Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Getting my daughters xbow season ready

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Well, so far my oldest daughter Karissa has really impressed me with her ambition to get after it. She's been asking when she could shoot her papaws xbow so today we went and did it. Unfortunately of all his arrows we could find any two that grouped! WTH?
He has an older Horton with a Horton scope. His scope mounts were loose so I snugged them all up tight and began the sighting in. I fitted his most straightest arrow with my practice SS Magnum 100 BH and got it hitting consistently in the bull. Then I let Karissa do her thing. I was quite impressed and proud!:smiley_bril:



Then I set her up in a LW a few feet off the ground and had her shooting some to find the best most comfortable and accurate way to shoot. This is what we decided:

Here is her shot:


We need more than one arrow though! Any suggestions? Should I just buy a half dozen new ones, if so what brand? A friend at work has more up to date xbows he's not even shooting(10pts) he said I can use, should I take him up on it?
 

JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,824
136
Looking good Ric, I got Liz and Levi out today with the xbow. Although Liz has taken a deer with it and hunted a couple seasons, I'm not sure she's ready for a stand. Due to strength for holding the bow steady. We use a shooting stick on the ground. I'm gonna have to show her the pic of karissa in stand to try that way.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
I didn't range it or step it off but it's pretty dang close to 25 yards. Not sure which Horton it is but I'll try and find out.
 
I have both a SuperMag and a Yukon SL. I've tried lots of things to get arrows to group. I've never had any real success though, especially with fixed blade broadheads. I've found the relatively slow Hortons shoot best with a small cutting diameter head. I use the older 4 bladed 100 grain Muzzys which have a 1" cutting diameter. I always only use one arrow for hunting and carry a second arrow in my quiver that shoots close to my number one arrow. If I lose or break my number one arrow I go back to the drawing board as far as sighting in. Time consuming but effective and I always feel confident when the shot opportunity arises.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Thanks Dick. My buddy said he'll let me use one of his, he's got like 8 of them and they're brand new and most haven't even been shot. WTH! I asked if he'd sell me one and for whatever reason he just wants to let me borrow one, which is cool of him. He's got Excalibers and Hortons but not sure what models.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,629
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I didn't range it or step it off but it's pretty dang close to 25 yards. Not sure which Horton it is but I'll try and find out.

Looks like a Hunter or Hunter Supreme Crossbow.
Spend the extra couple dollars and let her shoot carbon arrows. My shooting/grouping improved greatly after I quit shooting aluminum arrows.
She is definitely shooting very good!
 
Ric, I'm posting this to give you an idea how I set things up. Maybe this will help with getting your daughter ready to hunt.

First thing I do is get three or four bolts that are alike. I shoot all of these three shots all with broadheads on them. I always use the actual hunting blades that are dull, not practice blades. I find the two arrows that group closest to one another. I then mark the two arrows number 1 and two.
yukonarrows.jpg

Next I sight in these arrows to where both are hitting close to where I aim, but neither will be on the point of aim. After that I will cock my crossbow and wait until about an hour to take a shot with my number one arrow, similar to hunting I'm thinking. I will then cock the crossbow and wait another hour to shoot my number two arrow. The end result ends up somthing like this. Both arrows hit near my point of aim. In this case my number one arrow is nearly perfect height and only 7/8" to the left. My number two arrow hits 1/2" high and 1 1/4" to the right. I do this because many times I hunt two or three days at a time 60 miles from home. If I lose my number one arrow I still feel confident enough to hunt with my secondary arrow. The target I used today is 8 1/4" X 5 1/4" which is near the size of a whitetails lungs. Either arrow would have done the job. This was shooting this afternoon at 18 yards off of a tripod with my recently aquired Yukon SL.
lungsize.jpg
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Thank you very much Dick! Awesome stuff and info! My buddy is bringing one of his new xbows to work tonight to let me borrow. I'll keep y'all posted!
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
If your friend is gonna loan you an Excalibur - take 'em up on it! I bought one last year about Christmas time, and I love it! I bought the cheaper model (Ibex), and it is awesome! There are no wheels or cams to go out of time, nothing to tune but the brace height. I just don't know what I'd change about that thing. I haven't hunted with it, but may have to this season. I may not like it once I take it to the woods, but dang is that thing accurate in the back yard!

Looks like your girls are gonna be downright deadly in the woods this fall, Ric!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Thanks Brock, I hope so! Lol

My friend brought me two xbows! Lol

A 10pt and a Dakota(? Never heard of that one before...lol)

I'll have them and myself shoot both and we'll use the best of the two.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Whelp, here are the two xbows he lent me:
10 point

Horton Dakota


I started with the 10 point, rail lubed,waxed all strings and serving and tighten the scope down. Shot 4 of the 6 new carbon express bolts I bought this afternoon and all 4 hit damn near perfectly. I will try various 125 grain BH's I've got laying around to see if they shoot as great as the field points. I will even try the mechanical if none of my fixed heads don't fly or hit well.

Here are just 2 of the 4 at 20 yards. The other two hit within an inch of these two.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Looks like you all are gonna be ready to roll! I can't wait to hear your stories this season, Ric. It will likely be your best season ever even if you never draw your bow.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Looks like you all are gonna be ready to roll! I can't wait to hear your stories this season, Ric. It will likely be your best season ever even if you never draw your bow.

I agree Brock! My daughters were coming home from school today while I was getting ready to see how the 10 pt. shot after slicking things up. Afterwards my oldest daughter Karissa smiled and says, "I can't wait to shoot it!" That made me smile!

We're prolly only have weekends or Friday and Saturday evenings to hunt together till the late October light switch is flipped. School,me working evenings and volleyball will make sure of that.....dang it!
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
I get to hunt most mornings through the week. Weekends I have Mason in tow. I look forward to the weekends. It's like I hunt all week wishing Mason was there to see what I saw. You and your girls are gonna have a ball!
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
I'm not sure about the youngest one yet but K is fired up! This cool weather has me all giddy myself! After making a big ole crock of chili this afternoon and before I leave for work here in a few I went back out to see what the 10 pt. does at 30. I sat down sitting bull style resting my elbows on each knee and shot two arrows. I'm impressed with its accuracy as I've only shot a xbow like one time some 25-30 years ago just to see what a friends xbow was like.(PSE, I think).

This xbow is heads and toes much better than my FIL's and these arrows came from Wallyworld this afternoon...lol

Here are my two shoots at 30 yards:
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
I'm with you on the accuracy of these things. I shoot groups as well and better with a compound at long range, but I gotta work at it. That Excalibur will keep them in a baseball all day long @ 50, and all you have to do is squeeze the trigger. My elbow may have me toting that thing to the woods this year more than I planned, but I sure as heck don't think it will be a handicap! And, they are fun to shoot!