• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Talk me out of a crossbow. :-)

bj139

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2019
5,377
3,465
113
SE PA
With the crossbow with scope, the arrow goes where the crosshairs are. My first thought after shooting this doe was, it was too easy being up a tree. I have only hunted from the ground before. I would not have had a shot from the ground, even with the crossbow so I think being up a tree is more of an advantage.
 

bj139

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2019
5,377
3,465
113
SE PA
You guys with the Hickory Creek Mini, what do you all use for a sling for that setup? Is it drilled for sling posts? Other thoughts?
I use my hands for a sling. I don't think there are any attachment points for a sling.
 

sojourner

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Oct 14, 2014
1,715
1,427
113
My Hickory Creek Mini Vertical crossbow worked just fine 2 weeks ago. I made the shot at a 5 o'clock position by holding the right hand grip normally with my left hand holding the buttstock near my left shoulder and looking through the scope with my left eye. Almost like a crossbow pistol.
To all the people that think a crossbow gives them an unfair advantage over the deer, then they should hunt from the ground. Why would you want an unfair advantage by being in a tree?

Nice! Congrats on that PA doe! Maybe I’ll have to revisit the hc mini.

I am a little north of you round about Easton.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: bj139

bj139

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2019
5,377
3,465
113
SE PA
To the OP: You have already mentioned the small and light compound bows have an advantage. I think the same is true of crossbows. I hunted with my Barnett Recruit Tactical Compound Crossbow and swung it around the tree trying to see if it has the same mobility as the HC mini. Besides being careful about the horizontal limbs smacking the tree it seems about the same. I think if I wanted to try a crossbow I would buy a non-compound crossbow like Barnett makes or I saw one at Walmart for about $100 with a 150lb draw. Small and light and plenty of power to kill a deer. I just looked up this one.
I know, I'm supposed to be talking you out of a crossbow.
 

Tony

Member
Aug 3, 2017
73
79
18
Northern Vermont
I was thinking this same thing. I have slot going on (3 kids and a blue work wife that won't let me turn down OT).

I think with my limited time, it might be better spent scouting for deer than practicing with the compound.
 

bj139

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2019
5,377
3,465
113
SE PA
Walmart had the Barnett Recurve on sale after last hunting season for $60 for a few weeks. I should have bought one.
 

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Oct 12, 2017
10,069
24,822
113
Where the skys are so blue!
To the OP: You have already mentioned the small and light compound bows have an advantage. I think the same is true of crossbows. I hunted with my Barnett Recruit Tactical Compound Crossbow and swung it around the tree trying to see if it has the same mobility as the HC mini. Besides being careful about the horizontal limbs smacking the tree it seems about the same. I think if I wanted to try a crossbow I would buy a non-compound crossbow like Barnett makes or I saw one at Walmart for about $100 with a 150lb draw. Small and light and plenty of power to kill a deer. I just looked up this one.
I know, I'm supposed to be talking you out of a crossbow.
That Barnett is a hunk of junk. I had a lot of folks buy them back in the day. Slow as molasses, and just chintzy. Can you kill a deer with it? Sure. Can you kill a deer with a .22lr? Sure. If you catch my drift.

I know I'll step on toes here, but Barnett in general makes pretty poor everything. Their plastic arrow retainers broke routinely. They came with a spare, and customers would break both of them and come back to me, after I'd practically begged them to buy a Wicked Ridge if money was a concern.
 

bj139

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2019
5,377
3,465
113
SE PA
That Barnett is a hunk of junk. I had a lot of folks buy them back in the day. Slow as molasses, and just chintzy. Can you kill a deer with it? Sure. Can you kill a deer with a .22lr? Sure. If you catch my drift.

I know I'll step on toes here, but Barnett in general makes pretty poor everything. Their plastic arrow retainers broke routinely. They came with a spare, and customers would break both of them and come back to me, after I'd practically begged them to buy a Wicked Ridge if money was a concern.
Does it shoot arrows faster than most compound bows?
My Barnett Recruit compound has a brush type arrow retainer. It shot arrows at 309 fps. I measured it myself.
Barnett changed management and now has a better reputation than before. Check out the crossbow forums.
 

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Oct 12, 2017
10,069
24,822
113
Where the skys are so blue!
Does it shoot arrows faster than most compound bows?
My Barnett Recruit compound has a brush type arrow retainer. It shot arrows at 309 fps. I measured it myself.
Barnett changed management and now has a better reputation than before. Check out the crossbow forums.
Yes, they changed to the brush, which was a huge improvement. The compound is a usable bow. The recurve is like 215 advertised speed, or it was. I never saw one hit that on a chrony.

Hopefully they've improved. They can't have gotten worse. That's my crotchety post of the day.:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: bj139

rutjr

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2018
2,067
1,829
113
71
Cumberland, RI
When compound bows first came out I didn't like them. I didn't think they were romantic. My kid brother wanted to hunt with me so we went to get him a bow, problem was he wasn't strong enough to use a hunting recurve. The sales man said here try this Compound and I said naw he don't want that but he wanted to try it and fell in love with it, a bear whitetail hunter. So we started practicing together and wow that thing was so much faster than mine and soon he started out shooting me! I broke down and bought one and really enjoy them now.
A few years ago I fell 20' out of a tree I didn't break anything but man I was a hurting puppy for over seven months and I didn't think I would ever shoot my compound again, so I bought a Horton Storm. I really love this thing but I can shoot my bow now. I put the xbow away. I now live in a state where they allow xbows without a doctors note so I pulled my Storm back out and I'm hunting with it now and love it.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: bj139

Aeds151

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2018
2,448
1,683
113
To me, unless you are a child or have a disability, a crossbow would cheapen the experience. Try a trad bow or stick it out with compound unless you just switch to another hobby. Best of luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Country

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2018
895
943
93
41
Usually when someone says "talk me out of.... something" they really seem to want to do the thing they are asking people to talk them out of doing. Just get a crossbow dude.
 

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Oct 12, 2017
10,069
24,822
113
Where the skys are so blue!
To me, unless you are a child or have a disability, a crossbow would cheapen the experience. Try a trad bow or stick it out with compound unless you just switch to another hobby. Best of luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm a mentally disabled child according to the missus, so I qualify!

Imma cheapen so many experiences with this thing.
Screenshot_20191016-204135_Gallery.jpg
 

bj139

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2019
5,377
3,465
113
SE PA
Yes, they changed to the brush, which was a huge improvement. The compound is a usable bow. The recurve is like 215 advertised speed, or it was. I never saw one hit that on a chrony.

Hopefully they've improved. They can't have gotten worse. That's my crotchety post of the day.:)
A search found this. And with those broadheads that don't work as well. :grinning:
Edit: My bad, This is the compound version. Still wish I had bought a recurve version for $60 to play with.
 
Last edited: