Thanks!
SixLomaz's Link
Pros
Easy to service, good warranty, plenty accessories and mods available, it reaches the target up to 100 yards with the right scope, small groups from 10 to 100 yards when shot from a stable platform
Cons
It can be cumbersome to carry, hard to hold on target for long time during a stare match, difficult to do a timely follow-up shot from a tree stand, noisy compared to a compound bow (shoot at calm deer up to 100 yards for max success, or stay within 20 yards - the worse range due to noise is 30 yards to 60 yards when deer have enough time to take evasive maneuvers)
"shoot at calm deer up to 100 yards for max success"
REALLY Six?
This is the reality of a modern weapon. A 100 yard shot with a crossbow is an extreme example of this weapon's capability due to accuracy. Personally I take good care in setting up my weapons and I practice enough to build long shot confidence. With my crossbow I can hit a 6" paper plate at 100 yards with ease. I have never killed or attempted to kill a deer with a crossbow at 100 yards because I have never encountered the ideal conditions for such a shot. Crosswind, deer movement, lack of a stable platform, obstacles, and lighting conditions played an important role in making a shot decision at longer than 30 yards distances. The human brain is a powerful tool when trained appropriately and used accordingly. I do not hunt on instinct impulses.
Last year I had a male moose at 40 yards and did not take the shot as his vitals were behind light brush. I knew my arrow will never penetrate correctly thru the brush to deliver a fatal blow to the animal. So I stood there watching in awe this magnificent animal while waiting for an opportunity that never came that day. No matter what I tried he never exposed his vitals enough for considering taking the shot. The moose stood there, 8 feet tall, for more than 10 minutes then slowly turned around and walked away. This was a solo hunt and the first moose I called in my life. The best hunting experience I ever had.
An Excalibur crossbow will deliver a fatal blow up to 100 yards when conditions are right: the hunter is proficient with the weapon, there is a stable platform to shoot from, controlled breathing is used, the deer are in a large wide open field, the deer is calm, feeding and not moving much, the wind is slow (less than 5mph). The arrow will travel 100 yards in a second or less when crossbow speed is 300 fps or more and will provide enough kinetic energy to kill a deer. It is not everyday such conditions are met but given the accuracy of a crossbow and enough practice it is possible.
These are rare shots. Awhile back I took a turkey at 80 yards over a field 120 yards wide, shooting from the ground in a standing position with the crossbow firmly set on a tripod on a very calm morning. It took me 5 minutes to setup the shot waiting for the right moment and the turkey dropped in 10 yards. Range finder and accurate crossbow used properly in excellent environment conditions did the job. On the other hand I had anxious deer jump the string at 50 yards with ease in the same field as they heard the crossbow noise before the arrow reached their position.
Of course the story changes when hunting in the forest where there is no long shot. Most times a 20 - 30 yards shot is the only option due to obstacles.
I do recommend whichever crossbow you go with, swap out scope with Nikon XBolt and thank me later. It's by far the best xbow scope on the market. You can get a new one in the $150 range.
I do see that they can have a place here in the land of too darn many deer in not enough places, though - sort of like bait, I guess. I'd be OK with permitting their use in bow-only areas during firearms season, but unless there's a physical limitation for the individual hunter, I just don't care for the whole idea. But then getting away from other people was almost the whole reason I got into muzzleloading and archery seasons in the first place. So a lot of folks will say "anything that brings more people into it is a good thing".... And I'll usually disagree.
And FWIW, if I had a weapon that was good for 6" groups at 100 yards, I don't think I'd risk a shot past about 50. Even at 6 MOA, it's uncommon to find anyone who is remotely capable of shooting anywhere close to a weapon's potential. And a 3" shooter with a 6" weapon is looking at 9" groups.... Which is awful. Would anyone here even CONSIDER hunting with a rifle that would only group as tight as 6"????
Not me, thanks!
I guess if I had to have one for any reason, I'd want to test-fire as many as possible, and I would have to think long and hard about where and how I was going to use it. Up a tree? In a blind? How far would I have to lug the thing into the woods? Balance is critical for that. I'd rather carry my 9-lb. muzzleloader up the ridge after Elk than a 5-lb. compound!!
I do wonder, though.... My .22, for example, is zeroed at about 35 and 50 yards, using a standard reticle. At 35 yards the bullet is still climbing; by 50 it drops back onto line of sight. And in between, it's never very much above the X. You can put your near zero closer and get the second zero a lot farther out, but then you have to deal with hold-under in between. Anyway, I'm just curious as to whether the different dots in a crossbow scope could be used both near and far. Not just a +/- 3" point blank, but like On at 10 yards and again at 40, even though it's floating a couple feet above zero somewhere in between..... Would probably require some REALLY tall rings....
thanks!!!
