New Crossbow Advice please give me your 2 cents

I am looking at buying a new crossbow, I want to use it for whitetail deer and a variety of plains game and other animals. I have shot regular compound bows for 12 years, but would like a crossbow for a variety of reasons. I don't know a whole lot about crossbows and would like to get opinions from those who do. Im just starting to get serious looking at them, so ill turn the floor over to the experts.

What I am wondering is.......

What Crossbows are the "best" and why?

Should I Focus on speed/what other aspects?

What about regular limbs Vs Reverse limbs?

@thriller ,
We just completed a hunt with Crossbow Magazine. Find their website here: http://www.crossbowmagazine.com/
Drop them an email. I'm sure they will have some answers for you. If you don't succeed, drop me a PM or email, and I will gladly put you in direct contact with the guys that can give you the right info.

Take Care,
Marius Goosen

Well I am no expert on crossbows though I do own one and have hunted with them. They are fun and very effective. I have a Horton which is a cheapy but has lasted several years and killed a lot of animals. If I were to buy a new one though I really like the excalibers because of the simplicity and durability. Also changing strings is simple and cheap and the will last for ever. They claim they can even withstand dry fires which will certainly destroy a bow if not careful. The only downside is they are a bit bulky and wide but from what I've seen they are the best out there as a whole and they are pretty dang fast too.

Opinions will vary ..... Excaliber sure holds its share of the market here in Canada and their warrantee is hard to beat .. My 2 cents is buy what you can afford and learn to shoot it well . Marius thanks for that link ....... Ive known Ken for a few years and would like to think I can call him a friend . Ive also had opportunity to talk with Anthony when he was at Triggers and Bows.
Glen

G Skinner said:

Opinions will vary ..... Excaliber sure holds its share of the market here in Canada and their warrantee is hard to beat .. My 2 cents is buy what you can afford and learn to shoot it well . Marius thanks for that link ....... Ive known Ken for a few years and would like to think I can call him a friend . Ive also had opportunity to talk with Anthony when he was at Triggers and Bows.
Glen

Click to expand...

Todd Bromley from Crossbow Magazine that hunted with me, used a "Ten-Point" crossbow, and to say that I was impressed at the capabilities, is an understatement. They are fast. Every single animal that got taken, did not even have a sniff at jumping the string.
I got to meet Ken Cull at an outdoor show, and got to sit down and talk to him while planning their trip to Africa. Ken is a really nice guy and a gentleman. Really enjoyed his company and talking to him.

I use a ten point and the thing is deadly. Their scopes are hard to beat as well. The thing is quiet, the limbs are slim compared to some of the other brands and they are usually a little bit lighter as well. It has been devasting on the deer I have shot with it and there is usually very little tracking involved. I cannot recommend it enough.

LivingTheDream said:

I use a ten point and the thing is deadly. Their scopes are hard to beat as well. The thing is quiet, the limbs are slim compared to some of the other brands and they are usually a little bit lighter as well. It has been devasting on the deer I have shot with it and there is usually very little tracking involved. I cannot recommend it enough.

Click to expand...

Yip, although a very much limited experience, that sounds exactly the experience that I had with the Ten Point bow. Something that Todd Bromley mentioned that surprised me was how the crossbow hunters thought $400 for a Zeiss scope on a crossbow was expensive. I would use that same Zeiss on any of my rifles in a heartbeat.Top quality optics for that amount of money.

That is why I love the tenpoint package, I got mind without the accudraw package so I could reload quieter and with less weight.

The scope makes a huge difference and it comes set up to the speed of your crossbow, so many "packages" come with a scope but it is not regulated to the speed of the crossbow. This makes a huge difference. I can tell you, if you are target practing you better not aim at the same spot twice because you will damaging a lot of arrows.

I have thrown more crossbow scopes in the trash then I care to mention, and I was skeptical when I got my ten point but it has been fantastic!

My take being more of a compound bow person is simplicity in a hunting bow. Compound crossbows require a press to tune or change strings or cables. The old recurve design can be restrung in the field with no tuning required. Very important when hunting far from a shop

I used to sell archery gear and crossbows, honestly like most things you get what you pay for. I found that for most people it works the same as a compound bow, shoot a couple to see how you like the feel. Some bows are heavy, some are light exc.. One major piece of advice is keep safety in mind when handling a cross bow, hand and finger placement in a must. If you hold one wrong and get something in the way of the track you will loose it. unfortunately I have seen a few people loose large chunks of flesh when there thumb gets in the way of the string. don't mean to frighten you but just don't wish to see a fellow hunter hurt. have fun and make sure to compare all the aspects of each bow.

I've owned two Parker Buckbusters, a 150 and 175, and killed several deer with them. I would advise getting the smallest and lightest one you can find. Some of the super duper hi power models are HUGE and HEAVY quite a PITA to hold and maneuver and are ungainly when shooting from a treestand or offhand.

I'm an authorized dealer of the full line of Scorpyd Crossbows. I've sold other lines in the past and I have to say there is a good reason why I do not anymore. Scorpyd is the finest, most powerful, easiest cocking, most accurate crossbow in existence by a wide berth.

Scorpyds are completely suitable for africa at reasonable ranges and suitable for deer sized animals with optimal conditions and lots of practice out to 80-100 yards. (***subject to ability and very high quality bolts / broad heads / optics)

Give me a call if you'd like more info and to discuss the technology.

Regards,

Troy
847-833-1422
www.austringeroutfitters.com

Durability, reliability and ease of maintenance are all a must when crossbow hunting, in my opinion only one crossbow excels in all three areas "Excalibur". The Excalibur "Matrix" never crossbow hunt without it.

Art Lambart II said:

Durability, reliability and ease of maintenance are all a must when crossbow hunting, in my opinion only one crossbow excels in all three areas "Excalibur". The Excalibur "Matrix" never crossbow hunt without it.

Click to expand...

Have not used one of their crossbows but I use one of their Vari-Zone scopes, adjustable for speeds and illuminated. Very easy to set up and has withstood some serious beating and banging and remained on target. Would recommend this scope for the hunter shooting out to 50 yds.

Crossbows as with any bow ....... long bow , recurve or compound is all about "HOW CLOSE " not how far . I too can shot my compound bow with a fair amount of accracey out to 80/ 90 yards .....but PLEASE ! don't try this with any animal ........ Not here to upset anyone ....this is my 2 cents worth .
Glen

I have been a compound bow hunter for many years. I was forced to use a cross bow a few years ago when I had both rotator cuffs repaired. I was not happy with the way the bolts dropped so fast. I used a Ten Point bow with a scope and the crank cocking system. It was nice. But like I said,it seemed that the bolt dropped so fast that I could not see shooting out past 50 yards confidently and accurately. It was difficult to shoot out of a tree stand if you were trying to shoot behind you. The limbs would get in the way of the tree. I would not waste my money on the cross bow again. I spent almost $1000 on my set-up. I always shoot my compound now and the cross bow sits in the closet.

sonnyn913 said:

I have been a compound bow hunter for many years. I was forced to use a cross bow a few years ago when I had both rotator cuffs repaired. I was not happy with the way the bolts dropped so fast. I used a Ten Point bow with a scope and the crank cocking system. It was nice. But like I said,it seemed that the bolt dropped so fast that I could not see shooting out past 50 yards confidently and accurately. It was difficult to shoot out of a tree stand if you were trying to shoot behind you. The limbs would get in the way of the tree. I would not waste my money on the cross bow again. I spent almost $1000 on my set-up. I always shoot my compound now and the cross bow sits in the closet.

Click to expand...

Shooting a crossbow from a tree stand can be problematic. That is why I bought the Parker. It was the smallest, lightest and easiest to maneuver from a tree stand. I can put it on the platform and cock it on a stand with a shooting rail. From my observations, the super duper, 500 fps, huge limbs, long bodied, eight to ten pound behemoth, kill Godzilla at 100 yds. are for shooting off the ground, on sticks or using a bipod and not a tree stand.

LivingTheDream said:

That is why I love the tenpoint package, I got mind without the accudraw package so I could reload quieter and with less weight.

The scope makes a huge difference and it comes set up to the speed of your crossbow, so many "packages" come with a scope but it is not regulated to the speed of the crossbow. This makes a huge difference. I can tell you, if you are target practing you better not aim at the same spot twice because you will damaging a lot of arrows.

I have thrown more crossbow scopes in the trash then I care to mention, and I was skeptical when I got my ten point but it has been fantastic!

Click to expand...

I agree with LivingTheDream. I have shot TenPoint for the last 6 years and absolutely love them!

I'm a pretty avid crossbow shooter. So much in fact, that I'm a dealer for ONE brand of crossbow: Scorpyd.

I need to check with the moderators of this site to find out if I can get approval to offer a special promotion on them for fellow Africa Hunting members and I need to find out how much of a surcharge I'll owe AH for people that would buy through this offer if interested. (Steve, lets get together on thoughts here so I don't run afoul of rules)

Why are scorpyd crossbows vastly superior to other crossbows?

1.) They are the world's fastest crossbow. Speed kills.
2.) They are the easiest crossbow to cock due to their unique cam design.
3.) They use reverse limbs reducing the size of the overall crossbow making it better for shooting out of stands
4.) They are incredibly accurate. My scorpyd will put all bolts into a tea saucer sized pattern at 100 yards
5.) They are inherently quiet compared to competitors in the same performance range
6.) They are made right here in Iowa, not some third world country.
7.) They are the only crossbow I've held that doesn't feel very "plastic like"
8.) The trigger is excellent. Scorpyd and two other crossbow brands make decent triggers. Most are terrible.
9.) Because of the reverse draw, the arrow (bolt) is in contact with the string for a much longer time affording considerable energy transfer efficiency.
10.) They offer a folding stock for shorter people to cock the bow easier or to cock the bow IN A TREE STAND
11.) A good, honest, American warranty
12.) They hold the patents on reverse draw bows. Nothing new and improved will come out from anyone else that equals the scorpyd in reverse draw due to this. Scorpyd allowed two firms to make reverse draw bows using their patents and they are NOT GOOD imitations. Barnett and Darton. Stick with the inventor, not with the brands paying the inventor royalties to make a knock off.
13.) A reverse draw puts the balance point in the middle of the bow like a rifle instead of the typical nose heavy crossbow that is frustrating to shoot from a tree stand. It's a huge improvement.

These crossbows are operating at 50 yards like most crossbows are operating at 15 yards. Ethical shots are subject to your own comfort level and practice but I would not hesitate to take a calm deer shot at 75 yards with a scorpyd. I've taken 6 deer in a row, all over 53 yards with the scorpyd. No misses. No jumping the string. Point blank accuracy.

Cost of a scorpyd ranges from $1300-$1800 typically depending on accessories. More info at www.scorpyd.com. You may contact me directly via PM if you want more info.

Regards,

Rookhawk

I own both an Excalibur and a Stryker and really like both. The Stryker quality has really improved since being acquired by Excalibur. We just picked up a new Stryker Katana with the custom matched scope and all we needed to do was make a 1" horizontal adjustment at 60 yards and it was dead on from 20-60. It was super simple to get shooting. It's quite fast at 365fps and amazingly compact and light. Here's the out of the box 20 yard target.


This was at 60 yards.