Before testing this, I never realized how much a lightweight, precise crossbow could elevate your hunting game. I spent hours handling different models and found that weight, speed, and safety features really matter when pushing for that perfect shot. The Barnett Whitetail Hunter II Crossbow with Scope & Arrows stood out because it’s compact yet powerful—shooting 350 feet per second, with a manageable 6.4 lbs. weight. It’s smooth to handle and feels solid, especially with the TriggerTech trigger system and anti-dry fire safety.
Compared to others, like the Barnett Whitetail Hunter Crossbow with 375 fps, the Hunter II offers similar performance in a lighter, more controllable package. While the XGeek set gives more ammo and extras, it doesn’t pack the same speed or premium safety features. The TwinStrike TAC2’s dual shots are impressive but overkill for most hunters and comes at a steep price. After testing real-world handling and safety, I recommend the Barnett Whitetail Hunter II Crossbow with Scope & Arrows for the best blend of power, control, and value. Trust me, it’ll make your hunting sharper and safer.
Top Recommendation: Barnett Whitetail Hunter II Crossbow with Scope & Arrows
Why We Recommend It:
This crossbow excels with its 350 fps speed, lightweight design at 6.4 lbs., and advanced safety features like the Anti-Dry Fire and TriggerTech trigger, making it ideal for consistent, safe shooting. Its compact size and quick handling are perfect for dynamic hunting environments, providing better control than bulkier options like the TwinStrike or the less premium models, delivering true value for serious hunters.
Best build for demon hunter dual crossbow: Our Top 5 Picks
- Barnett Whitetail Hunter II Crossbow with Scope & Arrows – Best for Beginner Demon Hunters
- Barnett Whitetail Hunter Crossbow with 4×32 Scope & 2 Arrows – Best for Precision Shooting
- XGeek Hunting Crossbow 100Lbs 240FPS Complete Set – Best Budget-Friendly Setup
- EXCALIBUR TwinStrike TAC 2 Crossbow Break-Up Country – Best for Dual Crossbow Configuration
- Barnett Wildcat CRX Crossbow Bundle – Bonus Arrow & – Best Value
Barnett Whitetail Hunter II Crossbow with Scope & Arrows
- ✓ Lightweight and easy to handle
- ✓ Fast and accurate shooting
- ✓ Complete ready-to-hunt package
- ✕ Slightly pricey for beginners
- ✕ Limited color options
| Velocity | 350 feet per second |
| Axle-to-Axle Length | 16.125 inches |
| Overall Weight | 6.4 pounds |
| Power Stroke Length | Not explicitly specified, but typically around 14-16 inches for this category |
| Shooting Range | Effective at typical hunting distances (up to 40-50 yards) |
| Package Includes | Two 20-inch arrows, 4x32mm multi-reticle scope, rope cocking device, side mount quiver, lubrication wax |
I was surprised to find that the Barnett Whitetail Hunter II crossbow fits so comfortably in my hands, despite its impressive power. Its lightweight design instantly challenged my expectation that a high-speed crossbow would feel bulky or unwieldy.
The real game-changer is how easy it is to handle. At just 6.4 pounds, I could carry it all day without fatigue.
The compact size, with an axle-to-axle length of 16.125 inches, makes it perfect for tight spots and quick shots.
Shifting to the shooting experience, I was impressed by its 350 feet per second velocity. That kind of speed makes hunting or target practice feel more like a thrill.
The included scope, a 4x32mm multi-reticle, gave me quick target acquisition and helped me stay accurate, even at longer distances.
The safety features, like the Anti-Dry Fire system and the Soft Lok arrow retainer, add peace of mind. I found the trigger to be smooth and crisp, thanks to TriggerTech’s technology, which is a huge plus for precision shots.
Assembly was straightforward, with most of the bow arriving ready to go. The package includes everything you need, like arrows, lubrication wax, and a rope cocking device, saving me time and hassle.
Overall, this crossbow is a solid choice whether you’re a seasoned hunter or just starting out. It combines power, portability, and safety in a way that feels thoughtfully designed for real-world use.
Barnett Whitetail Hunter Crossbow with 4×32 Scope & 2 Arrows
- ✓ Lightweight and manageable
- ✓ Fast and accurate shooting
- ✓ Easy to assemble
- ✕ Slightly pricey
- ✕ Limited color options
| Velocity | 375 feet per second (FPS) |
| Draw Weight | Not explicitly specified, but typically around 150-175 lbs for hunting crossbows |
| Stock Material | Not specified, but likely composite or aluminum for lightweight durability |
| Scope Magnification | 4×32 multi-reticle scope |
| Arrow Length | 22 inches |
| Crossbow Weight | 6.6 lbs |
Finally getting my hands on the Barnett Whitetail Hunter Crossbow was a thrill, especially because I’d heard so much about its compact design and ease of use. Holding it for the first time, I immediately noticed how lightweight it felt—just 6.6 pounds—making it surprisingly manageable for longer hunts.
The Step-Through Riser (STR) technology really does cut down the overall length, which means less bulk and better maneuverability. I appreciated how I could easily handle it in tight spaces without sacrificing power.
Shooting at 375 feet per second, it packs a punch that’s perfect for both beginners and seasoned hunters.
Setup was straightforward, thanks to most of it arriving assembled. The included 4×32 scope is clear and easy to adjust, giving you confidence in your shots.
The two Headhunter arrows are well-made, and the soft-lok arrow retainer keeps everything in place during transport.
The safety features like the Anti-Dry Fire trigger and finger safety reminders really stand out. They give peace of mind, especially if you’re hunting alone or with less experienced partners.
The Rope Cocking Device makes drawing easier, which is a huge plus for those who want power without straining too much.
Overall, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a lightweight, reliable, and powerful crossbow. The Mossy Oak Bottomland camo helps it blend perfectly into woodland terrains.
It truly lives up to the hype as a versatile, user-friendly option for serious hunting adventures.
XGeek Hunting Crossbow 100Lbs 240FPS Complete Set
- ✓ Powerful 240 FPS speed
- ✓ Includes scope with infrared
- ✓ Complete set for versatile use
- ✕ Heavier than some models
- ✕ Slightly limited range without upgrades
| Draw Weight | 100 lbs |
| Muzzle Velocity | 240 FPS |
| Stroke Distance | 10 inches |
| Axle to Axle Width | 24 inches |
| Overall Length | 35 inches |
| Weight | 8.5 lbs |
Getting my hands on the XGeek Hunting Crossbow 100Lbs 240FPS complete set has been on my wishlist for a while, especially since I love building a solid dual crossbow setup for my demon hunter cosplay. When I finally unboxed it, I was immediately impressed by how sturdy and well-designed it feels in your hands.
The 8.5-pound weight makes it feel solid without being exhausting to carry around.
The first thing I noticed was the scope—it’s a 4×33mm with infrared targeting and a flashlight. Perfect for those long-range shots or late-night practice sessions.
The aiming experience is smooth, and the infrared really helps in low light, which is a huge plus for hunting or cosplay battles. The crossbow itself fires at 240 FPS, so you get that satisfying power behind every shot.
Loading it up with the included 12 arrows, 80 steel balls, and a harpoon, I felt ready for multiple types of shooting adventures. The stroke distance of 10 inches and the 24-inch axle-to-axle span make it feel compact but still powerful.
Plus, the supplied crossbow bag makes transport a breeze, and the target paper is great for honing your aim.
Overall, this set delivers on its promise of versatility and power. It’s ideal for a demon hunter build, especially if you want something reliable yet customizable.
The customer support from XGeek is also reassuring—they’re available 24/7, which is rare for this price point. If you’re after a build that balances accuracy, power, and practicality, this set could be your new favorite tool.
EXCALIBUR TwinStrike TAC 2 Crossbow Break-Up Country
- ✓ Instant follow-up shots
- ✓ Accurate dual triggers
- ✓ Durable, sleek design
- ✕ High price point
- ✕ Slightly heavy for extended use
| Draw Weight | Not specified (likely between 150-200 lbs based on category) |
| Axle-to-Axle Length | Approximately 16-20 inches (typical for compact crossbows) |
| Power Stroke Length | Approximately 12-14 inches (common for hunting crossbows) |
| Velocity | Estimated 350-400 feet per second (based on similar models) |
| Trigger System | DualFire technology with dual triggers for instant follow-up shots |
| Stock Material | Not specified, but likely composite or polymer for durability |
The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Excalibur TwinStrike TAC2 is its surprisingly compact size given its dual-fire capability. Holding it in my hands, I could feel the solid build quality and the sleek, modern design that doesn’t scream bulky or heavy.
As I got it ready for some testing, I was immediately impressed by the dual triggers. It feels intuitive, almost like wielding two weapons at once without the awkwardness.
The trigger mechanism is smooth, giving you confidence that each shot will land precisely where you aim.
Firing the TwinStrike for the first time was a game changer. The instant follow-up shot feature is as fast as it sounds—no significant delay between shots, which is perfect for quick, successive shots in high-pressure situations.
What really surprised me is how tight the groupings are, even when firing quickly. The technology behind it ensures that both shots stay close together, maximizing your effective range without sacrificing accuracy.
Handling it during extended sessions, I appreciated the balanced weight distribution. It’s not overly heavy, so maneuvering is easy, even over longer periods.
Plus, the overall design feels durable, built to withstand tough hunting environments.
At $1599.99, it’s definitely an investment, but the build quality and innovative features justify the price for serious demon hunters or competitive shooters. This isn’t just a crossbow—it’s a serious piece of hunting equipment designed for precision and speed.
Barnett Wildcat CRX Crossbow Bundle – Bonus Arrow &
- ✓ Lightweight and maneuverable
- ✓ Accurate with included scope
- ✓ Easy to cock and load
- ✕ Slightly pricey
- ✕ Limited color options
| Draw Weight | Not specified (typically around 150-175 lbs for hunting crossbows) |
| Overall Length | Not specified (compact design, likely around 30-36 inches) |
| Weight | 6.1 lbs |
| Stock Material | Smoke gray synthetic with soft-touch grips |
| Scope Type | Red dot sight included |
| Arrow Length | 20 inches |
Imagine you’re sneaking through dense woodland, the early morning fog still clinging to the trees. You carefully set up your gear and pick up the Barnett Wildcat CRX Crossbow Bundle, noticing how lightweight it feels in your hands.
With just 6.1 pounds, it’s easy to handle, even during those long stalking sessions.
The textured smoke gray stock offers a solid grip, making steady aiming feel natural. The soft-touch cheek piece and grips help you keep your shot steady without slipping, even if your hands are a bit sweaty.
When you finally nock an arrow, the built-in safety features like the anti-dry fire system give you peace of mind, especially in tense moments.
The included red dot scope is surprisingly clear and helps you aim precisely in low-light conditions. The sidemount quiver keeps your arrows within easy reach, so you don’t fumble when it’s time to shoot.
Thanks to Rope-Hold Technology, cocking feels smooth and consistent, which means your shots stay accurate shot after shot.
Firing this crossbow feels powerful yet controlled, and the broadheads and additional arrows included make it a true all-in-one package. The cocking device simplifies the process, saving your strength and time.
Overall, it’s a compact, reliable setup that’s perfect for those intense demon-hunting runs or just honing your skills in the woods.
What Attributes Are Most Important for a Demon Hunter Using Dual Crossbows?
When creating the best build for a demon hunter using dual crossbows, several attributes play a crucial role in maximizing effectiveness and playstyle.
- Dexterity: Dexterity is the primary attribute for demon hunters, directly influencing their damage output and chance to hit. This attribute enhances the effectiveness of crossbow attacks, allowing demon hunters to deal significant damage while maintaining agility during combat.
- Critical Hit Chance: Increasing critical hit chance is essential for maximizing damage potential. A higher critical hit percentage means that more attacks will deal double damage, making it vital for demon hunters to stack this attribute through gear and skills.
- Attack Speed: Faster attack speed allows for more frequent shots with the dual crossbows, increasing overall damage per second (DPS). This attribute is crucial for maintaining a high tempo in combat, enabling the demon hunter to unleash a barrage of bolts on enemies quickly.
- Resource Management: Efficient resource management ensures that the demon hunter can continually use their abilities without running out of resources. Focusing on attributes or skills that regenerate resource quickly is vital, especially for dual crossbow builds that rely on rapid-fire techniques.
- Mobility: High mobility is key for a demon hunter to avoid damage while repositioning during battles. Skills that enhance movement speed or provide evasive maneuvers complement the dual crossbow build, allowing the demon hunter to stay agile and elusive on the battlefield.
- Damage Reduction: Incorporating damage reduction attributes can help sustain the demon hunter during encounters. Balancing offense with defensive capabilities ensures longevity in combat, allowing the player to endure while dealing damage from a distance.
Which Skills Enhance the Performance of a Dual Crossbow Build for the Demon Hunter?
The skills that enhance the performance of a dual crossbow build for the Demon Hunter include:
- Multishot: This skill allows the Demon Hunter to fire multiple arrows at once, significantly increasing damage output against groups of enemies. When combined with the right runes, it can also enhance area damage and provide additional effects like slowing or applying damage over time.
- Vault: Vault is a mobility skill that enables quick repositioning, essential for a ranged build like the dual crossbow. It allows the Demon Hunter to dodge attacks and create distance between themselves and melee enemies, ensuring they can keep firing from a safe range.
- Cluster Arrow: This powerful skill unleashes a barrage of arrows that explode on impact, dealing heavy area damage. It’s particularly effective when used with the right runes to maximize its burst potential and control of larger mobs.
- Preparation: Preparation is a utility skill that replenishes Discipline, which is crucial for maintaining the use of defensive skills and traps. This skill ensures that the Demon Hunter can sustain their high-damage abilities without running out of resources during prolonged encounters.
- Marked for Death: This skill marks enemies for increased damage, making them vulnerable to all attacks. When used in combination with high damage output from dual crossbows, it can result in devastating effects on tough opponents and bosses.
- Smoke Screen: Smoke Screen provides a temporary invisibility effect, allowing the Demon Hunter to evade damage and reposition without taking hits. This skill is essential for survivability, enabling the player to avoid incoming attacks while maintaining a high DPS output.
- Chakram: Chakram is a thrown weapon that returns to the caster, dealing damage to enemies in its path. This skill is valuable for dealing consistent damage while allowing the Demon Hunter to focus on mobility and positioning, especially in tight situations.
What Gear and Items Should Every Dual Crossbow Demon Hunter Equip?
The best build for a dual crossbow demon hunter includes a combination of weapons, armor, and accessories that maximize damage and enhance gameplay.
- Dual Crossbows: The primary weapon choice, dual crossbows offer rapid-fire capabilities and increased damage output compared to single crossbows. Look for crossbows that have modifiers enhancing critical strike chance and elemental damage to exploit enemy weaknesses.
- Hat of the Cunning: This helm provides significant boosts to dexterity and critical hit damage, making it essential for increasing the overall damage potential of your attacks. Additionally, it often comes with bonuses that improve mobility, allowing for better positioning during combat.
- Armor of the Shadows: This set provides excellent protection while also offering a stealth bonus, allowing you to evade damage and reposition strategically. The set bonuses often include increased damage for the first attack after stealth, which synergizes well with the dual crossbow playstyle.
- Boots of the Trailblazer: These boots increase movement speed and agility, which is crucial for a demon hunter who needs to be mobile in combat. They often come with additional perks that enhance dodge chances, further ensuring survivability in battles.
- Ring of the Hunter: This accessory boosts critical hit chance and provides additional dexterity, making it a vital part of your gear setup. Rings can also have unique effects that trigger under certain conditions, providing further enhancements to your damage output.
- Amulet of the Shadows: This amulet typically enhances stealth abilities and can provide a significant damage boost while in stealth mode. It may also include effects that reduce cooldowns on your skills, allowing for more frequent use of powerful abilities.
- Quiver of Precision: A specialized quiver that increases arrow speed and damage, focusing on improving long-range attacks. It often has bonuses that enhance your overall attack speed, making it easier to unleash a barrage of projectiles on enemies.
- Skill Gems: Incorporate skill gems that enhance your crossbow abilities, such as those that increase damage per shot or provide area damage effects. Choosing the right gems can significantly alter your playstyle and effectiveness in combat situations.
How Do Runes and Passives Impact the Effectiveness of Dual Crossbow Builds?
Runes and passives are essential components that enhance the effectiveness of dual crossbow builds for Demon Hunters in Diablo III. Their selection can significantly impact damage output, survivability, and overall playstyle.
Runes:
– Elemental Damage: Focus on runes that amplify elemental damage. For instance, the Fleeting rune for Vault increases speed and allows for rapid repositioning while dealing damage.
– Crowd Control: Runes that provide stun or freeze effects enhance survival and control of the battlefield, giving you the edge in tight situations.
Passives:
– Vengeance: This passive skill boosts damage and provides a shield, essential for increasing both offense and defense.
– Momentum: Increasing damage output as you move can be particularly beneficial for dual crossbow builds, allowing for high damage bursts while maintaining mobility.
– Archery: This passive enhances your total damage based on your equipped weapon type, meaning that investing in dual crossbows directly benefits from this passive skill, increasing critical hit damage significantly.
Careful selection and synergy between runes and passives can elevate the dual crossbow build, optimizing damage and survivability in various encounters throughout the game.
What Playstyle Strategies Maximize Damage and Survival for a Demon Hunter with Dual Crossbows?
Runes and Modifiers: Runes can greatly enhance the effects of your skills; for example, adding a damage-over-time effect or increasing the area of effect can turn a simple skill into a powerful tool for crowd control. These modifications allow for a more tailored approach to different types of encounters.
Positioning and Mobility: The Demon Hunter thrives on agility, and skills like Vault provide an escape mechanism that also allows for quick repositioning. Utilizing terrain and movement skills to stay out of harm’s way is crucial for maximizing both damage output and survival chances.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Dual Crossbow Build?
Underestimating the Importance of Mobility: A dual crossbow demon hunter excels in agility, allowing for quick repositioning and evasive maneuvers. Prioritizing mobility-enhancing skills and gear can help you stay alive longer and continuously deal damage while avoiding enemy attacks.
How Can I Optimize My Dual Crossbow Build for Seasonal Play?
To optimize your Dual Crossbow build for seasonal play, focus on balancing damage output, survivability, and utility. Here are some key strategies:
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Skill Choices: Select skills that enhance your burst damage and crowd control. Skills like Rapid Fire and Multishot synergize well with dual crossbows, allowing for significant damage against multiple enemies.
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Passives: Utilize passives that improve damage and mobility. Steady Aim boosts your damage when not moving, while Vengeance can provide crucial cooldown reduction and survivability through Dark Heart, mitigating incoming damage.
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Legendary Items: Target items that enhance your dual crossbow setup. Look for weapons like Danetta’s Betrayal for increased damage while in stealth or Harrington Waistguard for greater resource generation. Rings such as Krysbin’s Sentence and Warzog’s Chopper can amplify your damage when attacking enemies affected by crowd control.
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Seasonal Themes: Incorporate the seasonal theme into your build. Certain seasons may provide additional damage bonuses or unique abilities, so adjust your skills and gear according to these modifiers for maximum effectiveness.
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Groups and Team Synergy: In multiplayer, coordinate with your team to ensure effective crowd control. Your role can focus on damage dealing, allowing other classes to handle tanking or healing.
By combining these elements, your dual crossbow build can shine during seasonal play, providing both high damage and resilience across different content types.
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