What do you folks know about crossbows?

Dad had shoulder surgery this summer and it looks like he's not going to be able to pick up bowhunting again. He asked me to look into crossbows since he could legally hunt with one here in OK.

So,..any opinions? I'm looking for the most bang for the buck. I've seen some of them nearing the $2000 range, those are definitely out.! Something comparable to a good bow set-up that has some features without going crazy.

Anybody have any experience.?

for $600 you can get a Barnett Predator complete kit. unbelievable speed and definitely the most bang for the buck. had mine for 6 weeks and so far 3 pigs are the worse off for it. no problems at all after over 100 shots. of course you can spend $1200-1400 for comparable performance from Ten Point, Excalibur, etc. but i am not sure why.

Don't overlook the PSE crossbows. Here is a link to some good bang for your buck. http://www.pse-archery.com/prod.php?k=55444&u=1119 . Four hundred bucks and the string is above the rail so it's not going to wear out due to friction.
Take good care,
Dave

One very important thing to remember when purchasing a cross bow for an elderly or disabled person is that they will not be able to cock/load it without the aid of a cocking device. You will certainly need to buy a cracking cocking device for your father to go will the cross bow. I like the Horton, Barnett, and Ten Point cross bows. I bought a used Barnett Revolution recently for my 83 year old hunting buddy for $250. Just be sure to add a crank cocking device to that cross bow order. They cost about $125.

I am a Horton fan I had one back in the early 90's.. One of my best friends is a Horton pro staffer he has taken Cape Buffalo and Leopard , Lion all with a Horton. I just bought my Fiance a Horton for Christmas ( don't Tell) she is going to use it next year in Africa.

check out excaliber i have a recurve style its a bit wider than the compounds but it requires little tuning and can be restrung in the field
and accuracy is excellent ive taken moose and elk with mine no problems

I have used Horton for about t years, now I use a Parker Cyclone Extreme Crossbow with Multi-Reticle Scope.