Bow season is too slow getting here

[MCgunner]

I'm getting antzy for bow season. My new Inferno Fury crossbow is just SO easy to shoot, SO deadly! I've got it dialed in, been practicing. It's got a red dot sight, middle dot is on at 30 yards, top dot shoots a bit high at 20 and bottom dot shoots a bit low at 40. If I practiced at 50, I could probably find a hold for that, but no need. I can keep 'em to 25 or 30 yards. It's 25 yards to my feeder from my ladder stand. I'll be shooting down, of course, but I've practiced from the stand and there's no hold under for 25 yards with it.

The thing penetrates well. I've got some broadheads figured out for it, can quick adjust the scope for them via an external adjuster for the scope mount. Works fantastic, very repeatable. Broadheads shoot right though a compact hay bail.

I really wanted a recurve crossbow and didn't wanna spend 500 bucks on the Excalibur Axiom I was looking at. I think this bow is enough, frankly, and it's SO bloomin' accurate I can place shots with surgical precision at 25 yards. From 40 yards I group 'em, rested, into the center of a paper plate about 4" groups of 4 shots. I tried and tried to shoot a compound bow, but I'm right handed and nearly blind in my right eye, so I shoot much better with firearms or the crossbow shooting lefty. The BIG deal is that does are legal during bow season here. I have, however, been watching a nice buck in velvet on my game cam that could be a shooter when it develops. I can already tell it'll be an 8 point and it looks like it might break the 13" width requirement for the county.

Anyway, just had to brag a little on the bow.

Anyone use a crossbow? This one's my first. I might go for a more upscale one in the future, but really don't like compounds, too complicated to change cables on and I don't see the need. I don't have a bow shop closer than 40 miles from me and just don't like the idea of changing cables every year.

 

[matrem]

Good.
There is certainly no reason we should be reading anything but success stories from you this fall.

Where ever you heard that compound cables need changed every year, I'd suggest you stop putting too much faith in that source.

 

[Shovelhead]

Currently shooting a PSE limited compound bow purchased in 1991.
70# draw weight. 4" overdraw. 2113 Eastons @ 280fps.
Shot weekly in 3D leagues, for 5 years, indoor weekly for 5 years, then pulled out a few times a year.....still on the original cables.
Bowstrings...... a horse of a different color.

 

[MCgunner]

I think I got that cable advice here..."other weapons" forum. I've not changed the cables on my Hoyt and they still LOOK in good shape after 10 years. I bought it used and the cable was frayed in spots, so I had it replaced not knowing the history. I don't shoot it much anymore, occasionally. I do not spare the string wax, either.

But, I fail to see the advantage of a compound crossbow. If I upgrade, it'll be to a Excalibur. They shoot 300+ FPS advertized if speed is your thing. Their secret is longer stroke and, therefore wider limbs. I'm in a ladder stand, though, and limb width is not a problem.

 

[Hookeye]

Hitting armguard, abrasion (field or in travel-cased), poor design/improper setup, accident...........strings and cables should last a long while if not for these things.

Wouldn't run over 50K shots on any set, no matter how good they looked.

Store out of sunlight.

My bow last yr had a new string, was 32 yrs old. This yrs bow is 43 yrs old, it wears a new string as well. Don't shoot as much as I used to.

Field wear (CRP and stickerbushes) means I change string every 2 yrs or so.

I don't run an Xbow............recurves and compounds for me (even with injuries). FWIW many Xbows drag the string on the barrel. Without lube they eat servings and strings like candy. Maybe that's what somebody was thinking when they mentioned "cables".

 

[MCgunner]

I don't run an Xbow............recurves and compounds for me (even with injuries). FWIW many Xbows drag the string on the barrel. Without lube they eat servings and strings like candy. Maybe that's what somebody was thinking when they mentioned "cables".

No, I was told this in reference to compound bows, not X bows. What you say makes sense. I never quite got confident enough shooting the Hoyt (an early 90s "Hunter") to hunt with it. My right eye just sux and in the dim light of the woods, especially as the deer tend to move a lot at dusk or dawn, I just am not confident enough to try a shot with it on an animal. The X bow cures this, though, as I shoot it like a rifle with my good left eye.

Shooting targets, I still enjoy my Hoyt and I have an old Bear recurve a good friend bought cheap at a garage sale. He couldn't find a string locally and gave it to me. I ordered one off the net. I ain't real good with it, but I sure enjoy trying on targets.

But, the X bow will see hunting duties. I looked at a hog hunting site that offers bow hunts just now, up near Abilene, Texas..."Dos Plumas" http://www.dosplumashuntingranch.co...-special.php?gclid=CNmRxPmgx7ACFQdeTAodIRDnYA for bow hunting hogs. They don't allow X bows on bow hunts...snobs. I guess that's one down side, but heck, I'm hunting my own land for deer.

 

[Hookeye]

Heck I think my old Mathews had the same string/cables 2 yrs after I sold it.......kid shooting the snot out of it.

And that was a demo bow I got, so probably had a timespan of 7 yrs on the cables.

I was injured then, was my hunting bow. I bet I didn't shoot 10K times in the 2yrs I had it.

Seen guys pack stuff in a hard case and open it up later to frayed strings/cables or even severed ones.

I've only blown up one bow. 82# Machflite 4 and the string and cables held, it was the riser that broke in the middle.

Did see a strand break on my old Blackwidow MA2 62# recurve. Hunted it for a week and then replaced string.

Went to Flemish on my later recurves, shot the crap out of them. I shoot a new string in and it then holds tune well. When tune changes a fair bit (at a yr or so) I think it's time for a new string. I'll twist it up once in a while, consider that normal adjustment. If it gets drenched or changes tune substantially.......I get a new string.

Dunno if I'm wasting $ by getting a new $25 worth of string/silencers every yr or two.

You know how tightwad some of the old stickbow guys are LOL

 

[Patocazador]

If I didn't use a crossbow, I wouldn't be able to bowhunt. I blew out both rotator cuffs years ago and can't even pull 40 lbs.
I hate the weight, noise, and its awkwardness but it's better than staying home.

 

[MCgunner]

Another thing I like about recurve X bows, they tend to be lighter, sub 5 lbs many of 'em. I don't know how those bad rotator cuffs would work cocking a recurve even with a cocking rope like I use, though. Mine is 175 lbs and some up 'em go up to 225 that I've seen.

 

[Hookeye]

PSE Tac15 is a mean rig. Kinda long, heavy and expensive.
Fast n quiet though, and crank wind.

 

[courtgreene]

I've got the same model crossbow that MCgunner is talking about. I bought it after the season last year (technically this calendar year) because I have smaller family members that can't draw a hunting bow. I still like the Matthews compound better, but you're right. They may be considered Taiwanese junk by internet "experts" but they hit where you aim and do so with authority. I like the fact that one can keep everything needed to restring in the field in his or her pocket. As much as I like my compound bow, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to personally test the crossbow on deer before letting others have at it. You know, just to be safe.

 

[MCgunner]

I think the only criticism I have so far on the Inferno is the trigger could be better. It has a little creep and breaks a little heavy. Not as bad as most SKS, though. I hit with it just fine for $150+ investment. If I spent $500+ on an Excalibur, I'd expect maybe a better trigger. Beyond that, I don't know how I could possibly improve on the accuracy of the thing. Excalibur bows shoot faster, 300+ fps.