The four bows on the specs both brands print
Every row below is read from the listing or the maker’s own copy. A blank is a blank — we do not fill one in from a sister model.
| Crossbow | Speed | Draw weight | De-cock | In the box |
|---|
| Killer Instinct LOGIX 435 | 435 FPS | 210 lb | Yes — let-down triggerbox | Illuminated 4x32 scope |
| CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 430 FPS | 200 lb | Not published | Scope, quiver, arrows |
| Killer Instinct Lethal 405 | 405 FPS | Not published | Not published | Scope, quiver, arrows |
| CenterPoint Hellion 400 | 400 FPS | 185 lb | Not published | Scope, quiver, arrows |
Read the table as a whole and the brands separate cleanly. CenterPoint publishes a draw weight on both of its bows and no de-cock on either. Killer Instinct publishes a de-cock on its flagship and leaves the draw weight off its cheaper bow. Nobody here publishes a kinetic-energy number, a cocked width for the Hellion or the Lethal, or a trigger-pull weight.
What 35 FPS is actually worth, in energy
Kinetic energy is arrow weight multiplied by the square of velocity, divided by 450,240 — the formula Wasp Archery publishes, and the one every penetration argument rests on. Because it is arithmetic, we can run it. Because the makers do not state the bolt weight behind their speed claims, we have to pick one and say so: the table below uses a 400-grain total bolt weight across all four, which is a common finished weight for a 20-inch carbon bolt with a 100-grain head.
| Crossbow | Published speed | KE at 400 gr (our calculation) |
|---|
| Killer Instinct LOGIX 435 | 435 FPS | ~168 ft-lb |
| CenterPoint Wrath 430 | 430 FPS | ~164 ft-lb |
| Killer Instinct Lethal 405 | 405 FPS | ~146 ft-lb |
| CenterPoint Hellion 400 | 400 FPS | ~142 ft-lb |
These are calculations, not manufacturer figures, and not test results. They are useful for one thing: showing that the whole spread from the slowest bow here to the fastest is about 26 ft-lb, and that all four sit far above any commonly cited whitetail threshold at the ranges a crossbow should be shot at. The honest conclusion is that 35 FPS is not the reason to choose between these bows. For how that energy falls off downrange and why the real limit is your own group size, see our effective-range page.
The spec that should decide it: can you unload it?
A cocked crossbow has only two ways to become an uncocked crossbow. You shoot it, or it has a mechanism that lets the string down under control. Bows without the second option send you home with a loaded weapon that has to be discharged into something before it goes in the truck — every hunt, usually in the dark, often from a stand.
The LOGIX 435’s let-down triggerbox is the only de-cock published on these four, and it is why it is the pick here even though it is barely faster than the Wrath. If you buy either CenterPoint, plan the unload as part of the hunt: a soft target in the truck bed, or a discharge bolt into a safe backstop. Read our guide on leaving a crossbow cocked before you decide to leave it strung overnight, because the makers have a clear view on that.
Draw weight is a cocking-effort spec, not a power spec
The Wrath’s 200 lb and the LOGIX’s 210 lb are not a ranking of lethality. They are what your back has to pull. A rope cocking device roughly halves the felt effort, which turns a 200 lb pull into something closer to a 100 lb pull and — more importantly — centers the string the same way on every shot. A crank goes further: Barnett publishes up to a 93% reduction for its crank cocking device. If you are buying a 210 lb crossbow and you are not certain you can cock it consistently in cold weather from a seated position, budget for the cocking aid now rather than next season. Our cocking-device comparison covers rope against crank, and shooting a crossbow from a tree stand covers why cocking seated is the part nobody rehearses.
Where each brand actually wins
CenterPoint wins on form factor and on disclosure. The Wrath 430 is a bullpup, which moves the trigger group back under the shooter and shortens the whole bow without shortening the power stroke — a real advantage in a ground blind with fabric walls, and in a hang-on stand with branches behind you. CenterPoint also publishes a draw weight on both bows, which Killer Instinct does not.
Killer Instinct wins on the mechanism that matters. A de-cocking triggerbox at this price is unusual, and it removes the most common unsafe moment in crossbow hunting. It also happens to be on the fastest and heaviest-draw bow of the four, so you are not trading speed for the safety feature.
If neither argument moves you, the decision is price on the day — which is exactly what the live prices in the table above are for. Both brands ship a scope, and both scopes are the first thing a serious shooter replaces; see our crossbow scope guide for what the upgrade buys.
What neither brand tells you, and you should check yourself
- Bolt specification. Shoot the length, weight and nock style the maker specifies. A half-moon nock on a flat-string bow, or an underweight bolt, is how a crossbow gets damaged and a warranty gets voided. Our bolt guide walks the spec.
- Trigger pull. Nobody here publishes it. It has more influence on how well you shoot the bow than any number in the table, and the only way to assess it is to handle one.
- Cocked width. Published for the Wrath only as a bullpup form factor, and not at all for the other three. If you hunt a tight blind, measure your window before you buy.
- Legality. Crossbow seasons and permits vary by state and sometimes by weapon type. Check your own agency — our state-by-state overview is a starting point, not an authority.
