CenterPoint Archery: Brand Guide & Crossbows

CenterPoint Archery is a Velocity Outdoorbrand — the same parent company that owns Ravin Crossbows, Crosman, and Benjamin Airguns. That corporate link is the key to understanding the brand: within Velocity's crossbow portfolio, Ravin is the premium line and CenterPoint is the affordable one. They are siblings, not rivals, and they are deliberately aimed at different buyers.

Where a Ravin sells compact, coaxial-cam accuracy for well over a thousand dollars, a CenterPoint sells a complete, ready-to-hunt package — scope, quiver, arrows and a crank in the box — for $500 to $800. The trade-off is refinement: CenterPoint bows run heavier, and the fit and finish is a value-tier product, not a flagship. But the gap has narrowed. The current generation brings compact widths and silent crank cocking with true de-cocking — features that were premium-exclusive a few years ago — down to value prices, and for most whitetail hunting inside sensible ranges nothing on the spec sheet stops these bows from doing the job.

CenterPoint recently turned over its range: the Amped 425 and Sniper Elite 385 that anchored the lineup for years are discontinued, replaced by a new generation whose defining upgrade is crank cocking with safe de-cocking on every model — no more firing an arrow into the dirt at the end of a sit. Here are the three current crossbows, with specs from CenterPoint's product pages. Every one clears the roughly 40-to-60 ft-lbs of kinetic energy generally considered adequate for deer by a wide margin, so the real differences are speed, size, cocking system and price.

The Sniper G4Dis the entry point and the current generation of CenterPoint's long-running Sniper line, replacing the Sniper Elite 385. At $499.99 it shoots up to 400 FPS with 142 ft-lbs, measures a tiny 6.75 inches axle-to-axle cocked and under 28 inches long, and cocks with a detachable silent crank that also de-cocks— rare at this price. The package includes a 4x32mm dual-illumination scope, three 20-inch carbon arrows, a detachable quiver and rail lube. It holds the budget slot in our best crossbows guide.

The Amped G2Dis the value sweet spot and the successor to the Amped 425. For $699.99 you get 430 FPS and 164 ft-lbs — genuine flagship-class energy — plus a fully integrated silent cocking and de-cocking system with an auto-retracting sled, in a frame 8 inches wide cocked and 32.93 inches long at 9.5 pounds. The package includes a 1.5-5x32 scope, three 20-inch carbon arrows and a detachable quiver.

The Sinister 430D is the current flagship at $799.99. It takes the same 430-FPS, 164-ft-lb powerplant as the Amped and folds it into an adjustable bullpup stock just 30 inches long, 9 inches wide cocked at 9.3 pounds, with the same fully integrated silent crank and de-cocking. The package includes a 1.5-5x32mm illuminated scope, three 20-inch carbon arrows, a parallel quiver and rail lube. It is also the one current model sold on Amazon, where it has recently run below list price, and it holds the value slot in our best crossbows guide.

The retired generation hasn't vanished — Amazon still sells two of those bows new, and while stock lasts they are the deal route into the brand. The Wrath 430X— a compact inverted-cam bow advertised at 430 FPS and 164 ft-lbs, which Crossbow Magazine's test sample measured at 415 FPS — typically runs around $399.99, well under its original $699.99 package price.

The Hellion 400is the oddball bargain: CenterPoint's own catalog still lists it at $899.99, while Amazon sells it new for around $340— a deep discount on a 400-FPS bow just 8 inches wide cocked. The catch is that it cocks with a rope sled rather than a crank. The broader trade with both bows is the same: out-of-catalog models mean thinner stock and less certain long-term parts support. Full breakdowns of both are in our best crossbows under $500 guide.

The lineup sorts cleanly by budget and by how much bow you actually need.

• Best all-around value → Amped G2D. The one most hunters should look at first. Flagship-class 430-FPS speed, 164 ft-lbs, and a fully integrated silent de-cocking crank at $699.99 make it the sweet spot of the range.
• Tight blinds and compact handling → Sinister 430D.Same speed and energy as the Amped in a 30-inch bullpup. You are paying $100 for three fewer inches of length and the adjustable stock, not more performance — worth it if you hunt from box blinds or carry the bow across your lap.
• Tightest budget or a first crossbow → Sniper G4D. At $499.99 it is the cheapest current CenterPoint, and it gives up shockingly little: 400 FPS, 142 ft-lbs, a 6.75-inch cocked width and a crank that de-cocks. Plenty of crossbow for whitetail inside about 40 yards.
• Deal hunting → the previous generation.While Amazon stock lasts, the Wrath 430X at around $399.99 and the Hellion 400 at around $340 deliver current-class speed for less — you trade current-production certainty for the discount.

Cross-shopping the value field? Our best crossbows under $500 and the broader best crossbows guide put these CenterPoints up against the rest of the market. And if your budget stretches to a compact, premium bow, the Ravin brand guide covers the other side of the Velocity family.

Check current CenterPoint crossbow prices