Suggest you shoot as many bows as possible before you buy anything. That way you'll know which one fits you and your style of hunting. The Excal are great (mine is the new Vortex) but there are a lot of compounds that are also great (my Parker Terminator is shorter, balances better, is quieter and has a better trigger than the several Excas l tested).You will also determine the effort it takes to cock the bow. I started with the Equinox Equinox but found that the 225 draw weight and longer stock limited the number of shots I could make (without a mechanical cocker) without aggaravating my back problems. Don't buy a bow just because someone else shoots one, try it to see if it meets your demands.
A scope is definitely a plus. It gives you more precise points of aim. Which decreases the potential for misses or, worse, lost game. The Excalibur LumiZone is great, 5 aim-points, that correspont to your bow's speed, PLUS a lighted reticule on demand for less than $150.