Wiccrman13

I'm 5'3" tall,I have 26 inch draw lenght,And I'm using a PSE Bruin and it's perfect for me,It goes down to a 24 inch draw lenght witn a 40# up to 65 or 70 # draw weight with a 65% let off.

So no reason to wait,If you can use one use it,I got the crossbow because I have a bad back from breaking my back as a child,But I found out that with the new compound bows I can infact use one,So I just switched to the compound,

But don't be afraid to get one because you are still growning,PSE and many others grow with you,and PSE has a hight trade in value,So you could trade it on another bow later on,Like the one you want,Just go to a proshop and have them help you find the draw lenght thats right for you,And you'll be fine.

Crossbows are a great thing,I don't see anything wrong with people using them,They give the disabled hunter a chance to bow hunt as to where they had to sit at home and miss out before,The crossbow is a great tool to give fun and the enjoyment of bowhunting back to those that can't use a compound or Recurve bow..My dad had a tripple Bypass and has had to disk desolved in his back,He couldn't even pull my bow back when it was set on 45# so why should he have to miss out on hunting with his buds,when he can use a crossbow?

It just wouldn't be right to say that crossbows destory hunting,In truth what does that are the fools that kill out of season and or over the limit.

shogan

I have researched them extensively and have two favorites.

Tenpoint excellent quality etc but what I think stands out above Parker and Horton (also good quality) is the accudraw 50. This is basically a rope cocker attached to the stock that keeps the rope out of your way and yet always right where you need them when you need them.

If having a rope cocker on the stock doesn't wow you then it would be excalibur exocet or phoenix. They have created a simple design recurve xbow (top quality) that is shooting 300+++fps. They are by far quieter then any compound bow and anyone can change a string no bow press needed.(simple and inexpensive to change your own bow string no shop needed). And finally there is no reason a xbow should have cams there is no need to reduce the amount of energy needed to hold the bow at full draw at that is what cams do. So it's just added weight and noise!

If you ask me which to buy I would say Excalibur this is not a cheap recurve this is a hunting weapon.

""It's my opinoin based on responses I've read from other owners PSE and Barnett XBOWShave quality issues"" ""

BigJ71

How can you make a statement like that? Bowhunting as we know it??? Just HOW do YOU know it? In YOUR little world of the past few decades?

You may need to do some reading up on crossbows, they have been around since 341BC! and were very common by 1066AD so it's not like they "just appeared" andstarted ruining YOUR bowhunting

If you don't like them that's one thing, but don't think youcanmake unfounded statements like that and not expect to be called out on it.

For the record I do not shoot a crossbow so I do not have first hand knowledge but have heard nothing but good things about Tenpointcrossbows.They do however tend to be pricy.

cardeer

I shot a horton for 5 years.Good results.But then had to go with one with a built in crank.So I bought the top of the line ten point. Awesome shooter up to 30 yards.No x-bow should be shot at a animal over that distance in my opinion. I use the 18 inch ten point bolts 125 mechanical spitfires. But the x bowsare expensive. The top of the line like my 200 lb was 1000.00 with a red dot scope

nodog

If I was to look for one I would have several questions to be answered as much as possible. Some would be concerning, weight, finish and shock issues. Also, questions about the componenets, strings, cams, limbs, stock fit, the rails, would they stay true and square to the limbs, and the triger? Others would be the accsesories are there any and how good are they? Cocking the thing is an issue that needs to be looked at as well. After all these were answered then I would turn my attention to the shaft and it's construction. And then last but not least will it hit the mark, can I trust it to do it's part? Some of the guys have given some good info already, one on the shaft selection and head weight one on scopes and possible problems, all good building info.

Look forward to reading more of your hunting adventures and maybe one about Xbows. Maybe one on picking the right one.

IL_BOW_MAN

I have known 2 people with different models of the barnetts and both have had to go back for repairs. My dad ended up returning his for a horton.

The other one is the brand new barnett model. It has split limbs and the while he was shooting, the limbcame right out of the pocket while he was shooting it. Luckily he did not get hurt.

If it was me, I always have like the excaliber and tried getting dad to get one of those.

Wiccrman13

Well,

I've had my Barnett for 4 years,No repairs of any kind,No problems what so ever,and as for the not shoting over 30yards,At 175# draw weight with a 380 fps valocity why not?

My dads Horton is dead on at 50 yards,My Barnett the little Recurv buts a bolt within a 1/4 of the bullseye at 75 yards and I'm sure the Horton will do even better,

As for the limbs,Well that could have been a deffective bow,Or an improper installing of the limbs when it was set up.

People think xbows are weak,Most are more powerful than a compound bow,That's why the draw weight is so high,I prefer the compound bow,But xbows are not weak,and have more rang than you think.And there is no reason to rush out and spend $1000 to get a top of the line xbow,Everyone want's to have the best thing made,Well it doesn't matter how good the thing is if it's not the right weight,size,or feel for you'r hunting style,my cheap little Barnett recurve style cost less than $200 and hasn't let me down yet,and is within a 1/4 inch of the accurecy of my dads $375 Horton,So why rush out and spend $1000 dollars on a top of the line high dollar xbow,It's like a person going out and getting a Mathews,when they really needed a PSE,I tried a mathews and a Fred Bear,and neither of them worked for me,Not Bear or Mathews had a bow with under a 28inch draw lenght,that didn't cost an arm and a leg,But the PSE Bruin cost $400 fully set up,And if you do some cheaking you'll find that xbows are the same way,Every high dollar xbow with a 225# draw weight has a counter part that has the same draw,just cost less.It's about the hunters needs,Not the rank of the bow according to books,tv,mags,or the word of other hunters,It's what works for you.

Double Creek

Feel me in............What is a crossbow?





[8D]

Arthur P

I don't like the idea of crossbows in bow season, but some topics that have flowed across the forum in the past few weeks have caused me to reassess my point of view. Honestly, bowhunting as I've known it is already dead and gone. The attitudes of the "me generation" of bowhunters has already caused the downfall of bowhunting: "Hunting the hard way? Easier is better." "Ethics are fine, as long as you don't expect ME to abide by them." "Why practice to improve when I can buy products to improve?"

I've argued with datamax over this time and again, not because I disagreed with his crossbow/compound comparison but because I couldn't stand to surrender my principles. There comes a time though, when you've stood your ground in the face of the enemy for so long, you need to turn around and take a long, hard look at what's going on behind your back. When I did that, I finally realized that what I was trying to protect was already gone and had been replaced with something just as bad as what I was fighting against. The kind of people I didn't want in bow season are already here. Most guys here on this forum, I'd be honored to go hunting with. There are some though, I wouldn't go to the woods with under any circumstances, and the list of that group seems to be growing daily.

So much for that. On to the question...

I've shot crossbows off and on since the late 60's. They are legal here in Texas, except during our one month long bow season. Of course, I'd far rather shoot a bow than a crossbow, but crossbows are fun for a change of pace. I've only used el cheapos (Barnett, Horton, etc) so far, but if/when I get around to buying an upscale crossbow, I've already decided it'll be an Excalibur. Probably the Exocet. Simple, recurve style xbow that gives up nothing in speed to a comparable compound style xbow. 10Points might be good, but they are w-a-a-a-y too pricey for my wallet.

TerryM

Crossbows have been legal for big game up here in Ontario forever. Lots of people use them and they are not the doom of archery as we know it. I would much rather see a guy admit he can't shoot a compound well enough and use a crossbow than go out and wound a deer every year and not admit to it. A crossbow has no more effective range than a conventional bow, it still shoots an arrow. Now I'll get off my soap box and say that the 10 point is the best compound and the Excaliber is the best recurve style. Both are excellent shooters but I would opt for a 10 point so I would not have to mess with stringing a recurve.