DANNY M

I was leaning towards the Parker BUCK BUSTER,but now I am more confused...I just read that EXCALIBUR crossbows are guarenteed to be the most accurate and they are in the same price range....what would you guys buy...PARKER,EXCALIBUR,or HORTON ???...one more question please...I see some crossbows with 150 lb pull and 300 fps...then another with 175 lb pull with same 300 fps or 200 lb pull with 330 fps...does the 150,175,or 200 lb pull make a big difference or is the fps more important...example if bow says 150 lb pull and 300 fps....and another says 175 lb pull and 300 fps which one is better...THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP

htoler

with the choices you just listed go with the Excalibur you will be very glad you did I would reccomend getting the Phoenix.. it will do everything you will ever need it to do.. you can find some pretty good deals on them on ebay right now..

smokepolehall

Don't be confused! As i said in another post try the models out, see if they fit. Do u want a compound CB ? Or a recurve CB ? Usually compound models tend to shoot as fast as recurves in the same weight class. U need to read about this stuff and not get paniced or pushed into buying one yer not happy with. The stroke is the power, usually the longer is faster and more powerful. Yes Excal's are excellent CB's, have u shot any yet? Horton? Parker? u can't choose one unless u try it on fer size and fit and see if u like how it shoots and trigger pull! So once again get out there and get the job done.

Hotburn76

A typical compound CB is on average 15% more efficant than a recurve, not anopinion a math fact. That is why the recurves you looked at havemore pounds and about the same speed. That is the differance between a recurve and a wheel bow. Now the diffferance between two wheel bows can beeither design or a lie to get a sales pitch. Like i said in the other post I own horton and am happy, If Icould only own one bow I would probally not step out of the box and stick with my horton. But excal would be choice# two. The only draw back I can see with a recurve is the width. Recurve bows are alot wider than wheel bows. But that is only a problem if you plan on doing alot of spot and stalk. I will say that Iread alot more about nock splitting for us horton and excal guys than anyone.

BuddyBo

DANNY M, look, it's simple. Don't let this forum talk confuse you. It's like buying a rifle. If it throws up good for you and you like it, buy it. It'll shoot great. Same with a crossbow. Go to a good pro shop and throw up as many as you can. If you like the way one throws up for you and you like the price, shoot it. They all shoot great. Then buy it.And I mean by throwing up, shouldering it. What throws up good for me, may not throw up good to you and so on. And Parker bows have been around a long time and I believe Brenda Valentine has killed several trophy Whitetails with one so Parker is diffently not at the bottom of the linein bows. And don't worry about service, worry about your scent, your stand placement, and the wind, but not service. You can get it serviced after the season ends. Right now, buy a crossbow and get in the woods man. LOL.
BBO

awshucks

Danny M: Welcome to the forum!! You got some good advice from my buds!! I'm an Excal guy, less moving parts and deadly accurate. IMHO' the Phoenix is the "pick of the litter". It's only a few bucks more than a Vixen, but gives you options on arrow weight and string choices. You really can't go wrong w/ any of the major mfgrs.

Exoman

Excalibur is a very safe bet. as mentioned before the fact that its not a compound actually adds to its reliability and simplicity. and with a rope cocker even the stoutest pull excalibur (exomax) is a breeze.

I love mine, youll be hard pressed to find someone thats bought an excal in recent years and was dissapointed.

10ptCrossbow

DannyM,
Get to a shop that has several differnet kinds of crossbows. The best way to find a good one is to shoot it. Most of the crossbow companies out there make good stuff. Finding one that you like and fits you is way more important.
The difference in compound and recurve is mostly length and width. You also get different speeds with different draw lengths or power strokes. The recurves generally need more powerstroke to get that speed and also wider limbs. That is a down side, but they are generally lighter and that for most is a plus. It is kind of a trade off.
Some compound crossbows also have longer of shorter powerstrokes.
Also, don't get hung up on speed. Anything over 250 will kill a deer. Also make sure you compare what arrows they are shooting to get those "speeds". Some companies shoot a very light arrow to show elevated speeds. Those arrows are not always the best to hunt with.
Good luck on your quest for a crossbow and more luck in hunting this fall.
Randy Wood
Sales manager
TenPoint Crossbows

oldsmellhound

DannyM,

Ditto with some of the other posts- don't get confused, just go out there and actually SHOOT a couple different kinds of bows. Any decent hunting store with an archery shop should let you shoot some of the bows before you decide what you want to buy. Everyone is different, and I really think you need to handle and shoot a couple different brands/models before you decide.

Don't get hung up on power/speed- all the crossbows mentioned are plenty powerful enough for deer. Unless you are very strong, I would recommend a 150 pull- it doesn't matter in the field so much, but it makes it much easier to practice shooting more often and for longer sessions. Some models with 150 pull have (such as some Parkers and Barnetts) as much velocity as other 175lb or 200lb models. This is due to a difference in bow design and a longer power stroke. Iusuallyhunt witha Hortonthat hasa velocity of "only" 260 fps. I've never felt "undergunned" with this setup. The only real advatage for faster speeds (300+fps) is if you're shooting at longer ranges, say further than 30 yards- there is less arrow drop to help with range estimation errors. Inside of 30 yards, I don't think it really matters.

Hope this helps!