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Just got the word that the oldest boy and I were drawn for a local archery only hunt. And archery only to me means I've gotta buy a crossbow.

Any recommendations? I don't know what they run, but I don't mind paying for quality since this will be an ongoing hunt every year.

What to look out for / avoid?


Originally Posted by SBTCO
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I use a Parker and am very happy. Also have had good luck with Excalibur and 10 point as well. You do not need any super duper, super fast, etc.. as they are all similar. JMHO YMMV


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I did a lot of research and settled on the Excaliber.

I chose it because it is so simple. It's basically just a 200+lb recurve. The trigger is decent. The scope adjusts for speed and the reticle provides aim points to fifty yards. The reticle makes hitting at different ranges duck soup. The first time I used it shooting variable ranges out to fifty yards I had one miss ( a few inches low, not a real miss)at 35 yards and all the rest were good, 2 inch group at fifty.

The down side is that like all crossbows, it's loud. It IS so fast that a normal 15-20 yard shot won't be a problem with Bambi jumping the string. You need to buy the string changer or just make one with cold shuts (PM for a pic). I am not sure the string/limb silencers make all that much difference to Bambi. It will not hold nearly as steady as a decently stocked rifle, so a sling for shooting helps a lot. You'l also need silicone oil and grease for the string, shooting rail and the arrows themselves (the arrows are a bitch to pull out of ethafoam targets without it).

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Iv had a couple of them and have settled on the Excaliber, what Miles58 said but you can also change the string, with a rope stringer, something you can do in the field or on a hunt. one of the few that you can do that!


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Excalibur is what I used when I lived in a province that allowed crossbows for archery. Couple reasons, one being that at least at that time it was the most accurate bow out there. Also like the others said, you can swap out strings yourself in minutes. Then there is the durability issue. Mine was dry fired on a couple of occasions, which of course is often catastrophic but the bow survived without harm. My friend dry fired his compound crossbow(Horton, I think) and blew it to pieces. Can't say that this would be the situation every time but less pieces makes sense to me.
They are extremely accurate, and maybe they have made them quieter since I had mine, can't say for sure. Oh,one more thing, keep your thumbs down!!!

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Stryker 380 - very light, compact and fast. With 20" bolt and 100gr expandable it shoots 385-390fps thru my chronograph. They are not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. Best of luck in exploring your choices. I went to my local shop and shot a few different ones. It was an obvious choice after the hands on.


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When my state made crossbows legal for deer hunting I got one along with a styrofoam 'target' for the basement that will catch the 'bolts'.

It's a Barnet Recruit and has a little scope on it!

I also got a pulley system with it to draw the string back.

[Linked Image]

I went down into the basement to look at the crossbow afterwards and they are a neat deal.

I can shoot it in the basement or maybe the backyard. It adds to our hunting stuff! smile


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Depends on how serious, how many shots, etc...

We have found that the reasonable Barnetts do just fine generally speaking.

If I was serious, Barnett would not be in my top picks from reading though, that said have taken quiet a few animals with Barnett my buddy has too.

They are, IMHO, 20 yard bows, due to noise, but thats to each shooter. You simply can't get a supersonic arrow and until then, you have to be careful of string jump


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Couple of add on thoughts. I did have an Excalibur and it does have all the attributes the guys listed above and is an excellent choice. Here in Alabama though I do a lot of hunting from tree stands and it is substantially wider than a compound like my parker. It is also noisier but that is like saying a twin engine jet is not as loud as a 4 engine. They will both blow your ears out. As mentioned earlier, I limit myself to 25 yard shots as beyond that the deer reacts to the sound. Good luck in whatever you decide to try.


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Every time I read a x-bow thread, I have to think about a movie I watched, set in Medieval England. The hero carried a longbow. He got in a cowboy-type quick draw shootout with a soldier carrying a x-bow. Both had to load and shoot. No contest, of course.


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I think the guy with x-bow lost. Another thing to consider is type off hunting you will be doing. Blind, box blind, ladder stand etc. Some x-bows are quite heavy and some have a stirrup that your foot goes into for cocking etc. X-bows are like rifles and calibers everyone has their favorite and so on. It may be best to shoot a few different ones and see what features you like or dislike. Read reviews, go on some of the crossbow forums. Tom

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The first shot is the 'fastest'!

What is the arrow vrs bolt velocity from each? The range?


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Might check out the Ten Point Stealth FX as well.
The Acudraw (crank) allows simple, consistent cocking each time.

And it's super compact.


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Excalibur all the way


Enjoy the hunt while it lasts!
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I bought a Mission 320 last year and am quite pleased with it. I just about bought an Excalibur and would really like to try one in the future…happy with mine, though. Bruce

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Excalibur = W I D E.


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Thanks for the input guys. I'll check some of these out.

Probably 85% of the time it'll be used from a ground blind. If shots are limited to 20-25 yards, how important is a scope? It seems like a lot of Xbows are sold with them. Is there that much arrow arc from 15-25 yards? I can't see us being much closer than 15.


Originally Posted by SBTCO
your flippant remarks which you so adeptly sling
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I have Mathews crossbow, lighter weight than most other crossbows along with being quieter. Very accurate crossbow but I don't care for the factory scope but have not replaced the scope with a spare Leopold 3X I have.

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I bought my HuntMaster crossbow many years ago after an accident to my elbow and made it impossible to draw my recurve bow. The elbow never healed quite right. HuntMaster changed their name to Ten Point a few years later because of a lawsuit over use of the name. I've had the safety and the limbs upgraded at the factory for very reasonable cost. Accuracy is impressive; I can hit a Dixie cup at 20 yards!

Based upon my positive experiences with Ten Point, I recommend this brand to anyone. That being said, there are many more brands to choose from than when I purchased my crossbow. Wicked Ridge has a good reputation with my friends.

These are just a few of the deer I've toppled in northern Maryland with my HuntMaster.

Sherwood

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

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Nice! I need to get me a x bow!


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Cabelas has refurbished wicked ridge warriors on sale for 349.
Lifetime guarantee.


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I prefer red dot scope mainly because you can see better at dawn and dusk. Just remember to turn off when not in use and carry extra battery. Tom

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Originally Posted by ringworm
Cabelas has refurbished wicked ridge warriors on sale for 349.
Lifetime guarantee.


Thanks! I need to clean out the Gun Safe to sell some stuff and bite
the Bullet and get me some kind of x bow!

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+1 for Excaliber. Can fix almost anything that goes wrong in the field if needed. Very accurate and their new model is more compact. I have used one every year since Oklahoma made them legal and love it.

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Originally Posted by Bluedreaux
Thanks for the input guys. I'll check some of these out.

Probably 85% of the time it'll be used from a ground blind. If shots are limited to 20-25 yards, how important is a scope? It seems like a lot of Xbows are sold with them. Is there that much arrow arc from 15-25 yards? I can't see us being much closer than 15.


Yeah, there is enough difference. Considering how you want to be very precise in arrow placement. I think I have about a foot of drop at least at fifty yards with my Excaliber, maybe 18 inches.I think it's like 6 inches at 30-35 yards. This is with a 20 yard "zero".

Like I said though, the Excaliber scope makes it very simple and easy to hit at varying range.

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I'm not sure you could ever find a real issue with the Excaliburs.

My FIL has a Vortex and my BIL has a Matrix 355.

I shoot an older Horton, but I want to upgrade to the Excalibur.

They are simple, fast, accurate, and very easy to shoot.


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i like my tenpoint,its fast and quit.mine has the crank cocker. any of the top brands shoot very well.if i was going to buy a neew one i'd get a parker only because the factory is near me.i have a few friends that work for them.

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I've been very happy with Tenpoint x-bows which are made in Ohio. Very good customer service. I shoot a Turbo II The Wicked Ridge line is made by Tenpoint at a lower price point but they are still a good quality bow. A red dot scope on a cross bow is a big help in low light conditions, especially inside a blind.

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They're finally legal in WV, but this year I decided to get back in using a recurve instead. Been at it a few weeks and am making good progress. Still, for someone that just wants to hunt and have a reasonable chance at some tenderloin, a crossbow makes a lot of sense. If I eventually go down that road, I'll get an Excalibur, for the reasons every else gave.

My son shoots compounds, hunting and in competition, and before he got a dedicated target bow, he had to get new cables and strings pretty often at considerable expense. Both he and my cousin had limb failures and had to get new bows because theirs had been discontinued.


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I bought a used Horton reverse draw x-box, 150lb. Worked great on the two deer I shot at. Buck was at 40 yards and the doe at 25. Arrow went where aimed. On the hunter orange, I was hunting in an early rifle doe season and you were required to where the orange.

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Jim, you put your limbs on backwards.


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I just inherited my dads' Ten Point crossbow. It seems very well made and I can hit a tennis ball sized target fifty yards out every time. That was with the slick trick practice head. It has the scope and crank thing on it as well. It is much quicker and quieter to use the foot hold and pull the string back though. Not sure of your limitations. It isn't my thing as I am a traditional archer and prefer the good old recurve or longbow but it does it's job well I guess. It's hell on rabbits that sneak into my garden.

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I just shot one 'bolt' into the styrofoam target in my basement.

It's quiet, nobody heard it, and I hit the target in the center!

For just a couple of hundred dollars it's interesting.

[Linked Image]





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My Excalibur is very accurate and fast. Complete pass through on Whitetail.

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+1 for an Excalibur.

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Just read a ton of reviews. Customer service is the key if it sucks so does the product.


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Consider the Kodabow. Simple. Powerful. Durable. You won't have any trouble with it, and it's made in the USA, here in Pennsylvania.

Steve.


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Originally Posted by Bluedreaux
Just got the word that the oldest boy and I were drawn for a local archery only hunt. And archery only to me means I've gotta buy a crossbow.

Any recommendations? I don't know what they run, but I don't mind paying for quality since this will be an ongoing hunt every year.

What to look out for / avoid?


Excalibur is a good one.


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Plus one for the Stryker 380.

After a hands on comparison with others, including a Barnett (don't remember the model, rated at approx. 350 fps), the Stryker was quieter. Great speed and accuracy. It is narrower than most so fits in the portable blind / tree stand nicely.

gundog

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I have an Excalibur. It is extremely accurate and like has been mentioned already much louder than my compound bow. I can restring it without tools, and store it unstrung during the off season.

It is difficult to cock for the second shot in a Summit Viper stand because of the shooting rail. I use a rope cocker, and a quick second shot is not really an option like a vertical bow.

Don't shoot at the same spot on your target twice unless you like buying bolts.


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We ended up with an Excalibur. The crossbow is great. We spent the morning shooting today and like was mentioned, hit two bolts with a second shot that was too close.

But the scope that came with the kit is horrible. I don't expect a kit scope to be great, but I'd be ashamed to send this thing out of the factory. This morning the ocular (I guess that's what it is...the screw on part by your eye) and the mount both shot loose. I had checked everything before we started shooting to make sure it was all locked down tight. So about a 1/4 of our shooting was chasing a zero after the scope messed up.

But aside from that we're very happy with it.


Originally Posted by SBTCO
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Blue - sending you a PM.

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Blue, You talking about the lock ring? Is it the varizone?

When you have an issue with the lock ring you can find where it needs to be set for focus, loosen the ocular, tighten the lock ring as tight as you can, then grab the ocular, hold the lock ring, and bare down on the ocular until it gets to the proper position. It's the best way I've found to really lock them down.

I have the varizone on one of my rigs and find it to be a pretty decent scope.

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I don't know what model it is. It's only marked "Excalibur" and "2.5x32".

The glass appears to be clear and bright. It was just frustrating to have to rezero, twice, due to scope issues. It looks like some loctite on the rings / base are in order.


Originally Posted by SBTCO
your flippant remarks which you so adeptly sling
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Put a red dot or a reflex sight on it Blue. I've used both on my Excalibur and I like the reflex a bit better.

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