I'M NEW TO THIS FORUM AND ALSO NEW TO XBOW HUNTING. MY WIFE HAS HAD AN EXCAL EXOCET FOR 3 YEARS, SO I HAVE A LIITLE EXPERIENCE WITH HELPING HER GET SET UP AND SIGHTED IN. SHE HAS A SINGLE RED DOT, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT I SHOULD PUT ON MY NEW EXOMAX. THE SCOPE SEEMS A LITTLE BULKY. I'M LEANING TOWARD THE 3 DOT RED DOT. ANY ADVISE WOULD BE APPREACIATED.

db2265, first of all, welcome to the site. Both are good scopes and both have advantages and disadvantages.

The red dot is a little more compact, but not usually very might lighter in weight (depends on which scope you choose). The red dots have no magnification so for areas that require that, they are great. The down fall is the battery, they always seem to die at the most inopportune time.

The scope usually has some magnification to it. This will help in it's light gathering ability in the lower light conditions that we sometimes find ourselves in. Also with the Excalibur Varizone (and the new model with lighted reticals), there is a SPEED RING that if you know the speed of the arrow, you can switch from one weight or arrow/head to another and only need to adjust the speed ring to keep your scope sighted in (only needed to be sighted in t start with). Also you do not need a chronograph to figure out the speed, the scope can help you do that.

Me personally, if I was getting an EXOMAX, I would go with the Excalibur scopes just beasue they give me much more options which keeping it simple (no worries about batteries).

Good luck.

The vari-zone from excalibur is an inexpensive scope that suits your crossbow just fine, there is also a new one coming that may interest you, check out excaliburs site for details.
Nice choice in bows by the way, welcome to the forums..

Welcome to the world of Crossbows.......As for scopes..Iam too new too Crossbows also.

Iprefer the V-zone over anything else available at reasonable prices. That said, I'd be the first to admit at 30 yds and under for deer hunting, almost anything from a pin and peep upwards will work.I particularly dislike the multi dot red dots, they just seem to close together to suit me.I recently had an experience w/ Horton 3 dot and couldn't get a light/brightness level to work on a white bag target in the sun at 30 yds, and the 20 yd dot was huge.I like squeezing all the performance I can out of my xbows and personally find the V-zone to aid me in that.

Welcome to the Forum db2265, my vote is for the varizone, it will also give you more shooting time at daylight and dusk.

Martin

db2265 hey welcome to our forum[][:-], there are a few crazies about here so watch yer self at all times,. Some folks just like the excal varizone, i didn't. To me it was cluttered. Some folks like the red or green dots/ xhairs. I like the green xhairs with the magnafacation! I also like my rifle scope on mine sighted in at 25 yds. At 35 yds. i just put it on deers back top and sqeeze!

a lot of guys like the varizone. personally i like my red dot. i would steer clear of multidot scopes. i believe in the KISS theory when it comes to hunting. btw welcome to the world of xbows and welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum. As Smoke said there are some crazies. Watch for the Squirrel, he's mean, ugly(I mean real ugly), and smelly! Yup you're monitor will emit a smell!
For the price the Varizone is probably the best. However, if you don't mind spending more then put on a good quality rifle scope (I have a Leupold VariX3 on one of mine). If you want to put a dot on your target try the Bushnell Halo. It is a minute sized dot, small, brighter than red dot scopes, and light weight. Most of the red dot scopes have 3 to 6 minute dots. Just like a rifle you buy the best optical device you can afford. The Varizones are kinda delicate and not problem free but again probably the most popular xbow scope.