The scope and trigger housing top section were in the way. Fortunately, I could make one out of the two. Thousands of shots later and no further problems.
Most of the replacement parts were salvaged from new, deeply discounted crossbows I purchased from Canadian stores that wanted out of Barnett and to this day they have not brought Barnett crossbows back. For me, the crossbow I am now shooting would have made 7 or 8 trips to Tarpon Springs Florida from Canada if I had got Barnett to fix one thing individually each time. This would be a six week turn around in travel time plus their shop time. Barnett does not sell individual parts and even trying to purchase complete riser assemblies and willing to pay the shipping, they required my bow. One bolt fastens the riser to the rail-stock so why was the stock required.
Since switching to 60X, I have only had one string failure when a loop broke. All my 60X bowstrings are continually used over and over, just reserving the arrow-latch serving area . The new 60X bowstring I have on now has the BCY .030 serving installed over the top of the original. Since installing the BCY .030 I am able to get a lot more shots and now with the shims between the upper area of the riser and the rail-stock, the serving is lasting much longer. For those using a rope cocker, there would be a huge difference as the rope cocker pulls straight back, not downward as the Barnett Crank Cocking Device does.
60X cables far out last the center serving on a bow string. Where the cables eventually wear is crossing back and forth in the "J" section when cocking and shooting the crossbow. This cable area has to be well lubricated before installing the riser. The only way lubrication can be brought into that area is cocking and shooting the crossbow.
Once my serving test is done, I won't be shooting that crossbow as much as this is my last modification. Due to the stock design I have no plans to modify the Barnett Crank Cocking Device.
Re enforcing the riser with the plate system made a big difference for strength. Some of the newer models have a small gusset across that opening to add strength.
As for Barnett's Cross scope, I never used them due to the feed back where they failed due to vibration. My Barnett Ghost 410's have the HHA Optimixer with Bushnell AR223 3 x 12 x 40 Drop Zone scopes with the side parallax. These scope do not have illumination as I do not require that for target shooting. These scopes are rated up to 600 yards.
As for chronographed speed with the 410 grain arrow-point combination, if I remember correctly I hit around 465 feet per second. As a reference, I shot the 290 grain arrow-point combination at 509 feet per second. The 410 would be 120 grains heavier divide by 10 x 3 = 36 feet per second loss. There fore the 410 with cams advanced at that time as they were when shooting the 290 grain, the arrow would shoot very close to 473. The 465 seems to me to be what I remembered.
At the present time, the Ghost 410 is shooting a 20" Carbon Express Pile Driver 450 grain arrow-point combination at averaging 421 to 423 feet per second which equates to 436 to 438 feet per second with a 400 grain arrow-point combination. I still have room for more cam advancement which would increase speed if I wish to go that way.
When I originally purchased the Barnett Ghost 410, the name meant nothing to me. When I saw the nice rifle style stock and the actual big attraction was the built in riser, not the jut out style like my old Darton had back in the 1970-1980 era. If other crossbow brands would have had this style stock and built in riser, I may have bought a different brand???
In the future, do I have plans for purchasing a different brand of crossbow, I am going to say no, because I know what I have done to make a crossbow reliable. With the upgrades and tuning, I have made my Barnett crossbows very reliable and extremely accurate. Purchasing the newer series of crossbows that Barnett came out with, with the exception of the Barnett BCXtreme 365 Ultra Lite and the 2018 Droptine STR (which was a challenge to see why the string was coming off or dropping to a lower cam area), I have nothing to gain speed wise, as the Ghost 410 is out shooting all of them.
In my testing on the serving, I am shooting 48 to 64 arrows per day (8 shots each time before retrieving the arrows). If I miss a day, then I may shoot extra the following days to catch up and end the shooting tests sooner.
All the best.
