I made a really good post for this the first time so it sucks that it is being done twice!but here goes! As planter said you may have found the web site for crossbow for dumbies, but I do know you found the one for crossbows for loonies! Your dad got a good cb and will kill deer just fine with it. Horton has been making good bows for a long time.

The first bit of advice I give all new people is pulling back the bow string centered. If you do not it will make you arrows go all over the place. It is kinda like changing the nock point on your vertical bow every time you shoot. Your arrows would not group good. All you have to do is take a fine point marker and mark the edge of your string on each side of the rail/barrell. then as you pull the string back make sure it is still centered and all will be good.

That CB comes with a red dot and a dial-a-range on it. The red dot is ok and will work well with the dial-a-range. The only problem I had with my first red dot was it really sucks when you forget to turn it off on the way out of the woods, and then the next day you see a nice one coming only to realize that you forgot to turn it off and now you are SOL! This is my fault and not the scopes but it still sucks! The other thing that can burn a guy is the dial-a-range. You pratice the night before and turn it up cause you were practicing 40 yard shots for fun. You go out and shoot at a nice ten point and your arrow goes about a foot over its back! You look down and DAM! you forgot to set it back to zero! The dial-a-range is something I think most horton guys play with at first and then leave it alone, some epoxy it so it cant move by accident on them. I just bought a VARIZONE by excalibur and it is the cats meow of CB scopes, simply the best!

The other thing I could mention is keep it simple at first, Don't go out and try playing with all kinds of arrows and such. I have always used horton arrows and never had a problem. If you start experamenting before you get your baseline set you can have problems and only get upset. I shoot the carbons for durability. I bend the alluminums to easy. Don't think the carbons are lighter though. The alluminums are 430 grains and the carbons are 496 I think, Why the carbons are heavier I do not know, but just is. Once you guys get good, then you can buy all kinds of stuff and start playing around.

B-Heads are pretty wide open like vertical bows. Everyone has one they swear by and we all get deer. You just need to find what works for ya. I shot muzzys for about twelve years out of my old supermag and killed all deer that I hit with them. This year though I have got bit by the mech bug and am trying the new Tekan Twos.

One misconception with the CB is you get longer shoots with one. Most of us in here would never shoot at a deer over thirty yards, Its just to risky and the deer deserve better then a good chance. I try to keep all my shots at twenty. Its almost imposible for deer to jump the string at twenty, but over that and you can have it happen.

Good luck and keep us updated, Also dont forget to use the rail lube! If not you will bust your serving and could break a string!