Educate me on crossbows please

My compound is a 1992-93 High Country so I have been thinking about adding something more modern and different to the arsenal. What are some brands/feature to stay away from or go after? Is increased price generally increased speed, but louder, or...?

look at the original mission sub one. the original sub one shoots better than the sub one xr. the new crossbows are expensive. the mission sub one is a very top quality product.

Sub one is hard to beat. One of the best designed crossbows on the market.

Picked up a PSE couple weeks ago. Be my first year using a Xbow. Any tips would be appreciated

I’ve got a Excalibur Vortex I’m about to put in the classifieds if you’re interested. It’s a recurve style bow which means you can change the string yourself. It’s fast and super accurate.

Any of the Ravin xbows are fast and accurate. I shoot a R20. It will stack at 100 yards. Next year I will shoot out 200 yards. It makes anything in hunting range a chip shot. You buy them used for reasonable or you can buy them for a lot of money too.

I bought a centerpoint ampd 415 I have 350-400 total in it with upgraded scope and arrows. It will stack arrows at 70 yards. Its not a 1000-1500$ rig like some high end bows. It’s not the smallest or fastest bow But it has impressed me so far, they are fun to tinker with.

10 pt guy here. American company in Ohio. Great service dept and great people to deal with.

Love my Barnet Hunter - prob got 450 in it - shot great for me this year

There are a lot nicer and more expensive ones out there but I like mine

Thanks guys

OK. Mine isn't a Raven. What range should I expect it to maintain accuracy..? Came with a great scope. I know I'll find out when I get around to shooting it more. I know I'll need a crossbow target. Any broadhead suggestions..??

40 and in is very reasonable.

For the money I think the Stryker Solution is as good as you would ever need.

Top Cat - Bloodsport NitFall 1x2 inch cut worked good for me

I own a Wicked Ridge by ten point and a Horton reverse limb. My next xbow will be a Ravin

I posted my Excalibur in the classifieds yesterday if you want to check it out.

I shoot inside of 40 yards.

I get that Raven can hit at 100. The others probably have longer ranges than 40. But I can't in good conscience shoot an arrow at a deer 100 yards away not knowing if it's going to flinch, duck, jump, turn or something else.

Honestly the Ravin is so fast it doesn't matter. A deer is probably more likely to jump the string on an average crossbow at 40 than a Ravin at 100.

its an arrow not a bullet. its not a rifle. you still need to be close

What about lighted nocs

I need to get lighted knocks - would hav made finding arrows easier

Tell that to the 8 point i shot at 85 yards. Stopped him with a "meek" and he turned and looked. Did not jump the string and the arrow passed through and stuck 10 inches in the ground about 15 yards past the deer

Bought a 10-point RS 470 and it will flat out sling it. Accurate too. First time I shot more than 3 bolts at a target at 90 yards I broke a bolt. Very impressive pieces of equipment.

Yep. No way I’d try a shot beyond 40. You may get lucky and kill it but way too much can go wrong.

I was kind of forced to buy one, with the new regulations for some "urban" hunts and military base thinning hunts in N.W. Fl. stating CB only I ended up buying a Ten Point, it is a tack driver but still not near as much fun and or challenge as a compound or long bow

Good deal on a great bow

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/wicked-ridge-invader-x4-crossbow-package

Not a rifle by no means, but with the right conditions and know how drt. Like bows they do have more variables to consider and things that can go wrong than a rifle. Some good videos out there to look at that makes the kill rate close to 100% excluding user errors.

if my shoulder does not improve, i'll have to go to a crossbow. but i'm thinking a light weight recurve, sub 5.5 pounds. 40 yards plenty far for me ...

You can deffinately limb launch a turkey with one

I used to follow a guy on YouTube where one of his frequent guests on the show head shot a doe with a compound at something like 60 or 70 yards. Dropped the deer in her tracks, but could have been much worse and was complete luck to be fatal. Rather that sharing the hunt as a bad choice in the shot and getting lucky, they treated it like a "trick shot" and laughed and carried on about it. Unsubscribed and won't be back.

I have a CP Sniper 370. Put a takeoff Ravin scope with a off brand FAB defense GL Shock stock.

Shot a doe at 70 yards with the Ravin. She went maybe 10 yards. The rest of the does just stood there.

Don’t care how fast a bow/ crossbow is. You will get bit shooting long ranges with an arrow. Push much passed 40 yards and your gambling period.

Ravin R10 is hard to beat for the money, especially if you buy it from Wyvern creations. He upgraded the scope and bolts. I shot at 2 deer last year at 30 yards and the arrow was thru them into the ground before the deer knew it had been hit. Both went less than 40 yards. Bolts go thru so fast that you'll be amazed at how little blood is on the bolt.

I'm excited about opening day

You’re missing the point of bow hunting if your sitting in a house or blind slinging arrows/bolts across a field at 50+ yds.

Athos will be my 46th season ti hunt deer with sticks and strings. Was killing samll game since I was 6. So I've put plenty time to do it the traditional way. Back won't let me draw anymore. So I'm good with that.

I miss drawing back on a deer but the old Bod won’t let me do that any more so I’ve been using a crossbow for 10 years now

I’m fine with that. Just continue to hunt them like it’s a bow and let them get close.

If that's how you like to hunt, that's fine. Might as well hunt with traditional archery and let them get even closer. To each their own, but I'll shoot them at what ever range my equipment is set up for.

Bingo. TC you keep killing em however you like, And keep putting up the wallpaper to prove it.

I wish I had seen this. Centerpoint bows. 350 clams gets you one that claims 415 fps but will honestly bump 390 fps. Outstanding warranty. Quiet. Crazy accurate.



Pretty sure you will get bit shooting 50 yards with a 3600 fps rifle sooner or later. Fred Bear did not share your sentiments. He routinely shot ducks at 100 yards with a plain old recurve.



It's not luck. I can't shoot groups at 100 with my centerpoint 415 or barnett vengeance unless I want to destroy my very expensive bolts.

I have really enjoyed my center point sniper 370. Upgraded to a speed ring scope. Lumix I think? Anyway. Hard to beat.

He was shooting a compound, not a crossbow.

what Howard Hill did with a long bow

I WISH SOME BODY EDUCATE HIM< IMSICK OF SEEING THIS.

^^^^^
I hear you

Some People are arguing on how far you should shoot crossbow instead of cross bow educating - probably what distance you practice at and get very accurate with regardless of what kind of bow is your range. It’s not a guess from some mad person on here that has not even tried your particular bow because they can’t get there hands on your bow

they are fast and very accurate, also easy on a old guy that can't draw back enough weight to get a good pass though!!

There is no such thing as a bow or crossbow that hurls an arrow or bolt fast enough that it makes shooting a deer at 70 to 100 yards no different than shooting one at 30. With a rifle? Yeah, no difference. But 100 yards is a long stretch for a bolt or arrow to be in the air. All that animal has to do is take one step while that bolt/arrow is in route and it doesn't make a tinkers damn how good your aim was because his vitals have now moved a foot or more from where they were when you fired. And what someone did "ONCE" and had it work out is a mighty thin basis on which to proclaim it good to go as a standard practice. I saw a guy hit a bluejay in flight 50 yards away with a 22 rifle once. He sure did it....Once! But I wouldn't take a 22 on a dove hunt based on that one experience. People are also quick to tell you about the time a 100 yard shot worked out. Much rarer to have someone hit a forum and own up to that time they tried a 100 yard shot and hit the deer in the ass. Nope, it always works out perfect......on the internet. LOL!

Ok let educate the OP
I’m in the market for a new crossbow myself so I’m doing a ton of research on all top brand and share what I’ve found
Ravin is a good crossbow But they do have issues with cam alignment and cables fraying or exploding before 100 shots have been put through them
Wicked ridge is made by TenPoint But are made from “cheaper” materials and will perform well. The speed advertised on them is embellished a bit and the life span on parts and materials are average at best
TenPoint is all around the best crossbow on the market and their customer service is top notch though as the wicked ridge the speeds advertised are a bit embellished
Centerpoint is ok and is a decent buy for the money but don’t expect a lot of life out of these. The best they make is bottom rung for Ravin and TenPoint and a couple others
All this info is from reading reviews and talking with different people who own one or the other brands
At this point for me I’m set on buying TenPoint

Been very pleased w my Barnet Hunter - got into all of it for $450 - Lov it - but if I could do it over - I would get one you do not hav to shoot after every hunt

I ended up getting a used vortex excalibur from a member and have been happy so far. Thanks for the education

I'm not gonna be doing any shooting till it cools of. So round October

I have a Tenpoint and a Scorpyd. I prefer the Scorpyd over the Tenpoint.

I’m trying to decide between Axe, Scorpyd, or a Hickory Creek vertical. The Hickory Creek is pretty impressive for size, weight, quiet, and simple….but it’s not as ‘barn burner’ as some of the others. Some days my rebuilt shoulder, back, and wrist let me shoot my stick bows and compounds. Other days, they’re pissed at me for something, and a crossbow would be more ‘fun’.

Resurrecting this because I pulled the trigger on a vertical hickory creek. With two plates on my spine, fake discs, fused vertebrae, shoulder reconstruction, etc….I can cock AND decock this thing by hand, standing OR sitting down. It weighs almost nothing, Carrie’s well in hand, and disassembles for pack carry as well. I can use regular 300/350 spine arrows, and all my regular archery broadheads and targets. Sure, at 300+ and lighter, 23” arrows instead of bolts, it’s not for making 60-100 yard super crossbow trick shots, but for deer and hogs inside 50, it’s more than enough. No string/cable contact, either. It may be a niche thing for some, but I rally disliked the weight, awkwardness of the crossbows I’ve tried, and the crazy expense or hassle of decocking, unloading, or cocking even…..while hunting. I figured out last season that I can’t bend at the waist enough without creeping the string, to shoot deer while elevated, if the angle gets very steep. This solves that problem. I can still shoot a bow from the blind/ground fine, so long as I don’t have to twist too much. This solves all my issues, while still ‘feeling’ like a bow to an extent. I think you could even shoot it well one handed, to your strong side, in a pinch. Crazy cool little rig.. have to wring it out more once weather and target setup allows.

10pt has certified use bows on sale right now,

Also look at Wyvern Creations. Dave is a great guy to deal with.

https://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/product-category/closeouts/

Yep
Good guy to deal with

. Agree with both of these gentlemen. Dave was fantastic, I used him to buy mine.

what broadhead do yall use on your crossbows?

I use Ramcats in anything outside of longbows. Just me.

Whatever flies good, penetrates, cuts, and stays together will kill deer.

I like my Schwakers. You can lock the blades from expanding so it doesn't tear up your target too much. My experience has been large exit wounds with heavy blood trails.

I would avoid shooting through the shoulder on larger deer, which applies to all mechanical broadheads.

Never tried it myself, but I've heard fixed broadheads won't fly straight in 400+ fps x-bows.

I’ve not had anything (including 400+) that a Ramcat wouldn’t fly well in. YMMV

I am a fixed head guy. I use Montec from 10 point. If you buy 10pt and want lighted knocks you can use fishing bobbler lights to put into your knocks to save you some money

That's good to hear. I plan on buying some fixed broadheads for my recurve, and will try them out on my x-bow. My schwackers have never let me down, but I worry about them deflecting off the shoulder if I make a bad shot.

I’m liking the vertical…..it’s just simple. Uses compound bow rests, tuning, string loops, regular 309-350 spine arrows, same broad heads, etc. cock and decock by hand even sitting down! As quiet as a compound. Can brace on a tree. No, it’s no 459fps ravin, but it’s way less $ and hassle.

Go to Academy and get the Barnett they have for like 269.00. It is lite and fast. You don’t need no high dollar crossbow to kill a deer. But the final decision is up to you. Get what feels the best for you!

I bought the wicked ridge invader at BPS. After all the discounts I ended up with less than $200 in it. Now, I really hate crossbows and wish they were still illegal to use, but I was in a bind and didnt want to get a new bow during the season. That being said, it shoots good but Ill only shoot at a deer at 40 yards. It isnt fast enough for me to risk a longer shot. If you want a long range crossbow I'd go with the more expensive ones. The barnetts, wicked ridge, and PSE cheaper models are LOUD compared to the ravins. But they are at least $1000 less.

It did kill 4 deer last year, so I guess it works. But, I still prefer a compound bow.

Muzzy 3 blade 100 grain is what I used.

OK, my shoulder says I'm buying a crossbow. Looked at this thread over the past couple of days and then online. The one feature I think I really want is the de-cocking feature without having to shoot an arrow. Can somebody give me the pro's and con's on Ten Point vs. Mission vs. Ravin? Deadeye was good but didn't mention the Mission.

Cant speak of Ravin. TP made here in Ohio great customer service.

They have sale right now some of them.

https://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/product-category/closeouts/

Wade, the Hickory creek vertical is super easy to cock/uncock by hand. I’ve got a rebuilt shoulder and two plates in my lower spine. I can manage it fine, and don’t have to worry about cranks or other devices. It’s more like shooting a bow, than a crossbow, in many respects. Just another option vs Raven…which I think is the only one that has a decock-rated gear setup in its cocking crank system.