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Hickory Creek Mini In-Line Vertical Crossbow

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
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Where the skys are so blue!
You know how a saddle changed the way you hunt, gave you a huge advantage over normy muggle hunters, let you shoot more deer, and just generally made you feel so dang SEXY?

Wanna feel that rush all over again?

Buy...the...mini!

After a week of owning with one, I can say I haven't been more blown away with a product since I sat in the kestrel for the first hunt. Where do I even start?

So it's light. Like 6lbs light. Lighter than a lot of compound bows, and definitely lighter than most crossbows. It's also stupid-easy to carry and maneuver. You know how when you carry a bow or rifle it just stays by your side, out of the way and easily maneuverable through tall brush and thickets? Know how a crossbow feels like Jesus lugging his cross through a monkey bar factory that got wrecked by a tornado? The mini feels like that first thing. Carry it one handed, two handed, left hand right hand, whatever feels good. Wanna put it in a backpack! Turn one knob and it comes apart in two tiny little pieces. Put your saddle and the mini in a jansport pack, smear granola crumbs in your beard, throw your hair in a man bun, and drive your minivan with Eno and Yeti stickers to the parking area. Folks will think you're some yuppie tree hugger out to cry over the beauty of a river or some nonsense. They'll never suspect they're witnessing a master predator invade their turf.

Shot options? In a turkey seat. On the ground. On your belly. Strong side, weak side, drop shot, over the bridge, crane style on top of an alligator's back. Whatever. See critter? Shoot critter.

It's quieter than a regular crossbow, but has the speed. 30 yard zero on mine and I'm shooting maybe 3" high and low at 20 and 40. Put the crosshairs on the animal. Pull the trigger. No rangefinder, no anchor point, no form, no technique, no skill, no art form. Just stone cold, lethal efficiency on tap and ready to rock your little world.

You can use whatever arrows you prefer with it, instead of being Shanghaied into using the manufacturer's bolts with their BS proprietary nocking system. Wanna shoot a 500 grain telephone pole tipped with a bmcold steel bushman knife on the end of it? Of course ya do, ya crazy animal!

Seriously, I've shot at two critters with mine already. Sent a coyote straight to that big turkey nest in the sky. Little rascal came out at a trot straight behind me. Straighten left leg, pivot at waist, shoulder, settle pin, unleash 150lbs of "screw you, Wile E. Coyote" through the thicket. "Super Genius" my ascot tie.

The doe I shot at was a swing and a miss. That's because I'm a knock-kneed ninny-wagon who shakes like Mohammed Ali when he's on the ground 20 yards away from his first potential victim of the year. Control your bloodlust, and let the voices of your ancestors guide you. The mini will do the rest if you only let it.

Seriously folks, Jerry Goff, the inventor of this little lung-popper, is a smart cookie. The mini is one heck of a critter killer, and I'm yet to see a downside. If you're not desperate to prove your masculinity by channeling your inner Ishi (who, btw, would have absolutely rocked this thing) or to relive the glory days of medieval English "air supremacy" buy one.

Do them deer dirty.
 
That's a Texas sized 10-4 from me on your thoughts of the mini, I feel the same way as I have had mine for a few weeks. I will try the 30 yard zero to see how I like it but I think your probably correct. I have mine zeroed at 20 and its a almost non existent drop at 30 and a not much at 40 but I need to shoot it more. My crossbow season starts the 9th of November so Ill be out in full force with the mini killin machine!!
 
You do have a way with prose @Nutterbuster

You are killin me. I have already blown through my hunting budget for this year. But they look compelling, if and only if, I can shoot either RH or LH at will. Working hard to not go to their website!
 
I shoot a 475er out of it. Really quiets it down. It shortens the distance I feel comfortable flinging an arrow to about 40 yards, but I have no plans to shoot further anyway.

It is an incredibly effective tool that’s for sure. If you’re the type that feels like 99% of bow hunting is getting within 40 yards of your quarry, and 1% pulling a bow back, give it a look. If you ground hunt a lot, give it a look. If you still hunt a lot, give it a look.

In a vacuum, downsides are hard to find. If I can pick nits, IMO it doesn’t have the ‘range’ of a crossbow because of speed(past 30 yards you need accurate range, and reaction of animal). It shoots 330ish with the supplied arrows and 100gr tips(375) and about 310 with 475gr - quite a bit less than top end crossbows. If your entire reasoning for owning a crossbow is to shoot deer or smaller sized animals past 40 yards, I’d look at one shooting 400fps+. If it’s a rare possibility, rock the mini.

I bought mine with intention of shooting trad for my bow hunting fetish, while having a killer under the seat to put meat in the freezer when I’m feeling squirrelly. And to hunt a couple spots that moving to draw a bow is simply not an option. I’m still rocking the compound, but the mini will make it in the woods with me on a few trips this year.

It really is one of the coolest, if not the coolest shooting implement I’ve held. No complaints here. I’ve also got the full size that’s discontinued, it’s also a hoot. It shoots about 4-50fps faster, at a lower draw weight than the mini(longer power stroke). Oh yeh, it’s for sale in the classifieds!
 
You do have a way with prose @Nutterbuster

You are killin me. I have already blown through my hunting budget for this year. But they look compelling, if and only if, I can shoot either RH or LH at will. Working hard to not go to their website!
So, you can use the foot stirrup as a handle and make that happen. Assuming your right-handed, to shoot lefty you put your right hand on the stirrup and left hand on the trigger grip. Shoot using your left eye and voila. Mind the blade up by the stirrup.
 
a look.

In a vacuum, downsides are hard to find. If I can pick nits, IMO it doesn’t have the ‘range’ of a crossbow because of speed(past 30 yards you need accurate range, and reaction of animal). It shoots 330ish with the supplied arrows and 100gr tips(375) and about 310 with 475gr - quite a bit less than top end crossbows. If your entire reasoning for owning a crossbow is to shoot deer or smaller sized animals past 40 yards, I’d look at one shooting 400fps+. If it’s a rare possibility, rock the mini.
IMO, 260-280fps is about the sweet spot for a compound, and 330-350fps is the sweet spot for a compound. Speed-demon crossbows are like large breed dogs. Impressive, but prone to health problems and sadly short life spans. They're also loud as a brass band in a metal building.

But I'd agree it's a 40 yards and in affair. If you're posted up on open woods or food plots, the benefits are kinda lost. If you're a mile in the woods, 10ft off the ground in a thicket, it's the ticket.

Screenshot_20191023-073204_Gallery.jpg
 
IMO, 260-280fps is about the sweet spot for a compound, and 330-350fps is the sweet spot for a compound. Speed-demon crossbows are like large breed dogs. Impressive, but prone to health problems and sadly short life spans. They're also loud as a brass band in a metal building.

But I'd agree it's a 40 yards and in affair. If you're posted up on open woods or food plots, the benefits are kinda lost. If you're a mile in the woods, 10ft off the ground in a thicket, it's the ticket.

View attachment 19022

So can we expect a youtube video review from you soon?
 
I wouldn't shoot opposite handed with it. I guess you could...but yeesh.....you might see your ear 20 yards downrange.
 
I wouldn't shoot opposite handed with it. I guess you could...but yeesh.....you might see your ear 20 yards downrange.
Not really possible. Shooting off handed actually puts your face on the opposite side of the "stock." And just like with any bow, your face goes behind the string. It may touch, but it's accelerating away from you.

Watch grabbing the stirrup though, and always always ALWAYS respect the string. It's a mistake I've never seen somebody make twice.
 
Not really possible. Shooting off handed actually puts your face on the opposite side of the "stock." And just like with any bow, your face goes behind the string. It may touch, but it's accelerating away from you.

Watch grabbing the stirrup though, and always always ALWAYS respect the string. It's a mistake I've never seen somebody make twice.

Interesting. That was the main reason I sold mine. I like to shoot both lefty and righty with a xbow in a saddle to minimize movement. I tried opposite hand with the mini and just couldn't make it work. It's a great bow, esp for the price.

Sounds like you're having a blast with it. Have fun.
 
Interesting. That was the main reason I sold mine. I like to shoot both lefty and righty with a xbow in a saddle to minimize movement. I tried opposite hand with the mini and just couldn't make it work. It's a great bow, esp for the price.

Sounds like you're having a blast with it. Have fun.
Interesting. With the scope being offset on the "wrong" side of the bow, I found it to be pretty easy.

However, I did spend several months with my right hand in a cast as a kid. I learned to do a lot with my left, and a certain degree of ambidexterity stuck with me.
 
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