Thread: Crossbows -- ??

I also had a left shoulder injury that prevents me from shooting any hand drawn bow. I got a permit to shoot a crossbow before they were legal for everybody to hunt with here in N.C.. Like Yaker said, you're still shooting an arrow, which can easily be deflected and has a limited range. I have a Parker Hurricane that I've got to use a sidewinder hand crank to cock. American made with a lifetime guarantee is hard to beat. It is very accurate past 50 yards, but I won't shoot at anything beyond 35 yards. All the deer I've taken with it have been inside that distance from a tree stand. Every deer I shot has been a pass through and most arrows end up buried in the ground on the other side of where the the deer was standing. It is easier to get deer close because you're not having to draw & hold the string back, but a crossbow is a bit more bulky than a conventional bow. I found that properly matched arrows and broadheads definitely improve accuracy. It is definitely worth test firing as many brands as you can to see what suits you. The accuracy is worth the extra bulk.


Jim

I have shot compound bows for years. My current compound is a Hoyt Carbon Spyder. This past spring, I purchased a Ravin R10, with the hopes of getting my wife out with me during archery season. What a crossbow! I have killed many wild hogs with it this summer. I have been driving tacks with it at 80 yards. There is zero doubt that if I pulled the trigger on a deer at 80 yards, I would get a complete pass through. The conditions would have to be perfect for me to even consider doing that though. While practicing one afternoon, I did take one shot at 100 yards and have no idea where my bolt ended up...

Originally Posted by Pool13_Jeff

I have shot compound bows for years. My current compound is a Hoyt Carbon Spyder. This past spring, I purchased a Ravin R10, with the hopes of getting my wife out with me during archery season. What a crossbow! I have killed many wild hogs with it this summer. I have been driving tacks with it at 80 yards. There is zero doubt that if I pulled the trigger on a deer at 80 yards, I would get a complete pass through. The conditions would have to be perfect for me to even consider doing that though. While practicing one afternoon, I did take one shot at 100 yards and have no idea where my bolt ended up...

They need to make some tracer type arrows for those things. lol

Originally Posted by yobuck

They need to make some tracer type arrows for those things. lol

Lighted nocks have been around for years for cross bow bolts and regular archery arrows, they work great.

Lighted nocks are on my shopping list,every deer I've shot with my crossbow has been a pass through.Two pluses for lighted nocks is making it easier to find the bolt/ arrow after the shot,but more importantly to me is they allow a visual of the shot placement.

I have a little experience with this sort of thing. When my father in law became handicapped but still wanted to hunt, I went out and purchased a six point (same company as the 10 point) with the hand crank cocking device.

Does it work good? Yes. my 12 year old daughter has no problems using the handle to cock it. The only issue is the amount of time it takes to recock it after each shot. So, just be prepared to spend a few hours when you are first shooting it because of how long it takes.

My dad had to give up archery when he started having shoulder issues. To this day he would give both his legs to go back to bow hunting (that is how much he hates it). That said, he went with excaliber and utilizes a cocking rope with out issues. I've seen a few girls operate cocking rops with the compound style crossbows.

Both of the above mentioned ones are recurve models so they take a little more than a compound model. That said, they are cheaper in price and bullet proof. No real mechanical or moving parts to screw with.

Make sure you couple your bolts with the proper heads. If you are thinking of mechanical heads, make sure you get ones that are rated specifically for crossbows. Normal compound heads will open almost as soon as they are fired from a lot of crossbows (not all of them).

Aim LOW. They are loud when they go off and most deer will string jump you. IE, drop 3 body widths in no time flat.
Since the inception of allowing everbody to crossbow hunt, many states (including Michigan) have seen an increase in unrecoverable deer and injured or wounded deer. It is believed in large part that the crossbow movement allowed for other people to come out and enjoy the woods at a different time of year BUT, they still utilize their firearms mentality as many of them had zero archery background. This results in poor shot placements. Also, many of them see them as a firearm and think that just because they can hit a target at 50 or 60 yards means they should TRy and harvest an animal.

As for lighted bolts. A few companies are specifically making bolts. I am not aware of any drop in nocks for bolts at this time. Lumenock is the bolt company that comes to mind.

If you enjoy the outdoors, can no longer hunt with a stick and string, and want to give it a go... Awesome! Like with anything else, just practice and know that they are not a rifle! As I said, they are loud so adjust accordingly and aim low! A recurve model is a great option that won't break the bank and has very little moving parts.