I’m looking at getting into archery hunting and wanted to get a crossbow. I’d like to have one with a decocker so I don’t have to fire it to decock it. I talked to an avid bow hunter I know and he recommended Ten Point. My budget is around $550. Would any of y’all have any recommendations?
Barnett makes bows with speed at lower costs, can easily pick one up that can fire 400fps in the $400-$500 range, Bass Pro and Cabela's sell them. Not sure about an auto decocker function though. You can shoot decocker dart bolts for that though, $10 for pack of five Barnett brand at Academy.
Ten Point makes top of the line crossbows. I own a newer Horton made by Ten Point. Worth a look if their entry models meet your budget. Mine doesn't decock but it has a built in retracting rope that sure is nice. I have a block in the garage at the ranch so discharging it is real easy at the end of the day.
Definitely considering getting it. I'm trying my hand at picking up a good used one first, but if that doesn't work out I'm gonna look at just getting that one.
Congratulations on the buck! Your dog is a beauty too. What breed is it?
Cabela's has it cheaper than anyone else from what I've seen, so I'm seriously considering getting it from them. The sale is good until Thanksgiving, so I have some time to make up my mind.
Kinetic energy is a little low, something to consider. I would also focus on the noise of the bow itself, don't know how many places have a range where you can shoot the crossbows but that would help as well. I have a Barnett Ghost 400 that shoots lights out out to 45 yards so far and going to shoot it a further distances as well to check it's accuracy. The only draw back is that I feel that it is pretty loud. I put limb dampeners on it and will put string leeches on it as well when I put on my new strin.
Congratulations on the buck! Your dog is a beauty too. What breed is it?
Cabela's has it cheaper than anyone else from what I've seen, so I'm seriously considering getting it from them. The sale is good until Thanksgiving, so I have some time to make up my mind.
I appreciate it, it was the biggest rush i have had as an adult hunting.
The dog is my dads Blue Heeler, he is less than a year old and this was his first experience with a dead deer. He didnt know what to think. I have two heelers of my own as well, they are great dogs.
Excalibur would be my pick. They are very well made and have the best warranty in the business. You can do also replace your own bow strings without the need of bringing it to a pro shop.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke
I have a Parker Thunder Hawk I got about 6 or 7 years ago. I love it. We do an archery hunt in Webb County every October to thin does out on an MLD place. I've taken 4 in one spot from 10 to 35 yards. I broke my shoulder some years back and can't hold a bow straight because of the metal they used to hold me back together.
Last edited by hook_n_line; 12/19/1901:52 PM.
Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
I bought one of these: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/carbon-express-x-force-blade-rth-crossbow-package 12-14-19, zeroed it in with Muzzy Merc fixed blades and took a mature doe at 35 yards on 12-19-19 in Grayson Co. I've never shot a crossbow nor hunted with a bow prior to this. Shot through mesh in a ground blind, doe never was out of sight before dropping 50 yards away, went in lung, came out heart, couldn't find my bolt. We'll see if it holds up over time but pretty happy with it so far.
I would recommend a Wicked Ridge. You can still find the Invader G3 on Amazon I believe but it is their previous model or you can get their newer model that is out now. I believe they are rebadged Tenpoint models.
Tenpoint is their top line of bows ith their nice extra bells and whistles.
Wicked ridge is still Tenpoint but "entry level bows" Still great quality and made in the USA. Until Tenpoint came out with their new trigger system it was the same trigger group in a $2000 tenpoint as any of the wicked ridge bows. Wicked Ridge bows are dang good value bows. Bought the wife a Wiced Ridge RDX 400 for Christmas
Horton, when Horton went bankrupt Tenpoint bought out the name and techmology of Horton and modified Horton designs into their own line of Tenoint bows but in respect for Mr Horton they kept a line of reverse line bows from Tenpoint with the Horton name but use thepoint stocks and trigger group with modified reverse limb design.
lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Tenpoint is their top line of bows ith their nice extra bells and whistles.
Wicked ridge is still Tenpoint but "entry level bows" Still great quality and made in the USA. Until Tenpoint came out with their new trigger system it was the same trigger group in a $2000 tenpoint as any of the wicked ridge bows. Wicked Ridge bows are dang good value bows. Bought the wife a Wiced Ridge RDX 400 for Christmas
Horton, when Horton went bankrupt Tenpoint bought out the name and techmology of Horton and modified Horton designs into their own line of Tenoint bows but in respect for Mr Horton they kept a line of reverse line bows from Tenpoint with the Horton name but use thepoint stocks and trigger group with modified reverse limb design.
Are there any books, magazines, etc. on how to tune a crossbow? Do you have to tweak them like a compound? I'm getting older and a crossbow may be the way to go. Every year it takes some time getting used to pulling a compound at 70 lbs.