Bolts & FOC

[RichJ]

1st I would like to into myself. I'm new to the "Crossbow World". I have been a over avid Archery Hunter/Archery Pro Shop Manager/Sales Rep/3-D shooter for several years. Due to our great finacial world I have since went back to the normal job world throwing out of the loop of things for the past 3 yrs.
I have searched over the forums looking for the answer to my question just finding bits of info.
I just got a Equinox as a gift. Great shooting bow. A friend lent me some bolts to use from his Exocet. Goldtips with the brass inserts. They seem to shoot really well. Included with my Equinox was the Excalibur Fire Bolts 150gr Bolt Cutter broadheads. I have seen everyone talking up the goldtips with the brass inserts and Slick Tricks ( same set up my friend uses). Other guys I know use a 100 gr Rage on the Fire Bolt WITH OUT the brass insert. FOC has got to be way off with that set up. I have always used expandable heads over the past 18 + yrs. I would LOVE to use a good fixed blade like the Slick Trick Ect. We all have seen somethings dont always get from point A to point B like we like.

Should I return these fire Bolts and run with the GoldTip Bolt?
Broadheads-These 150 grain Bolt Cutters any good? or retun them and run Slick Tricks like I have seen poste everywhere?

After shooting a Goldtip with brass insert and 100gr field point I shot the Fire Bolt with alum insert 150 grain point.
The Gold tip shot about 10 inches lower than the Firebolt at 30 yards. Speed between the 2 isn't a big factor with me we are still talking over 300fps with any setup here. Im looking for a good whitetail / Black Bear killing machine here not a 3-d or paper shooter. This year Im planing on doing a Black Bear hunt and hoping to use the Equinox is pos.

Any feed back good, bad or just plain ugly is welcome
Thanks RichJ

[wabi]

Just my opinion, but put together the combination you like (arrow & broadhead) and try it on a target. If it shoots good forget about FOC, vane type, fletching helical, etc. and go hunting.
If it doesn't shoot good, then worry about it.

[Boo]

Just my opinion, but put together the combination you like (arrow & broadhead) and try it on a target. If it shoots good forget about FOC, vane type, fletching helical, etc. and go hunting.
If it doesn't shoot good, then worry about it.

Yep!

[awshucks]

Firebolt w/ 150 gr Boltcutter vs brass inserted Gt and 100 gr Slick is not a bunch of FOC diff for one thing. I've very little experience w/ Firebolts and Boltcutters, just saw a few setups of friends that came by, but I'd have to say they were fairly close to each other on performance target wise. I don't think field points or mechanicals need near the FOC that fixed blade bheads do, but that's just an opinion from reading guys/gals results.

I heard Slick was bringing out a 175 gr Trick for xbows, you might try them on your Firebolts if you ain't happy w/ the others.

Welcome to the forum before I forget, let us know what you end up picking.

[crazyfarmer]

my experience is that both of those arrows will do wonders with different combos of bheads. The firebolts will weigh 375grains with a 100grain tip will the GT2's with a brass insert will weigh in the 407grain range. The gold tips would have a 16-17% FOC due to more weight up front. The firebolts have a heavier shaft but less weight up front which will cause them to shoot higher.

for target shooting without wind and twigs getting in the way the firebolts will group great. But for hunting in the woods I like a little more weight up front in case a twig grows out of nowhere

whichever you go with, both will do the job. I just like my gold tips with the brass inserts slightly better.

[Cossack]

Well said crazyfarmer, I'm with you. FWIW, I'm using 100 g Slick Trick mags on the same 407 g GTs and getting great accuracy with my Excals as well as terminal performance. Though, if I shot a faster bow like the Equinox, I'd be using the 125 g slicks, the slightly heavier arrows seems to fly better from my 365 fps compound.

[rt2bowhunter]

Theres a brass insert for the easton arrows.

[rsm2532]

Rich,
I have a equinox and I am from Pa , I use the firebolts with a 125 grain muzzy's, the arrow shoots good out to 40 yrds, have not shot passed 40. I shot and killed two doe's during the firearm season, one was 12 yrd and the other 27 yrds. I agree put together what you want to shoot and give it a try, if it shoots good go with it, if not try some other types of arrows and broad heads. I am a fixed broadhead believer, My buddy has a Ten point crossbow and was using those rage broad heads, two weeks in a row he shot at two different bucks and hit both but did not recover any of the rwo deer, they were both quartering away shoots, I witness the one shot from my tree stand and he had good placement, but the buck got away, I feel the penetraction was not enough. I just cut some XX78's , and used 4 inch AAE vanes, waiting for some nice weather to try those out of the equinox. I want to use them on some ground hogs and coyotes this spring.

good luck