Which crossbow
Horton or Barnett for a person who has never use a bow or crossbow?
Have set a $500 max for one, some have scopes and others red dots. Some ads don't mention bolt length etc, so I'm scanning the sites for one.
Have set a $500 max for one, some have scopes and others red dots. Some ads don't mention bolt length etc, so I'm scanning the sites for one.
0
-
I'm partial to Barnett myself. Never had a Horton. 0 -
I don't know if they work any better, but those ones with the limbs that bend forward look interesting. 0 -
I bought a Barnett last winter and have found it to be extremely accurate. I recommended the brand to a couple of other first time buyers and they both are totally satisfied with theirs. I'm wishing I'd have waited and got the new series but mine killed the first deer I shot at with it-so it's good enough. Mine was on clearance due to the model change/upgrade so mine is two steps up the price ladder for the same money as the new series basic model.
One of the guys was here last weekend with his new Jackal and it is quieter and has a better trigger pull than my Revolution. He was shooting Rage 3 blade broadheads into a 3" group consistantly at 50 yards-hard to fault that regardless of price.
Be prepared to lose some bolts if you shoot more than one or at most two per target spot. Also consider that these will easily kill two deer with one shot unless shooting from a treestand. The bolt I shot through my deer buried itself in the sandy loam on the exit side and was lost.0 -
To me, many crossbows seem too heavy and so front heavy that they don't feel like they'd be easy to shoot well offhand.
So, I was leaning towards the Horton Ultralite. As the name suggests, this one is light and well balanced. I almost bought one and they can be had for around $500.
Then I started looking at the Excaliburs. If I'm not mistaken, crossbows go thru strings faster than compound bows. With most crossbows that means going to a dealer and having them change it for you. I don't have any dealers near me.
Since the Excaliburs are light & well balanced too, I can change the sting myself and they are almost bullet proof, I bought one of them instead. I bought an Axiom SMF package (with scope, bolts and quiver) off ebay for $ 435 to my door. Very happy with it so far.0 -
Is the reason for needing a dealer to change the string(wire) that the limbs need to be compressed? If so, could one get/make a clamp that could tighten down the limbs allowing the string to be replaced? Or is there more to it than that? 0 -
I can't say about others, but my Barnett has been shot over 100 times and I see very little wear on the bowstring. The cables show no wear. I keep my string and rails well waxed which seems to be the key to lasting longer.
Ray B, there is a "bow press" required to change strings/cables due to the the high static load on the compound limbs even at rest. I've seen some homemade ones that sort of work but the possibility of damage to the bow if something goes awry will be incentive to have a bow shop change my string if/when it needs it.0 -
I have 2 Horton's and would not trade for another brand. Do a little research on the internet and take a look at the ratings for both the Horton and Barnetts. There is some interesting stuff out there posted in blogs and ratings for both. Enjoy! GHS 0 -
Like my Barnett, got a good deal on it and the balistic 4x scope is good for incremental drop calculation for range differentials.
There are lots of good choices out there and prices are great.0 -
Thanks everyone for your advice. I bought one tonight - Horton Havoc. Now to get the extras. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
9 comments