Dryridge

Hi guys. Some of you may know me from the boards, but this is my new bowhunting base. If you don't know, I am disabled following many, many surgeries required for a spinal birth defect that had left me paralyzed for much of my childhood and a terrible vehicle accident in 2004. I had trauma from my head to my crotch. Again, all the king horses and all the kings men put ol Davey Dumpty together again.

I was a former pro staff shooter for the #2 selling bow company...the split limb guys. I had a Mathews made special for me, but just couldn't shoot it at a point that I could ethically hunt with it. Fortunately the same year my state passed a law for handicapped hunters to use a CB. SO, this year, for the first time ever, I will be in the woods with a horizontal bow.
Will have to hunt from the ground.

Here is my set up.

Horton Hunter 200lb bow with scope, quiver, crank, pull cocking aid, etc.
Carbon 20" bolts that most likely will be tipped with Magnus Stingers or NAP shockwaves.
My blind is a Eastman Outdoors. Hub style looks like a tent w/hubs in the ends. The entire ends are shooting windows. It too has never been in the woods.

????'s:
What is the effective range of my setup on whitetails....assuming I am shooting well, what range is ethical from the penetation standpoint?

Is there any advantage/disadvantage of shooting a Fixed vs Mechanical from a CB?

How are crossbows viewed where you live?

If you were a DieHard Bowhunter and HAD to go this route, is the thrill still there and to the extent it was the vertical bow?


Thanks So Much for making me welcome in this new endeavor, one I am feeling very sort of mixed emotions about anyway.

Dave in WV

scpatterson

I dont know much about the crossbows so i will let someone else answer your questions, but i can say this it wont be long and someoen will chime in. There is some good people on here that are evry knowledgable about the crossbows. I am not going to get involve din a debate on the crossbows but i live in west Tennessee and I havent heard anyone say anything negative about the crossbows. It si legal for anyone to use them. I will get a compound next year so I will have to practice but I will be hunting with a CB this year. Welcome.....

Hotburn76

Not much to say for that one but sorry for all your pain you have been through. I had a friend in junior High school that was in a wheel chair and was always having lots of surgeries right on his lower back. He was never going to walk but he was having surgeries to correct a nerve problem since he was always in alot of pain! Hopefully you can stay out of the hospital for a while!
200# Horton? You must have one of the new legacy's? Most all of the Horton's where 175, but a few where 200# Which one do you have? Just curious.
Blinds are great, just remember if you are in a awkward shooting position and are close to the side walls, them limbs only go one way and that is out! Lots of guys, and some on here have ripped the side of there blind open like a zipper and missed deer because of being to close to the sides!
This is a debatable thing and has even got me in trouble a few times on here! LOL!! I personally would not go past thirty, maybe on the perfect day thirty five. CB's are real loud compared to what you are used to and string jump is that much easier with a CB IMO. Can you spank arrows into a target at fifty and forty? Sure you can, but I would have a hard time going past thirty. Thats just me though... The only time I have never had a pass through was on a spine shot once, and I plan on never doing that again!
On my old Horton Super Mag I shot Muzzy Four blades for a long time with no problem. When I got the new Super Max 175 which was faster I was having alot of "flyer's" and switched to the New Tekan II's and they flew excellent for me. I have not shot any b-heads out of my new Excal yet.
I am lucky to live in Ohio, we have been allowed to use them since the mid seventies so most of the die hard folks that want to divide the hunting community and keep hunters out of "their" woods have either stopped hunting, got to old, or are taking a dirt nap! For the most part here in Ohio it is well received. Where I work over half of us use a CB.
Does not matter what you use to archery hunt with. If playing the twenty yard game and it does not make your heart go pitter patter and your throat choke up, then you should stop hunting! Already being a Bow hunter you know how that feeling is and with a CB in your hand it will still be there!
Welcome to the CB forum and you will have a great time in here! This is a good group of close nit guys that enjoy helping each other! You will find lots of info in here and get all your questions answered! I have a brother and aunt in South Williamson, just north of Pike Ville Kentucky. My Mother is from Delbarton WV and grew up in Mingo county.

scpatterson

Told Ya it wouldnt be long!!!!!!

smokepolehall

Hot has told ya right. Mypersonal max is 35 yds. on a calm deer. I was gonna get a portable blind. After i hunted turkeys using one of awshucks blinds i changed my mind. May get some material and wash it good, then leave it outside until ready to use deer hunting. The blind was decent i just didn't care fer all the hassle of setting it up and folding it back up.[8D]

Pydpiper

Welcome to the boards!
lots of info to be had here, where I live in Ontario Canada the crossbow is just as accepted as a vertical, I feel kinda lucky for that.
I hunt from a from time to time, mine is pretty easy, it rides like a back pack, I take it out toss it in the air and it lands as a full two man blind. Folding it back up takes a bit of finesse, but now only takes me about 10 seconds.
Sounds like a nice bow you are going to be shooting! Hunt safe!

Dryridge

Thanks for all the info and well wishes. It is greatly appreciated. Mine is the Horton Hunter XS 200, It is used. I think it is 2yrs old, third season coming up. It has all the stuff. Crank, scope, hand pull cocking device, etc.
I also have a Parker Safari Mag 175. I am going to sell it. It is lighter and handles better but I have issues with the cheek piece needing to be higher to see through the red dot. It could be built up I am sure.

Thanks again, and I look forward to being in the woods again this fall.

Dave

ranger56528

Welcome Dryridge...youve come to the right place,all these guy are very helpfull.The only thing I can say is Iam going to keep all my shoots under 25yrds just like when I shot my Vert bows...Iam also starting to try differant BH's to figure out what works best for me.........

xbowbarry

Welcome Dryridge,
I too am in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down.
Before my injury in '94 I used both compound and recurve bowsin my hunting ventures. It's different with a crossbow BUT it is still a challenge and it will stiil get the adrenalin flowing.
My personal shooting limit is 25 yards and Iprefer 15.
I use permanent blinds and tent blinds. I found when usinga tent blind it is best to set it up and brush it in a little to let deer get somewhat accustomed to it. Also air it out in your yard a few days before setting it up where you hunt.
I use 100 gr Muzzy and except for a couple spine shots all have been pass thrus.
Good luck to ya,

xbowbarry

AlaskaBat

Welcome!!!