CenterPoint Crossbows: Current and Discontinued Models

These are the models CenterPoint currently lists:

The D suffix on the Sinister 430D, Amped G2D and Sniper G4D indicates de-cocking capability, which is a meaningful convenience feature - it means you do not have to shoot a bolt to un-cock the bow at the end of the day.

The Tradition 405 and the Hellion 400 HRK hunt-ready kit also appear on Amazon under the CenterPoint brand.

Search volume tells the real story about which CenterPoint crossbows are in use. The Sniper 370 is searched for far more than anything currently in the catalogue, and it has not been sold new for years. The same applies to the Wrath 430, the Patriot 425, the Amped 425, the Dagger 405 and the CP400.

If you own one of these, the bow is fine. What has gone is the manufacturer's product page, which is why specifications and part numbers are suddenly hard to find. The parts themselves are still available from the aftermarket - see string lengths by model and what wears first.

The two discontinued models with the largest followings have their own pages here: the Sniper 370 and the Wrath 430.

CenterPoint's position in the market is price. A CenterPoint at 400 feet per second costs a fraction of what a premium brand charges for the same headline number, and for a hunter taking shots inside 40 yards the headline number is not the limiting factor anyway.

What you give up at this price point is mostly refinement rather than capability: trigger feel, fit and finish, how quiet the bow is at the shot, and how much of the package you will eventually want to replace. The bundled 4x32 scope is serviceable rather than good - see the scope page for what upgrading buys you.

Two features CenterPoint puts front and centre are its anti-dry-fire technology and a ball bearing retention spring design. Both address the same failure mode: a bolt that is not seated correctly against the string.

If you are buying a CenterPoint now, the decision comes down to three questions:

• Do you want de-cocking? If yes, you are looking at a D-suffix model. Being able to un-cock without shooting a bolt into the ground is worth more in practice than most people expect, particularly if you hunt alone in the dark.
• Compound or recurve? The Hornet is a recurve at a genuinely low price. It is simpler, cheaper and easier to restring, but it is slower and wider than the compounds.
• How much speed do you actually need? For whitetail inside 40 yards, 350 to 400 feet per second is plenty. Paying for 430 buys you a flatter trajectory, which forgives range estimation errors, rather than more killing power at normal distances.

Whatever you pick, budget separately for bolts. The three that come in the box are not a season's supply - see bolts and what fits.