How many came over to excal from compound x-bows?

[vh64]

Been shooting verticals since the 70's, beginning of this year decided to start using crossbows so I ended up buying a tenpoint carbon fusion in April....shot it and found out that I really love shooting crossbows but I found out that crossbows don't like string servings very well for the amount of shooting I want to do. Well after learning that, I found that compound crossbows are not the best choice to have to deal with this situation. So by the end of June this year I bought a Vortex. Now I don't need to tell you good people how easy Excaliburs are but what a pleasure it is to own one and a lot less trouble to deal with in my case. One last thought after using both I have a lot more confidence in the recurve design and I'll put my vortex up against any bow in any category too.

[ninepointer]

It wasn't a compound but in the '80's a buddy and I shared an Astro Daco Scorpion recurve crossbow. It had a one-piece fibreglass limb that was lag-bolted onto a laminated two-tone wooden stock. The stock was quite nice but was the best part because the rest of that crossbow was junk. The limb shed fibreglass splinters with every shot!

IIRC, there really wasn't anything good available in Ontario before the Excals came around. There were Astro Dacos and Barnetts, but they seemed more like toys. I suppose the Bear-Jennings Devastator and the Hortons of the day were a step above, but even to my young and impressionable mind they seemed "gimmicky".

[wayne]

As for "crossbows", Excalibur's are the 1st & more then likely the last crossbows I'll ever own.
Seems vert bows were added to post, .. so hey, I'll mine........Sarted in the 70's with Bear recurves....80's & 90's when to Darton compound bow..... 2000's a Martin compound bow.
In the late 90's some guys I hunted with from time to time had some crossbows, they bought from big box stores, compound type, not sure of brand(s), but think they shot a 16" arrow/bolt, they had permits to hunt with them, but, watching them shoot them & I shot them a few times also, I felt they were junk, groups were ok, not great inside of 15 yards, pass the 15 yard mark, ya did not know were the arrow was going to hit, something like 12"(+) groups, not sure of there set-ups, & did not care at the time, those guys had to hit 4 deer to find one, so fogive me, but at that time, because of what I had seen from there crossbows, I WAS one of them anti-crossbow types, I hated the wounded deer.
In the last few years I had been hearing good things about crossbows, so I figured I check it out for myself & look at all of them, people were telling me the ten point was the way to go, & they shot very good for me, seen the excal's at the store but felt the cost was to high for what you got....till I asked the salesman what crossbow would I still be shooting 15 years from now & not dumping alot of money in repairs? ....He said that I needed to look hard at the Excalibur's......after shooting the excal's (and I must admit, I felt some of the joy I used to feel shooting my old bear recurve, when I saw the excal limbs bend while cocking the bow....to tell truth, I hunted with wheeled bows for over 20 years but never really like them to much).......Started looking at Excal's website, watched all there video's, felt very good about the company.....Went & bought my 1st crossbow a vortex, then bought the wife a ibex.....& if it's possible, I enjoy shooting them even more now then when I bought them....already looking at the Equinox, & a Vixen, to add to the colection in the future. If those guys years ago would of had excal's.. I would have owned one much sooner...but I guess better late then never...hey

[mitch]

Well after archery hunting with compound bows and multiple kills Pennsylvania legalized crossbows. I then purchased a barnett predator and quickly found that the cables and serving wore out crazy fast..... As in sub 75 shots...New cables were $90 plus install...

Then I was reading all the hype about excaliburs and I decided to purchase a vortex and I'll never look back. I am planning on getting a vixen in the next year or so to add to the collection. The simplicity of the excalibur is great and you dont have to depend on a shop to service your bow!

Same for me I bought a predator but after broking the string have to drive 200 miles to have it replace.I did buy a vortex and now my predator is Mosley collecting dust.

[georgiaboy]

I did the vertical thing for yrs. but after major shoulder surgery in 2001 i had to give my PSE up. Took all of the next yr off then bought a horton ledgend in 03, good bow but a little on the heavy side.
I would probably still be shooting that bow but the only pro shop close to me is so anti x-bow that the last time i carried it in for service i swore i would give up bow hunting before that a** hole got one more penny of my money!!!
Did some research on a x-bow i could work on myself...went and looked at an ibex...and the rest is history!!!

[frisky]

I started with a PSE Copperhead, used it one year. I think it is a lot of bow for the money. I bought a Excalibur Phoenix during the off season. I never looked back.

[timbikeride]

For years to me a crossbow was cheating. I was a compound bow only guy. I started out with a 86 lb Jennings then slowly dropped poundage over the years from a non archery related shoulder injury. My last bow was a 60 lb Matthews, but that finally became too much. My Excalibur is the only way archery way I can hunt now.

[Rich]

I did the switch when VA legalized XBOWS a few years back and have since switched back to a vert bow. The main reason for switching back was I just got bored target shooting through the same hole with my Exocet.

[Crispy]

I started hunting with a recurve, got a whitetail 2 when they came out then moved to a golden eagle tree hawk. Do to a bone spur in my right shoulder I gave up bowhunting for two years. When Pa. made crossbows legal I started doing my homework. Didnt take long too settle on excal! My vortex is my fist crossbow and have no reson to look at any others

[flightattendant100]

I had bow hunted with a compound verticle bow for several years.Years before I had separated my right should playing ball,and drawing the verticle was a little bit of a challenge.I guess that I compensated for this somehow and developed a really good case of tennis elbow in my left elbow.I have seen a ruematologist(sp?)for several years and was about to ask if he would write me a script so that I could use a crossbow during archery season(upper limb disability) when the great state of Texas decided it was allright for anyone to use a crossbow during archery season.I went into major researce mode and as luck would have it I picked Excalibur.I chose an Exomax,being from Texas I could not make myself buy one that wasnt the fastest,strongest brute of the bunch.No training wheels here!I could not be happier.A super bow and a super company and a super forum to come to with all my questions. Honestly,I looked at ten pt. stuff and thought it too expensive. I looked at the tac 15 and thought it way too expensive.Excalibur was the only other top of the line bow that I looked at and I liked the simplicity.One of my few GREAT choices.