Longest shot....

T-Rock

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
This year will be my first year "ever" hunting with a Crossbow. I've always hunted Bow season (compound, Browning Interceptor), Black powder (Knight .50 D.I.S.C.), and Rifle (Winchester mod 70 DBM, .300 win mag). So this Crossbow thing is all new for me since I've had rotator cuff/labrum surgeries in the early 2000's, I'm an old fart (57).

My question is, do the field tips (100 grains) translate on paper to your hunting tips (dead ringer/super freak extreme/100 grains), if you've sighted in with field tips? Both the field tips and hunting tips I have weigh the same, as well as the bolts. From point blank to 50 yards I'm dead on, and my Crossbow makes me feel like RobinHood.
Beyond 50, the groupings start spreading, and at 60-70 yards plus, the groupings start getting really sloppy. This year I probably won't take a shot beyond 50 yards. Don't won't to wound a deer out of respect, and and end up tracking it for half the evening. During the Covid shutdown, ended up purchasing a BEAR X Saga 405. Only bought it since that was the only Crossbow left at Academy sports. Are Bear XBows a decent brand? Any issues I should be aware of with this brand? The scope looks to be a 4×32. Any tips and advice would be appreciated....
 
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T-Rock

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
This is its accuracy at 50 yards, consistently, after dialing the scope in. I feel like RobinHood. Anything beyond 50 starts spreading noticeably (ain't gonna take a shot beyond 50 yards, unless we're starving, lol).
 

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T-Rock

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
These are what I'm using in 100 grains. Do 100 grain field tips translate the same as 100 grain hunting tips on paper?
 

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T-Rock

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I'm not following. Do you shoot on paper, the same tips you hunt with? Just trying to learn. School me 😁
 

bwfarms

Old Mossy Horns
I'm not following. Do you shoot on paper, the same tips you hunt with? Just trying to learn. School me 😁

I don't group arrows or bolts like a gun. New bullseye each shot. Replacing vanes, shafts, and tips get old.

I find a field point that matches the broadhead trajectory. When I'm approaching season I'll target practice with dull broadheads. I don't shoot paper but archery blocks. When I was poor it was burlap on a hay bale.
 

dfitzy

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I don't group arrows or bolts like a gun. New bullseye each shot. Replacing vanes, shafts, and tips get old.

I find a field point that matches the broadhead trajectory. When I'm approaching season I'll target practice with dull broadheads. I don't shoot paper but archery blocks. When I was poor it was burlap on a hay bale.
This. But I don’t use an xbow but do the same with my compound
 

T-Rock

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Gotcha, I'm following you now. Maybe I shouldn't have said paper. Lol. I'm shooting an archery block, I think. It's in the photo above. Ended up putting the CrossBow in a gun vice, and dialed it in from point blank to 50 yards, on the archery target. I guess I don't have the terminology down. I'll probably end up shooting one of my hunting tips (100 grains) just to be sure their flight is the same as my field tips.
 
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buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
@Ol Copper nailed it @T-Rock

Whatever broadhead you’ll be hunting with , you really should be practicing with.

As far as the 50 yd shots. Remember that target won’t drop like a deer does at the sound of the shot.

Take a few moments and google what happens when deer jump the string. You might rethink that 50 yd shot.

A cross bow is still a piece of archery equipment. You owe the deer that much consideration.

Good luck with your archery hunting. It’s addicting!
 

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Saturday is opening day...….get that thing out of the vice and start practicing holding the xbow or propping up on shooting sticks....however you plan to hunt with it...….that, you owe to the animal......sounds like you are dialed in.....in my opinion 30 yards is a good range to cut your teeth on...….
 

buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
Saturday is opening day...….get that thing out of the vice and start practicing holding the xbow or propping up on shooting sticks....however you plan to hunt with it...….that, you owe to the animal......sounds like you are dialed in.....in my opinion 30 yards is a good range to cut your teeth on...….

This ^^^^^^^^
 

Deerhuntr

Ten Pointer
Maybe I’ve just been lucky but my field points and broadheads (rage or spitfire) always hit the same spot. This has been my experience since switching to a crossbow.
 

buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
Maybe I’ve just been lucky but my field points and broadheads (rage or spitfire) always hit the same spot. This has been my experience since switching to a crossbow.

My rage broad heads do as well. I’ve got a “critter” head ( a cheap fixed head Walmart brand , Allen I think ) I keep in my quiver for yotes or ground hogs , it doesn’t fly the same though. It always hits a bit low.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You may want to research crossbow vs compound as far as deer ducking the shot. Seems to me after hunting with a crossbow(and this is advice from other crossbow users as well) that the loud snap of a crossbow very often makes a deer duck or squat.
I practice low , behind the shoulder shots as my primary target so that just in case of a 30 yard or greater shot my arrow will fall into a kill zone.
As far as the broadhead, the Rage Hypodermic that I shoot will drill about 1 inch high and 1 inch right from the 100 grain field tip at 40 yards, that's very acceptable to me. I will not shoot past 40 yards generally so I'm good to go.
 

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
....... all of the above...

PLUS..... for ME,,,, I will never have a 50 yard plus shot opportunity. I focus on reality where/how I'm hunting.... 20-30-maybe 40. if 50 is possible, I need to move my stand to thicker cover where the big boys live (and die). But that's just me.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
This year will be my first year "ever" hunting with a Crossbow. I've always hunted Bow season (compound, Browning Interceptor), Black powder (Knight .50 D.I.S.C.), and Rifle (Winchester mod 70 DBM, .300 win mag). So this Crossbow thing is all new for me since I've had rotator cuff/labrum surgeries in the early 2000's, I'm an old fart (57).

My question is, do the field tips (100 grains) translate on paper to your hunting tips (dead ringer/super freak extreme/100 grains), if you've sighted in with field tips? Both the field tips and hunting tips I have weigh the same, as well as the bolts. From point blank to 50 yards I'm dead on, and my Crossbow makes me feel like RobinHood.
Beyond 50, the groupings start spreading, and at 60-70 yards plus, the groupings start getting really sloppy. This year I probably won't take a shot beyond 50 yards. Don't won't to wound a deer out of respect, and and end up tracking it for half the evening. During the Covid shutdown, ended up purchasing a BEAR X Saga 405. Only bought it since that was the only Crossbow left at Academy sports. Are Bear XBows a decent brand? Any issues I should be aware of with this brand? The scope looks to be a 4×32. Any tips and advice would be appreciated....
Do yourself and the deer a favor and stick to 20 until you get a handle on a deer's reaction to archery shots and gain confidence in your ability. Others have given you some good advice here, and we all can be 50 yd deadly on targets with an xbow. But it's not how you want to start your archery kills. IMO.
 

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
Do like everyone said.Tie your blades shut on bh with dental floss and shoot hem on target.adjust if needed.i resigjt my new one in yesterday.vxp bolt and go flew good.but any bj on them did not hit good all right and or low right. Changed to blood sport bolts they hit 3 in higher than others but with Swhacker and blood sport. Bh.hit same hole a go. So I found the right combo. But I'm holding my older x bow this morning didn't want to have new one rained on.lol
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
From listing to the xbow haters I figured if a deer crossed within 100yds they would just drop dead from someone just carrying a xbow....[emoji14]

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
From listing to the xbow haters I figured if a deer crossed within 100yds they would just drop dead from someone just carrying a xbow....[emoji14]

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
Exactly BUT I’ve witnessed a doe jump string at 40 yards to my xbow so bad that she was totally out of the target picture by the time the bolt arrived
 

T-Rock

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Thanks for all the replies. Gonna take heed of all the advice given since I've never hunted with an Xbow, and it's much appreciated. The Xbow is loud when the string is released.

Since we're working a lot of overtime because of the Rona, hunting time is limited this year. Originally intended to hunt from our anchored boat, but now I'm re-thinking that strategy because of the advice given (distance).

Several of the places we fish Kerr Scott Lake is along the wildlife management areas, and we've seen tons of deer most every evening before dark, just wandering down to the edge of the lake, grazing like a herd of cattle. They pay no heed to our boat while we're fishing. However, they're typically 40-60 yards away from where we're usually anchored. Mostly does, but I'm an equal opportunity Hunter when it comes to filling the freezer. I'm thinking now - what I'll do is go early, take a stand, and get set up back in the edges where the deer enter the open late in the evening. That would put me at a closer range, 15-25 yards max....

Thanks again for the advice...
 

Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Thanks for all the replies. Gonna take heed of all the advice given since I've never hunted with an Xbow, and it's much appreciated. The Xbow is loud when the string is released.

Since we're working a lot of overtime because of the Rona, hunting time is limited this year. Originally intended to hunt from our anchored boat, but now I'm re-thinking that strategy because of the advice given (distance).

Several of the places we fish Kerr Scott Lake is along the wildlife management areas, and we've seen tons of deer most every evening before dark, just wandering down to the edge of the lake, grazing like a herd of cattle. They pay no heed to our boat while we're fishing. However, they're typically 40-60 yards away from where we're usually anchored. Mostly does, but I'm an equal opportunity Hunter when it comes to filling the freezer. I'm thinking now - what I'll do is go early, take a stand, and get set up back in the edges where the deer enter the open late in the evening. That would put me at a closer range, 15-25 yards max....

Thanks again for the advice...
sounds like you have a plan. just practice with your broadhead first.
 
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