I use to be a bow hunter befor my back injury but it is just way to uncomfortable and painful pulling a bow holding it i look for a cross bow i know a 150lb bow can shot fast 340-360 i have seen on of the questions with that much power how flat shooting is an averaged 350-400$ 150lb bow or should i look for a heaver bow I know they not like my use were 30yr is considered a decent distance 40 far even though I could acutely put them on in there touching at 50-60yrds not as if i would shoot at a deer that far i would not want to lame it i have never dont it and dont ever want to but cross boas with scopes what is a good sooting distance someone tole me 80-90 yrs was about normal that seems kind of far despite it being so fast and heavy i think 50-70 is want i was thinking was and accurate shooting and i heard they were loud can you buy a slinger kid t put on the lims and string like you can a compound one you decifer this i would really apical it i am going to save a little each month till just after summer and see how much i have be for hitting the wife up for the rest wich will go over really well seeing how i usr bout a gun and scope and didn't tell her lol i can get away with thy most rifles look the same but a cross bow i cant hide or i would try I just want that rush aging shooting something i dont get that with a rifle i dont even get my heart up shen i shot deer i have just shot so many it is no big issue even big buck i have plant of 8-10 points a bunch on non typical one was a 16point and its brow tine came out just above its right eye so it was blind in one eye and no tail sory for an other crappy post but really apicat the help and if you could recommend a good mid level bow to start with i dont want to spend 600$ on it 400-500 is were i want to be thanks you guys have been very understanding with my conditions and very help full

Did your back injury make you incapable of punctuation, capital letters and some sort of sentence structure?

You need to look at the crossbow like a vertical bow. Shooting distances will be basically the same (40 yard max for me). It isn't that the bow isn't accurate enough or flat shooting enough. You have to realize that even at 50 yards, a deer can move quite a distance in the time it takes an arrow to get there. One good step can cause a well aimed shot to end up hitting the guts. On an alert deer, the speed he can move can easily cause a miss, or marginal hit. It just isn't worth the risk IMO.

Research the different models, and if possible go to a good shop/store and handle them. Shoot them if possible to help you decide if you might need a crank to help [censored] one. Just realize that they aren't shooting at the speed of sound, so you need to keep shots within a distance that helps minimize the chance of the deer hearing the shot and jumping the string. They are fun, and good weapons, but they aren't long range weapons.

RJD gives some good advice. While I will shoot hogs at 70 yards with my crossbow and have, deer are a max of 40 yards for me with a cross bow and only if they are calm.

Buy used. With the funds you are willing to spend, used would be your best bet. You could get a high end bow and not lose resale value.
Also, that might be the longest run on sentence I have ever seen. Not one period or comma.

[quote=passthru]Did your back injury make you incapable of punctuation, capital letters and some sort of sentence structure? [/quo
No an IED Did i suffered some brain injury after being hit in the head

Don't pay the diction police any worry, they stumble on a semi-colon or colon every once and awhile. Seriously, take a look at the Barnetts. In your $400-$500 price range, you can get into their mid-level bows, Quad 400, Ghost 350-400. Any of those bows will get the job done, they'd be a lot like a Savage rifle. Not the prettiest thing to look at and certainly not the most expensive but flinging bolts accurately at 350 fps. will get it done for you. And no x-bows are not quiet, that's why speed kills in IMO. Happy shooting and hunting!

Passthru you dropped it in the dirt right there, it is my duty to step on it.

Do a little background before you start the dogpile.

You owe an apology.

Nuff said?

ok i suffered a sever head injury while deployed to Iraq I lost part of my memory and have holes in some that i can remeer I lost the ability to read and write and have gotten this far buy using a program the VA offers it figures out what i am typing and then does its best to fix it. I was blow out the turret of my truck i was gunned and landed about 30yrs from it. so how i was the only one who lived through in that tour I was struck a total of seven times here is my truck and i hope can lay this to rest about my porrr spelling and pointing it out is point less yes i know it sucks but there is nothing i can do about ti that \


so the really dont shot and further then a regular bow ok just thought they would with that weight what about making further shots in my head yes i know bout deer jumping arrows i just thought that it with 150lnbs it was fast enough to make this not happened i dont mined having to get 20-40 yrs it was more of curiosity then any thing what can you do about the nose I was told that most are quite loud can run you put slingers on them like you can with a bow and limsavers i thought about used i posted this pick once and i have doing ti ti bring make to many bad mamorys so every one an understand why i cant spell I do my best and i dont need people to point it out. I have been doing therapy for it since 2005 and it has only gotten worse my short term memory is horrible i just wanted info on crossbows you know you get these Ideas about stuff you dont know anything about like how comfortable is the distance you shot at Yes i seen the hand cranks can you get them on just about the basics i hear crossbows and think that they should make 89yrd kills but you guys are saying there is not much difference in the way you hunt with them and regular bow wich i like that i apricate the help and this is why i have issue with spelling reading and writing so much I am going to get one in late spring to have some time to practice

here i hope my spelling and grammar will be looked and a little differently and when you read my post you dont think i am some dumb [censored] and in stead see that i am acetyl pretty smart and have 1 bachelors a deregee and a few credits of my second one if you spoke to me you would know there was anything wrong with me other then i talk loud because blow my ear drums in an other ied attach remember i was standing in the middle of this running a 240 brave when i crawled back to the truk i got in side and pulled my self up to were the 24o was but it was not there it hand been blown out of the mount and was laying inn the Tigers river so please pass the work that i do my best with what i can do if i cold write read and spell better I would be happier i have 2 purple hearts here is on i had a pic on my computer the other one is in a box some ere in the house maybe the so if you could when you see people say stuff like leant to type use capital letters and stuff like that could ever one slimly let them know i am doing the best i can adit

Bud, no need to explain your situation, I and most of us on here accept you without reservations. Don't look back - always go forward. Thanks much for your Service!

Chem, let your THF squad members cover your back. Don't waste your words on the idiots.

I just bought my 1st x-bow. It is a 2016 PSE Fang & the price was $350 shipped. It is 350fps fast, but LOUD! Sounds like the crack of a .22LR. I've been experimenting shooting off rifle rest sand bags & accuracy is fantastic, that is until I tried broadheads! As an old bowhunter I could tune/silence most any bow, but so far I don't believe there is much I could do to reduce the noise significantly. I'm thinking that shooting from inside a closed-in blind may be the answer. I got out my old 2219 aluminum arrows then shortened, nocked & re-fletched for the X-bow. With a fixed 2-blade broadhead, accuracy at 20yds is "minute-of-deer" acceptable (LOL) but I'm getting 12" groups at 50yds!

I'm bit confused with a new learning curve in front of me, but I guess that is part of the fun.

Thanks for your service chemdawg; stay strong & enjoy your hunting!

chemdawg I bought my first crossbow back about 4 yrs ago now. I did some research and settled on an Excalibur. Most will be above your budget though but they have their advantages. The are a traditional recurve limb not compound xbow. You can take the string of and put back on yourself. I got the manual cocking/decocking aids for mine also. The have both the manual and mechanical ones available. The newer models today are lighter and more compact than the model I have. The recurve style xbows have a much heavier draw weight. That will be a disadvantage to many if you do not use the mechanical cocking aids
With mine I know it is a bit louder than some xbows so I limit my shots on deer to 30 yards depending on the posture or temperament of the deer. I use the same limits with my regular compound bow. I have shot mine out to 40 yards and I still get 3-4" groups with broadheads. Most xbows are very accurate.
Watch the classifieds on here sometimes you can find a great deal on a used or barely used crossbow package. You can get some pretty good package deals on-line from time to time. Also watch the Sportsmans Guide for sales. Might check Cabelas Bargain Cave also.

Good luck with your hunting sir. Ignore our grammar police and thanks for your service.

I do owe him an apology. Sometimes being a smarta$$ leaves me being a dumba$$ instead. My sinscerest apologies sir. And I will offer you use of my xbow if you would like as well.

thank you for your service sir, good luck

its ok but befor you jump on someone you might want to think is there a resone for this this is not normal.


Thanks for the feed back i guess i just assumed that because to the draw weight they would me flatter shooting i know eirh my boat i was able to shoot up to 60 early good not great so i hunted 30 40 was my max pin for hunting i had hear the were loud i just figure that they mad silencers for bows why not cross bows. i have no prpoleb with hunting 20 -30 yrs and i am well were how fast a dear can move and even jump an arrow if is slow like the one my father had wich i now have i didn't sell it peace it was his it is a bear and when i got my bow we would shoot mine was bout 2times as fast and have see deer jump is shots befor that is when he would sot them in the head with a 22mag he was not above cheating we did turkey season the same was is it wold over lap with shot gun season with 22mag on our land see turkey had shot or right through the brest plate see a dead right be hind the ear yes we were allowed to shoothem with anything on our land he and 23 gages for nucense per year do to the side of the land we had we let the amish farm corn on a few access and sign him over a tag or two pluse our regular tags for bow shot gun and 2 week muzzleoader i goes i alway thought of gross bow more like a gun and less like a bow i mean a 200b bow i would figure even with drag should shot flat at 70yrs i never thought that they were like bows now i really wont one I dont get excited shoot dear with a rifle anymore I think why i do it more then bow if for my son who gets excited to go wich make me excited to go till i get to my stand texas hunting is the broingest thing i have done sitting a blind for hours just killed me washington St Ny you glass clear [censored] or you beet the brush were the ferns are as tall as you are and ny your the snow make it great you kick a bile up to make a seat with some walls and sit under and oak tree or cheery tree and watch for a few hours about 8am you get up and walk you can see down through the trees a way when the leaves are all gone and in the snow you dont make any noise and you can get pretty close for you are spotted even my shot gun with slug will go out to 100yrs and am comfortable i normal waited till about 75-50 to shoot and with the new sabot slugs out that gannet 100yrs shooting i am sure the the scoped barrels and rifling i can go a bit further but not comfortably i may hurt my self now days shoot but i would go for them like my dad did for me i now he hurt from back surgery but i never know how much till i had the same issues but you cant replace memories so if you guys have kids make as many as you can because i can tell you that is the worst thing that happen no losing all my soldiers or friends not being shot or taking sapnel not getting burin on the back either wich was very pain full for a long time it was being hit in the head and loosing the memories of my dad who died of agent orange related cancer. I wish i had those back there is no price value on memory good or bad when there gone there gone so guys if you have kids and family you care about make as money as you can no matter how offul may feel or how tired you or when you come home for work trust me i know the feeling my day use to start at 430 am so i cold be there for 6am pt and my day ended around 530-6pm when i was human remorse it was not uncommon to get off at 7-8 do to the back log in work

I have killed deer many over the years it just like an other day with some hard work to get it out of the woods well in texs you really dont have that problem with how small they are but you still have to get it out this year i got a 87 pound doe and i felt bad because it was so small but the warden said it was about 2yrs old then i shot an 8point and it went 123 again i felt horrible lat but i shot that was even close to that was 138 and it was spike i know its the weather yes texas has some of the highest racks i have seen thanks gain for all the under standing and i am not up set at anyone for being the unoficaly spell checkers for the site we need standers or it would be a fee for all lol

The xbow I have is a Horton and they went out of business. It is very flat shooting. For example there is elevation dots down the vertical cross hair. I use the crosshair out to 35ish and the first dot down is good to 50. I've never shot it beyond that. However I can tell you that from inside a pop up blind, with a little wind, the sound is quite muffled at 35+ yards. The bolts are very fast but because of their short length they lose kinetic energy quicker due to less weight. However, a well placed shot at 50 yards would be effective on a deer and I would dare say most pigs.

As for style of hunting I understand that it's different here. But large tracts of land, like public forests, don't exist here for the most part. Land that is leased has restrictions because if we walk around we mess up the hunting for the other hunters on the lease. Now if you had the money to lease a sizable chunk of land for yourself you could glass and stalk all you like. I will say this, I've hunted up north before and did the beat the brush, glass and hope thing. It's rewarding when you get one but rarely did we get any good ones and it was tough hunting. Personally I like it where I see deer regularly, have good ones around and a chance that I might kill a big one.

I've also had a few deer-less leases and they pretty much stink as well. If I'm putting down hard earned cash it's going to be to see game. Not bird watch and be bored senseless.

Be careful where you buy from. I was looking at a major retailer and they had older stock and newer stuff was available with better specs

Thank you for your service Chemdawg.

thank you brushbuck if i bout now it will be from the bow sop in lampasses or right now we hunt on ft hood it just sucks getting out and moving push the deer so it can go both ways it just like every thing els i just need to get use to it. i we have some un guided ares i am going into by my house if anyone live in cove and know hogs i talk to the warden tonight he sold me an area were ever time he goes down there I have made up my mind i am not buying use unless it comes from someone i now i just int want it to snap in my face do to dry firing it thanks for the help it help me understand that they're was a lot of drag on the arrows even at 200lbs the bow shop said the can get me in to a comfortable bow i am just worried about the price i mean i am putting 200 in to my new gun if i had the cash i wold have the be a good price but i have all summer it wont take long to get back in to the groove of things thanks for the help really i had no idea they were more like a bow and less like a gun that i have thought my whole life

Chemdawg, check out the Kodabows. There on the upper end price range but they make an excellent crossbow. The CEO is a retired Navy veteran and he designed it on a AR15 platform, The trigger is second to none and you being a retired soldier you will be at home with the design. I too am retired Army, retired out of Ft Hood in 05. Take care buddy and ignore the POGs.

Many models are designed where they cannot be dry fired. There is a safety involved where the bolt has to be inserted be##ore it releases the trigger block. So dry firing is much less of an issue on modern models. Just have a bow shop check it out if you decide to buy used.

And Reich, I meant no insult to him. Some guys do some strange things for posts. One guy here types his posts trying to make them read like that Cajun hunting show host sounds. I've seen others who use no capital letters.

I appreciate the service and sacrifice our military personnel and their families make. But when you skin for help and info on a public forum your going to get it from others, not just grunts.

Good luck in the field chemdawg. It sounds like you have the right spirit and strength to push forward and succeed. God bless y'all this Christmas season.

Yep,found that out the hard way. My C-5 Wildcat doesn't have the dry-fire safety feature. Forgot to load a bolt in it,fired it and wondered why it made a funny sound/vibration.Also didn't see the bolt hit the target and quickly realized what I had done. It still shoots fine so I guess it forgave me for being a dumba$$.LOL

Chemdawg,
From one Iraq veteran to another, first and foremost let me thank you for your service. I worked in the trauma hospital in Balad back in 2007, and saw many troops come in to the ER with severe head injuries, some of whom didn't make it. I am so glad that you were able to make it back and are able to go hunting. Many folks nowdays have no idea what we went through downrange, and we both know it was not a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination.
In regards to your questions about crossbows, I have owned crossbows for about 4 years now, and I absolutely love them (I used to hunt with a compound bow before my back started giving me trouble). My first crossbow was a Parker Tornado, which I loved. Due to my back problems, I have to use a hand crank for setting my crossbow. For the Parker, they sell a Sidewinder hand crank for their crossbows. I have killed quite a few deer, turkeys and hogs with the Parker crossbow, but all at 40 yards or less. None of my prey went more than 60 yards before expiring. My second crossbow I purchased earlier this year was a Mathews MXB 360; the good thing about it is that you can buy an attachable hand crank (Mathews calls it an RSD) that latches directly onto the stock, so you can keep it with you at all times...no fumbling around in a backpack looking for the parts, everything is attached to the stock, and it's very quiet when cranking it into position.
I know both the Parker and the Mathews are more than likely out of the price range you mentioned, but if you can find a gently used one in either model, I would highly recommended getting one of them. Otherwise, I have heard good things about Excalibur. In the end, you really need to go to a bow shop like I did and shoot several different models you are interested in, as the one that you feel most comfortable shooting (that is also hand crank adaptable) is the one you should go with acquiring. Make sure you have a good scope/sight put on it (whether a Red Dot or Hawke or whatever), and make sure you have it sighted in properly with lots of practice, adjusting as needed. Once you have the crossbow set up properly, you should be able to group a tight pattern reliably at 40 yards, which is what I would recommend as the outer limit for range...any farther than that, you are taking your chances with possibly wounding an animal, which in unethical in my opinion. With a crossbow set on a good draw weight (ex: 165 lbs.), properly sighted in, and prey is within 40 yards, no deer/hog/turkey will stand a chance...they are going down if you aim it accordingly just like you do a gun or a compound bow. I wish you the best of luck in your crossbow search...once you start, you will be hooked!