# Crossbow review (can't think of a better place)



## coyote-1 (Dec 27, 2009)

Just because I don't want to sign up for another forum to simply post my review, maybe some will find this useful.

Got a Hon Shuieh 150lb crossbow for Xmas. They make the same model with a variety of buttstock configurations. Mine has the metal hollow buttstock. Anyway, there are reviews on various sites that say this is junk.

I disagree.

For a hundred bucks you can't expect it to be as feature-laden as a $700 compound xbow. But it is decently made, powerful, and very accurate. It comes with a stringer, a scope, and 7 bolts. So far I'm only using the peep sights at 25 yards, and I'm routinely hitting the 3-inch dots on the target.

It's just like smokers...  you can spend $2K on a Lang, and really not produce much better food than on a CharGriller SP. Once you've spent enough to get decent tools, the remainder is up to the user.

So I recommend spending $400 or more on a compound bow if you have the extra $$$....  if you don't but want a good functional xbow, the $100 Hon Shuieh will work fine.


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## cowgirl (Dec 27, 2009)

Thanks for the info... I've been thinking about getting a bow, just do not know what kind to start with. Your post helps me out a lot!


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## coyote-1 (Dec 27, 2009)

Glad to help!
But I need to qualify what I wrote. I got this one as a gift, with an under-$125 spending limit. And I'm very happy with it.

But were I to buy one for myself, I'd spend the extra and go for a compound bow. The Hortons look like a great deal.


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## cowgirl (Dec 27, 2009)

Thanks Coyote, I'll check them out too!


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## rio_grande (Dec 27, 2009)

Any Idea where to find one of these Coyote? I have been wanting a cross bow for our 2 week crossbow season and don't want to spend much dough.


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## pigcicles (Dec 27, 2009)

Thanks for the review. The only cross bow that I've ever owned was one I made in high school. I'd really like to have one, but rarely get to hunt any more and with the kids grown no competition in the house.

I really like the compounds, but mine is way outdated. The new high let off is unreal and feels like you could hold them all day long. But again same rules apply so I spend my money on bbq'n these and don't get to do that as much as I'd like either.

But yes if you can afford it spend more. If not you can still get some pretty good stuff if you look around. This review leads the way for a decent cross bow if you're in the market for a less expensive one.


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## waysideranch (Dec 27, 2009)

I appreciate this kind of info too. I only hunt during rifle season but thats by choice. Once Kansas passes the cross-bow deal im gonna check into that. Bassakwards state here.  Thank you.


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## meateater (Dec 27, 2009)

I dont shoot a crossbow but do shoot a compound. I paid about 340.00 for mine it shoots just as well as a 800.00-1000.00 bow.  The bottom pic  is 4 arrows at 30yds, this was about a month after I bought it. Just keep up the practice and you'll be shooting out 50-60 yds soon.


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## coyote-1 (Dec 27, 2009)

Nice grouping!

I've considered getting a compound bow. Maybe one day soon....  I have a 55-lb draw wood recurve bow that was given me by an uncle 37 years ago. Used that for the two deer I took back then. Both shots were within 20 yards. I don't practice with it anymore because it's beautiful, but so old I don't want it to break. The crossbow is just for fun; I don't expect to ever hunt with it.


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## mossymo (Dec 27, 2009)

meatereater
What brand and model of compund is that?

I have been looking a compound bows and want to get into it, but it always seems there is just one more gun to purchase. I need to just do it, or as I mentioned to coyote-1; ND doesn't allow crossbows unless a doctor prescribes it for medical reasons. Thinking about having a talk with me chiropractor so I can legally shoot both !!!


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## meateater (Dec 28, 2009)

I forgot that part. Its a Bass Pro Kronik, Its made by Diamond to BPS specs. If you go to BPS website they have a kyrptik, kryptik pro, kronik, toxic, and 2 others I cant remember the name of. Diamond is a division of Bowtech, both well respected companies. Hope this helps.


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## scpatterson (Dec 28, 2009)

Ive been hunting with a crossbow for severa years now. Its legal in Tn so I ave had a few of them and of them all the Excalibur is the best for the money and probably one of the best of them all. They offer sveral models and I currently own the Pheonix and my 12 year old has a Vixen. Both are recurve bows which means they dont have the cams or wheels on them. Both are excellent bows and I would recomend them to anyone. Search on some of teh hunting websites and ebay and you can get used ones for around 300 sometimes less and sometimes a little more
Basspro for 500.00
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...001000_450-1-0


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## meateater (Dec 28, 2009)

Someday I'll get one of these when I cant pull a compound anymore.

www.tac15.com


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## grouper sandwich (Dec 28, 2009)

That's how I feel about it, once I can no longer pull a compound, I'll get a xbow. That said, I love my Mathews Switchback, it is one sweet shooting, deer killing machine.

Coyote, thanks for the review and congrats.


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## beer-b-q (Dec 28, 2009)

My Kind of Crossbow...


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## oneshot (Dec 28, 2009)

Being in the nuisance wildlife control business I had a dual role for a crossbow, both for hunting deer and for shooting nuisance beaver where a shotgun wasn't allowed or feasable. And ya better have accurate equipment and be a really, really good shot to shoot beaver swimming in water...lol  Any way for my dual purposes I decided on a Horton, Explorer XL 150 with Red Dot scope. After doing some research I found this to be the best deal for me at an affordable price. I have never been disappointed and have had it for a number of years now.

One of the things you have to be careful of is "noise" created when shooting the bow. Yes, they do make noise. Most of the cheaper crossbows/bows make an excessive amount of noise when fired even with quieting devices suck as Limb Savers. I have seen a number of slow motion videos showing a bow being shot at a deer along with the noise it produced only to have the deer actually hear the noise and "believe this or not" duck the bolt/arrow. Yes, it does happen!!!
That's one of the reasons why I stay away from the cheaper models. I feel that when I shoot any animal I owe it a quick, clean killing shot and to have it possibly duck a bolt/arrow due to noise and possibly just wound an animal is unacceptable to me.

Although I use a 150 lb. draw for my applications I would suggest most people should use a 175 lb. draw. The kinetic energy with a crossbow is not the same as a compound bow.

Here are pics of my Hortons crossbow.






Here is a link to Hortons and I am not affiliated with them in any manner.
http://www.crossbow.com/explorerhd150crossbow

Hope this helped someone....and happy hunting!!!!


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## coyote-1 (Dec 28, 2009)

That's a nice lookin' xbow.

And indeed, 'long' bows (for this purpose, all long, recurve, and compound bows) generate more kinetic energy than xbows. It's a longer arrow with more mass, and the bow uses a longer powerstroke. My old wood recurve gives me @ 250fps using 125 grain broadheads. This new xbow gives @ 215fps with field points. Obviously, the arrow fired by the recurve will have significantly more energy.

I can still draw the recurve pretty easily, but I usually don't because I want to preserve it. Compound bows are easy to draw by comparison....  but I'm still not sure I'd want that tangle of cables and pulleys while hunting. They don't lend themselves to easy field service if there's a problem - the only problem I could have with the recurve (beside the bow itself eventually giving out) would be a damaged bowstring - that can be replaced in a minute.


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## justsmoke2 (Dec 28, 2009)

Myself I have the Hortons Realtree 175 it was the best buy for my money at  the time.   Exclibur would be next my purchase when I replace what I have.  You may also want to check your local laws as here in Michigan they can only be rated at 350 fps for hunting purposes any thing over is not allowed even thought they sell them here at higher fps.  Also use your internet to compare and see reviews on the cross bows you thinking of purchasing.  I got my thru addictedtoacrhery.com I think is the web site.  I saved like $100 as to ordering from a big box sporting goods store.


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## oneshot (Dec 28, 2009)

Hey Coyote, ain't nothin easy to fix these days....lmao 
Just look at the store cashiers (and this actually happened to me). She rang up my purchase on the computer register and  then it quit. On approx. a $10 purchase and I gave her $20, she couldn't figure out my change!!! People have gotten very lazy these days and have forgotten the days where you had to use your brain and or braun to get things done. I myself enjoy doing things the modern easy lazy way, but can still draw on the old ways if need be. The younger people today don't have a clue what to do when their puters or modern technology break down.
And so the vicious cycle continues!!!!  lmao


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## athabaskar (Dec 28, 2009)

Great thread! I love to bowhunt. I am currently using a Reflex compound that is the most forgiving bow I've ever held. I do like the Matthews bows, but for my dollar the Reflex makes sense. 

Crossbows are notoriously loud as mentioned before. One of my buddies had a problem with his shoulder and he was allowed to hunt with one before they became legal in Texas for everyone. He had a Horton, and his favorite stand was in a clearing at the bottom of a bowl under wooded hills all around. One of my stands was on a hilltop about 250 yards away and I heard every shot he took.

I had to give up my lease this year due to economy induced unemployment, and I really miss it. Crap, I'm gonna break out the bow and do some back yard stump shootin'. Maybe I'll take the dog down to the Trinity River and shoot some gar...


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## coyote-1 (Dec 28, 2009)

My two deer, taken with the recurve when I was a teen, were both within 20 yards. At that distance, the noise of a crossbow would not matter if the shot is aimed correctly. And frankly, I'd never shoot outside that distance with either a bow or a crossbow... it would be unfair to the deer to not ensure a very quick end.

It's all about patience, and not being so greedy that I take less than perfect shots. My uncle taught me well.


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## athabaskar (Dec 28, 2009)

Even at 20 yards or less a deer might jump the string, and it's usually caused by bow noise. That's not to say I disagree with you Coyote. Even a whisper quiet bow can cause it, and who's to say the reaction is greater with a louder bow? Not me for sure because one thing I have learned over the years is that we silly humans can never predict what a wild animal will do.

One thing is almost always a fact though. Although the term often used is jumping the string, when a deer hears an arrow released they do a quick squat or crouch, so always aim a little lower than where you want to put the arrow. Almost all animals react the same way when startled - humans included.

It is without a doubt all about patience. A less than perfect shot is always out of the question. I don't limit myself to 20 yards though. It's all about repetitions and feeling comfortable with your skills. Like Clint Eastwood said, "a man has to know his limitations".


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## coyote-1 (Dec 28, 2009)

I dunno... perhaps if I had 330fps I'd be willing to take a longer shot. But the arrow loses speed fairly quickly, so even with that kind of speed I still wouldn't shoot beyond 35 yards or so. Especially because at those distances, the noise is guaranteed to arrive before the broadhead.
And I always aim low, for exactly the reason you cited.


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## nitrousinfected (Dec 28, 2009)

Anyone in Oklahoma check your regulations, Oklahoma will only allow the use of a crossbow to those with a physical impairment  that would prevent them from using a conventional bow.  I hunt both Arkansas and Oklahoma so I am opting for a Compound Bow instead o a crossbow.


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## oneshot (Dec 28, 2009)

All so very true.
If you can hear yer buddies Horton at 250 yards either you have ears like a coyote...lol, or there is something wrong. If he doesn't have a Limb Savers kit added to his crossbow that's most likely the problem. If he does, something just ain't right. Although sound really travels in the great outdoors, you would be hard pressed to hear my Horton beyond 50 or 75 yards.

Also, in my mind hunting with a bow is all about how close you can get to the animal you are hunting with out gettin busted.....lol


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## coyote-1 (Dec 29, 2009)

Well.... now that I own one and they are on my mind, I'm of course looking more closely at what else is out there. Never would have imagined there'd be so many!

There are a bunch of custom items. Some are ridiculous fantasy-looking things, some look pretty good.

As far as production crossbows, two have caught my eye: The Excalibur top-line model (Equinox, I think) and the Barnett Predator. While I'm partial to recurves like the Excalibur, the compound Predator looks awesome. There's also one from Russia called the AK48 that uses its stock to load (edit: tried using the right word, but this site blocks it! lol) the string; this looks like a great idea.

My small suburban yard is no place for a 350+ fps monster so its unlikely I'd ever get one. But like smokers, it's fun to see what else is available


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## Bearcarver (Dec 29, 2009)

I hunted with bows all my life (since I was 14), plus some night shoot competition. I started with an old straight bow, to a semi-recurve ("West" bow), to a full recurve, to one of the first Jennings compounds ever made with only 15% let-off. In those days, in PA, you weren't even allowed to use a mechanical release. Now PA allows the use of crossbows, but if you aren't either an old man, a handicapped person, or a lady, it's hardly worth the harrassment thrown at you for using one. I'm not saying I agree----just the facts here in Eastern PA.


Bearcarver


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## oneshot (Dec 29, 2009)

In my mind (what little I have left, lol) if it is a legal way of taking game and is quick, humane and brings home the bacon, that's what matters. I'm not out to impress others, I'm out there for the enjoyment of the outdoors and to bring home some food...If someone wants to harrass me for what I'm hunting with they shouldn't stand within range....lmao


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## Bearcarver (Dec 29, 2009)

Yup, I know where you're coming from. I used to say the same thing a hundred years ago when I was young. The state didn't allow mechanical releases. I thought, "Why not---if it makes for a more steady release, and a cleaner kill, it should be allowed". Naturally it's the young guys (LOL--including my kid) who are against crossbows for healthy young males.


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## oneshot (Dec 29, 2009)

lmao....Darn those youngin!!!!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




Back when I was a kid (not quite a 100 years ago...lol) we didn't really have any deer around my area. Well at 8 years old I was running a trapline for muskrats, mink and coon when all of a sudden I found a set of deer tracks, I was amazed and hurried back to the little sports store in town to tell the old guys what I found. After telling them the story they nicely told me if I lied to them again they'd beat the tar out of me!!!!! Boy, those old guys were rough on me but I sure did learn a lot from them....to keep my big mouth shut!!!!!  lmao


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## coyote-1 (Dec 29, 2009)

It's somewhat understandable. The skill required to use a bow keeps the average idiot from going into the woods and firing indiscriminately. When was the last time you heard of an 'accidental' killing of another person during bowhunting season?

Compare that to rifle season, when across the nation we see a number of fatalities each year. Some guy sitting in a tree stand drinking beer all morning sees brush rustling 400 yards away, he picks up the gun and fires... and it turns out to be another hunter.

You just might get some of that with crossbows, as the skill level required is far lower than with a regular bow.


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## oneshot (Dec 29, 2009)

No No No....OMG, with those comparisons you sound like a liberal arguing gun control....What if this happens and what if that happens and then there's the possibilty of this happening.....
Do you blame a car when a drunk hits you with it??? No, you blame the drunk. These are all tools, and just because a few mishandle them you don't take them away from everyone. How would you would feel if they said noone can use grills or smokers anymore because they've caused fires due to unskilled idiots??? Don't laugh at that because it did happen in the town where my mom lives in Illinois.....That's our government in action for ya.....


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## pigcicles (Dec 30, 2009)

I hope no one is supporting gun control or even hunting restrictions beyond what is already implemented in your state. I know I've fallen out of hunting, but still support it with all my breath. 

I always liked bow season cuz you could get out there and just think and listen to the sounds around you. You would see LOTS more deer. Not certain of law changes as of late, but used to crossbows were allowed for handicapped persons and for those not handicapped they were counted as a firearm, not an actual bow.

My personal view is hunt and hunt often. Eat what you hunt and use the best equipment allowed that you can afford. Most of all hunt responsibly.


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## coyote-1 (Dec 30, 2009)

It's not "what if". It is REALITY. The statistics tell it clearly... you are far more at risk of getting killed or injured by a fellow hunter while gun-hunting than bow-hunting. And there's a good reason police no longer allow drunks behind the wheel.

My principled support of the 2nd Amendment is stronger and more rational for acknowledging such realities. Only the mentally weak have to put reality aside in order to support a position; such folk are not idealistic, they are mere ideologues. 
PS On our local beaches, the police have forbade portable charcoal grills. Much as I detest that prohibition I have to acknowledge the reality, which is this: I myself have stepped on burning coals on the beach, dumped there by some drunk (or worse, by someone sober!) who didn't give a hoot about what happened to the next person once he was done with his beaching. It was a common occurrence, and beach rangers were tending to more such burnings than to rescued drowners. The FACT is that without the grills, the burnings don't happen - even though we all know full well that it ain't the grill that's at fault.

PPS to the moderator: it was not me who introduced politics into this thread. Please bear that in mind when you make whatever inevitable decision you end up making.


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## meateater (Dec 30, 2009)

Hooks, arrows, bullets, sharp knife, running dogs, traps, thats's what we do. Why do some challenge it?


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## oneshot (Dec 30, 2009)

I agree with you....


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## oneshot (Dec 30, 2009)

Coyote, I wasn't slamming you or trying to pick a fight with you, my comment towards you was meant as humor. You took it out of context.
I can see where you are taking this though so I will not respond to your facts. We'll just let this die right here.


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## oneshot (Dec 30, 2009)

It's the new world.....lol


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## coyote-1 (Dec 30, 2009)

I'm not the one who mentioned banning guns, and would not do such a thing. In fact, I'm part of a small minority that seeks to do away with state laws (as in my own NY) banning full-auto, and seeks to do away with the 1986 federal regs and lower the transfer tax. Though I would retain the registration requirement.

That said, there's no way I'd walk in the woods during deer rifle season; too many drunken nuts with guns


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## Bearcarver (Dec 30, 2009)

Now that this has evolved from my comment about the way the young PA bowhunters despise young healthy guys running around the woods with crossbows to an argument about gun rights, allow me to take it back, and tone it down with a reply on the lighter side:

Oneshot,
Having been a country boy all of my life, and having been born to & raised by a self-employed carpenter who himself had harvested over 100 deer with his 30-40 Kragg (he bought for $10 when he came home from WW2) before his demise, I find it a little embarrassing to admit what happened the first time I attempted to trap muskrats. I was however only 9 years old & never had anyone instruct me in the art of muskrat trapping. One thing I was good at was setting the leg trap trigger mechanism to what you would probably call "A Hair Trigger". I was just a kid, and only had 6 traps that I had bought from a buddy of mine for 50 cents a piece. They were all 1 1/2s in size. I set them in open runways near the banks of an old murky pond back in the woods behind our house. The next morning, when I went down to check how many rats I caught, I was surprised to see I had bagged a duck & a small snake 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 (hair trigger needed to catch small snake). I remember my thoughts were kinda like "This is gonna be trickier than I thought!".

Bearcarver

PS: Later in life I got much better at trapping with the help of the more humane and relatively foolproof "body traps".


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## oneshot (Dec 30, 2009)

Traps and techniques sure have changed since way back then. I used to think of being a mountain man trapping for a living (the thoughts we used to have as kids). Well, I never dreamed that later in life I would actually make my living trapping nuisance wildlife for a living right here in suburbia. lol


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## coyote-1 (Dec 30, 2009)

Do you dress in the skins of the creatures you've trapped? You know, a sorta urban chic Daniel Boone?


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