I lost two bolts entirely this morning, they disappeared fully into the target and I couldn't even figure out which hole they were hiding in. I'm going to have to start carrying my target over to the creek where I can get more range I guess. Shooting heavy carbon and steel fixed blade bolts out of a 115 lb prod.

Hey everyone!

I'm a complete beginner and I just bought my first crossbow, an EK Archery JAG 1 Standard (150 lbs recurve).

I'm looking for:

A club or range in South Holland, or nearby, where I can shoot regularly

An instructor, or an experienced member, who could give me a lesson or two

Ideally somewhere that welcomes beginners and where English works

If you know a club, a friendly range, or a coach, I'd really appreciate a pointer. I'm happy to pay for a lesson or a trial session. Thanks in advance!

Hello! Currently debating just keep hunting with this Horton from the late 90s I beleive. I got it from my dad and there’s nothing wrong with it I’ve shot a deer each season for the last two years I’ve been hunting. However I beleive this thing has the original string and everything I’ve been debating on getting a newer bow in the 1000 dollars or under range I like the wicked ridge reverse limb rdx 410 and the tenpoint titan x de cock. What’s everyone’s thoughts I like the idea of the cocking and de cocking devices on them. Are they reliable do they need alot of different maintenance do the strings need changed every season or what. Thanks!

Today I waxed and lubed my new ten point Venom x, and got started on zeroing the sights. Started with 100 grain practice, then the last two were 125. Decided to then try the broadheads, and it was no where near where the practice tips were hitting. Any ideas about what may have happened?

Note: the picture with multiple hits got progressively closer as I shot, with the two in the black circle being the final two shots with 125 grain. Other picture has one hit, from where I was shooting, it was low and left. Shot at about 20 yards, and pretty sure I didn't jerk the trigger or anything like that on the last shot

Hey, I was curious if anyone has had success with aftermarket strings for the Fury 410. I've had my bow for less than a year and have already put 4 sets of strings and 2 cables on it. Yes the rail is lubed, as well as the servi gs per instructions. It just seems my servings on OEM strings are always separating in the cams. I've even had the center serving come undone on the left rail. Before finding a new crossbow for next season, just wanted to inquire about the aftermarket ones. Thank you in advance.

Just bought a used Barnett XP 370. The strings and cables are snapped from a dog chewing on it, so the bow is currently unstrung with zero tension. I have a couple of questions: First, is it normal for the limbs to fall out or have a lot of side-to-side play? Even when I tighten the side limb bolts down to the max, the bolts bottom out and the limbs will still slide right out if you pull sideways or sometimes even fall out on their own. I’m pretty sure the cable and string tension is what actually locks the limbs firmly into the pockets, but I want to make sure that's normal for an unstrung setup. Second, the crossbow sat outside for a few months and the scope is fogged up while the strings are ruined. Aside from replacing those, what else should I check or look for over the rest of the bow (like the trigger box, cams, or hardware) to make sure it's safe to rebuild? Overall the body and structure look okay, just want to be safe before putting new strings on it.

I have a Excalibur grizzly crossbow from 2016ish and I noticed that when I squeezed the trigger that my shoots would jump around I finally figured out that the trigger box(I believe) is moving. So I have 2 question how much would something like this cost to fix(is it diy or shop)? Is this something that I would or a shop would be able to get parts and fix? If I’m wrong on my diagnosis please correct me I’m learning as I go on this one. TIA
(Also in the video had the safety on to show the movement while there was no pressure on the trigger)

I'm in the process of picking up hunting again this year, after not hunting for about 20 years. Will be whitetail in Wisconsin. The other day, I decided to also bow hunt (only hunted rifle in the past), and picked up a 10 point Venom x. Tonight, I'll be buying a target so I can sight it in, what other items do I need? Broadheads will be next. Are the arrow heads that come with it good for target shooting?

Any general beginners tips will help.

Barnett crx wildcat dials got messed with now I have no idea where to start is their like a saying or factory reset close to zero for 20 yards or no? I keep losing arrows trying to get it back like maybe all the way in till snug then 60 clicks out?

I've own a bear x intense crossbow for around 5 years now, and have killed several deer with it. love this bow but have made a couple mistakes with it, for one- I took the quiver off of the bow after 2 seasons because I've never needed a second arrow during a hunt, and wanted to slim down the bow. I still bring the quiver with in my bag, but removed the bracket from the bow because i just didn't see why you would ever want a quiver mounted to the bow.

This last Saturday was the first time i had to "reload" on the spot during a hunt. I had two does come in feeding together. Shot the one following behind the other and she dropped within 5 seconds in the same spot. Somehow the first doe didn't see, or smell me.

So after 5 mins of trying to find what pocket my string cocker was in, and another 5 minutes of slowly taking off my gear so i could get to my quiver in my backpack- I go to cock the bow; but to my horror i could not fit my fat ass hunting boot in the stirrup! Standing up on hard gravel, or wearing any other shoes is no problem, but down in the soft marshy dirt, i couldn't get enough boot in! getting just the tip of my toe in. I don't really remember how i managed it, but i got the bow cocked with pure determination and pulling a muscle or two.

So now I'm looking at re-adding a bow mounted quiver. since i tossed the bracket for the one i have, i need an aftermarket replacement. I have a bipod nipple, 4" pic rail section in front of hand-rest, or 1"-2" pic rail section in front of my scope. Anything out there you'd recommend that can mount to these available mounting systems?

As far as stirrups I'm not seeing one that will fit my bolt pattern, but I have access to plenty of tools/machinery and a welder if i have to make or modify something. i also have a solidworks license and could send a design to a cnc service like pcbway, but want to see if there are any other quicker solutions that people have implemented on these or similar bows?

This is my first crossbow. Ive been getting it sighted in with no issues until today. I shot it and it was very loud and couldn't find the arrow then found it like 15ft infront of me in the ground. And the string looks like this now. Im assuming a need a new string now. But I dont know what went wrong. I looked everything else over and dont see any other cracks or damage.

I bought a Barnett wildcat eclipse from Walmart for $400. But I cannot find the same model anywhere. I broke the windup cocking mechanism, and cannot find a way to get this piece to move, or off to use strings to cock it. Anybody know anything?

Crossbows seem like the biggest gimmick. Manufacturers make them good for like 5 years max (and that's on the high end) and discontinue that particular line so you're basically forced into buying a newer one. If I'm spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an xbow, I expect it to last longer. The price point of these products should not make them disposable. I'm currently on my 3rd year with a KI Swat X1 which I love, however it seems they've discontinued the model and I doubt I'll be able to get replacement limbs within a year or two.

What's better for the budget minded person? I don't have thousands to shell out on a Ravin. I realize there's some cheaper Ten Points out there but not thrilled with their proprietary nock system. Since I'm short I also need a more compact crossbow because the full size ones are difficult for me to cock. Any companies that will give you a decent trade in on older bows?

I jusy bought 2 xp380s and I need to replace both of the right limbs on both bows and 2 cams on one bow. I was wondering if I could do a full swap of cams and limbs to parts from a different bow because parts seem to be hard to find. Or if anyone on here knows of a good place to get xp380 cams and limbs?

Thanks!

I have an Excalibur Mag 340 and was thinking about using it to hunt house sparrows. They are an invasive species here in the US, and sometimes kill the native birds and take their nests. I have also heard that they taste good if you eat them. Do you think I could kill some with blunt points and cook them or do you think too much meat would be destroyed?

Hey all! I’m in the market to buy a new crossbow for hunting whitetail. I usually borrow my Dad’s but its about 10 years old so its wide and kinda heavy. I’m trying to find something reliable and under $500. I’ve been looking at different Barnett crossbows but the reviews are so mixed. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

Recommendations for broadhead for barnett xp385?Mechanical vs fixed blade? Targeting white tail deer in the northeast. 100 grain. Considering the Slingblade 2 Titanium and the Barnett gamecrusher. Struggling with reviews online. Slingblade 2 am afraid wont open

So in the manual of the crossbow they say to only use bolts manufactured by CenterPoint. Those bolts are 16 inches long and weigh 425 grains, but to find replacement arrows I could only find carbon arrows instead of the aluminum ones. The carbon ones weigh 378 grains, which is lighter, and I heard that using bolts that are too light can cause issues, which is similar to what happens when you dry fire a crossbow, Could i try to shoot those arrow wihout breaking the limb, or maybe i could unscrew the head and fill weight into the arrow.

Long story short, I am a crossbow noob. Having fired bows for most of my life I did not properly read the directions for loading my new Wicked Ridge commander 400. After slowly following the directions for installing and cranking I was just excited.
So I loaded my first two bolts with the off-colored fletching up when it should have been down. I realized after the fact that was wrong and could damage the crossbow. Do you guys see any significant damage to the cables or string itself? Any advice greatly welcome!

I don’t shoot crossbows a lot but I have this one and the string has been in pretty good shape up until maybe two hunts ago. It’s got two little spots where the string is slightly starting to fray. Can I possibly get a few more hunts out of it, or do I need to worry about replacing it now? I’m just a bit strapped for cash right now, but I’d really like to get at least a few more hunts out of it, and would feel more comfortable at least getting advice from some people that might know.

I’m picking up a used Ravin R500 on Monday. I am new to crossbows as I’ve always hunted with vertical bows. I’d like some suggestions for a target and broadheads. I have a Bulldog target, but it’s certainly not rated for a 500 fps crossbow. I’m actually having difficulty finding a target that advertises itself as capable of stopping 500fps crossbow bolts.

I also need a suggestion for broadheads. I’m a fan of Tooth of the Arrow 4 blade fixed broadheads. Will a fixed broadhead fly true at such a high velocity, or should I steer towards a crossbow specific expandable? My 10 year old son will be using the bow, so if I’m choosing an expandable, I’d like something that can stand up to a whitetail shoulder blade.

I welcome your guidance and input. Thanks!

If a crossbow is zeroed at 20 yards with a field point how much variability versus the zero is realistically introduced when using the mechanical broadhead? At 20 yards, 30 and potentially 40?

I'm new at hunting. I just want to eat.

I'm having a very difficult time here in Missouri. I don't have family as I was a foster kid. At 32 that means there is no one to lean on with knowledge or anything.

I've gone to a local archery shop here and it's pretty cold outside of taking the range fees and I assume that would be the same if I needed repairs.

Any questions are met with "there's a ton of YouTube videos out there" or "if you want to pay I can guide you"

Locals will not speak to me. I've put in some time on YouTube watching the hunting public and others but I really hate watching TV.

I got a blind and set it up in a spot I was fairly sure was away from anyone.

This morning my blind is gone. Guy lines cut off so it was clearly a person.

I'm so discouraged it's painful. I suppose this was more to vent than anything but it really sucks.

Looking into a new crossbow and was wondering how the range finding scopes stack up to a normal scope. Which is better in daylight, and is one better in low light conditions? Thanks