Strange thing happened with Dead Zone

[janesy]

Boy, now that I figured some of this out, I almost want to cancel my order on the Nikon and just use low (clear) power for my 20 yard bear shot. (Scope holds zero fine.) I know I would love the Nikon. But, if I have the same scope sighted in the same as my sons and I’m coaching them through a shot at a deer, I would give them the right advice. (If I was used to the Nikon I would get confused and tell them to “hold the 3rd circle on the top of the back” and screw them up.)

You will be happy with the Bolt, don't worry.
But it also opens the questions that maybe this is an opportunity to teach the boys how to zero and hold accordingly. Forget about the chevrons

[Montana Mark]

I know I will be happy with it. The Nikon is on its way. Regarding the “zero and hold”, I want to try that this summer and see how my instincts are for holding above the target. Kind of like using a vertical bow without sights. It will be fun.

[janesy]

I know I will be happy with it. The Nikon is on its way. Regarding the “zero and hold”, I want to try that this summer and see how my instincts are for holding above the target. Kind of like using a vertical bow without sights. It will be fun.

At reasonable hunting distances, you don't need to hold over at all. Point and shoot .
Here's what my bow does when point of aim is 29Y. As you can see between 20 and 35 yards I only need to use the center crosshair. At 40, place the horizontal line on its back.
Your bow being 50fps slower and possibly a different arrow weight, you may have to back your zero down until you find the sweet spot

[Ferguson Outfitters]

Do you know if you ordered an older discontinued bolt or the new prostaff crossbow?

I was just wondering if there was much difference

[Montana Mark]

Do you know if you ordered an older discontinued bolt or the new prostaff crossbow?

I was just wondering if there was much difference

I looked a little (not hard) for the older "Bolt" but couldn't find one. Ordered the Prostaff which i presume is the same thing. Got medium leopold rings for it.

[Montana Mark]

I know I will be happy with it. The Nikon is on its way. Regarding the “zero and hold”, I want to try that this summer and see how my instincts are for holding above the target. Kind of like using a vertical bow without sights. It will be fun.

At reasonable hunting distances, you don't need to hold over at all. Point and shoot .
Here's what my bow does when point of aim is 29Y. As you can see between 20 and 35 yards I only need to use the center crosshair. At 40, place the horizontal line on its back.
Your bow being 50fps slower and possibly a different arrow weight, you may have to back your zero down until you find the sweet spot

Yes! Janesy, this is how we will hunt! I will practice it so I can coach the boys on it! Easy and foolproof. The last deer we got with a rifle was less than 40 yards away as we were walking back home at noon gabbing and chatting our way down the trail (funny, it was the same buck we chased around in circles earlier that morning).

[Ferguson Outfitters]

The reason I don’t guesstimate with the crossbow and like ballistics circles and yardage flags is because if you are guesstimating with your crosshairs and your yardage, it leaves double the room for error especially when you have a palm sized quick kill zone on a hog.

I’ve killed an extreme amount of animals in the short time I’ve been at crossbows and when I stopped “winging it” I get repeatable results.

I also noticed regardless of speed, (sound -vs- bolt travel) 35 yards or so seems to be the point when a jump or crouch can exacerbate an already varying situation so the closer you are to getting everything right, the less that can go wrong.

[janesy]

This method I find works best for me, and 90% of rifle hunters(it's printed on the side of every single box of ammo on the shelf), because it eliminates and guess work. When you get to you stand for the day, you find your maximum range, say 35 yards. From there back you know if a deer walks into that range you are good with a center crosshair shot. Should you decide to stretch that out, then so be it. That's why you've practiced.

The other popular alternative, which is also fine, is to know exactly the range of the deer, make an educated guess based on which chevron you have sighted in for. A novice shooter then has to remember the correct chevron, while a deer is standing in front of you. This method probably works best if you hunt the same stand every time and have yardage flags set up for your reference...and don't get buck fever. If you've set your ethical cutoff at 50 yards or your predominantly a target shooter, this is probably the best method for you.

Everyone has their own way of doing it. I prefer simple and reliable. Remember when scopes didn't have chevrons? The ZERO method works for all types of sights, scope, iron, peep, you name it it works

[Ferguson Outfitters]

Jansey,

If using the same crosshair POA gives you a 9” MPBR (22-40yds) within 18 yards, more power to ya. Apparently your chosen method does work for you but a novice possibly suffering from excitement and a quick shot could run into some trouble.
Its pretty easy to misjudge yardage in the field without a rangefinder by plenty enough distance to make a difference in where that bolt hits.

Even when I stalk hunt and many times guess the distance on the fly, it gives me more confidence selecting which aiming point to use based on my best yardage guess because generally my guestimates are within 5 yards.

I like simple an reliable too, thats why I choose a crossbow scope with ballistic points. And honest to God it takes maybe 2 minutes to hang some yardage clothespins before you sit down at the stand.

I guess what you choose really depends on what you hunt and where you wanna hit them. For deer you have a wide lung area but I shoot small critters and hogs too and I need that bolt to go where I want it to.

A rifle MPBR, archery equipment doesn’t have. “Aim small miss Small”

[janesy]

Unfortunately for your argument, at no point did I say to use the center crosshairs at 40 yards. 2.5" high at 22y, and 2.5" low at 35y. Doesn't take a clothes pin to remember that. If it does ... Use the chevrons, simple as that.

I have presented another well documented alternative for the OP to try, I will leave it to him to decide which he prefers.

You want to keep following me around debunking everything I say, that's fine I could care less. You can't debunk physics, although I'm sure your about to try.
I'd wait for your reply, but you've been added to the ignore list.

[Bcxbow]

I wouldn’t worry about him Chris. Just go see any off his posts on HuntingNet.com and you will understand his mentality.

[gerald strine]

In hunting their are many ways to get the same end result hopefully a fast clean harvest , participating in nature and the food chain.
Some like traditional long or recurve bows , some like bows with sights or cams, some people love a a traditional lever action with iron sights some want to hunt with a bolt gun and scope and some love the AR platform its all good folks.
Just because one person has a preference for a style that works well for them that you do not prefer your self does not mean we should try to degrade the other opinion.
I like the forum best when I relate a finding i have or express a way i do something and other forum guest express the way they do it with out a challenge to my statement and what is working for me and my current style at the moment.
Often after reading others views I will experiment with their opinions and see which I prefer for my own circumstances and budget, but their is no need to criticize what works for one person just because it is not the way you your self prefer to do it.
I learn new things all the time and make modifications as situations , funds and conditions allow.

[Ferguson Outfitters]

I wouldn’t worry about him Chris. Just go see any off his posts on HuntingNet.com and you will understand his mentality.

I can assure you I’m not on hunting net and I can assure jansey I have no reason to “argue” but if you think I’m just gonna roll over you’d be wrong. Its in my nature to become the most proficient killer of any game. I’m the real deal Lucille,(Retired)

Mark would be the most adept at understanding my “mentality”. Some of y’alls man buns are wound too tight and certainly can’t entertain differing opinions with a healthy sense of banter.

Jansey, Looking at your target you have an “x” at 22 yards and corresponding x’s to 40 yards. If those x’s resulted from aiming at the exact same circle, with the exact same point on the reticle, from different yardages, its roughly a 9” spread. If someone else got a few things confused, its the difference in a miss or hit on a deer type animal if it responds to the bow sound by crouching or jumping. Maybe I’m misunderstanding the picture and description?

By all means EVERYONE should perfect their own method but just like the string stretch subject, don’t try to piss down my back and tell me its raining. I could offer an apology for your perception that I’m “following you around” but Mark would definitely know it was insincere at best, sarcastic at worse.

Hey, I have a great idea, if Canadians could spend more on defense instead of relying on the United States, we could have free healthcare like Bernie Sanders promises...I crack me up.

[Montana Mark]

I’m looking forward to the Nikon but the Dead Zone is shooting quite decent (I shoot everyday). Keep thinking about how I had to slow down my speed dial for half a day while my 20 yard zero was still dead on. (Disclaimer, this is a crazy idea.) That day, the weather was changing drastically. (Ok, here goes crazy.) I wonder if a sudden severe change in barometric pressure could have affected the trajectory of my arrow? I was reading that altitude and barometric pressure can affect ballistics. (Yeah, I know that’s a crazy idea.)

[Ferguson Outfitters]

Mark, I don’t think pressure would make a marked difference on something as slow as a bolt but a slight headwind or crosswind might possibly make it flakey.

I will say my factory scope had me thinking things were “crazy” too until I replaced it.

I think much of the ballistics changes in firearms based on temp and pressure have much to do with its effect on deflagration rates more than the actual projectile.