Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Help with picking crossbow

After a lot of study and watching videos, I got the Ravin R10. Speed, excellent cranking system, scope, moderate weight, good trigger. If you want all that but more compact, get the R26, at more money.

I like the other Excalibur models other than what I have. The Griz models are really light and very easy to draw. Even mine being a 330 model it’s still overkill for anything in North America.
What I like about the Excalibur crossbows is I can take it all a part and put it together without needing to go to a bow shop.

What to buy a Remington or a Winchester....a Ten Point or Excaliber..... they all will do the job if you do yours. Cheaper models today are light years a head of what they were 10 years ago and high end xbows still break. Go to a pro shop pick up different models and make your pick on what feels good to you.
Companies like Ten Poi take xbows under different names,I.e. Horton, Wicked Ridge, Ten Point but also make parts they sell to other companies... a Ten Point limb can show up on a high end crossbow just like that motor in your car or circuit board in your tv.

I've been shooting a crossbow for about 10 years . I've harvested several wt deer and a black bear .
The bow was an Excalibur Exocet . 200lb . I now shoot a Ten Point . The ONLY reason I went to a compound cross bow was to be able to shoot out of a box . The windows are too narrow for the recurve .

The simplicity and accuracy of my Excalibur were great . Took it apart for a trip to Manitoba and carried it in a rifle case .Assembled it at camp -it was dead on !

If we ever replace the box blinds we're using with wider windows I'm buying another recurve .
Not a thing wrong with the Ten Point and it is also very accurate , but it is a little heavier , and of course you need to take it to a pro shop for repair or tuneup .

Good luck
Soup

I bought an Excaliber a couple of years ago. It is simple accurate and loud. I wouldn't shoot farther than 25 yard because of the noise. It is hard to see the bolt in flight supposedly 355 fps.
I didn't hunt with it last year because I had plenty of meat. I shoot mine into a target to uncock.
The cocking aid that came with it makes it easy to draw. I chose it because of it's simplicity.
One of my limbs exploded on the 6th shot the first day I shot it. I sent it back and they returned it within a few days. Haven't shot it much since except to check the scope. I plan to shoot a deer this fall with it.

I recently went through the same process. I chose the Ravin R10 for excellent cocking mechanism, trigger, moderate weight, adequate scope, high velocity, relatively compact size. I searched around and got a good deal on ebay.

We have 2 & like both.

Horton Vision 174 - reverse limb compound. Beautiful to carry, comes to the shoulder feeling balanced & a dream to shoot from a blind & accurate.

Excalibur Grizzly - simple to operate & shoot, but feels awkward to carry & less balanced to shoot. Very much weight forward.

Both have taken deer & black bear.

Normally ends up with Deb taking the "comfortable" Horton & me with the Excalibur.

We discharge into a target with a field tipped bolts.

Thank you all for all the great info. I like the idea of the raven but I really don’t want to spend $1500 for a bow. Have looked at the Tenpoint Titan M1 for about $800 including the cocker. I like the xcalibur also but the cocker is a lot more and I don’t share the opinion that I can cock it easily with the string. I really need to go to a Cabelas or a very good bow shop and shoot some. Hopefully next week.

Thanks,

Dean

I came close to buying one, I have not ruled it out either . I like the Mission sniper lite

I just got done shooting my r9, my buddy had a R 10. And I had a Excalibur limbs on a KODA bow.

My buddy had not shot his r 10 but one shot previously. He was hitting a bullseye in a brisk wind at sixty yards in about three shots!

The Koda bow couldn't hang with the ravin at 60 yards. The Koda had a non magnified hawke scope....the Raven scope is magnified and imo almost fool proof to use.

Ravens are expensive because


They are worth it.

For recurves, Kodabows are built like tanks. They are heavy though (IMO). I currently shoot two compounds... a Camx and a Scorpyd Deathstalker. The Scorpyd is light, fast, easy to work on and accurate. For me, it's the winner.

kudu3,

IF I could offer some advice, look for & buy a HORTON XL used & see if you actually ENJOY the sport of crossbow hunting.
(The Horton XL is 150# pull & will successfully take any North American game out to 50M.)

I paid 250.oo for mine in EXCELLENT used condition with a dozen broadheads & a Horton scope.

WHEN/IF you decide that you want something faster/more "modern" and/or more expensive, you can easily resell your Horton XB if you don't decide to keep it for a spare XB.

Yours, TMN78247

That's good advice. I have both a Barnett Demon, and a Horten crossbow. They both work great, but work differently. Taken several deer with the Barnett, but still need to bloody the Horten. (It was my Dad's and he can no longer hunt)

kellory,

Fyi, I've never shot a BARNETT but I figure that you are correct, as you DO hunt with one.

Fwiw, my old YUKON XL has taken MANY feral hogs & it does "pass throughs" on each one.

Btw, I'm currently "window shopping for" a nice/used EXCALIBUR. - And YEP, I'll keep my Horton if I buy another XB.



yours, tex

I'm on my third crossbow now. Started with a Barnett RX-280, then the demon, traded the RX-280 for a 12ga sxs Sterlingworth. Kept the demon and now the Horten. And yes, a clean pass through is standard procedure with just about any crossbow.

kellory,

ONE reason that I'm "window shopping" for another XB is that I want a suitable XB for hunting REALLY BIG game, including a Cape Buffalo.
(An old college chum has also suggested that I join his annual hunt in Canada next Fall for MOOSE and/or BEAR.)

yours, tex

Then good luck to you sir, and enjoy every minute. That's not something I'm likely to ever get the chance to try.

satx you will not be disappointed with a Excal I shoot mine 1500/ 2000 times a year I don't think you can do that with a compound x bow been shooting it for 6 years with just changing the serving 1 time

44mc,

THANKS for you KNOWLEDGEABLE input.

yours, satx

glade to help