Hotburn76

Well you are in for a long quest and the best thing I can recommend is you must shoot the big three before you buy! Me and green pea both have Horton's and we love them both. But since we got on here we have been looking over the fence pretty badly lately at the Excal's. As most have said the phoenix is all you need and the Exocet is almost over kill with the Emax at overkill! If you was to buy a Horton they have been sucked into the wal-mart make cheap game so they have broadened there market share and are making OK, but cheaper bows to appeal to the guy that decides to get a bow the day before season begins and try killing a deer the next day. If you decide to get a Horton, it needs to be one with a machined aluminum barrel. They are fine CB's and you will be happy with one. The "extruded formed" barrel Horton's are less to be desired and you start getting what you paid for.I love my Horton but Excal is my next choice. The main thing that makes me want to go with a Excal is Independence! I hate being at the mercy of a sales counter. One example is this fall, right before season starts, my serving takes a crap. I have three shops in my town. One I will not go to, the other closes the first month of season cause he is out west hunting, and the other where I go is sporadic at best cause he likes to hunt as much as the rest of us. I need him cause he has the bow press. Now if I had an Excal, they have a tool to take your own string off, no press! With an Excal I could do all my own work at home and not be at the mercy of a store shop. Like I say, do not buy from a magazine or over the counter, you must shoot your choices before you make them. I hear bass pro lets you shot CB's in there range,the cabelas by my place will not let you shoot CB's in there store! Not sure why but the will not. Just shoot before you buy!

smokepolehall

If you choose an Excal CB, order it from Ebay. Order most all yer other stuff from Dan Miller because he has the best price. You can do like i did my first year use the peep sight that it came with. Fiber optic green, sight it in at 20 yds. or 25 and then just put bead on spine fer yer next 5-8 yds. The arrow will drop into the heart area from bead on spine shot. This is an up close thing just like the compound!

Dnk

Well I can't add much to this thread, its all been said and said well. The only thing I can say is that I prefer a good rifle scope to the Varizone. It is just not bright enough for my liking. I can only imagine it is because of years of using Leupold Vari X3s and Nikon Gold scopes. Varizones are awsome for the price though. Welcome to the forum!

Planter

I bought a Pheonix a few months ago and love it!! I bought The"RightStuff Package" with it cause I was new to the game and figured it had everything I needed. I now KNOW I paid more than I should have but what the heck.
I also liked the fact that I can change the string in no time and there is just about zeroin the way of things to go wrong except those due to human error. Based on my limited experience they don't like to be dry fired ARG!!!It's alsoVERY important to keep your thumb below the rail. OUCH!!
These guys tweak their bows a lot more than I do. I just shoot the thing and it works like a charm. Out to 30 yards I am still stunned how well it shoots and know it has better accuracy potential than I do. I sure have to baby my Hoyt more than this Xbow.
As far as unloading it at the end of the day I just take the arrow off the rail until I get home and then thump one into a bag target.
It is a bit like flying a wide bodied jet thru the woods but I am not a stalker. Does it make me less of a man to say I love my Pheonix? If it does, just call meSally.. >>>>>>>>Whack!!

Dnk

John, I don't know how to tweek an Exca. To be honest I don't want to because its too good to me right now. Like you I just shoot it. I have bought some carbons but there's no light that came on when I shot them. I know that Jay shoots really light payloads and other than fooling around with shaft weights and broadheads I don't think there's much to tinker with. I know what you mean about the Hoyt. I am carefull where I lay it, how it sits in my truck, don't let anyone draw it back and yet the Excals just sit where ever you leave them and then WACK!!! LOL!

Planter

That's funny Don.. The crossbow gets tossed it the back seat and the Hoyt rides in a hard case!!
I have tried a few different kinds of arrows, but out to 30 yards they just go thump all day. The Pheonix will eat anythingI put on it's rail.
Broadheads?? I'm guessingI could find a dozen different kinds that shoot just fine if not great out to 30 yards..
I think it boils down to the fact these are simple but tough bows..I just keepthe bolts and screws cranked down and it keeps on shooting. It's a fine tool for the job...>>>>>>>>>Whack!!!

shewe

lol i too shot hoyt before i got my exocet. fought hammer and tong with that hoyt every year.....the excal just shoots where i point it.