So I am in the very early stages of thinking about getting rid of my compound bow and looking at getting a crossbow.
Getting a crossbow being key and very early stage also. I know answers can be all over the board so, being somewhat a tight azz, what would be a decent mid range crossbow that I won’t regret buying but yet not think of upgrading.
Any advice??? Respectable price range. I’m 64 and believe a can legally use a crossbow in MN.
Pushing 70 so kinda in the same boat as you.
My thoughts:
(Everyone has an opinion and an ahole…. so take it for what it’s worth)
I bought a Wicked Ridge Blackhawk 360 a month ago after doing a lot of research and talking to archery shops. $349 on Amazon – couldn’t find it locally without special order at $399.
I used my son’s Barnett Jackal last year and took a deer without any issues; it was very front heavy and definitely falls in the “beginner category”. Want to have my own set up for this year and started poking around.
Most of the feedback I got this summer was to stay clear of Barnett due to a lot of broken limbs and customer service issues.
Wicked Ridge is owned by Ten Point, a pretty good brand.
Being a cheapskate, I opted for the low end of the Wicked Ridge line and really like the balance of this bow, better features, plus I have the ability to add a crank in the future if I need to due to physical issues.
Bought carbon bolts and Rage Hypodermic broadheads and good to go.
It’s not a Raven or high end equivalent, but at 360 fps, it should serve my purposes hunting MN whitetail at fairly close quarters.
Pete
thanks trophy19 for the feedback.
i’ve been wondering also about the crank or not??????
Get a crank. Mine has one my dads dont. He wishes his did.
Just get a Ravin R10 and don’t worry about it for however long you intend to hunt. You have all that union $$ anyway Glenn! 
I dont think my new R10 works. It hasnt seen a deer yet.
Check out Excalibur nothing to go wrong, no cables no cams, You can change a string in about a minute. guaranteed for life.
Just get a Ravin R10 and don’t worry about it for however long you intend to hunt. You have all that union $$ anyway Glenn!
yea right!!!!!!!
i’ll go snooping around some winter blustery day!!!
Glenn,
Where can a guy buy a Cold Spring beer these days?
Pete
Glenn,
Where can a guy buy a Cold Spring beer these days?
Pete
I have no idea. That outfit went gangbusters. They have a super huge distribution center north of town. I know at one time they went all in one the energy drinks and now all these seltzer drinks.
I don’t even know what they make, or brew anymore. The shop I used to work at built a bunch of tanks for them recently.
I don’t drink that crappy beer so I don’t pay much attention. They are also into these oddball kinds of beer.
Currently shooting a Darten Terminator its a good crossbow at 340 fps. Next bow will have to more compact . Narrow axle to axle width is what i will be getting , Ravin Ten Point ? Pricy no doubt . Buy once cry once .
I had to give up using a compound bow due to my shoulder. Rotator cuff stuff. I bought a Barnett Whitetail II on clearance at Blain’s Farm and Fleet. Before buying I looked up some reviews. Reviews were good. I like it a lot. They are hard to come by now. My Dad has offered to buy it from me, but I do not want to part with it. It is light and pretty narrow. Advertised at 350 fps. Draw weight is 150 lbs. It came with a scope, which has worked well for me. No need to replace it. This setup is very accurate right from the factory. I use the Barnett bolts/arrows that it came with, I believe they are called Head Hunters, 20 inches. I have bought more. The trigger is excelle for a factory trigger, and I am a trigger snob. This is the cats meow as far as I am concerned and I do not feel any need to upgrade. I use a string cocker, but can easily attach a crank. It is easy to cock using the string cocker. The only modification I have done is to install Barnett brand string stoppers. This has made it more quiet and has not changed the speed or accuracy that I can tell. The string stopper kit only costs about $25 or less. The destructions are nonexitent, there are some youtube videos. My recommendation is to look for something like this. I have friends that shoot cheaper Barnetts and they are heavy, but do work well enough. I also have friends that paid a lot more for their crossbows from different brands, and a lot of them have great comments on my set up. This said, It is not a Raven and I am not saying it is. I have shot Raven’s, some friends have them. And they are super cool, but I do no need that, nor can I afford it.
Crappy beer would be a compliment… Cold Spring beer met the same fate as all the other brands that sold at 5 cases for $15 back in the day: Fox Deluxe, Hubers, Hauenstein, Western, etc.
Check out Excalibur nothing to go wrong, no cables no cams, You can change a string in about a minute. guaranteed for life.
My BIL shoots an Excalibur. It was used when he bought it in 1998. He still uses it. About 5 years ago his neighbor came over while he was target practicing. He wanted to look at it and happened to “dry fire” it. A limb broke. You are supposed to be able to dry fire shoot it. Called Excalibur and was told to send it in for repair. The company wanted all the parts to study. !00% repaired with 2 new limbs, new string,etc. Complete check over/refurbishing. !00% no charge. All he paid was for shipping it back. I think turn around was about 2 weeks. That is super CS right there.
i wrote down all your guys suggestions, and did a search on the puter. looks like some decent crossbows out there.
call me old fashioned, but i wont order on line……gotta see it touch it thing!!!!1
i wrote down all your guys suggestions, and did a search on the puter. looks like some decent crossbows out there.
call me old fashioned, but i wont order on line……gotta see it touch it thing!!!!1
I’m sure Archery Country in St. Cloud has a bunch to check out, or any local bow shop.
Cold Spring Brewing brews a ton of stuff for a bunch of different companies. They also have their own line and brewhouse, 3rd Street Brewing, which makes very solid beer imo.
Check out Excalibur nothing to go wrong, no cables no cams, You can change a string in about a minute. guaranteed for life.
I would echo this comment plus the great customer service! I got a Excalibur Mag 340 last year from Crossbow Experts in Hudson WI. Good pricing and fantastic service too. Although I haven’t actually shot at any deer yet I have done extensive practice shooting and this thing is a tack driver! Main reason I got this model is that it’s pretty light weight, less than 8 lbs with scope and quiver plus its short and narrow so easy to navigate through the woods and treestands.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>catmando wrote:</div>
Check out Excalibur nothing to go wrong, no cables no cams, You can change a string in about a minute. guaranteed for life.I would echo this comment plus the great customer service! I got a Excalibur Mag 340 last year from Crossbow Experts in Hudson WI. Good pricing and fantastic service too. Although I haven’t actually shot at any deer yet I have done extensive practice shooting and this thing is a tack driver! Main reason I got this model is that it’s pretty light weight, less than 8 lbs with scope and quiver plus its short and narrow so easy to navigate through the woods and treestands.
Got the same Bow at the same place, shot two bucks with mine, I love it, But I still shoot my Mathews Monster!
I’ll vouch for Wicked Ridge. My wife has a Warrior HL, a model no longer made. My dad, brother and I all shot different versions of the Invader. Dad had the X4. My brother and I both shoot the G3. Dad passed away earlier this year. I have his X4 now and may consider selling my G3, but not really sure. It’s a 2016, I think. Here’s the first deer I shot with it in 2016. My biggest buck.
BUCK.jpg
I wonder if this would be an option.
Air Bows.
Anybody ever use one?
Supposed to be faster(450 fps) and quieter than a crossbow.
Benjamin and Umarex are 2 brands I’ve seen.
for the time being i gave up on a crossbow……i really dont have a place to bow hunt around home, although i havent looked to hard either. 
a friend of mine said i could try shooting his sometime, said he hasnt shot it in 5-6 years. he’s also one of them guys that gets pretty good stuff when he does..
but its still kinda on the back burner for now!!!!!!
+1 on an Excalibur. If the one your buddy has is a recurve crossbow with at least 300fps, go for it. I picked up an Excalibur Grizzly model on fleabay for I think ~$325. I’ve added an anti-dryfire mechanism, crank and a few noise suppression goodies. Excalibur has a lot of accessories.
My search for a crossbow ended about a week ago. Thanks a million to Sharon and PoP for being the go between!!! Was pleasure.
Now to find someone to put it together. I decided being a crossbow greenhorn I need an experienced person to do it
IMG_20230608_153544259-scaled.jpg
Nice to meet you Glenn and happy to help you and Sharon out. Good luck with the crossbow and looking forward to seeing the first deer you get with it.
Glad that worked out Glenn and thanks for your help PoP! I hope you like it!
My search for a crossbow ended about a week ago.
What is it?
What accessories did you go with?
What broadheads?
Jwellsy, it’s a Barrett raptor pro STR.
And I honestly haven’t had the time to do anything with it. It’s still unassembled in the box. between my wife’s health issues and my mom’s health issues and her subsequent passing that’s not been a real priority in my life right now.
I see Crossbow Experts mentioned above. Any other good crossbow shops in the Twin Cities? Went to a local shop by my house before Christmas and they had 3 crossbows left.
Any other good crossbow shops in the Twin Cities?
Scheels/Cabin Fever if you get to the SW metro or Bwana is a good archery shop on the east side. I haven’t been to Bwana since moving west prior to the Xbow craze, but I’d imagine they would have some options for you.
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