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Nice and streamlined design
Bow attachment (with the added pad)
The extra smooth flight rail
Limb tips with rubber covers
The ventilated design of the pistol grip
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Quality
The Phantom Jr. is a
crossbow that sells at under $100, keeping this
in mind we can make some considerations about
quality. The flight rail is not made into the
molding but it is added later and it is made
from a different, very smooth material to reduce
friction and insure a long life to string and
serving. The pistol grip is heavily vented in
order to reduce sweating. The synthetic stock
coupled with the highly stylized design allow
the total mass to be under 3.5 pounds (this is
important as it should be handled by a kid)
The general impression is that this crossbow
is well manufactured and well conceived.
Some suggestions for improvement may be:
adding a cover to the red dot battery and make
the foregrip a little fatter and more rounded.
Ergonomics
This is a point not so easy to discuss as
kids, even in the same age group, larger
variations in bodyframe than adults. I can say
that my son (7 years old , but he is quite tall
for its age as he wears 8-10 years apparel) can
handle the crossbow well, the light 3.5 pound
weight is a bonus here, but the trigger reach is
a little long for him. Of course he cannot cock
the crossbow as the effort is too much for him,
I think that this is good as he requires me to
help therefore I can supervise the shooting
activity. (Again this is not a toy, arrows from
this youth crossbow can potentially be very
dangerous!).
The automatic safety is a welcome addition in
order to let youngster safely learn the basics
of crossbow handling.
Performance
The Barnett Phantom junior comes equipped
with tree 16” aluminum arrows with field points
(75 grains)
The arrows speeds are:
Manufacturer’s suggested arrow (293 grains
total) 156.8-157 FPS
2219 Easton 20” arrow and point (426 grains
total) 137 FPS
The latter was tested just to let you
understand how this crossbow compares to regular
crossbows.
Precision
We set our target at 15 yards (at first
because I was in fear of a miss and resulting
errant arrows) we then set the red dot and, from
then on, shooting from a rest my son was able to
repeatedly shoot tree arrows within one inch. To
me it is an amazing feat!
I would not suggest rages longer than 20
yards as the minimal crossbow power would result
in a considerable arrow drop.
Conclusions
The Phantom Jr. is an extremely fun crossbow,
me and my son spent some good hours outdoor
together. It is easy to cock (your back will
thanks this) and easy to use and also
surprisingly accurate. It is moderately priced
at under $100 but the ability to involve your
kids into your sport….is priceless!
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