School me on Crossbows

[OCLJ]

I'm a long gun shooter looking to get into deer hunting. I think I want to do crossbow hunting, but I need to pick some brains. Tell me everything I need to know about crossbow hunting. How to pick out my first crossbow. What optics to use. etc. etc. We can even turn this into a FAQ if wanted.

[Hoytmania]

I think that crossbow is a great introductory into archery. I personally started out with a Horton crossbow. I think that they are a very dependable product and definitley stand behind their product with great customer service. At least they did when I had mine. I have since made the move to compound, so I have not had my crossbow for about 5 years now. My suggestion would be to do your due diligence and research the market find what fits you best and that you are most comfortable with. As far as oprics go they make scopes that are specifically designed for crossbows with multiple elevation markings. Mine was a Simmons and I liked it very much. Once you find what fits you best get a nice target and practice, practice, practice.

I hope this is helpful for you. If there is any other questions you might have just ask. I am sure you will have a slue of responses after bit. Good Luck! :biggrin:

P.S. If you really want a challenge. Skip the crossbow and go straight to compound! Personally I wish I would have started out that way, but hind sight is 20/20. :whistle:

[mtbiker75]

I am a beginner hunter and I hunt with a crossbow. I think research is key for picking out a crossbow; you want to know what is comfortable, affordable, and good for you. I highly suggest horton because they are all of thee above (comfortable, affordable, and good)

[PureLuck]

I have owned horton and PSE crossbows and have shot some of the top dollar crossbows. Dont get me wrong ten points are nice and they all feel comfortable to me but I wanted something to not break my bank. I have 3 horton crossbows right now and I havent been let down by horton at all. Customer support is excellent as well. I have heard nothing but hard times with barnett support but there crossbows are nice. Just pray that you dont have to contact them. All in all, any crossbow on todays market will get the job done. Pick one that will fit in your budget and you will be ok. Oh yeah, all my hortons are entry level shooting roughly 266 fps and have had nothing but pass throughs with Thunderheads. Max range is 40 yards. (Never have shot passed 20 though). Hope this helps. Good luck.

PL

[killa gorilla]

I shoot a horton hd175 and love it.I have the scope but have been thinking of trying a red dot this year.Theres alot of good xbows out there.Just find one you like and that fits you.Everyones preference is different.

[antiqucycle]

jeez, I could write a book of advice on crossbows.
Price, well you can pickup a used one or go hog wild on a new one.
There is absolutely no reason to blow $700 to $1200 on newest latest crossbow. If for some reason, you dont like it, or need cash during the obama depression, you will lose your shirt reselling it, unlike a gun.

Used, do not buy any kind of barnett. absolutely do not buy an ancient PSE, the ultra long one with the flimsly plastic rest out front. You may lose a thumb at worst or the bolt will fall off when you have a perfect shot on a monster buck.
Do not buy a crossbow without compound wheels. no straight "trad" bows.

The older Horton 150lb Hunters and Hunter Supremes are probably the largest selling crossbows ever. but still a very good dependable bow. easy to get parts, string, cables. easy to mount a scope. You do need to look a used one over extremely good checking for any crack in the limbs, such as from being dropped from a treestand. nicks in the cables or wheels. automatically replace the string.

Make sure you buy bolts to match the bow, not necessarily Hortons or graphlite or carbon fibers. Arrow heads, thats your choice but there wiill be huge difference in how a 100 grain tip will shoot versus a 200 grain.

Scope Red dot? open sights, your choice. I dont like batteries. Do you need a crossbow scope with 4 crosshairs? I am using a cheap chinese 2X 20 scope to keep the weight down. I do put a Harris Bipod on when I am sighting in.

Quiver on the bow? I dont like the extra weight on the bow, I use an old Bear compound quiver with a strap on it over my shoulder.

Shooting tip, a crossbow is like a rifle but much slower so hold the point of aim longer than you would need to on a rifle. And never shoot more than two arrows at a practice target or you will split the previous arrow.

[dannmann801]

Wow, all the guys above hit everything pretty well on the head, but I'll put in my 2 cents worth.

Last year I bought a Horton Summit 150 and I'm very happy with it. It was the least expensive model I looked at but I didn't buy it on price. I picked it because when I put it to my shoulder and pulled it in, it felt better and I prefered the grip to any of the other models. So pick the one that feels best to you.

Sights? Your options will be pin/peep - reddot sight - scope...go straight for the scope. If the one you buy doesn't have a scope on it already, you'll have to buy a mounting base and rings to be able to put the scope on. Mine came with a reddot, but the first one was plagued with battery contact problems. Which leads me to Horton customer service....

Excellence. No problem. 2 issues (the faulty reddot and I broke a sling swivel mount) and 2 excellent service outcomes.

If you shoot well with your long guns, you will be quickly proficient with a crossbow. It'll feel natural.

[dannmann801]

Another thought - when you buy your crossbow, you're going to want to shoot it right away, so you'll have to buy a target. Buy a crossbow specific target (there's bags, there's blocks). I didn't know it and bought a target block that wasn't for crossbow and soon bolts were blowing thru it and tearing up the fletching (the "feathers") and ruining my bolts. You can get a bolt refletched for a couple of bucks, as opposed to buying a box of 6 new ones for $35.

Hay bales don't work. Get the right target.

[cincydeerman]

i wish i knew about the target when i was still using xbows. i recomend the horton too. the first time i went hunting on the way in i saw a doe at thirty yards and my dumb azz forgot to put an arrow in it and dry fired it. figured i messed my bow all up but as far as i know didnt hurt a thing. it stayed sigheted in and passed clean through every time. i used the thunderhead 100s.

[dannmann801]

Would somebody care to elaborate about arrow tips and their uses (target/field/broadhead) and weights? recommendations for a beginner?

OCLJ,
As far as broadhead brands, there are already some pretty recent hot threads to look at about brands. Some guys are pretty passionate about that.

[geezer II]

Is this some kinda of a joke :confused:

[Thunderflight]

Why are you looking at hunting during archery season? Is it to lengthen your deer season or for the added challenge?

[OCLJ]

Is this some kinda of a joke :confused:
Why would this be a joke?

[dannmann801]

Why would this be a joke?

No joke, OC...I don't understand that post either...i figured it was a reaction to my asking for elaboration about a subject alot of guys take for granted. We all gotta learn somewhere tho...that's what I'm trying to do.

[redcloud102]

Would somebody care to elaborate about arrow tips and their uses (target/field/broadhead) and weights? recommendations for a beginner?

OCLJ,
As far as broadhead brands, there are already some pretty recent hot threads to look at about brands. Some guys are pretty passionate about that.


I am by no means a X-bow guy but I can tell you about some things here. Field/target tips I use for everything from target practice to shooting junk animals that walk past my stand that I don't want to mess a braodhead up on. I have used them to shoot groundhogs/coons and hopefully coyote and wild pigs if they pass by.

Broadheads you have a HUGE selection of manufactures to choose from now. You can have fixed blades to mechanicals and in a bunch of different grain tips. Fixed blade is where you have 2-4 blades set in a fixed cutting position. Mechanical looks and reacts just like a Field/Target tip but when the tip hits something like flesh the contact pushes 2 blades into a cutting position. A lot of people are going to the mechanical tips now but I have yet to do it. IMO I just don't know if I can trust it enough to open up when I get a good deer to shoot at where as I know my fixed blades are ready to do it's job.

Like I said before I am no x-bow guy and not one to be able to tell you about what bolt and tip will work best for you. I know for my compound bow I use aluminum shafts :( and a 125 grain field/target tip to practice with and a 125 grain fixed 3-blade muzzy broadhead for hunting. Maybe some of the other guys can tell you what they have used as far as bolt and tip grainage but, I would figure you could shoot anything from 85-125 grain tips of either fixed or mechanical without a problem.


I hope I helped a little bit :D. I'm sure some the guys on here could break it down better then me but at least I'm trying :coolgleamA:.

[dannmann801]

I am by no means a X-bow guy but I can tell you about some things here. Field/target tips I use for everything from target practice to shooting junk animals that walk past my stand that I don't want to mess a braodhead up on. I have used them to shoot groundhogs/coons and hopefully coyote and wild pigs if they pass by.

Broadheads you have a HUGE selection of manufactures to choose from now. You can have fixed blades to mechanicals and in a bunch of different grain tips. Fixed blade is where you have 2-4 blades set in a fixed cutting position. Mechanical looks and reacts just like a Field/Target tip but when the tip hits something like flesh the contact pushes 2 blades into a cutting position. A lot of people are going to the mechanical tips now but I have yet to do it. IMO I just don't know if I can trust it enough to open up when I get a good deer to shoot at where as I know my fixed blades are ready to do it's job.

Like I said before I am no x-bow guy and not one to be able to tell you about what bolt and tip will work best for you. I know for my compound bow I use aluminum shafts :( and a 125 grain field/target tip to practice with and a 125 grain fixed 3-blade muzzy broadhead for hunting. Maybe some of the other guys can tell you what they have used as far as bolt and tip grainage but, I would figure you could shoot anything from 85-125 grain tips of either fixed or mechanical without a problem.


I hope I helped a little bit :D. I'm sure some the guys on here could break it down better then me but at least I'm trying :coolgleamA:.

Thanks bro. It all makes sense now. When I bought my bow, the guy at Basspro said "here's what you need" and didn't explain. Target point was obvious and broadhead was obvious, but I was wondering "Why should I practice with field points?" but did it anyway. No where in my reading or discussions did anyone say "Duh, field points are for small game and practice" until you cleared it up.

The one thing I did understand naturally is that whatever weight point you practice with is the same weight point you wanna hunt broadhead with. The thing I was surprised to learn on this forum and wouldn't have known on my own is that broadheads might fly just a little differently than the tips you practice with, even though they're the same weight, so you gotta practice with your broadheads too.

Thanks again RC - you da man.:biggrin:

[redcloud102]

Thanks bro. It all makes sense now. When I bought my bow, the guy at Basspro said "here's what you need" and didn't explain. Target point was obvious and broadhead was obvious, but I was wondering "Why should I practice with field points?" but did it anyway. No where in my reading or discussions did anyone say "Duh, field points are for small game and practice" until you cleared it up.

The one thing I did understand naturally is that whatever weight point you practice with is the same weight point you wanna hunt broadhead with. The thing I was surprised to learn on this forum and wouldn't have known on my own is that broadheads might fly just a little differently than the tips you practice with, even though they're the same weight, so you gotta practice with your broadheads too.

Thanks again RC - you da man.:biggrin:


Your right on with the use the same weight broadhead as your target tips. The reason you do this is so the broadhead will hit in the same ARC path you have set your target tip for. If you set your sight pin,dot,or scope at say 30 yards with a target tip the broadhead should hit the same spot as your target tip on the arc. Fixed blade broadheads will fly a little different then target tips. The reason for this is because the blades cause more drag/resistance flying through the air then a straight tip like your target tip. This is why a lot of people are going to the mechanical broadheads. The mechanical broadhead is shaped and flies just like your target tip because the blades are inside the tip and not hanging out to catch wind drag. Fixed broadheads or mechanical broadheads you should practice with a few times just to see the difference in how they fly. It isn't much different but if you practice a few times with them you will see what it's like and know what to expect when shooting them.

[OCLJ]

I just bought a Horton Summit package. Thanks for everyone's input!

[dannmann801]

Outstanding!

[OCLJ]

Ok, stupid question...

How does everyone store their Crossbows? It obviously doesn't fit in my gun safe, and I haven't bought a hardcase for it yet...

I got it to the gun room and looked around and was like, *** do I do with this thing

[PureLuck]

Ok, stupid question...

How does everyone store their Crossbows? It obviously doesn't fit in my gun safe, and I haven't bought a hardcase for it yet...

I got it to the gun room and looked around and was like, *** do I do with this thing


As for a couple of mine I have hanging from a hook in the basement by the foot strap. I only have them down there because the moisture and the temp is controlled. I cause just put it in a place with not alot of moisture and not alot of drasitc temperature changes. Those two things will dry rot your limbs and make them crack. Have seen it happen when going to sight in one. My buddy grabbed his out of the garage (wasnt in a case) brought it out, went to pull the cable back and all you heard was cracking and he was cracking his limbs around the bolt due to the dry rot.

[Pcliff]

Horton is the way to go for folks new to crossbow hunting. i have been using the same horton bow for eight years and had no problems thus far.

** Just a tip, when you buy cheep broadheads only about one out of three fly straight. I've shot cheap and " High Dollar" brordheads on the same bolts and found you get what you pay for.

After i sight in my bow with feild tips, i always shoot my broadheads just to make sure. sometimes you will find a slight offset between the two.

Hope i could help out

[Pcliff]

Make sure your string is waxed or it can dry rot also.

["J"]

:yeahthat:

[mtbiker75]

What wax should I buy, bc horton makes there own (which i have a horton crossbow)? And i store my crossbow in the basement leaning against the wall. haha

[jackalope]

What wax should I buy, bc horton makes there own (which i have a horton crossbow)? And i store my crossbow in the basement leaning against the wall. haha


The waxy kind.....






Sorry i couldn't resist :)

["J"]

I use the wax that came with my ten point, it's lasted 8 years so far :whistle: Probably one company making it and labeling it for who ever wants it with their name on it :whistle:

[OCLJ]

Make sure your string is waxed or it can dry rot also.
The nice thing about buying from Vances is they had everything already set up for me.

[tuffshot]

I am by no means a X-bow guy but I can tell you about some things here. Field/target tips I use for everything from target practice to shooting junk animals that walk past my stand that I don't want to mess a braodhead up on. I have used them to shoot groundhogs/coons and hopefully coyote and wild pigs if they pass by.





Junk animals?

That is the dumbest thing I have read on here in a long time.
Does that include dogs and cats as well? Or do you go to the city park and shoot the geese there for practice too?

YOU DO NOT SHOOT ANY ANIMAL WITH FIELD POINTS. PERIOD!

[antiqucycle]

just add a fred bear turkey stopper behind the field point for rabbits in your garden or other domesticated and wild vermin.

[PureLuck]

What wax should I buy, bc horton makes there own (which i have a horton crossbow)? And i store my crossbow in the basement leaning against the wall. haha

It doesnt matter what companys name is on the wax. They are all the same. Just make sure you wax the string pretty good.