crossbow recommendation $500.00 or under?

[Kansas-andres]

I know, I know, A crossbow is not a bow. Can anyone recommend a decent bolt that's $500.00 or under? Thanks

 

[Catscratch]

My boy has a Parker youth crossbow. 150lb pull if I remember right. Actually short and light enough to be very maneuverable in a tree or a blind.

 

[dipper]

You get what you pay for that's opinion. I shot a lot of the xbows before I bought my ten point. I can't say what it like owning a cheap one, but you can tell the difference on shooting them.

 

[Kansas-andres]

Dip, what did you pay for your ten point?

 

[dipper]

Got the $1700 venom for $1400 outta Florida. That is top end. Not saying you gotta get that one, but they are pretty nice around $1000. I would personally save for it, but that's me.

 

[tooln]

I think you'll be hard pressed to get a GOOD one for under $500, unless your looking for a bare bones model. I looked a a lot before I dropped a buck, well 850 to be exact. I went with a TenPoint Titan Xtreme Crossbow Package from Gander. It was on speceial about a month ago. It came with a soft side case, 6 bolts, quiver and an upgraded scope.

 

[JackTerp]

Do a little reading on forums like Crossbow Nation. I thought long and hard. I had to go to a crossbow due to shoulder issues. I ended up buying a Skorpyd but that is way over your $500. The issue I had with the lower priced units was a marked instance of problems down the road. I only wanted to buy one once.

 

[j-bird]

I will agree in that you tend to get what you pay for. I went cheap because I was not sure how well I (I mean the kids) would lik it. I actually got it as my son wanted to start archery hunting, but I knew he would no put the practice and use into a true bow set up. I thought it would be a lower cost to have a multiple person archery weapon (since true bows are so personal in their set-up). I shot cheap ones and expensive ones. I just couldn't bring myself to fork out the cash for something that may not get alot of use. There is a BIG difference especially in triggers between the cheap and the expensive. I got a cheap barnett kit and it's ok - it was abo $500 at BP. It's heavy and awkward and has a heavy trigger and the scope was crap. However I did take a deer with it. They take some getting used to - my muscle memory kicks in and expects a "bang" when I pull a trigger. They are louder than I expected as well. Mine really doesn't have any more range (at least at my skill level with it) than my compound bow. I went back tomy compound - I simply have more confidence with it, and it's much quieter. The front heavy nature and the overall lack of balance of them is just somthing I have struggled with. I would strongly suggest hunting with a borrowed one if you can before you buy one. Mine simply wasn't as much of a game changer as I thought it may be. It's one thing if you have to, but I will stick with my compund for the most part.

 

[Kansas-andres]

Do a little reading on forums like Crossbow Nation. I thought long and hard. I had to go to a crossbow due to shoulder issues. I ended up buying a Skorpyd but that is way over your $500. The issue I had with the lower priced units was a marked instance of problems down the road. I only wanted to buy one once.

My Dad has the skorpyd. One of the finest built products I've ever seen. Made in Iowa if I remember correctly. Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[foggy]

I looked over a few crossbows. Almost decided on a wicked ridge model for about $700.....before succumbing to the model I bought. I felt I may need the Accudraw cocking aid (ratchet) in time to come and I liked the compact nature of the xbow I bought. I bought the new Ten Point Shadow XL....which is light and small in size ....and a new model this year. It delivers 330+ fps with my hunting bolts. Price was $1099. via the internet (no tax or shipping).

Hard to beat the TenPoint or Wicked Ridge for good features and value....IMO. But it always seems like another $100 or $200 will get you another widget you want. Hard to draw the line on the prices.

 

[Jason]

i took the plunge this year too. i bought the mission mxb400. my understanding is that mathews donates all earnings from the mission line to charities. w/ the cost of that thing i feel like i should be able to write it off on my taxes. amazing how expensive xbows are.

 

[BJE80]

If you can wait I would wait at least one year and two would be better. I bet you will find a ton of hardly used quality Xbows on the market for cheap when guys figure out this isn't as easy as they thought.

 

[wiscwhip]

If you can wait I would wait at least one year and two would be better. I bet you will find a ton of hardly used quality Xbows on the market for cheap when guys figure out this isn't as easy as they thought.

That has been my plan all along!

 

[JackTerp]

My best advice is to go a really good dealer. If you have a Cabelas near you, that was the first place I went when I decided to try a crossbow. The first thing I found was that I did not like the very heavy front end. I also found the noise to be overbearing. I also noticed the standard scopes are pretty much junk . The salesmen at Cabelas were great to deal with though. They let me shoot about every model they had. Luckily this confused me more than I had expected. I decided to wait. Then I found a Barnett Vengeance to shoot. It is a reverse draw xbow. I really liked it. It balanced well and was much quieter. That was the first xbow I bought. I loved it.

Fate stepped in again when my truck was broken into and the xbow was stolen. My insurance company paid for it and a lot of other items that were taken. I had spent some time, by then, on crossbownation and learned about the Skorpyds. I used the insurance money to buy a Ventilator 150, easy to cock, and put a high quality scope on it. The aura is back in balance and the world is good. :)

Find a good dealer and shoot as many different models as you can. Then make a decision. As stated above, they are not as easy to master as most people think and have their limitations. But they are a lot of fun.

 

[BJE80]

That has been my plan all along!

Me too. If I can find a good one cheap enough I might dabble with it. Otherwise I am fine with and prefer my compound.

 

[Dave63]

I got the Barnett Ghost410..Love love love it..Bought a Vortex scope for it.Wasn't real impressed with the one it came with. They wanted 1200.00 for it at the local shop. I got it on Amazon with the same 2 year warranty for 800.00 .