XBow recomendations

nchunt101

Ten Pointer
I am planning on buying a cross bow to hunt with from a ground blind and need some reccomendations. I would like to keep the price around $300. The prices I have seen are all over the place and from what I have seen most are offered in a package deal. I would am thinking I would be better off buying something that does not come in a package as I plan to use a fixed power prisim sight that was on an AR. Also what bolts/broad heads do y'all reccomend. I have no interest in a compound bow right now as I dont have time to practice and am only buying the crossbow to extend my season. I will be limiting my shots to forty yards.
Edit- I recall seeing a cross bow AR-15 upper and I have a spare lower taking up space. Anybody know anything about these. I don't see why it wouldnt work but don't care to waste money on a gimmick.
 
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22LR

Twelve Pointer
To keep the price in your budget this is the best deal going. 40 yards and closer it is awesome, small in size and light weight. I would recommend replacing the red dot with a crossbow scope.
https://www.amazon.com/Barnett-Recr...id=1503417351&sr=8-2&keywords=Barnett+Recruit
At that price you could get the crossbow,scope and a target for around the $350 Mark. As far as bolts go, I have had good luck with Black Eagle Executioner brand. Out to the 40 yard Mark the .003 will work great.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Pack-20-...017112?hash=item1a128775d8:g:iDgAAOxycD9TVp8f
 
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TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
The upper your talking about is a Pse Tac ordinance and the stoped making them a year or 2 ago, they're really fast and only shoot the specialty arrows. If you can find one your looking at $500-$700 used they were over $1k new. For 300 if I was buying right now I'd go with a "center point sniper 370" or a PSE Fang. Both have a lot of speed for their price and are pretty good quality with good cs/warranty. Arrow selection is fairly simple shoot a bolt that isn't less than the recommended weight or length. Broad heads are preference I shoot 100gn rage xbow since my bow's over 400fps and they don't open in flight, I've also had great luck with NAP spitfires


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nchunt101

Ten Pointer
To keep the price in your budget this is the best deal going. 40 yards and closer it is awesome, small in size and light weight. I would recommend replacing the red dot with a crossbow scope.
https://www.amazon.com/Barnett-Recr...id=1503417351&sr=8-2&keywords=Barnett+Recruit
At that price you could get the crossbow,scope and a target for around the $350 Mark. As far as bolts go, I have had good luck with Black Eagle Executioner brand. Out to the 40 yard Mark the .003 will work great.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Pack-20-...017112?hash=item1a128775d8:g:iDgAAOxycD9TVp8f

Would a fixed power rifle scope work? I have a Primary Arms 2.5 power illuminated prisim scope that I was planning on using.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Excalibur is about one of the best out there.

They hold up, work and also have a lifetime warranty if you ever need it.
Lots of the others when they stop making a model then they stop support and ability to get parts.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I would definitely stick with one of the lifetime warranty companies whichever x-bow I decided on.
I personally really like my Tenpoint but some of the other less expensive bows have very good reviews.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Excalibur is about one of the best out there.

They hold up, work and also have a lifetime warranty if you ever need it.
Lots of the others when they stop making a model then they stop support and ability to get parts.

I second this. their simplicty is a work of art to me. the compound xbows scare me. :)
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
PSE Fang. $300
I have one. Really like it. Super accurate, and light/compact...

My brother has a recruit and likes my Fang much better...

I shoot Black Eagle Executioner Bolts with Schwackers... Tried Muzzy's, Rages, and spitfires but the Schwackers were the most consistent and I've had great results on deer with them...
 

dlbaile

Ten Pointer
Had just done a lot of research on cross bows in and around that price range. it came down to centerpoint sniper 370, or barnett jackel if you can find one new ,I personally found the barnett on craigs list a year old in excellent condition for less than half the price of a new, great cross bow fast, good trigger pull and very accurate.
 

nhn2a

Ten Pointer
I second this. their simplicty is a work of art to me. the compound xbows scare me. :)
+1 for Excalibur. I accidentally dry fired my Excalibur crossbow when I first got it and it sheered off the mag tips. Contacted Excalibur and even though I told the truth and it was completely my fault, they overnighted me a brand new set of limbs for free. They said even with the dry fire, the tips shouldn't have broken.

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GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/...ope-17bt2ugmcrshr30xxabw/17bt2ugmcrshr30xxabw

I just got this one and im happy with it. I got it a lil cheaper but it's still got a pretty good sale going on. Trigger is excellent on it. I had a Horton 175 years ago and the trigger was horrible. It comes with the better scope and is an ease to get zeroed in out to 60+ yds

That one looks a lot like the Quad400. I bought mine 2 or 3 seasons ago and have been pleased with it. My only complaint was the crappy scope. The scope on the Game Crusher looks much better.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Unless you have some sort of handicap not bother with any of the ratcheting cocking crossbows. They are noisy and harder to c.o.c.k. than using a cocking rope.
 
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Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
+1 for Excalibur. I accidentally dry fired my Excalibur crossbow when I first got it and it sheered off the mag tips. Contacted Excalibur and even though I told the truth and it was completely my fault, they overnighted me a brand new set of limbs for free. They said even with the dry fire, the tips shouldn't have broken.

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How do you accidentally dry fire a crossbow? I thought all crossbows come with an anti-dry fire mechanism. I'd be concerned why it failed.
 

nhn2a

Ten Pointer
Nope, some of the older ones do not. The simple way is you :donk:donk:donk:donk it and forget to insert the bolt.

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Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Nope, some of the older ones do not. The simple way is you :donk:donk:donk:donk it and forget to insert the bolt.

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Yep most all the older ones dont. Some you can have a problem if the bolt is not all the way back . It will trip the ADFD but still.let string jump.

Also letting a bow off or down it can be easy for some to screw up and dry fire.
 

ncscrubmaster

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I talked to the owner of my local bow shop last week. I was looking at a parker and he told me they had a lifetime warranty. I will have to look that up.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Yep most all the older ones dont. Some you can have a problem if the bolt is not all the way back . It will trip the ADFD but still.let string jump.

Also letting a bow off or down it can be easy for some to screw up and dry fire.

Or you can forget to lock the selector when you are ratcheting the string back. When you let go it does some nice damage to any finger that is next to the handle. My ortho is an avid hunter and he commented that he always wondered what would happen if that happened. Now he knows. I'm really glad it was mostly a flesh wound.
 

dlbaile

Ten Pointer
That barnett game crusher looks almost identical to the barnett jackel , have to keep your head in the game with these things have a freind that lost most of his thump with one.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Parker still has lifetime warranty on there website.

Yep so they say.
What the few shops I talked to said they do not cover most things that happen and have a 2 page list of what will void your warranty.
Also what they said when I was looking is this. Yes to life time warranty but you need to pay shipping both way to see if it is covered and or for repair.

Many of the others will ship you parts or ship them dealers.

Statements of lifetime warranty are great... But bottom line how they cover and what they cover is the big thing.
 
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