Rookie Crossbow Hunter Needs Advice

[jj322]

I am an avid gun hunter and I am thinking about getting into bow hunting. I have hunted with a compound bow before but never nothing serious. I have never used a crossbow however if I am going to get into bow hunting I prefer to do it with a crossbow. I need advice on what to buy. Any wisdom would be appreciated.

[racking up points]

I definitely recommend excalibur because they are so dependable, simple and accurate as hell. If you can swing it, either the Matrix 355 or 380 gets my vote. If budget is a factor, go with the Vixen II. The retail is low, they handle really well because they are so light and short. My wife has one and it is really fun to shoot or tote around in the woods. Still has plenty of power to take down anything you'll see in the woods.

Good luck in your search

[nchunterkw]

Any Excalibur will do you well.

Unless you like to not be able to adjust your own brace height, change your string, and otherwise completely maintain your bow. Then buy a wheeled crossbow and pay a bow shop to do all of that for you.

Seriously, being new to crossbows, you can (almost) bank on a dry-fire happening at some point. With an endless loop string and an Excal you will not damage the bow, let alone blow it up, like you might (probably will) do to a compound crossbow.

Finally, Excalibur is a great company that completely stands behind it's products 100%.

[ranger]

I went with the Vortex as my 1st and it's a awesome all around nice bow, however if you want wheels check out the 10 point Stealth SS, best all around bow from 10 point, then there is the Mission MXB 320 or 360 series both nice bows with adjustable weight settings and you can replace the string without going back to a sport shop to have it changed......
Myself I could not be more happy with my Matrix 380 and all my other bows but the Matrix is #1..

[8ptbuk]

Excalibur all the way ! A good used one is a great value . The company backs there bow regardless who purchased it .

[Boo]

The only recommendation I can make is to call Danny Miller. He will only steer you in a practical direction. He's as honest as the day is long and his prices are great. He will not steer you wrong.
740 483 2312

[wabi]

If you live in the US I would recommend a call to Dan Miller dba Horizontal Archery @ (740) 483-2312 and discuss Excalibur crossbows with him. Danny knows Excaliburs and how to set them up and get the most from them. He will willingly share his knowledge, so be prepared to spend some time talking .

Probably something like an Axiom (regular stock) or Ibex SMF (thumbhole stock) would make a good starting bow. Reasonable price and as durable and accurate as any other Excalibur. The 175# models will take any North American game and they aren't hard to cock & shoot (I recommend the rope cocking aid with all Excaliburs) so you'll probably shoot a lot.

[Peacemaker]

I was in precisely your shoes last year. A friend recommended Excalibur, but I thought that I could get more bow for less money with a Barnett, so I bought a Barnett from Dick's. It also had cool gimmicks like a cocking winch built into the stock. I immediately saw some quality issues....and when I started reading the forums there were a lot of complaints about limbs breaking and other catastrophic failures. The last straw was when the serving started to come apart after about 4 days of use...and the answer was "take it to a bow shop."

And, the cocking winch is a silly gimmick that is slow and that gets in the way. A cocking rope is all you need.

I then hit this forum and realized that the successful hunting stories vastly outnumbered the complaint stories....and that almost every repair could be done at home.

I returned the Barnett, gladly paid a few extra bucks for an Exocet 200, and have not regretted it for one nanosecond.

Of course this is the Excalibur board so this is the home of the fanboys...but I am quite happy to have made the switch to Excalibur.

And I can tell you that a well placed shot with a 300 fps crossbow bolt drops a doe just as fast as a well placed shot with a 12 gauge slug.....(I only know "well placed shots" )

[Mayor of Atlantis]

Hello there fellow hunter.

I have hunted with both bows and guns for the past 50 years. Big game, small game and fish. I have to give up the bow this year because of rotator cuff issues in my drawing arm shoulder. Thus I too am in the market for a crossbow.

The one comment I would make for any gun hunter seeking to take up bow hunting is to consider more the actual act of taking big game with an arrow instead of getting caught up in the marketing hype of what makes the arrow fly.

I went into a large outdoor goods "big box" store to shop for a crossbow. I couldn't believe the nonsense coming out of the sales rep helping me trying to decide what to buy. In this store was a stuffed moose aprx. 50 yds from the sales counter and the sales rep told me "this top of the line Excalibur will blow right through that animal at even 60 yds". he went on further to say he just bought the same model to "increase his chances" this year! Yup, I just smiled and shook my head just like every other bowhunters reading this.

If I was to offer advice to a gun hunter taking up bow hunting of any type it would be to spend less time deciding what bow to buy and spend more time learning how to kill a big game animal with an arrow. An archery club, hunting club or crossbow club would be a great place to start.

To put it quite simply try and find something that delivers enough energy to put a properly tipped arrow through the bread basket. Be mindful only of what will stop the arrow from complete pass through (ribs, scapula, twigs, etc) and you will rarely go wrong. Once the lungs have pass throug holes in them the animal will expire. If you can't be positive of an anticipated pass through then don't shoot. I have found that anything short of pass through only makes recovery that much more challenging.

Any of the hunting bows and crossbows on the market will do this for you when you give full consideration to their range and accuracy limitations. Starting out do not attempt a killing shot beyond 25-30 yds with any type of bow while hunting deer and bring that in to 20-25 yds for moose and bear.

A crossbow is not a gun. The projectile impact does not "drop" big game like a bullet does.

Good luck in this rewarding sport!

[Boo]

Hello there fellow hunter.

I have hunted with both bows and guns for the past 50 years. Big game, small game and fish. I have to give up the bow this year because of rotator cuff issues in my drawing arm shoulder. Thus I too am in the market for a crossbow.

The one comment I would make for any gun hunter seeking to take up bow hunting is to consider more the actual act of taking big game with an arrow instead of getting caught up in the marketing hype of what makes the arrow fly.

I went into a large outdoor goods "big box" store to shop for a crossbow. I couldn't believe the nonsense coming out of the sales rep helping me trying to decide what to buy. In this store was a stuffed moose aprx. 50 yds from the sales counter and the sales rep told me "this top of the line Excalibur will blow right through that animal at even 60 yds". he went on further to say he just bought the same model to "increase his chances" this year! Yup, I just smiled and shook my head just like every other bowhunters reading this.

If I was to offer advice to a gun hunter taking up bow hunting of any type it would be to spend less time deciding what bow to buy and spend more time learning how to kill a big game animal with an arrow. An archery club, hunting club or crossbow club would be a great place to start.

To put it quite simply try and find something that delivers enough energy to put a properly tipped arrow through the bread basket. Be mindful only of what will stop the arrow from complete pass through (ribs, scapula, twigs, etc) and you will rarely go wrong. Once the lungs have pass throug holes in them the animal will expire. If you can't be positive of an anticipated pass through then don't shoot. I have found that anything short of pass through only makes recovery that much more challenging.

Any of the hunting bows and crossbows on the market will do this for you when you give full consideration to their range and accuracy limitations. Starting out do not attempt a killing shot beyond 25-30 yds with any type of bow while hunting deer and bring that in to 20-25 yds for moose and bear.

A crossbow is not a gun. The projectile impact does not "drop" big game like a bullet does.

Good luck in this rewarding sport!

Great first post and welcome to the forum!

[VixChix]

.....
A crossbow is not a gun. The projectile impact does not "drop" big game like a bullet does.

Good luck in this rewarding sport!

Great first post and welcome to the forum!

x 2!

WELCOME!!!

Love that large dose of common sense!

I especially appreciate the comments about the anatomy of the harvest - we need to know what our target is (it's not "the animal" - it's the boiler room). Aim small - miss small. We need to memorize where the vitals are located for each position the animal might be in.

We should provide the animal with as quick and ethical a death as we can accomplish.

Again, welcome!

[nchunterkw]

[quote="Mayor of Atlantis"]
Starting out do not attempt a killing shot beyond 25-30 yds with any type of bow while hunting deer and bring that in to 20-25 yds for moose and bear.

A crossbow is not a gun. The projectile impact does not "drop" big game like a bullet does.
quote]

Welcome to the forum, but I'm sorry, you cannot make general statements like this. No a crossbow is not a gun, but my Excalibur is certainly capable of putting an arrow through a moose at yardages farther than you describe. It all depends on your setup. IMO your "maximum lethal range" is determined by: the accuracy capability of your weapon plus your skill as a shooter, and the terminal ballistics of your arrow. This needs to be determined through lots of shooting and an understanding of what your arrow is doing.

Some information you may find interesting is Dr Ed Ashby's real world test data on putting arrows through Asian Buffalo with a 40lb recurve. You can find hhis report on Alaska Bow Hunter's site or just google his name.

[chrisbp]

Generally, crossbow has 9 specs you should take into consideration:
1.Type
There are two main types of crossbows: the recurve crossbow and the compound crossbow.
(ps, just shout out for Excalibur, IMHO, the best recurve xbow in the world, hands down.)

2.Speed
The speed, or velocity, measurement of a crossbow refers to the rate at which an arrow is fired from the bow in feet per second (fps). Speed is the byproduct of a few factors including the crossbow’s draw weight, power stroke, and the weight of the arrow.

3.Draw weight
Draw weight is the highest amount of weight in pounds (lbs.) pulled when the crossbow is drawn. Draw weight corresponds directly with draw length, or how far back you will need to draw the string to fire the arrow.

4.Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy measures the amount of energy, or force, the arrow carries in the air upon being fired in foot pounds (ft.-lbs.). An arrow carrying high kinetic energy will strike an animal with more force and with deeper penetration, so it is especially important for hunters to consider this specification when purchasing a bow.

5. Power Stroke
Power stroke is also referred to as draw length and measures the distance of the string from rest position to fully drawn posture. Like mentioned above, power stoke corresponds with draw weight and a crossbow with a longer power stroke typically requires a higher draw weight to bring the string to firing position.

6. Mass weight
The overall mass weight measured in pounds gauges the heaviness of the crossbow. Just like a rifle or regular bow, a heavier crossbow will be more difficult to carry long distances and harder to keep aimed on target when an arrow is drawn.

7. Length
A crossbow’s length is the distance (in inches) from the end of the stock to the furthest end of the crossbow, which could be the stirrup or the dissipater pads on the limbs; this is not an industry standard. A longer crossbow also normally makes for a heavier crossbow. For this reason, taller and more robust shooters may be comfortable with a longer crossbow, while shorter, younger, and female users may prefer shorter models.

8. Width
The width (in inches) measures the distance from end to end of the crossbow’s limbs when at rest. Just like with length, consider the width of different crossbows in proportion to your body. A wider crossbow may offset the balance of a shorter shooter, while a more compact model could constrain and be less comfortable for a more robust shooter.

9.Trigger Pull
Trigger pull refers to the amount of weight needed to pull the trigger in order to fire the crossbow. This is not an issue most shooters with dexterous fingers, but the average crossbow will have a trigger pull somewhere between 3 and 4 lbs.(3.5 lbs is the best), which is considered a safe and effective level.

Hope this could be helpful.
In Case you want to learn more about crossbow, feel free to visit my blog ====> BestCrossbowsReviews.org

[nchunterkw]

4.Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy measures the amount of energy, or force, the arrow carries in the air upon being fired in foot pounds (ft.-lbs.). An arrow carrying high kinetic energy will strike an animal with more force and with deeper penetration, so it is especially important for hunters to consider this specification when purchasing a bow.

6. Mass weight
The overall mass weight measured in pounds gauges the heaviness of the crossbow. Just like a rifle or regular bow, a heavier crossbow will be more difficult to carry long distances and harder to keep aimed on target when an arrow is drawn.


====> BestCrossbowsReviews.org

As you said, KE is the amount of energy an arrow has upon being fired. This does not always translate into more force and deeper penetration when the arrow gets to the animal. If it did, then I think just about any crossbow on the market should put an arrow completely through a deer EVERY time. We know this is not the case though. Again I reference the real world data Dr. Ed Ashby has collected over the last many years (I forget when he started but it's been along time. Well over 10 years). IMO, KE is only one thing to be considered, and it is not the most important thing to me. Impulse force, momentum, arrow strength (of all components), and broad head mechanical advantage play a very large role in getting an arrow to pass through an animal. KE is marketed by bow manufacturers focused on bow speed, because it changes by the square of the velocity.

And just to be nit-picky

Mass and Weight are not the same thing. Mass is the amount of matter that something is made of. It is measured in grams or kilograms etc. Weight is the amount of force that acts on something due to the acceleration of gravity, measured in newtons, or pounds etc. and is calculated as F=mA, or "force equals mass times acceleration."

[Tom]

I am an avid gun hunter and I am thinking about getting into bow hunting. I have hunted with a compound bow before but never nothing serious. I have never used a crossbow however if I am going to get into bow hunting I prefer to do it with a crossbow. I need advice on what to buy. Any wisdom would be appreciated.

jj322 it is very difficult to give you any advice which you could benefit from without knowing more about your hunting situations. Will you be hunting from tree stands, ground blinds, stalking, will you be practicing a lot or just enough. Will you be hunting smaller game or moose, elk, bear be in your hunting future. IS speed important to you.

Remember that the glitz of the faster bows is always appealing, but the crossbow only holds and shoots stored energy. That is, you have to load that energy into the bow yourself. I wish I had $ for every time a shooter has gone to a lesser poundage of a bow (traded in) just because they found that shooting (practicing) a lot just became hard work and not fun. Shooting a crossbow should be all fun.

Now about hunting with a crossbow or with any other archery equipment. Accuracy is most important in my opinion. Mayor of Atlantis made a lot of great points in his post. Yes a bullet kills mostly by shock where as the arrow (hunting head) kills by having the animal bleed out. Your distances, or kill range depends on two major factors. Your accuracy and the reaction time of the animal you are hunting. Deer are usually very quick to react so I would say 30 - 35 yards is max, even with the faster bows. But with an animal like a moose, I have no problem with extending that range out to 45 - 50 yards because they usually do not react fast so they are usually in the same spot when the arrow arrives, thus a clean kill shot.

About KE. I hear a lot of people talking about what the KE is when it leaves the bow, but who really should care. For me, it is the KE when it gets to the animal. A light fast arrow will loose its KE faster down range then a heavier arrow. But honestly, any Excalibur crossbow will kill any animal in North America (the record moose in Canada was taken with a 150lb model).

Shot placement is most important. Even the most powerful bows will not go through a shoulder bone on a moose.

If you give us more knowledge we will be able to guide you better.

Hope this helps Tom