1st year x bow hunting

[bowhunter1]

this is my 1st season x bow hunting for white tails. i have bow hunted for 25 yrs, but have had shoulder surgery this Feb. i bought a equinox with the firebolt bolts, i have a million question about how this bow will preform in the hunting woods. on the range its a target killing machine. So i sure hope you guys can help me out, at 41 i feel like i am starting over in the archery world. How do the deer react to the noise of the xbow,or should i ask what is the maximum effective range of the Equinox. I have always used mech. broadheads with my Bowtech because of large cutting areas. will this oxbow pass a bolt thru a deer at 40 yds with a 100 gr. broadhead? [ if put in the right place needless to say]. my Firebolt weights 360 grs. with 2" zeon fusion vanes, i have been looking at the spitfire max mech. or the x-act mechanic favorites in this category. ANY SUGGESTIONS, and advice is much appreciated!!.

[one shot scott]

Welcome to the forum, sorry to hear that it was an injury that got ya here. Most perfer to keep shots within 40 yards, bow noise and string jump will not be much of an issue. And they are tack drivers in the woods as well as the target range. You will get pass throughs with most of the exals as long as you dont hit shoulder. Congrats on the e 'nox!

[saxman]

Welcome friend.
I will second what was posted above.
Hunt with your crossbow just like you would a vert bow and you'll be fine.

[j.krug]

How do the deer react to the noise of the xbow,or should i ask what is the maximum effective range of the Equinox.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on yer new Equinox.
To answer this part of your question, hunt the same effective ranges you would use with a compound bow.
As for how the deer react.....they usually mule kick with their rear legs then run like heck for 30 to 70 yards with blood gushing out of their side and then fall into a heap...dead!!

Welcome and happy hunting!!

[bowhunter1]

thank you guys very much for the information, what is a boo string and why do so many excalibur shooters use them? what do you guys think of the spit fire max mech. broadhead for use with my equnoix ?

[MADMAX2]

WELCOME!! I have a Boo custom string on my Exomax because of the poundage on that bow I wanted a custom made string for durability and reliability.

[one shot scott]

just like madmax said, they are excellent quality, and on the enox the serving will last longer. He also can serve on whiskers to the string to help with vibration/sound. That and hes a great guy to deal with.

but the #1 reason: His strings are boo-tiful

[bowhunter1]

does anyone have a experience with the spit fire max or x-act mech. broadhead as far as penatration and max range for pass thrus?.. i have been told by " One Shot Scott" to keep the shots at 40 yds and closer, does this include the use of mech. broadheads too?

[sumner4991]

There is no "set" yardage for any broadhead or bow. Factors include, but not limited to, size of animal, weight of arrow, poundage of bow, experience of hunter, type of animal, alertness of animal, and weather conditions.

A pass through or penetration also includes factors such as weight of arrow, poundage of bow, and cutting surface of broadhead.

The crossbow is a bow . . .it has roughly the same range as any compound bow. Use the same judgement and skills as you did with your compound bow and you should be OK.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[georgiaboy]

Welcome!!!!
I used 100gr spitfire's out of my ibex (175lb) last year, complete pass through on two deer and 95 percent penetration on a big georgia hog!! You should have no problem with the spitfire maxx out of your nox!!!
I will be shooting 100gr spitfire out of my ibex this year, and 125gr spitfires out of my vortex.
Good luck!!

[Limbs and Sticks]

Welcome, alot of options here all will get the job done.

Wes

[Riflemanz]

Here is a deer shot with a 100gr spitfire 3 blade at 15yds.I love spitfires!

[bcmuledeer]

Welcome! Lots of good advice here. This will also be my 1st year hunting with a xbow. In my spare time I am going through past posts, lots of good info, plus you can search topics of past posts.

[maple]

Welcome bowhunter1.

Sounds like you're already on the right track. You'll get ample opinions here about crossbow broadheads and distances. Everybody has their own experiences to share.

I've used 125 gr mechanical spitfires for about 6 years now. Like 'em a lot, although I do put an orthodontic rubber band on 'em 'just in case'. These bows will shoot a lot of heads just fine, past threads on the topic will tell the tale. Also sumner4991 keeps a tally of who's harvested what with what head. Look that up too.

Distance of taking game is obviously a personal decision. I myself have never shot a deer over 27 yards, and as a result, set 30 as my maximum range. Beyond that I'm not confident enough of a perfect hit to risk the shot. It depends on the range and other circumstances of course. I have had some deer "shift" before impact, making for a less precise POI than I would have liked. Still dead though.

Maple

[bowhunter1]

thank you maple and all who have given me very important info.I have hunted with a vert bow for 22 yrs and this Equinox seems to be a different beast and wanted to make sure i did not expect the same performance from it as i did from my Bowtech if there was a difference. I have hunted on a prof. heard mgmt. team in the Balto. Md. metro area for 7 yrs and have over 250 recorded whitetail kills with a vert bow, which will resume once i become confident beyond a doubt with my Equinox. From what i have learned here, thanks to you guys; it seems a xbox is just as awesome a killing weapon as a vert bow. i do not mean to brag about my hunting experience i just you guys to know i have harvested many deer with archery equipment, but i need to learn a new way to chase my dream now . Thanks again to all and i will keep you guys posted on my progress and harvested animals, and keep ask for advice from you.