Hey fellas, I'm new to the site, and new to crossbows. I've never even shot a real hunting crossbow. I do not have any physical ailments, but still am interested in maybe getting one and hunting with it. I just don't know which to choose. I originally liked the Barnett Predator, but have been reading (especially on here) a lot of bad reviews about it. Another bow that recently caught my eye was the Horton Vision 175, assuming I can scrape together a few extra bucks-no pun intended. So my question is what do you think about these bows, and why?
X-Bow Expertise Needed
TRHunter
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Hey fellas, I'm new to the site, and new to crossbows. I've never even shot a real hunting crossbow. I do not have any physical ailments, but still am interested in maybe getting one and hunting with it. I just don't know which to choose. I originally liked the Barnett Predator, but have been reading (especially on here) a lot of bad reviews about it. Another bow that recently caught my eye was the Horton Vision 175, assuming I can scrape together a few extra bucks-no pun intended. So my question is what do you think about these bows, and why?
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First of all, welcome to the site. Sounds as though you've got a head start....setting a budget. There are basically two types of crossbow...compound and recurve. Recurves are generally lighter, a little louder, and a little slower. They are, however easier to maintain. Conversely, compounds generally are faster, quieter, more 'front heavy', and require more maintenance. You need to look at the relative widths and decide if the additional width of the recurve will be a hinderance.
Once you decide on type...or even if you don't have a preference....make a list of all that fall within your budget. Try and shoot as many as you can. Fit and feel are very personal things. You should consider warranties, too. Excalibur, Parker and TenPoint have reputations for outstanding customer service. The right crossbow for you will be the one that fits you the best, and gives you the most features you can afford.
A side note...my father-in-law shoots a Vision. It has excellent balance, and is one of the quietest crossbows on the market...keeping in mind that no crossbow is truly quiet
Once you decide on type...or even if you don't have a preference....make a list of all that fall within your budget. Try and shoot as many as you can. Fit and feel are very personal things. You should consider warranties, too. Excalibur, Parker and TenPoint have reputations for outstanding customer service. The right crossbow for you will be the one that fits you the best, and gives you the most features you can afford.
A side note...my father-in-law shoots a Vision. It has excellent balance, and is one of the quietest crossbows on the market...keeping in mind that no crossbow is truly quiet
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Without mentioning brands find one that feels good in your hands and shoots accurately for you. That's the most important thing. Balance is very important so get one that is well balanced. Shoot them all and then make a educated decision.
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[hihi]Check out some of the crossbow sites for user evaluations, customer service issues, and Barnetts blowing up[eek]
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I have a Parker and they have great customer service and stand behind there warranty. However, I plan to move to a compound this fall and think I should have started with a compound to begin with so make sure a crossbow is truly what you want especially if money is tight.
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Do yourself a favor and go crossbownation.com You'll have to do some reading but you should come out with a good idea of what's good and what's not.
A good way to start when doing research such as this is to make a profile of yourself and what it is exactly you will be doing with whatever bow, crossbow or firearm you're interested in.
This will help you narrow down your choices and not just buy something for the "cool factor."
A good way to start when doing research such as this is to make a profile of yourself and what it is exactly you will be doing with whatever bow, crossbow or firearm you're interested in.
This will help you narrow down your choices and not just buy something for the "cool factor."
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Go to Cabelas and shoot them all.I did and bought a Vision.For me the quiet factor was the most important.
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Well shooting as many as possible is a good idea, but Cab's doesn't have them all. You don't want to limit your choices because a store only has certain types.
Also, the "quiet" factor is highly overrated regarding crossbows. The arrow is through them before they react enough to affect POI. I've shot many deer at varying distances, believe me it's a non-factor.
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Quiet is overrated?Good luck with that.It's still a bow.I have shot all types of bows for 35 plus years and can't believe anyone with any time in a late season leafless woods would even stir the notion.
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Many deer sir.And they can drop at 300+ fps from any bolt or arrow firing unit.That is why in any type of "archery"quiet is so important.This is my third crossbow.I have shot all major brands,not only at Cabelas,but at the range and in the field.I still opt for my compound in most cases,due to the quiet shot,and spookiness of the deer I hunt.
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So you have much experience then. In your experience, have you ever missed or wounded a deer with your crossbow due to string jump? Forget about the compound, I place that in a totally different category then the crossbow as the ability to hold on target, having to move to draw the compound, and not shooting from a rest (which I do exclusively with the crossbow) limits the effectiveness somewhat in comparison.
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At the risk of hijacking this thread....the quiet factor is important...here's why...the speed of sound is roughly 1125 ft per second....the sound of the crossbow being shot will ALWAYS reach the deer before the arrow does....deer reaction to the shot is more a factor of the state of the animal than the speed of the crossbow.
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Yes sir I have had that experience with a crossbow,it is not a gun.[wallmad]
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No problem Briar, I realize the speed of sound and all that. But also don't forget to factor in deer reaction time. You guys act like the deer, at the very millisecond the speed of sound reaches the deer's ears, that they can magically disappear!!! LOL
My point is, with the increased FPS arrow speed I get from my crossbow(350), as compared to my compound (300),it is enough speed in my experience to be a non-factor when shooting within 50yds. That has been proven out in my case in that I have not had any issue with string jump while using my crossbow to kill quite a few deer. Not enough anyway to cause enough movement as to adversely affect my POI.
Let's factor in another point. How much quieter do you think you will get changing crossbows? 10%,20% 30%? There's still a noise reaching the deer. Whether it's 10decibels, 30,50 whatever. You're not going totally silent are you? No, of course not. So, with that being said,unless you can site a study that shows the degree of sound that spooks a deer and the degree that doesn't, it's really a non-factor at those FPS levels.
Just my experience, that's all.
My point is, with the increased FPS arrow speed I get from my crossbow(350), as compared to my compound (300),it is enough speed in my experience to be a non-factor when shooting within 50yds. That has been proven out in my case in that I have not had any issue with string jump while using my crossbow to kill quite a few deer. Not enough anyway to cause enough movement as to adversely affect my POI.
Let's factor in another point. How much quieter do you think you will get changing crossbows? 10%,20% 30%? There's still a noise reaching the deer. Whether it's 10decibels, 30,50 whatever. You're not going totally silent are you? No, of course not. So, with that being said,unless you can site a study that shows the degree of sound that spooks a deer and the degree that doesn't, it's really a non-factor at those FPS levels.
Just my experience, that's all.
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Nicely put!
Wow, thanks for the input guys, and I look forward to more. The Vision not only caught my eye from the "cool factor", but also because it seems to have a more evenly distributed center of gravity, which I imagine would make holding a shot steady much easier. I stopped in Ramsey Outdoors today while on my lunchbreak at work, but after standing there staring at the crossbows for 15 minutes and not having one person acknowledge me, I decided to leave. I also was wondering if anyone has bought a bow or anything off of e-bay, because it seems I can always find a much better price there than anywhere else I look. Thanks for all your opinions, I'm already glad I joined this site.
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