crossbow

[Coyote33]

I had shoulder surgery years ago, and was thinking of trying archery.

My neighbor suggested crossbow, since I had the surgery, and could get a doctor's note.

Anyone here do this? Are there any special requirements? This (even regular archery hunting) is a new thing to me.

 

[Brian5582]

In MA you do need a note fro a doctor to apply for a crossbow permit. My grandfather hunts with one and they are very fast it is amazing although unless you get the crank to pull the cable back to cock it I think it is harder to pull back even with the block and tackle thing you can buy to cock it. It is also nearly impossible to try to reload safely in a tree stand. I can understand people who have an actual disability or injury if they want to hunt archery they need to use a crossbow but I personal like the challenge of using the bow however I don't have any injuries. They are a great thing to get the disabled into the woods.

*These are just my opinions from my experience with a crossbow.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

In MA you do need a note fro a doctor to apply for a crossbow permit. My grandfather hunts with one and they are very fast it is amazing although unless you get the crank to pull the cable back to cock it I think it is harder to pull back even with the block and tackle thing you can buy. It is also nearly impossible to try to reload safely in a tree stand. I can understand people who have an actual disability or injury if they want to hunt archery they need to use a crossbow but I personal like the challenge of using the bow however I don't have any injuries.

I have been hunting with a crossbow in Massachusetts and Connecticut for the last 3 seasons as I could no longer hunt with a vertical bow.

1. A crossbow permit is required in Massachusetts and requires a physician to certify that the individual has a permanent disability. The form can be found here: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/licensing/permits/pdf/crossbow_permit_application.pdf. The permit is good for life.

2. The average crossbow speed and Ke is equivalent to a vertical bow. I am shooting a 424g arrow at just over 300fps.

3. Even if you have an injury you may be able to cock a crossbow w/o a crank. Most crossbows use a cocking rope that cuts the poundage by 50%. I can easily cock my 200lb crossbow with the cocking rope. It is all in the technique.

4. I hunt form the ground so I have no information regarding a tree stand but I can say that crossbows are loud and you will very seldom get a second shot.

If you are interested in hunting with a crossbow take a trip down to Cabela's and try them to see what suits you. I have an Excalibur Exocet (200lb) and I am very happy with it. I can perform all of the service and change the string myself as it is a recurve. The Excal doesn't have a DFI (Dry Fire Inhibitor) so the crossbow can easily be let down at the end of a hunt (this also means you can dry fire the crossbow and damage it though). Crossbows with a DFI are usually shot to "uncock" them.
In Mass a crossbow is considered loaded if there is an arrow on the rail. In Connecticut a crossbow is considered a loaded weapon if it is cocked, regardless of whether or not an arrow is on the rail. The ability to let the crossbow down at the end of a hunt is very important for me when I hunt Connecticut as hunting ends at sunset so I hunt until sunset, let down my xbow and walk out of the woods.

For me hunting with a crossbow beats sitting on the couch during my favorite season. Go for it.

Bob

 

[Bando_Red]

I don't see the problem here. You qualify for a crossbow in MA, what possible reason could you have for not getting one?

 

[Plural of Mongoose]

Im currently shopping for a crossbow. Anyone here have solid hunting experience (good or bad) with any particular models/brands?

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Im currently shopping for a crossbow. Anyone here have solid hunting experience (good or bad) with any particular models/brands?

I have an Excalibur Exocet recurve crossbow and it is great. I can change my own strings in the field if needed and no press is required for anything. Reserving the serving is a piece of cake as I can take the string off , reserve it, and then put it back on. After the season I take the string off and let the limbs relax during the summer months.

Their warranty is awesome. I bought mine used and it had a problem in the trigger unit. I called them and explained the problem, told them that I bought it used, and told them I wanted to buy a replacement trigger unit. Their reply was "Send it in and we will take care of it." The crossbow was back on my doorstep fixed in 5 days and all it cost me was the freight. One of the best features of my Excal is that once cocked it doesn't have to be fired, it can just be let down with the cocking rope.

I shot 3 deer with my Excal last year and all arrows were pass thru's 2 of the three arrows were buried in the ground up to the fletchings after the pass thru. One was only buried 1/2 way in the dirt as it hit a tree root.

My dad has a Parker Terminator HP 175lb and he has had no problems with it either. Connecticut has a 200lb limit on crossbows if you are interested in hunting Connecticut.

My recommendation would be to stay with a mainstream crossbow brand and you should be fine. I still see quite a few complaints about Barnett crossbows but the word is that they are working hard to overcome their past reputation.

Recurve crossbows are wider than compounds, but no press is needed for working on them. I have not been to an archery shop in 3 years as I do everything myself.

All crossbows are loud. Some more than others and IMO they can't be quieted enough to make a difference to a deer.

All crossbows are awkward to carry in the woods.

IMO The effective range for a crossbow is the same as for a vertical bow for all intents and purposes. I have shot deer out to 40 yards with most of my kills being at the 20 yard mark.

If you hunt on the ground as I do a monopod can be a useful accessory. There are monopods (Stoney point for example) that attach to the sling swivel on the stock.

Keep your thumb below the string. It really smarts.


There are a lot of good folks and some good reading over on crossbow nation:

http://www.crossbownation.com/index.php

The best advice I can give you is to go down to Cabela's or Bass pro and shoot some to see what feels comfortable to you.

If I can be of any help let me know.

Bob

 

[Plural of Mongoose]

Excellent. Thanks for the info.
+1.
What type of optics are you using?

 

[deadhead133]

I hunt with a Parker. Last year I shot a deer at 30 yards from a tree stand. The bolt hit behind the shoulder on the near side, exited through the top of the leg bone on the far side. The blades were torn off the Hoyt broadhead when it went through the center of the leg bone. Complete pass through and buried in the ground about 3/4 of the length of the bolt. Looked like a bullet hole through the leg bone.
Every crossbow I have tried is heavy, a pain in the butt lugging through thick brush in swamps,etc. My Parker came with a red dot sight with 3 dots for different ranges. It shoots better than I do. Never found a reason to try any other type of sight.
I wish I was still able to hunt with a recurve or compound bow but injuries to my shoulders prevent it. Good luck, check them all out and get what you like best. Get the permit, it is good for life and doesn't need to be renewed.
Purchase an archery stamp and go get 'em.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

Excellent. Thanks for the info.
+1.
What type of optics are you using?

I am using a Varizone scope on my Excalibur which is the scope that comes from Excal when you order the "right stuff" kit. It is a multi-reticle scope that has graduations for 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards. This scope has a speed ring so you can adjust it to the arrow speed so that the reticles are all on the money. There is also the lumizone from Excal which has a lighted reticle and bigger objective lens. From a rest I have put arrows tipped with 125g Slick Tricks into the same hole at 40 yards. This combination shoots better than I can shoot it.

My dad has a multi-reticle Hawke scope on his Parker. This is also a good scope but I find the reticle on this scope too busy for me. The reticles are not adjustable to the arrow speed but you can download a program from Hawke that will allow you to calculate the POI for each reticle and print a guide that can be fitted to the inside of the scope cap.

Both are fine for what you are doing. Keep in mind that you are talking scopes that are less than $100.00 so we are not talking about a Leupold or a Zeis. If you are going use a scope get a crossbow scope. The parallax adjustment is different than on a regular scope.

A great source of information and a great person to do business is David at Wyvern Creations in New Hampshire. He is honest and his pricing is hard to beat:
http://www.wyverncreations.com/

My dad ordered his Parker late on Friday afternoon. He made sure that order went out that night and it was on his door step the following morning.

Bob