Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I'm looking to get a really good crossbow. I'm thinking about getting a good crossbow. This one looks pretty incredible, does anyone know about how its durability compares to other brands? I've heard that its only good for 400 shots. Which would pretty much rule out long practice sessions.

Anyone had a chance to use it?

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

They got mixed reviews on the first one. They have a new one coming out in July. At least that is the word. Looks like they made some improvements.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Have not shot one and have only had info from sites like these on them. Some people are saying they are breaking too soon. Others are saying they are just fine, who knows? Maybe the people that are having problems are the ones out shooting the thing everyday and the ones that have not had problems are shelf sitters? Who knows? But I have heard of the new CB Randy is talking about and heard they are scaling it back alot. If that is true then the first CB must be having problems IMO. Blow on the dice and roll them on the table, buy one and let us know how it goes. Only one guy I know of on here that has bought one and he is laid up from surgery I think.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

There were some reports of the Stryker breaking when it first came out. Not sure if it was a user problem or product problem. Their second xbow out is to compete with the Phantom. Smaller profile and price as well. There are several on another forum who have shot the Stryker almost daily and have had zero problems. I shot it one time and it was pretty impressive. Some things about I don't like and others that are great. If it weighed less, could be cocked by hand or rope, and slightly smaller overall it would pretty much be perfect. They got part of that right with the second generation one. The good thing is they are making changes and putting new ideas into production. That's good for all xbow hunters as it's got to affect the other manufacturers.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

That stryker CB is fer shooting Vampires! Excals are Dragon slayers take yer choice!:D

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I laughed when I got a flyer in the mail offering a package deal on one of these for @$1,6000. The wife laughed too. Then I shot one of these at Arundel Mills Saturday and was mightily impressed. I have to use a windless to cock my crossbow because of old hand injuries and the Stryker has the slickest system I've ever seen. No dangling strings. It uses a quiet, built in sprocket chain and a detachable crank that goes into your pocket after use. It also has a trigger as light and crisp as a good rifle. I immediately shot it better off hand than I can the crossbow I've been hunting with for years. The power is stunning. I believe if I could loosen the grip on my wallet the Stryker might even extend my effective range to 60 yrds for whitetail or black bear. ...But, I'm no crossbow expert and I'd really be interested in the impressions of you experienced crossbow guys.

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Sei wach!

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Give me a little more time and I'll voice an opinion. I bought one earlier this year. Had shoulder surgery and can't quite use it enough yet. I shot one arrow when I picked it up. It was smooth and impressive.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Sixty yards IMO is plain irresponsible, You will more than likely have string jump at that range. It is also to new to tell how it will pan out. I have heard that Bow Tech is all ready scaling it back for its 2008 model.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

They made one to compete with the Phantom. Price is a lot lower, still in the 350 fps range but more compact and less weight. They took out the chain drive cocking and it's by hand or rope cocker only.
$899 price range.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Before one claims another irresponsible one should have enough information to make it stick. The three dot scope supplied with the Stryker comes preset at 20/40/60 yards. The left over kinetic energy out that far still exceeds many other crossbows and compound bows within their effective zone.

While I have a problem with the company, what little I saw with two shots and the comments by the range/shop owner after those same two shots. He didn't believe what he saw and how hard it was to pull out the arrow. He had to get a special puller to get it out.

Let's wait to see what the truth is and see how things shake out.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

FACT! Any responsible CB or Vertical bow hunter knows that any thing past thirty yards can be asking for trouble when it comes to string jump. That is fact and not a bogus claim. Adding seventy FPS to a CB does not double the yardage. The speed of sound does not slow down and even at 405 FPS sixty yards is a long way. Maybe the Stryker can push to 35 or 40 on string jump but even 40 would be pushing it IMO. An alert deer at forty yards could jump the string at 405 without a problem IMO.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Sound goes about 1120 fps. Stryker 405. So what's a deers reaction time? 1/10 of a second is just under 40 yds. If the first sound it hears is the twang of the string after the arrow is gone. If it hears something before that then the distance would go down a lot. I think like you do, 40 for a non-alert deer might be safe under certain conditions.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I think I am thinking the way you are, but you are right sound is around 1120 FPS and 40 yards is 120 feet so it takes the sound a tenth of a second to get there. 120 feet divided by 405 FPS is .296 of a second. But that is 405 fps the entire way. Them speeds are at three feet from CB and we all know a CB arrow looses it steam real fast. I would say it takes 4 tenths of a second for the arrow to get there and take off the speed of sound and now the deer has three tenths of a second to make his move, and move fast they can do, sometimes I think there flight instincts are inbred with a humming birds wings! FAST!! Then if the deer is looking at you and alert he has the full four tenths to make is move and he is probably ready to make his move as you shoot.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Totally inaccurate statement. While 60 yards may be on the verge of extreme. 35-40 yard shots are taken quite regularly on deer size game and 50 yards is not uncommon on an Elk.

Of course string jump can always be a factor be it 10 yards or 50. Thats why you must be silent, scent free and still. Shooting at alarmed or alert deer (game) will produce a quicker reaction. I've seen deer jump at an arrow dragging acrossed a noisy rest and I've also seen good bucks not budge at a rifle miss. String jump is more dependant on other factors IMHO.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Bowhunterssuperstore sent me an email that had a stryker for a more reasonable price. Still, I spent around $500 for a Vixen with the scope package and it shoots freakishly tight groups out to 40 yards. I'm not sure what else I could want.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

The voice of reason and maturity. I too would rather have an accurate bow first with the necessary reasonable speeds. At the prices we pay now a days it not how good the bow is its how long its that good that counts.
This thread is getting old and uninteresting.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I haven't shot a Stryker. I have shot xbows at 300 fps and 350 fps, so I'm fairly familiar w/ 50 fps difference. It's not as much as you might think. At 350 fps, I won't take a shot on a white tail deer over 35 yds. I can get b-heads in a 3" group at 50 yds easy, all things being right.I know at 35 yds every deer I shoot at is dead, some maybe a little closer than others, but I'm confidant of recovering them. I would be comfortable at 50 yds on bear, moose or elk, but not deer. To each his/her own. No 60 ydrs for me w/ an arrow, regardless of fps or mfgrs aim points.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I concur with awshucks![8D]

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Maybe I should not say irresponsible or fact and should say any thing under thirty is my and most people's extremely "safe" zone. Alot of guys take shots between thirty and fifty yards all the time, and if you wait until season starts you can stick around and read all the lame stories titled "what Happened" or "I need help Tracking" a great classic, or" I had a perfect shot But, But, But...."There will be all kinds of stories like that this fall and just about every one hasthe guy saying I have been practicing out to sixty yards with no problem and then say it was a calm deer and they just cant figure it out. I also love the" must have hit a twig" statement, another classic!!Maybe they did hit a twig, most don't IMO, and the ones that do where probably taking a long shot and were not smart enough to think of the arrow arch, another long rang shot disadvantage! But if you also look you will see lots of twenty, twenty five and thirty yard shots with a pic of a great deer! So people can take long shots, and they do all the time, but most thatlike to guarantee a clean kill and not a wounded animal like Dan, Don and Mike will not go past thirty to thirty five, and most of them guys will tell you thatthe majority of there deer have been alot less then that!

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Well, I've been mulling this over all day since I made my post on the subject. I'm bound to whiz somebody off here, but sorry, this is how I see it. First off, I have the utmost respect for the single pin xbow hunters, be it rifle scope, peep and pin or single red dot. They are for the most part well practised and know the ballistics of their rigs good enough to get-er-done. I favor the 5 aim points of the V-zone or L-zone. My memory isn't good enough to keep track of ranges and poi's so I use that crutch.

I've never been a fan of the Stryker. 1st off, a non xbow company upset the applecart on parity w/ compounds. The magic 400 fps barrier could have been passed long ago by several xbow mfgs. But, that's progress, and I understand it was just a matter of time. I'm more upset about their advertising campaign, [point, shoot, game over] and their 20-40-60 sight system. Most xbow mfgrs say in their paper work or advertising 40 yds is it folks. Stryker didn't. Can one kill a deer at 60 yds w/ a Stryker?? Hell yes, just like they can w/ most of the 300-330 fps stuff out there. My complaint if you will, is there are bound to be new guys plopping $1600 out for a bow they think they can whack deer w/ at 60 yds on a regular basis. The previous xbowers and archery hunters are going to take this all w/ a grain of salt and work out their own limits. Follow me here a bit. Here you are out in your stand w/ Stryker. A nice buck is browsing at 50 yds. Is that actually 50 yds? Ranged? Guessed? Maybe only 47, but could be 53??. If you have practised repeatedly for this scenario, well odds are probably in your favor, THIS time, if you had enough bucks left to get a rf and use it. My fear if you will, is the unfamiliar will think they are infallible due to their equipment. Don't work that way in reality.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

What the man said,AMEN!!:D

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I also will add that two seasons ago, the 05/06 season I was limited to the single pin way, but not by choice. I had a, at that time a new Horton with a multi-reticle scope on it that IMO, SUCKED! It was good for twenty, but then the thirty you had to hold over a little and the forty was under a little I think. SO I never felt comfortable with anything past twenty five. Then last year the Excal guys first started to work there "MO-JO" on me and I was introduced to the Varizone. With that Scope I was pretty good to go with my Horton out to forty. Last year if I had a deer at thirty or say thirty five I probably would have did it, but the Cuddeback also screwed me up since I became a big rack hunter and I scored Zero last year! Now this year is even better! I have a Vortex with the new Lumizone on it. Tuesday I was spanking arrows into forty yards right on the money every time! I have not shot a fifty since I do not have the room for it here and have to wait to go to the in-laws for that. But now I have a CB that I feel is passing my Horton on accuracy and is building my confidence greatly! This year I plan on marking my hunting spots out to thirty five yards if my confidence continues over the summer. But as said before I still hesitate to say that kinda. But as the others and I have said, over thirty five is possible and done all the time, but to me it is taking a chance.

Also, you may ask why am I making this second post tonight? Maybe its a form of liberation that I am getting with the vortex, but felt I needed to make a post that I am not a stuck to a twenty yard pin kinda guy!! LOL!!! Hope this all makes sense, And great post Dan, you hit the nail on the head!

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

There is a down side to the way they presented it. We know but the new guy or other may not grasp it. Nothing good from it except maybe some Strykers on fleabay cheap at the end of bow season.

On speeds a guy on another forum shot it through the chrono and at 65 yds it was still going 365fps. Aprox on the numbers and distance but it I'm pretty close. Another guy says 1 pin 0 to 38 yds with a couple of inches drop. For deer 1 pin to 40. I still think 40 maybe but 35 max under worse case scenario - for deer that is.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

I bought a Stryker about a month ago. I had a ton of fun with it as it is very accurate. I will be testing it on a hunting trip for some african game species (Zerba, Kudu, an anything silly enough to get within range that falls within the budget)

The trigger is a bit tight (personal opinion) and itis heavy and bulky. But it is very accurate and it hits where I aim. Then the fun starts, getting the arrow out.

So far I am really happy with it, but I have not had it long enough to comment on durability.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

When I get my nxt day off(july 4th)Iam goin to set my pin at 35yrds and see how high I will be at 20,thinking it should be 3-5".I have come to realize that the Vortex should have a scope to get everything out of it..Why I didnt do it to start with is beyond me......

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

Thank-you hotburn for the retraction of irresponsible and fact. I agree with you, and the second statement of I wounded one what now? Is not just your CB forum but every forum.

I will ask a question and I mean NO disrespect what-so-ever. Do you think the pre-concieved notion, to the uneducated public, that it's just a rifle that shoots arrows, leads to a lot of these misses or wounding threads?

I mean I go into the local sporting goods store the night before the opening day and I see them filing out with new crossbows so they can hunt in the a.m. Now I know you guys take your sport serious, but don't you think you get many more people who think it's the easier road, coming in and soiling your reputation? They just don't know and it's you guys that need to police the ranks and educate them that this is a learned discipline just like compound or traditional bow.

My thoughts..sorry to hijack.

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

quote: "I will ask a question and I mean NO disrespect what-so-ever. Do you think the pre-concieved notion, to the uneducated public, that it's just a rifle that shoots arrows, leads to a lot of these misses or wounding threads?

I mean I go into the local sporting goods store the night before the opening day and I see them filing out with new crossbows so they can hunt in the a.m. Now I know you guys take your sport serious, but don't you think you get many more people who think it's the easier road, coming in and soiling your reputation? They just don't know and it's you guys that need to police the ranks and educate them that this is a learned discipline just like compound or traditional bow"

Good points, and we don't call it hi-jacking much, lol We all do it. What you describe is the "last minute flurry", all too common regardless of weapon or season. As far as xbows go, some do there homework here and on other xbow forums, some don't. Here's my take on it,the guys that think it's just a point and shoot choice and are going to use an xbow to get in on archery seasons are usually gun hunters previously, be it shotgun, M/L or rifle. This is one of the vert crowds big fears. These "new" archery guys usually don't do too well. No stats to back this opinion up w/, but IMHO, it takes far longer to learn how to hunt deer close like any archery demands than it does to master either a compound or an xbow. You don't have to play the wind game or be as scent free to gun hunt, kinda like preaching to the choir here, lol. The gun guys that have mastered these two prime requirements are probably already in bow seasons anyhow. We have members here constantly trying different choices in arrows, b-heads, mfgrs, vanes/feathers, stands, blinds,even bow strings, lol, all to maximze their chancesto close the dealright. I would guess that the recurve vert crowd has the toughest time preparing due to the practise their choice demands, and my hat is off to them.

As to your policing the ranks comment, we try to help those that ask. The old joke comes to mind."What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?" "I don't know and I don't care" Personally, I enjoy your posts and your user name says alot!

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

As funny as this may sound when I made that statement I was not even referring to the CB forum but to the regular forum! LOL!! Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think any of us last year had a "can't find my deer" thread in the CB forum. But in the regular forum they popped up often.

Unfortunately there is alot of people that do think this way when they look at the CB as a bad thing, and the new people that have wild dreams of going out with a new toy and going to have a blast. Two things happen to the guys that get there new "gun". they realize it is alot of work to learn the twenty yard game and give up after a few unsuccessful seasons. The other realizes the opportunity hehas and learns how to deer hunt and becomes a great hunter. I feel the ignorant ones jump ship real fast and just wait on the short gun season.

I think this happens very little since most states it is illegal to use a CB so very few people ever see it. I feel it is all propaganda spread by the Compound companies trying to secure there sales and keep the CB out. In the states where the CB is not allowed they seem to have the most claims about slob CB hunters ruining the sport. But how can they see and experience this if the CB is not even allowed. All just stories about the CB to keep people from shooting there deer and help keep the Compound sales up. Is there a slob CB hunter out there? You bet ya, but there is just as many Compound ones too. Just the CB ones are glorified to help stain the image and keep people out. The compound people do not realize it but they are hurting our sport more then most groups like Peta IMO. It blows my mind that groups of fellow hunters band together and go to state officemeetings and push the state to keep people from hunting, how insane is that? Groups like Peta have to sit back and love this up!

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

All very good points....The one I always have enjoyed is the"got me a new gun...Have you sighted it in ?. No,Iam just going to do it tomorrow when we go out"...Or just got me a ne bow and some broadheads,cant wait to get out in the woods.......YOU see weve all heard these remarks,some of us(not me)have done this, most and hopefully none of us have done this,but it does and allways will happen.I think the people that get affended the most are the people that do it...

RE: Anyone know about the Stryker?
 

When I do my training for Bass Pro, Cabela's, Gander etc. I make it a point to cover what a crossbow will and will NOT do. I spend as much if not more time on selling a crossbow and making sure they educate the consumer then I do on the product info. I figure they can read a catalog and a box to get product info. they only have one or two chances a year to talk and hear about selling and safety.
Randy