Excalibur crossbow

[agelesssone]

Not a fishing tale, but I know a lot of our readers are also hunters.
If you want some eyeopening facts regarding crossbows, watch this video.
Who knew that some of the best crossbows on the market failed (exploded or otherwise became unusable, not string failure) after only 200+ shots. Even the best compound crossbow only lasted some 500+ shots.
I recently purchased the Excalibur Axiom, moderate speed (305 fps), 175 lb. pull, but very accurate. The Excalibur bows were still going strong after 3000+ shots.
Very simple recurve limbs, string can be changed by the hunter, in the field, requiring no trip to an archery shop.
This is an excellent video, Thanks aero for turning me on to this fantastic crossbow. I will never need another!

After sighting it in at 20, 30, 40, and 50 yds, I decided to stretch it out.
Here's my group at 60 yds, from a rest of course.

http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/ag...jmx8z.jpg.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWQ7e6WipGU

[MNfisher]

Got my first of the year Saturday morning with a compound


Mike

[agelesssone]

Congratulations!

Meat in the freezer!

Look Mike, I know how you and your wife don't like the backstraps, so when you dress the deer, let me know and I'll come take them off your hands so you won't have to throw them away.

I mean, WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?

[Reel Tune]

Watched the video, and a few other videos on the Excalibur crossbows, and they seem like the crossbow to get. That's pretty darn good for 60yds.

[Heiny57]

You killed Bambi,,,,, LOL.

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

Congratulations!

Meat in the freezer!

Look Mike, I know how you and your wife don't like the backstraps, so when you dress the deer, let me know and I'll come take them off your hands so you won't have to throw them away.

I mean, WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?

Sorry Merv, already tossed them....lol


Mike

[agelesssone]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

Sorry Merv, already tossed them....lol


Mike

DANG! Well, keep me in mind when you shoot the next one.

[agelesssone]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

Watched the video, and a few other videos on the Excalibur crossbows, and they seem like the crossbow to get. That's pretty darn good for 60yds.

From what I gather, grouping like this is common from crossbows.

What I like about the Excalibur is the longevity of the bow, no moving cams to get out of time, no parts (other than string) to wear out and the fact that they were still going strong after 3000+ shots.

And you can change strings in the field, even in your treestand, in less than five minutes.

No traveling to a shop, no dropping your bow off for two to four days, no paying $100.00 to have the string changed out. (This is what my friend just paid to have a new string put on his bow.....after another shop replaced his other defective string with the wrong string for his bow).

I could probably have tightened the grouping up a little but it was windy and misting rain when I shot this. I figured it was good enough to down "Bambi".

Of course hitting Bambi is a lot tougher than hitting a full sized buck!
And Bambi is going to be a lot more tender than say a 6 or 7 year old doe or buck. And since we can kill 3 per day, shoot the tender ones!
AND! They are much easier to drag out of the woods. I'd much rather drag out three Bambis than one 140 lb buck (average live weight buck in TN).

Being from Illinois, I've dragged out more than my share of 180-214 lb deer and it ain't no fun. (Better to cut them in half and make two trips. Much easier to CARRY 100 lbs than it is to DRAG one 200 lb'er.)

Obviously, that doe is a full mature mama. This year's babies are still spindly little creatures, this one is "full bodied". They walk through my yard almost daily. Heck, we even have a couple with spot still on!

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

From what I gather, grouping like this is common from crossbows.

Merv, That is a pretty good grouping. I used to spend a lot of $ on arrows doing groupings. I could consistently hit the nock of the arrow already in the target. This form 50 yards. Sometimes I only cilpped the fletching off the arrow in the target. I now remove each arrow and cover the hole in the target with a blue sticky dot before shooting again. i walk 100 yards on each shot and use a lot of blue dots but is is less expensive and I get exercise while practicing.
Also since I am hitting the initial blue dot with each shot paper targets last forever.

[Reel Tune]

You sure are right about dragging northern deer. Our average bucks in Indiana ranged from 170-190, and dad has taken a few just over 200 field dressed. I remember vividly dragging my 1st buck 180lbs through the woods, across a creek, up a spoil bank, and another 400 -500 yards. My legs were jello, my lungs were burning, and just plain exhausted. I think I was 12 years old. My dad was kind enough to carry my gun.

[tsuggs]

Great informational post.Thnks

[agelesssone]

That didn't take long!

30 minutes into my first "sneak" hunt with the new crossbow, this little fella comes walking right down the same trail I was stalking.

I saw him before he saw me, so I stopped, raised the bow and waited for him to stop. He was going to walk right into my scent path down wind of me about thirty yds. When he winded me his head snapped up and I pulled the trigger.

Hit him dead center chest, put a slice about one inch deep almost the full length of his heart, sliced across his artery. He left a blood trail that Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, or Ronnie Milsap could have followed!

He still made 80-90 yds, 40 yds of that being over the crest of the ridge (and I mean some steep ridges) so I left his innards over the ridge and dragged him up the ridge and about a half mile to the cabin. Thank goodness most of the drag was slightly angled downward.

At the tender age of 67, headed quickly for 68, I realized this was no fun!

Got him back to the cabin and dunked him into some 55 degree water that comes out of a spring about 200 yds away. Great way to cool the meat down quickly and keep it "refrigerated" for a day or so.

Came home today, hung him from a tree, and the rest, as they say, is history.....and so is he.

Unlike Michael Ernst (wink, wink), we DO like backstraps so I won't have to dispose of them.

Was supposed to go dancing tonight, but I think I'll hit the sack early tonight....my knees are barking enough!

http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/ag...i1lil.jpg.html

http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/ag...jpg.html?state

[Reel Tune]

Congrats Merv. When are you going to get your next one? FishingTN needs a cookout

[tsuggs]

I'll second that! Nice merv!

[agelesssone]

The next one will probably be Saturday. I expect to be in a stand by daylight Sat morning.