What crossbow for hunting?

[MichaelLoom]

Hi there! I'm searching to get my first crossbow for dear hunting. I found some interesting reviews like this one, but now I'm even more confused...any recommendation? I need it for dear hunting mostly..

 

[Armored farmer]

I bought a mid-priced crossbow last year. It was a pkg deal from my local bow shop. I wanted to support him, but he boarded up anyway......
I am satisfied with it, but it could be better. The scope is a cheaper scope. It is noisy. I'm not crazy about the 90` quiver.
If I had it to do over, I would have coughed up the extra $$ and got the top of the line. A bad shoulder is keeping me from shooting my beloved recurve. The crossbow is archery for me.
Bear
Ten Point
Excalibur
Ravin
Others that dont come to mind at the moment...
One big suggestion is to get the hard case to carry it. I love mine. Plano I think?
Best wishes.

 

[troy fairweather]

if i had the money id get a raven the ten points are nice for the price to.

 

[Armored farmer]

To add to my above post...
The better bows are faster, and more quiet. I would buy at the top range of my budget, and not try a so-called "entry level". I would go straight to the one you want.
Crossbows are rather like sex, I'm pretty sure you're gonna like it before you even try it.
Be sure to budget for a good target, bolts, broadheads, scope, and case.
Those bolts tend to get lost.

 

[FL-NC]

I am a newer xbow hunter (2 seasons and 1 deer) so I am only experienced with mine- PSE fang 350, topped off with a truglo triple red dot. Its not terribly heavy, shoots better than I do, and is not very wide- a real plus for ground blinds. I bought it at academy sports after hunting season 2 years back.

 

[Dibbs]

We all use Barnett Jackals, around here. Seems the best crossbow for the money. Accurate as you are,
weighs, loads, and functions the same as crossbows costing hundreds more.

 

[Hookeye]

Might want to look at Mission X bows.

 

[MCgunner]

I picked up a Bear Archery Kronicle from Walmart last spring for use this fall. I didn't see anything to shoot, but the thing is a LOT faster than the recurve I've already shot a deer with. More than killing power, the speed flattens the trajectory so hold over is less at any given range. I do have a 4 elevation bar reticle in the scope that came with it and it's REALLY well set up. Hard to go wrong for 300 bucks. I REALLY wanted another recurve, this time an Excalibur, but they're pricey and I'm not filthy rich, retired on a fixed income. The recurve thing wasn't worth THAT much to me.

Here's a 40 yard target shot off the seat of my ATV for a rest.

 

[GAF]

I use a Barnett Jackal. Kills dear dead as the much more expensive one. It is noisy, but beyond that I have had no problems with it. I like it and would buy it again. Wal Mart sell this for $200. I paid $300 for mine on sale a couple of years before Wal Mart started selling them. I have owned mine about 4 years.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Mission Sub-1 is what I bought this year its fantastic. Wyvern creations is vert attentive to your needs ,carries all brands. Buy one of his packages or create your own. Feel free to call David with your needs its never a bother.
https://www.wyverncreations.com/

 

[sage5907]

I have a friend who bought a Ten Point crossbow for his 12 year old granddaughter for Christmas. I think the cost was about $850. She went out and promptly took a whitetail deer. For the next two weeks the grandfather, son and granddaughter all argued about who was going to get to use the crossbow each day. Velocity was about 400 fps with relative flat trajectory out to 50 yards.

 

[wombat13]

I don't know much about crossbows, but mine works well. It's a 10 point Wicked Ridge. Came with the scope and quiver. It's quite accurate and the scopes 4 cross-hairs are dead on with the bolts/broadheads I use. Got it this past summer and took a buck with it at 30 yards this fall.

 

[buck460XVR]

I don't know much about crossbows, but mine works well. It's a 10 point Wicked Ridge. Came with the scope and quiver. It's quite accurate and the scopes 4 cross-hairs are dead on with the bolts/broadheads I use. Got it this past summer and took a buck with it at 30 yards this fall.

Other than I've had mine for a coupla years......I concur.

 

[Iroquois]

If you have the budget Ten Point is hard to beat. They are fast, accurate and reliable. If you can get the silencer kit it’s well worth it. Wicked Ridge is the sister company of Ten Pont. It shares some of the Ten Point technology but at a lower price point. I’m sure there are other companies out there that make good products but I can’t speak for them without the experience. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, I shot this one with a 150 dollar entry level recurve. I've moved on to the Bear Kronicle, but still like to shoot this bow at targets. It's easier to cock, less draw length. The Bear wears me out after 4 or 5 shots and I have to rest. But, I'm old and infirm. Young bucks could handle it better I reckon.

 

[Gtscotty]

Mission Sub-1 is what I bought this year its fantastic. Wyvern creations is vert attentive to your needs ,carries all brands. Buy one of his packages or create your own. Feel free to call David with your needs its never a bother.
https://www.wyverncreations.com/

Yep, they have a great reputation on the Crossbow forums, I was going to order from them before I found my Mission MXB360 for a deal I couldn't pass up in a Scheels up in ND 4 years ago.

At the time I had my short list down to:

TenPoint Shadow Ultra-lite
Excalibur Matrix 380
Horton Storm
Darton 135 SS
Stryker Solution

David kindly gave me his opinion on all of the options, and I was ready to order a reverse draw Storm or Tenpoint Shadow. I kind of still want a reverse draw crossbow, and the current Horton Vortec RDX looks neat, but I certainly don't need one with the Mission on hand.

I've only had the opportunity to take one buck so far (not my best angled shot), but I do tote it around in September for elk every year.


I like the Mission, it's very accurate out to 60yds, and when I had a splinter on one of my limbs, Mathews replaced both quickly under warranty.

I've gotten all of my arrows as customs from South Shore Archery (I basically went with the build they recommended for my bow), they've been pretty reasonably priced and shoot great.