You can get crossbows in that price range, but I would recomend for you to save longer and get a better quality bow. These cheaper bows can work for you, but they will not have the capabilities of the better made bows. They will not be a fun to shoot either. You have said that you have not harvested a deer yet, I would hate for your bow to let you down when you finally got the chance to harvest one. There are many great quality bows on the market, they are just more money then you are looking at. If you can save up to the $400-$500 range or higher, you can get yourself a bow that will last you a very long time with great dependability and accuracy. I would hate for anyone to get a cheaper bow and become discouraged and not happy, then leave the crossbow world.
I honestly believe that if you wait and save more, you would be happier.
Even if you have to save and buy a used "Better" crossbow.
Don't spend $200 now and then next season say "Man I could have bought a used Excalibur for $400.
Wait and buy a good crossbow. Don't settle for less than 300 fps speeds.
I like Recurves. Quieter. Excalibur. Accurate, fast and reliable.
Eric
What GT said is all true. Them may get the job done, but you need to understand you are at the bottom of the scale if you get the ones listed. All three of them will be really really cheap feeling. If you could spring for at least 300 bucks you could get the Horton summit package that is on that same Wal-Mart web site. It is not the biggest step up, but alot of guys use them and do ok with them. Not to nock your choices, but them are the about the lowest end you can get, they are right next to the Chinese bow out of mail order catalogs.
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Hunting is like Marriage, you get out of it what you put in it. Sometimes you score and sometimes you don't, but its always fun going out!
I can't say which is best of them because I have never used them or have I heard anything about them from people that I would trust.
But what most of us here are trying to tell you is this about the cheaper bows. The reason alot of people like the recurves over the compounds is that there are less moving parts so they become more dependable. This is over the more expensive compound crossbows. The cheaper bows can be sold at a lower costs because they use parts which are not as high in quality, they are cheaper to produce.
I am not trying to tell you not to buy one of those bows, but only trying to give you enough imformation that you can make an educated choice of your own. IF you do choose one of those bows, as long as you understand what you will be getting in the bow, then good luck and enjoy. I also commend your trying to gather as much info that you can, so you can choose what is best for you.
The only one I have heard any thing about that you have listed is the Barnett. A guy at work who I tried to help with his Ten point was chapped once when his son in-law picked up one of them and it shot pretty good. He said it felt pretty cheap, but if a guy wanted to be a weekend warrior it would work. Again,you are getting something pretty low end.
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Hunting is like Marriage, you get out of it what you put in it. Sometimes you score and sometimes you don't, but its always fun going out!
Do you think that 260 is enough with the Horton Summit???
my brother has a summit and took four deer with it this year, its cheaper made which means the quality isnt quite what it could be, but then again it isnt meant to be a real high quality bow... it shoots good, is fairly accurate and will difinitely get the job done so I guess theres nothing really wrong with it and in reality its all you'd need to shoot deer, but personally I like a little more quality in a crossbow...
not to keep dragging it out butmy brothershot my excal right after I got it, immediately seen the difference between the two, and has mentioned several times after that that hes going to sell his summit and pick up an excal for next year
Trying to decide on crossbow HELP
