[BigJon]

Has anyone here any experience with how factory crossbows (e.g.: Horton, Excalibur, other brands) stack up in terms of consistency of accuracy and reliability?




__________________

"There are things that gnaw at a man worse than dyin'"
- Charles Travis Postelwaite, 1882

 

[Hard Rock]

I've got a Barnett Commando Crossbow I've had for about 10 years. I haven't shot it in ages. I was able to keep the bolts in a 5 inch circle at 50 yards pretty consistantly. I doubt I could hit anything now days...

Mike

 

[BigJon]

Interesting, HR. They've changed the game laws here in Alabama; one can now legally use a crossbow even if not physically impaired. I would not even be fooling with it were it not for the decision made a year or so ago to implement a muzzle-loader season that runs about a week before the opening of gun season. The result has been that the muzzle-loader folks get the deer all riled up, and opening day of rifle season loses its impact. I still use my standard bow, but I don't see much point in stacking the deck against myself without reason (for instance, my enjoyment of hunting with unscoped WWII battle rifles.

Regards,
Jon

 

[Hard Rock]

I hunted with it a couple of times where it was legal and it performed for me. It's been gathering dust for quite a while now.

Mike

 

[andy]

the fact that most states outlaw them

for hunting should tell you something. When I was a kid, the 10 ring for xbow was HALF the size of the same for longbow competition. My nurse friend says she never bothered to look at any gear or tactics that was legal for hunting, because it was obvilous that what works the best would be outlawed-restricted.

 

[Unregistered]

The bolts, from 100 lb draw weight bows are very effective. They WILL go through any soft bullet proof vest (at least the broad heads will.)

About as silent as a canned CAR. See the CAR makes alot of noise with the bolt cycling back and forth, the ejection port slapping open, brass flying, and the sonic crack of the bullet as it passes. Thing is, unlike a pos canned CAR, there is a chance you can retrieve the bolt after use to be used again. Hard to get bullets back.

You can buy 5x good crossbows for one pos CAR and stash them around with a set of bolts. NOTHING illeal about them. Even a stupe like gunstupe can have one.

 

[andy]

no more range than they have, the .22

unit can BRAIN deer, the crossbow has no repeat-multiple hit cability, no concealment capability, and I can MORE easily carry 2000 rd of 22lr and the.22 unit than you can carry a fighting rifle and a crossbow. The "reuse" of the xbow is a big factor to you, cause you MISS a lot. Even if all I shot was small game, 2000 rds would feed me for years. all that will happen with a xbow is you'll have to get TWICE as close as I will have to get (given a scoped .22 unit and can) and that means you will FAIL twice as often, epecially at dusk and dawn,the times most likely to SEE game. Arrows get DAMAGED by misses,expecially xbow bolts. Impact with a rock will dent, bend, shatter them, knock off the nocks, etc.. Impact with wood means that you will need to be exposed,moving, NOISY for HOURS as you try to dig it out. sliding thru the grass tears off the feathers fairly frequently, too. that's IF you can FIND the pos, and finding them often means you are exposed to enemies for long periods of time.