Wyvern Crossbow

Hi All:
OK, I just got in a new TenPoint Curve for one of my customers ( I will let him do his own review once he has had a chance to play with it abit himself) and was able to do a few quick tests and sight it in before I shipped it out to him. Here is what I found:

The stock is the basic compound stock. That is just fine as it means that the trigger (stiff since it is brand new, but after a few shots it is already starting to break in and feel nice), safety, scope, etc is all TenPoint, so top of the line there. I personaly would like to see a piece of sound absorbing material that would fill the gap where the cables normaly would ride. May or may not do anything, but I think it would be a nice addition. It is ( as you can see in the photo) not really any smaller than a Phoenix (yes, it is shorter an narrower, but not by enough to make a huge diferance). It is a bit heavier than an Excal, but with the lighter limbs and no cams and such the weight moves rearward and holding steady is very easy and comfortable with this bow (more so than the compound version) The bow comes strung, so it is a 2 minute job to slap the bow together. The string does lift off of the rail at rest, but it has no effect on accuracy. Out of the box, the bow shoots very well, but has some residual vibration and noise that I attribute to the thin limbs (this is very similar to the Middleton I tested). The ends of the limbs are "whippy" and you can see the limbs vibrate slightly after the shot. I figured at the ATA show that some limbsavers would make a big diferance (yes, TenPoint is coming out with their own soon.) so I did a before and after test. Here are the results:

426gr aluminum bolt
279fps 96.7db

417gr carbon bolt
283fps 90.6 db

As I have found, even though they are heavier, the aluminum bolts are louder. My theory is that there is an echo effect from the hollow metal tube flexing with the shot. Once it was sighted in I was hitting a 3" circle every shot off hand with no rest and the bolts were all touching eachother. Very much a nail driver and shoots very well, but now onto the limbsavers....

426gr Aluminum bolt
277fps 92.8db

417gr carbon bolt
281fps 89.7db

That worked Just as I thought and the vibration after the shot is almost gone. Not too shabby for a quick off the shelf test. TenPoints claim of 300fps is not wrong as I was almost there with that carbon. If I went lighter I would easily hit 300fps.

Well, all in all I really like it. Now I have to box this up and get it on its way to my customer so he can do his own review. FYI....This one I basicly cried to get from TenPoint. The first pile are going to Canada for bear season, so if anyone wants one, let me know now and I will be happy to reserve one for you, or contact your local dealer,but dont expect to see it till about the end of February....

Wyvern
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Hotburn76

It's good that you help out here Dave. I often felt like Randy was out numbered and never said much, and not many Ten Point guys in here. I like that we have a strong Excal group in here, but diversity is always a good thing, most of the time.

I still chuckle though when I see the new Ten Point recurve and Horton's recurve. You used to read on both sites how compounds where so much better then recurves and all the advantages of them. Now they have both started making them and have pulled that part of the idea out of there facts page and now list it as pros and cons. LOL!! One thing I would like to here from Ten Point and Horton both is where they wrong about the recurve before, or do they still feel they are right but willing to sell something of less simply because they know it sells? I don't look at this as bad for Horton or Ten Point, just laugh at seeing them start making them!

Also, are you related to any of the Wilkins in NW Ohio?

Wyvern Crossbow

Well...opinions I am full of, but I tend to be known for giving an honest opinion.I try to add facts where I can. No, not any relation, you have to go to Scottland to find relatives at this point. I think it is more of customer demandfor bows that you dont need a $750 press to work on be available. I seriously doubt it will really impact Excal sales ( I sell them as well by the way ) They have a pretty solid niche in the market. I am seeing interest from people who like the feel of a TenPoint, but want the weight reduction. Overwhelmingly it is the "I can change a string myself in the field" thing that generaly sells recurves. There are already bows on the market that your average dealer cannot work on and they have to be shipped back to the manufacturer for something as simple as replacing a broken string. The other factor is that I think there is a general resurgence in going "low tech" hunting (hence the increased popularity of traditional). A recurve will not kill a deer less than a compound, but it still "feels more primitive". Could be wrong...thoughts anyone???
Wyvern

BuddyBo

Well after reading your post, I wasn't too excited but after seeing the picture you posted, WOW. An over and under crossbow. A double barreler. A repeater even. Boy those Ten Point people really know the way to my heart. I have a single shot Ten Point right now,but after seeing their new double barreled, super doper frog strangler, I gonna start saving up right away! Thanks Ten Point and who cares if it is loud. Flinging two bolts at em at 300 fps will keep em dancing all over the woods. LOL
BBO

Dnk

Buddy, you forgot your meds this morning! LOL!
Wyvern, thank you very much for including us in your opinions. We value your efforts and experience that results in honest reviews.
Is the string not in contact with the rail? Are the claws that hold the string under the string? How is the fit and finish? I agree with the comment about the slot not being filled. It would look much more "finished" if it were not gaping.

Wyvern Crossbow

The string at rest does not touch the rail. It does not move, but there is a gap. It is a top release pawl, so once it lets loose it settles into place. I shot it with both flat and moon nocks and noticed no diferance in accuracy so that tells me that the serving is square on the flat nock so rollover is not an issue. Fit and finish is very good. There are a few seams on the stock that I noticed, but they are actually carved into the stock so it is not slick.

I have a review I did on Archery Talk on the bows I saw at the ATA show. If you all would like I will copy it and post it here....let me know.

Keep in mind that these are still my opinions your milage may vary....
Wyvern

sproulman

most of new crossbow hunters dont know difference between recurve/compound when buying that first one..
they just hear this one is good or that one.

then you have shops pushing a certain mnfg,like horton for example.

that may change as places like bass pro shop/cabaleas are letting hunters try different bows and offering opinions..

the last thing most new hunters are looking at is mainteance of bows..most is what does it cost..

most dont have problems for years after they buy because they dont shoot bow much more than 15 or 20 shots...
they bought it for hunting and most dont do a lot of shooting.take it out each year,3 shots or so,out hunting they go..

like me, i have horton,its nice compact bow BUT i hate wheels,cables and cant change string.

BUT i shoot a lot more than most hunters i know..
2 things willcause hunters on first bow to go to recurve,COST/SPEED..

that are things that most i see look at,if new recurve say from horton is FAST/CHEAPER,they will buy it,if not, they will stay with compound..

average hunter,PRICE is what they look at even tho the repairs could be more expensive down road,they dont shoot enough to cause much to happen...

speedball

Wyvern,Is that the place you would put limbsavers on a excal, say a 200 exocet-i was thinking of doing it but was reserved to where and which ones the hour glass design or the new 4 block design, just curious???

Wyvern Crossbow

basicly you want them fairly far out onto the ends of the limbs, but in far enought that they do not get hit by the string. On this particular design the tips are where the majority of vibration comes from, so that is where I wanted to add some dampening. An Excal flexes along its entire length and in effect you are more adding mass than dampening the tip so IMO a bit further down the limb would probably produce better results. The limbsavers I used were recurve ones for a trad bow. The Excal is a wider limb so you could use larger ones and possibly make more of a diferance. Be aware though that adding mass to the limbs does reduce vibration, but makes it slower, so you will loose some arrow speed. How much will vary not only on where you place the saver, but what size it is. A few feet per second is more than acceptable in exchange for more stability IMO. Which style is more of a personal preferance....if they are the same mass, shape will only play a very small part in how it works.
Wyvern

Hotburn76

What is your experience Dave of putting them on and them holding up? Do the ones you use last long or come off from all the abuse after time?