The Barnett crank cocking device

Barnett sits in an unusual position in this market: it sells a lot of affordable, high-draw-weight crossbows, which means a lot of owners discover the cocking problem after the purchase rather than before it. A 220 lb bow with nothing but a rope is a 110 lb lift, repeated, often from a seated position. The crank is the fix, and Barnett is one of the very few makers that publishes a number for how much it takes off.

That 93% figure is why the Barnett crank appears at or near the top of best crank cocking devices and best crossbow cocking devices. This page is the Barnett-specific version: what fits, what does not, what it costs you, and whether the much cheaper clone is a real alternative.

What Barnett publishes

In detail

The crank, the clone, and the rope alternatives

01The best-documented effort reduction here

$149.99/Amazon

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Barnett Crank Cocking Device

Barnett

8.6/ 10

Barnett publishes two numbers that almost nobody else does: 93 percent resistance reduction, and 13 pounds of actual pull at the handle. On a 150-pound Barnett that turns an impossible draw into something you can do one-handed from a seated position. The compatibility list on the listing runs to dozens of named models, which is the other reason to pick it — you can check your bow before you buy.

Published spec	Value
Effort reduction	93%
Pull at the handle	13 lb
Type	Crank, stock-mounted
Handed	Ambidextrous
Fits	Barnett Raptor, Whitetail Hunter, Ghost, Recruit, Droptine, Wildcat and more
Hardware	Crank plus all installation hardware included
De-cocks	Not published

What it does well

• 93 percent reduction and a 13 lb handle pull, both published
• A named-model compatibility list you can check against your bow
• Ambidextrous handle
• Everything needed to install is in the box

Where it falls short

• Barnett bows only — check the list, because it is specific
• The listing does not say whether it de-cocks
• Mounts to the stock, so it stays on the bow and adds weight

Our rubric

Effort reduction

9.6

Fit range

7.8

Noise

7.4

Pack size

6.4

Value

8.2

02Barnett-pattern crank at two-thirds the price

$89.99/Amazon

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Euluese BAR20020 Crank Cocking Device

Euluese

8.2/ 10

An aftermarket build of Barnett's BAR20020 crank, publishing the same 93 percent reduction and the same broad Barnett compatibility, for noticeably less money. The listing's own closing line is the honest caveat: check your model carefully before you order.

Published spec	Value
Effort reduction	93%
Type	Crank, stock-mounted
Pattern	Barnett BAR20020 replacement
Fits	Barnett series; not the Tactical TS370/380/390
Handed	Ambidextrous
Hardware	Standard hooks, no special tools needed
De-cocks	Not published

What it does well

• The same 93 percent figure as the Barnett original, for less
• Broad Barnett compatibility
• Ambidextrous with an ergonomic grip

Where it falls short

• Aftermarket, so there is no maker warranty behind the Barnett fit claim
• Compatibility needs checking model by model
• No de-cocking

Our rubric

Effort reduction

9.4

Fit range

7.4

Noise

7.0

Pack size

6.4

Value

8.8

03The rope cocker to buy if you only buy one

$29.99/Amazon

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Barnett Premium Rope Cocking Device

Barnett

8.2/ 10

50 percent tension reduction from a 50-inch rope on a sled that mounts to the stock, with a knurled soft grip and a magnet lock so the handles stay put in your pocket. It is adjustable to both the bow and the user, which matters more than it sounds: an evenly-pulled string is an accurate one.

Published spec	Value
Tension reduction	Up to 50%
Rope length	50 in
Type	Rope cocking device, sled style
Handed	Ambidextrous
Grip	Diamond knurl soft grip with magnet lock
Adjustable	To both the crossbow and the user
Does not fit	Hyper Raptor crossbows
De-cocks	Not published

What it does well

• Adjustable to the bow and to your arm length
• Magnet lock keeps the handles together in a pocket
• Pulls the string evenly, which is the accuracy argument for a sled
• Costs less than a box of broadheads

Where it falls short

• 50 percent of a 200 lb bow is still a 100 lb pull
• The listing excludes Hyper Raptor bows, so check yours first
• No de-cocking

Our rubric

Effort reduction

6.8

Fit range

8.4

Noise

8.0

Pack size

8.6

Value

9.4

04Cheap, universal, and kind to your rail

$16.44/Amazon

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Allen Double Handled Crossbow Cocking Rope

Allen

8.3/ 10

50 percent draw reduction, oversized handles, and the detail that earns it a place here: molded string hooks with a roller inside, so the hook does not chew the rail and the pull runs smoother. It fits most crossbow models rather than one brand.

Published spec	Value
Draw reduction	Up to 50%
Type	Rope cocker, double handle
Handles	Oversized
Hooks	Molded, with a friction-reducing roller
Fits	Most crossbow models
Rail safety	Hooks will not damage the rail
De-cocks	Not published

What it does well

• Roller hooks reduce friction and protect the rail
• Universal fit rather than brand-locked
• Oversized handles suit gloved or arthritic hands
• Cheapest branded rope cocker here

Where it falls short

• 50 percent only; this is not a crank substitute
• No published rope length
• No de-cocking

Our rubric

Effort reduction

6.8

Fit range

9.4

Noise

8.2

Pack size

9.6

Value

9.6

Which Barnett bows it fits

Barnett lists the Raptor, Whitetail Hunter, Ghost, Recruit, Droptine and Wildcat families among others. That covers the large majority of the bows Barnett has sold into the general hunting market over the last decade, which is why this crank is so widely cross-listed.

The exceptions matter more than the list. The Hyper Raptor GTX - Barnett's 425 fps, 152 ft-lb flagship, which shoots proprietary .204 in HyperFlite arrows - is explicitly not covered by the standard Barnett rope cocking device, and the stock geometry on the Hyper platform is different from the bows the crank bracket is designed around. The BAR20020-pattern clone separately excludes the Tactical TS370, TS380 and TS390. Before you buy either, read the listing's own fit text against your exact model name, not the family name. The general method for checking crank fit on any bow is on universal crank compatibility.

Fitting it

Is the cheaper clone worth it?

The Euluese BAR20020 is a replacement for Barnett's own BAR20020 pattern, publishes the same 93% effort reduction, is ambidextrous, uses standard hooks and needs no special tools. It costs roughly two-thirds of the Barnett part. For a second bow, a spare, or a budget-constrained first crank, it is a legitimate purchase and we list it for that reason.

What you give up is the warranty relationship and the fit guarantee. If the clone does not fit your specific bow, you own a crank and a problem; if Barnett's own part does not fit, you have a conversation with Barnett. The clone also excludes the Tactical TS370, TS380 and TS390 explicitly, which the Barnett listing does not mention, so the two fit lists are not identical. Our view: buy the Barnett part for the bow you hunt with, and the clone for the spare.

Or keep the rope

A crank is not automatically the right answer. It takes roughly 93% off the lift but it is slow to reset, it adds permanent weight to the stock, and it is one more mechanism to maintain. A rope cocker takes about 50% off, weighs almost nothing, costs very little, and resets in seconds - which is why our best crossbow for hog hunting page ranks rope-cocked bows above cranked ones.

Barnett's own Premium Rope Cocking Device publishes up to 50% tension reduction on a 50 in rope, is ambidextrous, has a diamond-knurl soft grip with a magnet lock, and adjusts to both the bow and the user. It does not fit the Hyper Raptor. The Allen Double Handled cocking rope is the universal alternative at a lower price, publishes up to 50% draw reduction, and has molded hooks with a friction-reducing roller that Allen states will not damage the rail. The full comparison is on crank vs rope cocker.

Our view

If the lift is why you are reading this - a shoulder that objects, or simply a 220 lb bow and a seated position - the Barnett crank is the right purchase and the 93% figure is the reason. Buy Barnett's own part for the bow you hunt, check the fit text against your exact model, and set the hook lengths carefully. If the lift is manageable and what you actually want is convenience, the rope cocker is faster, lighter and a fifth of the price.

And if you have not bought the bow yet, note that several makers build the crank in rather than bolting it on, with published effort figures as low as 5 lb. That is a different and generally better answer than retrofitting - see crossbow packages with a crank and crossbow cocking effort explained.