Virginia Mike

Hey Guys,

I have recently injured my right hand and my bow season is in jeopardy. I can jury rig a release aid, but the pain is pretty severe and my doc would lose his mind. I am now thinking that a crossbow may be my savior. I have about a $400 budget, what would you guys recommend? I am starting to panic a little. Please help!

Mike

mitchmtm1

A couple of sites to help your research.

The big names:
Horton http://www.crossbow.com/
Tenpoint http://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/
Excalibur http://excaliburcrossbow.com/
Barnett http://www.barnettcrossbows.com/
Parker http://www.parkerbows.com/pb/

I would stay with one of there names (I hope I didn't miss any or someone is sure to get mad)[8D]

They all have strengths and you may have to shop around or get a more basic model to stay under 400 for the package...just like your compound it is nice to add the little upgrades and extras.


Mitch

awshucks

Mike: Can you get to a Cabelas or Bass Pro? The first thing I'd say you need to find out is if you can use a rope cocker which does two things, cuts the amount of effort to cock one in half and centers the string on the rail, which is critical to accuracy. If not, you will need a crank type cocking device and they are pricey, but the best one is made by 10 pt. If you had a little more $ to work w/ I'd tell you how fond I am of my choice in xbows, but looks like you need some input from our Horton crowd. I'm sure if !0 pt has a package for that price range Randy will check in and let ya know, I don't think they start out quite that low. Good luck!!

Hotburn76

Well nice to see ya here mike and welcome to the CB world. I know some of the guys here are holding back on answering your question because we have a good group of excal guys on here that like to share good info on their bows and recently took a lashing about it from someone so I will go ahead and break the ice for them!! I myself shot horton CB's, been doing so for fourteen years or so. I have always liked the hortons and they have never let me down. Hortons are easy to find here in ohio so parts and such can be found around easy. I looked on cabelas web page and you can get a horton 150 legend pacage for I think it was 370 bucks. It will be a good shooter for ya. You can step up to a better bow with out the package deal and spend around 400, but then have to buy all your stuff like sights, arrows, and quiver. The package will come with all that and you just have to go out and shoot!!! Now I will speak up on behalf of my fellow excal brothers and say that buy their post they seem to be a happy bunch of guys with their bows. I know their entry bow the Phoenix starts out on cabelas at 460, maybe more then you want to spend, not sure. But they seam like a happy bunch of guys. Their is also a few barnett and ten point guys to that will give good feedback on their product also. But for me its Horton, and if I had to have a red headed step sister it would be an excal!!

Hotburn76

Hey no fair!! you guys type to fast!!!

mitchmtm1

PM for you Mike.

awshucks

Hotburn: That entry level bow from the company w/ No Name could be had for $349 awhile back on Ebay. www.bowhuntersuperstore.com I think. You are right though it would be bare bow, and that Horton deal sounds good to me too!! Sportsmans Guide had them real reasonable awhile back too.

Hotburn76

Now come on say it!! ya know you want too!!!!

Dnk

Mike, welcome to this end of the world, its great and xbows are addicitive.
The best advice you got so far is to go and handle and shoot the bows. The more you're going to shoot the more you want an xbow without cams/wheels. If you are going to hunt and practice to hunt then all of the above bows will be more than you need. We have one resident arrow junkie that shoots probably near two thousand arrows (maybe more) a month. Hehehehehe must be real obnoxious to have him around the house!!! Squirrel's the name and he's had a few repairs on his wheel bow because they weren't meant to be pounded like that!

htoler

The bow that is not being named is the Excalibur Phoenix as stated the best deal for them can be found on Ebay. if you can use a rope cocking aid you would be set other than bolts and such if you do not mind using the pin and peep there are prolly some good deals on some other crossbows you would just have to serch around ..