OK, I just bought a BARNETT WHITETAIL PRO STR: with the hand crank cocking device. Rated at 400 fps. If I like hunting with the crossbow then I may buy something different later but this will give me a start for our 4 month crossbow season.

It comes with two BARNETT 22" HEADHUNTER ARROWS field points and half-moon nocks.
1-ounce arrows have strong, lightweight carbon shafts; improved wall thickness for added durability
13.78 grains per inch, matched with 100-grain point
SPECS: Length 22", 13.78 grains per inch, matched with 100-grain point,

I plan to try to shoot whitetails and coyotes with it. The bigger bucks here will go about 250 Lbs on the hoof.


Can anyone recommend extra arrows and broadheads (and field points for practice). I'm going to shoot fixed broadheads to keep it as simple as possible.

I use a thermal scanner also for locating wounded/dead animals, if that makes any difference.

I bought a Barnett “Wildcat” (150# Compound) on sale at Cabelas several years ago and killed several deer with it. I picked up a Zeiss crossbow scope and it was a huge improvement over the scope that it came with.
Last year I moved to a Barnett GRZ (200# Recurve) and it feels much lighter and less clubby than the Wildcat. Accuracy seems a bit better too.

My advice is to buy a dozen of whatever arrow came with the bow and field points that match the weight of your broadheads. I use Grim Reaper mechanicals so I can’t help you with fixed.

If you shoot a $12 arrow with a $15 broadhead at an animal from a crossbow something gets broken on impact almost every time along with the real possibility of damaging arrows while practicing. I’m not shooting Mr. Wile E Coyote with my crossbow.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick R:
I bought a Barnett “Wildcat” (150# Compound) on sale at Cabelas several years ago and killed several deer with it. I picked up a Zeiss crossbow scope and it was a huge improvement over the scope that it came with.
Last year I moved to a Barnett GRZ (200# Recurve) and it feels much lighter and less clubby than the Wildcat. Accuracy seems a bit better too.

My advice is to buy a dozen of whatever arrow came with the bow and field points that match the weight of your broadheads. I use Grim Reaper mechanicals so I can’t help you with fixed.

If you shoot a $12 arrow with a $15 broadhead at an animal from a crossbow something gets broken on impact almost every time along with the real possibility of damaging arrows while practicing. I’m not shooting Mr. Wile E Coyote with my crossbow.

Thanks, I wasn't going to skimp on the arrows. I'm going to buy a dozen or more and dedicate half of them for practice and coyotes. We can only use guns of .264 caliber and smaller for about 6 months of the year so the rest of the time I'll be using the crossbow. The other half of the arrows, besides testing them, will only be used for deer hunting.

Frank, I had to switch over to a crossbow some time ago after breaking a shoulder in 5 places. I have to admit that it took a lot of the fun and challenge out of bowhunting. With a compound or recurve, the tension starts when you see the deer approaching. You have to wait for a reasonably close shot, time your draw with the movement and sightline of the deer, select the right pin, wait for the broadside shot, and then let fly, and hope it doesn't jump the string. With a crossbow, one you see the deer, you put the scope on the vitals and shoot. My compound shoots softball-sized groups out to 65 yards. To me, it's not much different than gun hunting here in the dense northeast woods. If the kill is the goal, all is great, but you lose a lot of the excitement of a true bowhunt.

Biebs,

I've never bow hunted so I won't know the difference. I grew up left handed and left eye dominant and when I started hunting 50 years ago there weren't any left handed bows or any that I could afford so I never got into archery. When I reached the point in my life that I could afford any bow that I wanted, the wear and tear on my rotator cuff has ruled out regular bow hunting equipment.

This just gives me an extra 30-60 days that I can sit in a blind every year.

Frank, it does increase your time afield, for sure. We can bowhunt from about September 5th thru the end of the following January. Have at it! :-)

Took the crossbow out and set the target at 20 meters. The first two arrows were touching each other 1" high and 2" left. Made a scope adjustment and the next arrow drilled the center of the 2" dot.

Shot one Muzzie broadhead and it hit 1" right but that may have been me. I couldn't shot anymore because I misplaced my string wax.

Frank, with a crossbow, it's good to have multiple aiming points on your target face, or else you're going to be busting up expensive bolts. My target had 5 aiming dots, and I shoot an arrow at each one separately.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Frank, with a crossbow, it's good to have multiple aiming points on your target face, or else you're going to be busting up expensive bolts. My target had 5 aiming dots, and I shoot an arrow at each one separately.

I just found this out. I damaged the fletching on one arrow with a shot from the next arrow.

I have been considering the same as Im thinking it can be used in regular bow hunts for deer and elk and add another hunt during the year..

Thought about it but can only be used during gun season in MT.

I know this an old thread, but recovering from total knee replacement so catching up.
Crossbows are light years ahead of what was produced even a few years ago. Today you can purchase a very serviceable rig for under $500 all in. You could also spend $4000 or more. Like rifles a $350 .30-06 from Cabelas will kill everything in NA but some guys want a $10,000+ rifle to do the same thing.
I prefer the narrowest width at drawn that I can get...around 6". Broad heads are a personal choice but stay with a minimum of 100grs , I prefer 125gr mechanical bolt material another personal choice I prefer carbon.

We have two cheaper Barnett's they both will shoot better then you can.

They both shoot over 300fps.

My son just brought the last one close out damaged box for 90 dollars from Wal-mart.

It is a slightly improve model of the one I have. Mine has killed a lot of deer.

They also had close out bolts at 3 dollars each. He brought them all.

Great thread and comments. I hope more info keeps coming. I will like draw a premium Wyoming elk tag where I can hunt bow and rifle. Also. Crossbows can be used during the bow hunt. Therefore, it would add significant hunting time.

I’ll likely try it.

I messed with one briefly and found the thing heavy and awkward and not much fun at all. But sometimes life herds us in a particular direction due to physical issues.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
I messed with one briefly and found the thing heavy and awkward and not much fun at all. But sometimes life herds us in a particular direction due to physical issues.

Like I mentioned earlier they have come a loooong way in recent years. Even recurve crossbows are now made compactly, reverse draws etc. Are going places never before thought possible.

One word of advise...

EXCALIBUR

quote:

Originally posted by Dangerous Dave:
One word of advise...

EXCALIBUR

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

Anyway, put me down as a crossbow advocate as well. Kinda mandatory for me at the moment because of the medical issues with getting older. I have 2 crossbows now, a Bear and a Barnett (I don't know, it just worked out that I ended with 2 of them when all was said and done....) I do like keeping the arrow speed under 400 fps as it doesn't tear up the bolts as much. I prefer the carbon bolts, aluminum ones bend easily and carbon bolts stay straight unless you hit a rock at less than 50 yards or so and the bolt disintegrates. I buy my bolts off ebay in batches of 24 or 30, they cost a little over $1.50 each when you buy in quantity and they are from the same manufacturing run so hopefully no concerns about uniformity/accuracy issues. Right now I have been using the chineesium broadheads because I have a bunch of them but they only last for one shot for the most part. The ground is pretty rocky here and most all of my shots have been pass-throughs so the broadheads get bent up on rocks most every time. I used to use Muzzy broadheads with a bow and they were pretty durable so will most likely get a pack of those when I start running low with the ones I have right now.