I am considering getting a crossbow to shot feral hogs. I intend to shot them over bait and sometimes at night (both legal and they are vermon so not concerned about "sporting chance"). I am hoping/wondering if using a crossbow would increase shot opportunity due to the herd returning to the bait sooner after the shot compared to the shooting them with a rifle. Appreciate hearing from anyone who has any experience with this.

I've shot a lot of hogs over bait with both gun and bow. Most times with the bow the group will run and scatter but they return pretty quick. With a gun, most of the time they scatter for good.

the crossbow is way to hard to reload/cock in a treestand for me.

What poundage/speed do you consider for shooting hogs with a crossbow? What broadheads do you use? What bolts?

Just picked up a crossbow in trade and wanted to know what to expect.

I don't know much about them, Can't help you with that data. I know the one I have ( inherited) is difficult to cock unless on sold ground and standing up. I would not like to try it in a tree stand. Mine is a Browning I would guess 150lb draw? I just shoot the same broadheads for everything, Slick tricks and montec G5's My son has shot a lot of sheep with this crossbow, he's 8 years old and has never missed or had one run more then 10 yards. The crossbow is nice cause they don't spook. ( these are captive/wild corsican sheep on my farm.

With a red dot site at 30 yards that crossbow is deadly accurate and easy to shoot.

I was looking for setting up a Horton for my son (10) to shoot deer and possibly hogs this year. Sounds like that Browning works pretty well for you.

I nailed this dandy 7 pointer last OCT in northern Maryland. Ghastly wound is entrance hole. My bolt went through the animal and embedded into the damp soil up to the fletching. I bent the bolt pulling it out. I'm certain this crossbow is capable of taking any animal within North America.

I never shoot farther than 35 yards at a living animal. But at the target range, 50 yard shots from steady rest are easy.

This crossbow is a HuntMaster from late '90s. Company changed name to Ten Point; the parts are interchangeable.

Sherwood

Sherwood,

Cool. Nice deer. What poundage are you shooting? Carbon or aluminum bolts?

we shoot a ton of hogs where i am from. the only problem is that they are tough as nails. we have had them run off with fixed blades and mechanicals with good shots. look at this picture of his vitals and be sure to do your best to hit him in the heart. it seems a little lower than you would aim at deer to me but....
http://www.huntingpictures.net/showphoto.php?photo=10549
we shoot 60 and 70 lb bows but i have saw ted nugent on tv kill with kis 50 lb bow. good luck

Welcome to the campfire. Thanks for your input.

A hog is not a thin skinned animal like a deer - I've skinned some that the shield has been an inch thick or more. I've only shot them with a compound bow, never a crossbow, but I think you might really want the sectional density of an arrow vs a bolt for penetration.

I cock my 6 year old excaliber exocet 175 pound recurve crossbow in my treestand all the time using the rope cocking device. Go look at the excalibers they have the best trigger of any. The story about breaking a string on a compound crossbow and it warrants a trip to the bowshop is true, I restrung mine in the field with the supplied stringing device. Finally at up to 40 yards I can hit a playing card with the Exocet from a sitting position. I saw a cheap Horton shoot thru a 150 pound pig.

I was looking at an Excaliber yesterday 305fps I think can't recall the draw weight but have decided that it will be an Excaliber of some model. What broadheads do you recommend.