Killer Instinct released a brand-new crossbow; the Killer Instinct Lethal 405! It’s a dirt-cheap crossbow with a 210-pound draw weight that shoots arrows at 405 feet per second!
Killer Instinct’s Lethal 405 crossbow comes with a lightweight frame, adjustable X-Lok foregrip, dead silent kit and is compatible with the “Dead Silent Crank”.
Inside every Killer Instinct Lethal 405 package you’ll find the following; Ultra-Light composite stock, Bow, 4 x 32 Non-Illuminated Scope, Foot-Stirrup, Rope Cocker, Dead Silent Kit, 3-Bolt Quiver, 3 x Premium 20-Inch HYPR Lite Arrows with Field Tips, and a stick of Rail Lube.
Table of Contents
Killer Instinct Lethal 405 Crossbow Specs
[amazon table=”5117″]
First Impressions
Holding this crossbow feels quite nice. The, as Killer Instinct calls it, over-molded grip is rubberized and feels very comfortable. It doesn’t matter how you want to hold the X-Lok foregrip as you can pretty much grip it any way you like. You can also flip the foregrip and it’ll offer even more ways to hold the crossbow. The X-Lok foregrip also protects your fingers from getting in between the path of the strings.
This crossbow features a 4×32 non-illuminated scope. For beginners/entry-level crossbow hunters or people with a smaller budget, this crossbow is a very good choice.
Even though the Killer Instinct Lethal 405 is fully equipped with almost every accessory you might need/want on a crossbow, it’s still a pretty lightweight crossbow.
Overall, the Lethal 405 looks like an amazing crossbow from Killer Instinct at a dirt-cheap price! Of course, I’ll go into more detail in the Performance section.
Design and Durability
Killer Crossbows managed to keep the crossbow lightweight by using an adjustable Micro-Lite aluminum lightweight stock. The total weight of the Killer Instinct Lethal 405 including accessories is 7.2 pounds.
Not only is the Killer Instinct Lethal 405 lightweight, but it’s also a pretty compact crossbow. The total length of the crossbow is 34.5 inches. The Lethal 405’s width is 18.75 inches uncocked and 14.75 inches cocked.
With a power stroke of 14.5 inches, 134 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, and the use of HYPR Lite Arrows, this crossbow is very accurate and powerful!
To reduce the amount of sound and vibrations this crossbow produces, Killer Instinct includes a Dead Silent Kit. The silencing kit contains string and limb dampeners to keep the Lethal 405 as quiet as possible.
It also comes with an ergonomic grip and X-Lok FOREGRIP. This X-Lok Foregrip is mounted on the Picatinny rail, allows for multiple holding positions and you can even turn the foregrip for even more positions.
Optics
This crossbow comes with a 4 x 32 non-illuminated scope. It is glass etched and features multiple aiming points. It’s a pretty basic scope, but should be perfect for beginner crossbow hunters.
As the Lethal 405 is a very cheap crossbow, you can’t really complain about the scope, but it’s definitely worth it to upgrade it in the future. Even after including the costs for a new scope, you’ll still have a very cheap crossbow and even more complete!
As we still had the Furious Pro 9.5 laying around from a review we did earlier, I decided to install the scope from the Furious Pro 9.5 onto the Lethal 405. One big difference is the illumination and another difference is a lack of lens covers on the scope that was originally mounted on the Lethal 405. Besides that, the scopes are basically the same. Same aiming points and magnification.
Noise Reducing Features
Killer Instinct includes string and limb dampeners to reduce the noise and vibrations that are being produced when shooting with the Killer Instinct Lethal 405 crossbow. Killer Instinct calls this kit their “Dead Silent kit.”
The string dampeners are installed to catch the string and therefore reduce the noise that the string produces. The limb dampeners are rubber shock absorbers that are mounted in between the split limbs. This greatly reduces the vibrations and noise that the limbs produce when “relaxing” after firing the crossbow.
Optionally, you can also separately buy the “Dead Silent Crank”. This will not only reduce the draw weight to make it almost effortless, but it’s also dead silent as Killer Instinct claims.
Performance
Before actually putting the Killer Instinct Lethal 405 through a thorough test, I’d like to note that even though this is a very cheap crossbow, Killer Instinct does advertise that this crossbow comes with a “dead silent” kit. So, I do expect it to be a silent shooter.
If the name didn’t already give it away, the Lethal 405 can shoot arrows at 405 feet per second with the included 20-inch HYPR Lite arrows. Included with this package are a total of 3 carbon HYPR arrows with field-tips. They’re 20 inches in length and weigh a total of 370-grains with 100-grain field-tips.
This crossbow comes with a standard trigger that has a 3.5-pound pull. It has built-in safety features like an anti-dry fire and an automatic engaging safety switch. For a crossbow with a price this low, it’s a very smooth trigger with very little creep.
As mentioned in the scope section, I did swap out the 4×32 non-illuminated scope for a 4×32 illuminated scope. They’re completely the same besides the illumination.
It’s pretty easy to sight in the scopes from Killer Instinct. After sighting it in at 20-yards, the other aiming points should also be sighted in. The accuracy of the non-illuminated scope is exactly the same as the non-illuminated scope. I just prefer to use an illuminated scope on crossbows.
Cocking the Lethal 405 with the provided rope cocker should reduce the draw weight to about 100 pounds. For an experienced crossbow shooter this should be an easy task, but can be something to get used to as a beginner crossbow hunter. People with shoulder, back or neck problems should take a look at the “Dead Silent Crank” that Killer Instinct offers for this crossbow.
So, now there’s only a speed and accuracy test left. I decided to just use the 3 HYPR arrows that were included with this package. After sighting in the scope, shooting targets dead-center at 50-yards was very easy. I recommend not to shoot at the same spot over and over, you will definitely “Robin Hood” a lot of arrows! Getting 1-inch groups with this crossbow isn’t hard to achieve.
Shooting the Lethal 405 with the HYPR bolts over a chronograph delivered some nice results. All 3 shots came in at over 400 feet per second! 403, 401, and 404 feet per second to be precise.
Killer Instinct provides great value for money. It’s fast, silent, accurate, balanced and just a comfortable crossbow to hunt with.
Cocking
Killer Instinct offers a rope-cocking device for the Lethal 405 crossbow. This is a standard rope-cocker and should reduce the draw weight by up to 50% if used properly. With a draw weight of 210 pounds, it takes quite a bit of effort to rope-cock this crossbow.
Assembly and Sighting-In
As Killer Instinct is a budget crossbow brand, they do not ship the crossbow assembled. You’ll have to assemble it yourself. It’s not hard to assemble Killer Instinct crossbows, just make sure to carefully follow the instructions that come with the crossbow.
Assembling this crossbow is the same as with the Furious Pro 9.5. I’ll soon be uploading a video to our YouTube channel on how to assemble this crossbow. If you’d like to get a notification, please subscribe to our channel.
Recommended Accessories
Dead Silent Crank
At this price, you can’t expect a crank-cocking device with your crossbow, but Killer Instinct did take the time to at least make it compatible with a crank-cocking device. Killer Instinct’s Dead Silent Crank is compatible with the Lethal 405 and well worth the price! You can easily install the DSC at the end of the stock.
[amazon table=”5120″]
Arrows & Broadheads
Included with this crossbow package are HYPR Lite arrows from Killer Instinct themselves. These arrows are very good to use for hunting and target practice. I’d recommend sticking with these arrows as a pack of 6 doesn’t cost much either.
Using good broadheads for hunting is a must. You don’t want to let a badly injured animal runoff. If you have some money to spend on broadheads, I’d recommend getting the RAGE NC X-TREME COC broadheads. These are the latest cut-on-contact broadheads from Rage and Rage is also currently ranked #1 in our best broadheads review.
If you’re looking for cheaper broadheads, then I’d highly recommend the Hunting Broadheads from Sinbadteck. When installed properly, these broadheads are very cheap and accurate!
[amazon table=”5124″]
Storage and Transportation
Killer Instinct doesn’t include a case with the Lethal 405. Mainly because of the price obviously. They do however offer a case separately for this crossbow. It’s always best if you take proper care of your gear, this also means storing it in a cool and dry place and preferably in a crossbow case.
We always recommend storing your crossbow in a case specifically designed for your crossbow. In the Lethal 405’s case, this means that it’s best to store the crossbow in Killer Instinct’s “Slayer Crossbow Case”. For more information click here.
Killer Instinct Lethal 405 Review
Summary
Killer Instinct’s Lethal 405 crossbow really is a great crossbow for beginner and even experienced hunters on a budget! You probably can’t get any more value for your money! The Lethal 405 is cheaper, faster, and more accurate than other crossbows (like the Whitetail Hunter II and Mercenary 390) in the same price category. It is however built out of cheaper materials, so it probably won’t last as long as those crossbows though.
You really can’t go wrong at this price point and Killer Instinct included everything you need for your first hunt!
What we like
- Cheap
- Fast & Accurate
- Comfortable Hold
- String & Limb Dampeners
- Pro-Package Included
- Dead Silent Crank Compatible
What we don’t like
- Non-Illuminated Scope
which crossbow do you recommend for deer hunting between the Lethal 405 and the BOSS 405