I have been a bowhunter since I was in high school and continue to shoot my compound bow when hunting, but I want to start using a crossbow for culling and need some advice and direction on a quality crossbow.

I have an Excalibur and really like it. It is very accurate out to 40 yards on paper. The newer models are narrower and easier to handle in blinds or tree stands. Reviews say they are a bit quieter also.

Thank you, Stx.

Excalibur makes quite possibly the toughest crossbows. Don't try the micro with airbrake package unless you are ready to buy one. That is their small one, much smaller than their other models. The drawback (no pun intended) is the draw weight, being a Recurve they requite higher poundage to obtain the speeds. They are some of the lighter weight physically of the crossbows. Made in Canada, now owned by Bowtech

Tenpoint are excellent well made crossbows, a little heavy but well made and most models are narrow and handy. Checkout the Stealth FX-4 for a very nice one that performs very well. Horton crossbows are made by Tenpoint these days and are very good quality with the Horton Storm reverse limb being compact and balance point between the hands like a rifle. Made in Ohio

Parker good solid crossbows from a good company with very good customer service and like the ones above have a lifetime warranty. Made in Virginia. Personal favorite of their line is the Tornado F4

Darton, not as popular as the others but make the quietest crossbows I have ever shot. Made in Michigan 5 year warranty if I recall correctly

Stryker, Bowtech's original crossbow line and have had issues with the 350 and 380 models but their Solution is a good bow with those issues apparently resolved.

Carbon express, nice bows but the scope mount on most models the scope mounting rail is unsupported where the scope is attached and doesn't take much to bend it down resulting an a crossbow you cannot zero.

Barnett, 5 year warranty many models made in China and they have had lots of string issues of late. Most are at a pretty good price point but quality has suffered in the last couple years. Their highest end bow comes with an extra set of strings and cables for a reason, you will most likely need them sooner than you would want, it also has lots of little bells and whistles that are easily broken, it is fast but there are a lot better bows IMO for 1400 bucks.

PSE has a few and seem pretty good for the $

That is just a quick rundown of observations over the last few years.

I appreciate you taking the time to list out my options kmon1, the list is very detailed with great detail of each.

Thank you

I'm an old bowhunter trying to get some of the old excitement back. I bought a PSE Fang. At $350 for a package it is definitely an entry level bow. But it is quite accurate to 40yds & is easy to hit with. The scope is junk but usable. I was quick to learn that the crossbow is not really like a bow or a rifle although it shares attributes of each. Approach it that way & your learning curve will be quicker. Shooting offhand is extremely difficult & the amount of practice rivals shooting a rifle or handgun well offhand. I suggest hunting from a stand with a solid rest. Also think of the crossbow as a single shot proposition. A regular bow can get off a quick second shot & even a single-shot rifle can beat the x-bow for 2nd shot. As an old archer that use to meticulously tune my bows, I was quick to learn that x-bows are pretty much un-tunable(?) Change broadheads until it shoot one straight & then hunt with it! Put in the same amount of practice you would with your compound.

Also, I forgot to mention, crossbows are pretty cool & add yet another dimension to deer hunting along with rifle & bow!

FWIW...

Compound crossbows just like vertical bows can get out of time affecting bolt flight. A decent bow tech can time a crossbow just like a compound and get it shooting right. A press rated for a crossbow is required, there is a lot of pressure on those limbs to compress them enough to work on the cables.

A lot depends on how much you want to spend, as they can range from ones priced like the Fang above (which should be a decent bow) to over $2 grand. Along with the bows listed above, which is a nice list, you might also look at the Mission bows, which are narrow and quiet. They can also be worked on without a press, which is something most of the other compound bows cannot claim.

If you are willing to buy without actually holding one, check out CamX and Kodabow. Both are made by hunters, for hunters and have very good reputations. I shoot a Kodabow, and can tell you that it is built like a tank made by Rolex engineers - tough but quality throughout. Their scout model is basically the size of the Excalibur Matrix and comes with several things that cost extra on many of the Excalibur bows.

Have fun with your hunt for the right bow. There isn't a quick answer as we are all different and want/need different things. Keeps things interesting.

Like kmon1 said, the Excalibur is a recurve limb. I have a manual cocking aid that I use on mine. I like the fact that I can change or take the string off to relax the limbs whenever I want with another stringing aid. No issues with dry firing either. BowsnRods, come down someday and you can shoot mine.

Thank you everyone for the great detailed information, Stx I will take you up on the invite and buy you a big O'L Steak if you let me see your Trophy Room and shoot your crossbow. My son say's Im cheating if I use a crossbow,and I think I might have agreeded with him 10yrs ago!

Which crossbow did you go with and can you provide a short review? I'm also thinking of trying a cross bow this fall.

I haven't gotten one yet, I have shot several and my choice is going to be the reverse limb ten point. I need a crossbow that is very compact because I like to hunt from a tree stand with limited space. I need a crossbow that has a speed of 380+ and is able to be de-cocked and can be cocked with little effort. The 5 lb cranking arm is awesome.

I was looking at the barrnett white tail cross bow. Entry level but seems to be good