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Thinking about getting crossbow...suggestions....XBOWGUY?

deerslayer1985

Junior Member
I was thinking about getting a crossbow. I've never used one until this year. I've always been a bow hunter, and probably will continue to use a bow. This year though my Dad switched to a crossbow, because of his back, and I got to shoot one for the first time, and it was pretty cool. It was just something new, and kinda gives a new different feel on hunting.....simply because I've never shot, or hunted with one before. Plus the fact I have 2 daughters that will be able to use it. My oldest killed 2 deer this year with my Dads crossbow. I was just kinda looking for some suggestions on what you guys that shoot crossbows all the time think. My Dad bought a Barnett Revolution AVI. It was a pretty nice crossbow, but it was very loud, the safety sucked, and the arrow didn't want to stay pushed back under the thing that holds the arrow down. Well he got sick of some of the problems with it after about a week. He took it back, and bought a Tenpoint Titan. Wow you talk about a night and days difference in quality. The tenpoint is way more quiet, and the safety is real easy to push forward. The arrow stays put. If it was that much better than the Barnett. I was thinking maybe you guys know whats even better than that. I've been doing a lot of research, and looking around at them. I'm kinda intrigued by one getting ready to come out soon, but it hasn't yet. The Athens Apocalypse. I also think the Scorpyds look pretty good. I'd like to get the fastest one possible too. Just so if you misjudged yardage a bit it still will be in the kill zone. So any of you crossbow experts wanna give me a good list of xbows to check out. Thanks
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
The only experience I have is with the precursor to the AVI and that was the original Barnett Revolution. Absolute contraption if you ask me and not something I would spend my own money on. I will also be purchasing one in the next 2-3 years and will look hard at the Excaliber line. I like that they are simple and from all I have ever heard, people seem to love them. Nothing wrong with the TenPoint line either as all I have ever heard on them is positive...
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,741
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North Carolina
Ten Point or Horton will not let you down and if for some reason it does the customer service will make up for the inconvienance.... Tehy are a class act with both companies.... I have dealt with them both and have had nothing but good results and in my book they are top notch.....
The main thing is if you're target shooting is too make sure you lube the rails and wax the strings often too a little goes a long way with doing that.... I stay with fixed blades as I like them but have talked too guys who use mechanicals with equal results... That's an opinion call like makes of trucks and such everyone has an opinion on it.... I like a multi plex scope/red dot either will give you good results only thing is the red dot has batteries and make sure you ALWAYS turn it off.... Yes I've found out the hard way on that one lol.... They did last about a week turned on though..... :smiley_clap:
The crossbow will add too your hunting oppurtunities, I started using them after they timbered out a couple of properties and ended up hunting from ground blinds before the popular tent style ones came out (yes I'm old) rotflmao
Good luck with your decision and ask all the quaestions you have and we have enough folks on hear (Like Rick) who can answer them.....
 

Mike

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,840
223
Up Nort
I've only ever used a crossbow and will continue to do so as long as it's legal. I have no love affair for a particular weapon. I only have a love affair for backstraps. My crossbow is a Horton Team Real Tree Ultra Lite.
 

Diane

*Supporting Member*
4,715
66
Newark
I wouldn't take a million dollars for my Tenpoint Pro Slider with Accudraw.

I trust it and I can cock it myself! :pickle:
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
Deerslayer, If you want to shoot an Excellent Crossbow for the money. Try and shoot a Parker Tornado if you get the chance. I have one and would not take 2 Crossbows for it. I know by experience, Parker has a Lifetime Warranty and will stand with you 100%. I also have the Scorpyd Ventilator.....Awesome bow but it is a little heavy for kids and pricey. The Tenpoints are excellent as well. The Horton Realtree Ultra Light is a real nice bow and carry's no weight compared to a lot of them. Wish you lived closer as I have several different brands you could shoot.

Being kids will be using it. You may want to look at the Parker Challenger as well. Extremely light, compact and packs some speed as well.

If you have ANY questions on any of them, Please feel free to ask ANYTHING! I am not a Pro by far, but I did learn a whole lot the hard way........Maybe I can save you a few bumps.
 

epe

Senior Member
6,113
93
Lancaster
Went from a Horton, to tenpoint, to a Excalibur.. Love it... It is wide, but is accurate and fast...Even xbowguy won't knock em.. Word is he regretted selling his ;)
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
Went from a Horton, to tenpoint, to a Excalibur.. Love it... It is wide, but is accurate and fast...Even xbowguy won't knock em.. Word is he regretted selling his ;)

Very Nice Crossbows and Very Little Maintenance. A little loud, but the speed makes up for it. IMO the width makes it a little bulky for kids to be shooting.
 

deerslayer1985

Junior Member
I'm not real worried about size or weight that much. I'd rather have a more narrow one though. That barnett revolution AVI was bulky, and heavy. My 7 year old daughter handled it pretty well. I talked to a couple cousins today. One has a parker. I checked it out and it was pretty light. It was pretty similar weight to my dads tenpoint, but it was wider, and longer. I'm not sure what model it was. My other cousin had a strykzone 380. That thing was light too. It was way smaller than both the tenpoint, and parker, and was way quieter, and had a smoother feeling trigger. I really liked it a lot. I'm not worried that much about price, or size. I just want the best all around.....It would be nice to have a fast one......I was thinking an HHA Optimizer on one would be pretty cool. Have you guys ever tried one of them?
 

Diane

*Supporting Member*
4,715
66
Newark
Rick can correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves, Stryker doesn't have a great safety record.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
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Licking Co. Ohio
I've heard they fixed the problems........But! I know a man who got 18 stitches from a Strykezone 380 going off at will while he was putting an arrow in it. His hand looked like a truck ran it over! Factory paid over 2500.00 in medical bills and restitution. I had a Strykeforce and couldn't wait to sell that SOB! If you look up Strykezone recalls or problems....... You will see they called it a trigger upgrade. (Or something very similar) They had to do a total recall of the bows. That was when the Strykezone hit the market, so it may be better now. My Buddy sold his as soon as it came back from the Factory!

A long Parker Crossbow was probably a Hurricane or a Cyclone. Didn't like either of them...They're long crossbows.

Barnett's Warranty is not very good unless they changed it recently. (Was only 1 yr warranty) They charge you for every little thing wrong.

If narrow is what you want. Tenpoints Turbo XLT is the one. Awesome crossbow. I would recommend one with the 3X Pro-View Scope or the new Range Master Pro Scope. The red dot's are nice, but glare at dusk where the regular scopes collect light.
 

deerslayer1985

Junior Member
What do you guys think about the carbon express crossbows? I was looking at them, and they have some pretty good specs, and a pretty good price tag.....Mainly the Covert CX2, and SLS. I know they make a really good arrow.....maybe their crossbows are good too.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
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29,632
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Licking Co. Ohio
That is one crossbow I have not shot. The first Carbon Express I picked-up was heavy and I looked no further. The new SLS is priced right and narrow...........Only fault I found through research is their Warranty. They only give you 5 years. Tenpoint, Horton and Parker go Lifetime on theirs.

I recently picked-up a complete Parker Tornado package deal on ebay..... used but in excellent shape. It was a Christmas Present for a guy at work (from his wife). I got it delivered to my door for 410.00 and the warranty is still good with transfer. After Christmas, he came in and his first words were "Light, compact, accurate and blazing speed" "That fugger is Awesome!" I myself stay away from "New" bows on the market after the Stryker ordeal. I will not spend my money on an item until they are tried and true.

There is just so many different models out there now! Bottom line, I would say do not buy one until you have shot it. If it makes you say OMG! And you don't think you can go home without it....... That just might be the one for you!
 

deerslayer1985

Junior Member
That sounds like good info to me. I'll have to just locate some dealers for alot of the different bows I want to try out. Hopefully some are close. Like I said I liked that parker my cousin had, but it was pretty long, and wide. He said it was a couple years old. I can't even remember what model it was, but it wasn't like there top of the line he said. I did kinda do an OMG to the strykezone. I talked to my cousin again last night on fb. He said his styrkezone has updated limbs.....He said he has owned the original stryker, and then the desert stryker, and now just bought this one. I didn't even know bowtech made them. I have always had bowtech bows, and like them really well, but he said the earlier strykzone 380's had a limb splittering problem, and they corrected it. He said the strykzone 350's didn't have the problem the 380's had, but he said all was good now. I had a tenpoint vapor in my shopping cart yesterday....wasn't really going to buy it. Just had it in there so I could remember which model I had looked at, because I was comparing them. Well the wife was sitting beside me on couch. She seen the $2,000 price, and things kinda went south from there. I'm not buying it for my only weapon of choice, so I guess I'm gonna have to get a less expensive one....lol If I were to sell my bow maybe, but I am keeping my compounds too.
 

Shoulder Blade

Junior Member
195
0
I have a carbon express covert and I like it. Axle to axle when cocked is like 13" wide. My advice is whatever u get buy a new crossbow target. The thing has so muck KE it is hard to get them out of my old target.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,632
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I have a carbon express covert and I like it. Axle to axle when cocked is like 13" wide. My advice is whatever u get buy a new crossbow target. The thing has so muck KE it is hard to get them out of my old target.

A quality bag target will stop them and their not as hard to pull out either.

We made one out of old jeans (minus the zippers and snaps) and that thing would stop a truck!
 

deerslayer1985

Junior Member
I have the crossbow black hole I believe.....It doesn't work that great though cause my 330 grain arrows shooting at 283 out of my compound just about go clear through it.
 

Shoulder Blade

Junior Member
195
0
I have a morrell broadhead target that is about a 1/2 inch thinner than my bolts. They go in all the way and stick out 1/4inch. I had to split my target in half, remove arrows, assemble target, and shoot again.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
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29,632
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Licking Co. Ohio
I will say, I never shoot broadheads. Haven't shot one at a targer in 7 years. I alway's shoot mechanicals and just follow up after field points.