Switching To A Crossbow
 

I'll be switching to a crossbow from muzzleloaders for a few medical reasons that won't let me take the recoil anymore. I won't bore you what the reasons are. My hunt from now on will just be for elk. I'm dropping deer and bear hunts.

I have two crossbows in mind and are quite different in price. The Wicked Ridge Invader G3 and the Tenpoint Turbo GT. Is the Tenpoint better enough to justify the extra money? They both get good reviews. I'll have to get the Accudraw die to an old lousy back, so how they c-ock is a non-issue.

Whatcha think?

The best thing to do is go to a sporting store and test fire the ones you are looking for. Also give Dave a call at Wyvern Creations and pick his brain for the details of each one. He was invaluable when I was making the choice several years ago. And they had good prices but he did not push to buy from him. Talk to everyone you can that uses a crossbow and read read read alot in order to get enough information t make your buy. Good Luck. I settled with the Parker Enforcer and have never regretted it.

Yes, that's what i'm doing and this thread is part of that. :)

I think like all brand names, the top one's pull a price they do based on there name and NOT always any better
your not shooting for money here, your hunting
NO one really makes a BAD product due to legal liability reasons!
I personally went to a x bow for medical reasons too, and if I was to buy again, I would be looking at the reverse draw /limb models, they are way more balanced IMO than any traditional designed one
not to talk you out of any model you have in mind, but I would highly recommend shooting both types before deciding!
also pay attention to noise of bows, some are for sure louder than others, and also HOW they are cocked! having built in hand cracks tend to IMO be more repeat accurate as they tend to load the same(think better form here for a bow hunter) BUT many also make a LOT of noise while being cranked!
some reverse limb models are about ONLY able to be loaded with one or a sled they provide, and if NOT attached to the bow, I have known more than one guy that lost or forgot there's (left at truck) LOL )
so being able to have a spare in a pack(like an extra release for bow hunters) is a plus, but they be VERY pricey too!

Muley, check out the Carbon Express 390. It comes complete with everything you need and is fast. I bought one a few months back and I really like it.

I'll check it out.

Thanks to everybody for your input.

I've shot ten points, and they are definitely a quality crossbow.

No experience with the other.

My suggestion to you would be this.... instead of focusing on brand, go to a big store with lots of options and focus on what will carry the best for you.

Crossbows are mostly designed for the tree stand hunter in my opinion. They're bulky, heavy, hard to carry in tight brush. They're tough to still hunt with. My first deer with a bow from the ground was with a crossbow. I was still hunting up a field edge just inside the woods when some doe and an 8 point started heading my way. I was able to crouch down and wait for a good shot on the buck. But given the option when it comes to ground hunting with archery gear, the crossbow is the last of my choices.

They make some reverse limb crossbows now that are much narrower than a standard bow. But I have no experience with them. Might be worth looking in to.

I think if I were you I would narrow down my search by picking the lightest, narrowest bow that is still capable of penetrating elk at the distance you expect to be shooting. Hunting elk is much different than the style of hunting that most crossbows are typically used for. So weight and how it feels to carry would be important to me. There are some impressive crossbows on the market today if you're willing to spend the money. But there's good deals to be had for reasonable prices too. Good luck on your search.

-Jake

I should explain i'm not new to crossbows. I had a Barnett and did do one elk hunt with it. I came very close to getting an elk but was unsure of the shot. I had only practiced to 40yds and all my shots at elk were at 60 yds. I was sure of holdover, so never took the shot. I agree it was heavy and bulky, but no heavier than a sidelock muzzleloader. I went back to a muzzleloader after that hunt, but now i'm forced into using a weapon with no recoil. I wasn't before. So, i'll put more effort into it now because I have no other option. My back won't let me pull a regular bow or i'd be using a longbow.

I thought the Tenpoint Turbo GT would be a good choice. I believe it's only 13" wide when c-ocked if I remember right. Weight is around 6.5lbs. Accessaries probably add a couple of pounds to that. They have an Accudraw Pro that is dead silent to crank. The scope, arrows etc are a high enough quality that they don't need to be changed to hunt. I sure couldn't say that about the Barnett I had. I had to change everything to a better quality.

Wicked ridge is owned by Tenpoint and it's the only reason i'm considering it, but the more I think about it I feel i'd be happier with the Tenpoint Turbo GT. It's a $1000 with Accurdraw but may be worth spending that much.

The reverse limb bows are too much money for me. I'm also living in a small town in the Colorado Rockies. No big stores near me. After owning the Barnett I have a sense for how they feel. The Tenpoint will feel much better because it has a more adjustable stock.

Review

http://www.bestcrossbowsource.com/te...ound-crossbow/

NOT pushing the reverse limb X bows, just stating they can be had for the same price of what your looking at, so budget is the same, and the horton brand is owned by ten point as well
but horton has been in the X bow game a LONG time, I have no issue's with the one's I have .
and again NOT pushing horton either, just saying the price for a reverse limb bow is not anymore than many other standard design X bows, but without all the nose heaviness!

https://www.cabelas.com/product/HORT...oFig&gclsrc=ds

Thanks for the link. It's a bow to consider. I thought they were all more money. I like the idea of better balance because I love shooting offhand.

Again, I have no experience with the reverse limb bows. My crossbow is a horton that's approaching 20 years old now. So it's heavy, wide, and probably slow by todays standards. Still kills deer just fine. But I honestly would not want to carry it on an elk hunt.

When I do finally upgrade(Which won't be for another few years when my kids are ready to start hunting deer with me, I rarely use the crossbow currently but will start my kids out on one when they are ready.) I will be seriously looking into the reverse limb bows.

-Jake

Have you thought about the Excalibur bows or are you set on the compounds? I bought a Matrix 380 s few years back and it is great. I still prefer a regular bow but when I get the xbow out it always serves its purpose. It is also very easy to draw.

I like their lightness and simplicity, but not their width compared to the better compounds. I also don't like their crank system. I think that's one of the best pluses is the crank on the Tenpoint bows.

I am having a fit with broadheads shooting off right now. G5 Monetec and Trocar 3 blades shooting 2" right and 1" low at only ten yards! This is on my Killer Instinct 350. My daughter uses a TenPoint and hers hardly changes.

I have Trocar HBX Hybrid mechincals on shipment and waiting to test them later this week. I saw other people using them like field points and hope they do. Once I get somethign working I am going to try and tune for using the G5's again. It's been highly frustrating.

TenPoint Stealth FX4 crossbow is my suggestion, now its up to you, the turbo is 175 and this is 185.

In 2017 I went to the Horton (Tenpoint) reverse limb design with the crank cocking. I would buy it again and recommend it to anyone. Came with a decent rangefinder scope, 4 arrows with a quiver.
I did buy Tenpoint uncocking arrow and when received it's a 1 time use arrow. For $10 it's a ripoff. No where in the discription does it say 1 time use.

What did you discharge it into Grump?I have the Red Hot discharge bolt for my Parker and so far it,s be indestructible.

Pete sorry about your reasons for giving up the muzzys. Last I heard you were going to be one built, a Hawken style I think you said. But anyway, don't be too hasty on spending a ton of cash on a crossbow. I got me a Center Point Sniper 370 this year after selling my Excalibur Ibex. It cost me around $235. I like it and the reviews on it are good. I took a 6 point with it this past Tuesday at 35 yards. He was quartering away and my crossbow Rage put and entry wound about 5" long before center punching his heart and busting the opposite shoulder.
What was really cool though was watching the lighted Nocturnal through the scope as it hit him. I usually wait a while before trailing an archery kill but I knew he wouldn't go far after going around a dirt mound (I hunt an old strip mining area). I was right, he only went 40 yards and left a blood trail Stevie Wonder could have followed!

Congrats on the buck Clem

-Jake

Thanks Jake. I use the crossbow occasionally. But this year, with me being in Texas and Florida all summer I wasn't able to shoot my Mathews Chill enough. I just don't have the time to practice every day like I used to..Even being retired there always seems to be something more pressing that needs to be done.

Look into different bolts. The stiffness and weight distribution can make all the difference with broadheads and crossbows.