Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting I'd like your opinions/comments on crossbows

CLB, I'm in the same situation as you. They changed the rules here in Mississippi this year and I wanted to give it a try. I was a big time bow hunter until my early 40's. Then life just got in the way of practice too many times. Being good with a bow is nothing like riding a bicycle. It's a perishable skill that needs regular attention to stay honed. After being out of the sport for a few years I tried to get back into it 3 years ago but just couldn't seem to find the time to practice enough. Between the responsibilities of my family and job, bow practice takes a low priority and my skill level suffers from it.

After the crossbow rule change of this year I got interested in bow season again. My BIL has had a crossbow medical waver for the last two years and I've shot his a few times and really liked it. After much research it boiled down to two models. The Excalibur 380 Matrix and Barnett Ghost 410. I ended up going with the Barnett Ghost 410 and couldn't be happier with it. The season opens in 2 weeks and I'm sighted in and practiced up. I'm excited about archery season for the first time in probably 10 years. I'm not a purest, I just like to hunt

After spending a little time with mine I would agree with the comments about stalking with one. I can see where it would be a serious pain in the butt. I imagine the only stalking I'll be doing with mine is to and from the stand.

Chris' sight is pretty good, also check out Crossbow Nation for a lot of good info. Also, take most of what you read with a grain of salt. There is a lot of prejudice about crossbows in the archery world both for and against. It sort of reminds me of back in the day, the controversy about recurve vs. compound bows. Two things I would dissagree with on this thread is about accuracy and penetration. Out of the two crossbows I've spent time with, I've found them both to be extremely accurate. On the penetration issue the energy numbers speak for themselves.