DANNY M

I am going to start deer and turkey hunting again after I could not for 2 years,due to a auto accident in which I broke my neck...I want to buy a crossbow this weekend and I have talked to a couple of avid crossbow hunters who have recommended Parker crossbows...they said dollar for dollar they are the best...they said very well made and more quiet than Ten Point or Horton...they said Ten Point was way overpriced and Horton was very good,but Parker is made better and quieter...I am still on a fixed budget and really want tomake the right choice...any help would be greatly appreciated...I am thinking about buying the Parker Buck Master(Ithink thats the model)...it is $489.99 and comes ready to shoot with bolts,quiver,and red dot scope...just need broadheads...oh yeah...btw...any opinions on what broadheads are best for crossbows...Thanks for your time and help...GOOD LUCK HUNTIN GUYS AND GALS !!!

oldsmellhound

Ask 10 guys and you'll get 10 different answers on this one- the old Ford, Chevy or Dodge debate. The reality is, all the companies you mentioned make solid x-bows, all with their own minor variations on the same theme. I haven't had any experience with Parker, only with Horton, TenPoint and Barnett. I can only tell you what I've had expereince in, so I'll run it down.

In my opinion, here are my overall opinions of these 3 brands:

Horton- Very good all-around bows, good customer service. They're easy to get fixed and find parts for. They're generally very accurate too. Lows- they tend to be noisy (though most x-bows are) and usually not the fastest bows.

TenPoint- Excellent bows- but like you said, tend to be overpriced.

Barnett- Very fast bows with decent accuracy. The noise level of some models is relatively low for crossbows. Lows- not as durable as Horton or Tenpoint- especially the strings. I had a Barnett that would need a string replacement after only 50 -70 shots.

I've heard good things about Parker, but I suspect they are harder to find parts and accessories for, since they're not nearly as popular as some of the other brands.

As far as broadheads, I've used both mechanicals and fixed heads with good success. I like the reliability of fixed heads but have had accuracy problems in the past, especially at long ranges. I'm currently shooting Slick Tricks, which hit exactly where my field tips do and are wonderfully accurate.

Hope this helps!

Hotburn76

Well I can't say that I have ever heard a thing about them. Not saying they are bad, just don't know. I can say that dollar for dollar I think the horton is an excelent choice. I have been shooting them for about fourteen years now and have never had any problems. Ten point makes a good bow also but as you said you pay out the nose for them. Also as smell said they are noisy. But no crossbow is quite enough to ever even think about getting a second shot so you should never let how quite they are, never going to find a quite one. Now their is a good group of excal guys on here that seem to be pleased with there bows. If I was to have a second bow the excal would be it. The only down side I could see to the parker is service. I have never seen one in any of the shops around here. If you buy a horton at least in the midwest ohio area there is dealers in all major areas. With the parker you may be stuck with phone and mail service only. So I would check to see where your local dealer is and if he can help you in a pinch. I sucks when I here people say they lost out on the rut cause there bow was in the mail. Just check your area and see who is around. Good luck!

early in

By the time a deer hears the noise from my CB, he'sdead on the hoof! I mean that literally.

htoler

I have to dissagree with the TenPoints being high priced you can get a TenPoint Titan TL-4 packaged deal with the accudraw 50 for not much more than you listed for the parker package and I would put a tenpoint up against any crossbow on the market.. I have aTenPointProelite and also have an Excalibur Exocet 200 ,, I prefer the TenPoint but as stated ask 10 people get 10 different opinions.. Good Luck on making a choice let us know what you end up getting..

check out the Titan TL-4 deal minus accudraw
http://www.bowhunterssuperstore.com/index.php?cPath=40_149

smokepolehall

Well have u shot any of the Parkers? Have u shot any of the other CB's? Thats what i would do,shoot all that was in my budget and pick out those that i liked and discard the rest. Then i would be selctive on fit comfort weight and shot good had the trigger release i felt was good! Now get out there at any and all dealers that carry any CB's i wanted to shoot!reed2404 has a few posts on here about his Parker. Dig in and look them up, see what he had to say. He thought his was good and he has a friend that has one also.

Hotburn76

The web page you listed speaks exactly as to what I said. Sixteen hundred bucks for a crossbow! I think that is nutz! And at the bottom of the page the cheapest one is five hundred bucks. I am not saying 10 points are bad you just have to pay out the nose for them. If mama said I could spend sixteen hundred bucks on deer I would be in heaven! You could buy two or three top of the line horton or excals for that price!

Dnk

Here's opinion number six. Buy what you can afford first of course. I think the most important thing you have to choose is a crossbow with a great trigger. That being said then pick the bow that feels the best. If that bow has a terrible trigger then don't buy it period. If you are going to shoot the heck out of your bow and you expect to shoot a few thousand shots with no problems the get an Excalibur. They aren't crazy expensive. If you are going to shoot a bow to hunt and get ready to hunt then just about any Horton, Barnett, Parker, Great Lakes, etc with be just fine but don't forget the the thing that will give you the greatest accuracy is the trigger. Start with feeling what an Excalibur trigger feels like and use that as a standard.
I just bought some Razorcaps, four blade Magnus Stingers, Wasp Sharp Shooters and will be testing soon. All are reputed to be great broadheads. I can promise you that you cannot go wrong with any Wasp product. I use Wasp Jackhammers, Wasp Cam Locks and Thunderheads. All are 100 grain and all work well and fly accurately. Generally the smaller broadheads (1" - 1 1/16") is what you should want to use.
Good luck in your search, take everything you read with a grain of salt and make your own mistakes. Most of all have fun.
Don

htoler

man you guys scroll down the page you will see the Titan TL-4 with red dot listed for $499.00........................................... ....

Hotburn76

I know! Read my post. I said five hundred bucks for the cheapest one!!