CenterPoint Sniper Elite 385

385 FPS from a 185 lb draw generates roughly 132 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, with a 14 inch power stroke doing the work in a compact 14.75 inch cocked width. That puts the Sniper Elite 385 a step up in speed from the Sniper 370 while sharing the same 185 lb draw weight, so hand-cocking it is no harder than the 370 - the extra feet per second comes from the cam and limb design rather than a heavier pull.

The "Elite" in the name refers to CenterPoint's Whisper Silencing System - string stops, limb dampeners and string silencers built into the bow rather than added afterward. On a bow this age, those rubber components are usually the first thing to perish in storage, well before the string itself needs attention.

The Sniper Elite 385 shipped as a complete hunting package:

• 4x32 illuminated scope
• Detachable quiver
• Rope cocking device
• Rail lube
• A set of carbon bolts

If any of these are missing on a used bow, the scope and the cocking rope are the two worth replacing first - see scopes and cocking devices for what actually fits.

Specialist string makers list the Sniper Elite 385's replacement bowstring at 35.43 inches, built to match the factory geometry. What sets this model apart from most of the discontinued CenterPoints on this site is that the manufacturer has not fully dropped it: CenterPoint's own site currently lists a replacement string for around $27.99 and a matching set of cables for around $43.99, sold directly under the model name.

That official option is not necessarily the most convenient one. A Stone Mountain Bowstrings string-and-cable set built specifically for the Sniper Elite 385 is available on Amazon as a single order, which is simpler than a separate manufacturer checkout for a string and a second one for cables. Either route gets you the correct length; which one to use is mostly about whether you would rather order from CenterPoint directly or keep it inside an existing Amazon order. Full lengths for the rest of the range are on the strings page.

Like most of the CenterPoint compound line, the Sniper Elite 385 is built around a 20 inch carbon bolt in the 400 grain range. Any bolt in that length and weight with the correct nock type will chamber and fly correctly - the brand printed on the shaft does not matter, but length, total weight and nock type all have to match. See bolts and what fits for the detail on each.

The bundled 4x32 reticle is calibrated to a speed close to 385 feet per second, so the printed distance marks on a Sniper Elite 385 are usually reasonably close out of the box. Confirm each line at the range rather than trusting it blind, and keep bolt weight consistent once you have zeroed - swapping to a heavier or lighter bolt shifts every mark on the reticle.

Before trusting a used Sniper Elite 385 in the field:

• The string. Original strings on a bow this age are overdue. Look for fuzzing, serving separation, or a shift in point of impact.
• The Whisper Silencing components. String stops and limb dampeners are rubber, and rubber perishes in storage faster than it wears from shooting. A bow that suddenly sounds louder usually has a perished dampener rather than a failing limb.
• The rail. Run a finger along the string path. A groove or rough patch is eating strings and needs a shop's attention.
• Scope mounting screws. Crossbow recoil works fasteners loose. A bow that will not hold zero is very often a scope that has shifted rather than a bow problem.

None of this is expensive to fix, and it is the difference between an older crossbow that still shoots true and one that gets blamed for a bad hunt. The full wear-item rundown is on the parts that wear first page.