Help! I Want to Learn All I Can About Crossbows but Have NO Idea Where to Start!

[MsInbonuscivis]

So I've never shot a crossbow but have started researching it and want to get one in the near future. I have no idea what to look for, what kind of parameters I should be using to make a decision, etc. I'd love to get some feedback from those of you with crossbow experience in how I should go about getting one and learning how to use it, etc. Any advice is welcome as I am 100% brand new to this. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand GO!

 

[CraigMo]

Watch Craigslist, get a Barnett, Horton, PSE, Excalibur, TenPoint..... Spend about $250, do a good check for frayed strings or cracks in the arms, especially near the mounting hardware. Don't dry-fire it. Most have a safety to prevent this. Most don't get used often, so you should be able to find one that looks like-new for much less than they cost new. If the string is frayed much, or other signs of heavy use, walk away and keep looking.
Get an inexpensive quality xbow, practice with it, and you'll probably be happy with it. If you use mechanical broadheads, get the rear-opening like Rage or NAP.

 

[MsInbonuscivis]

If you use mechanical broadheads, get the rear-opening like Rage or NAP.

okay. So what exactly are "mechanical broadheads"? I've been doing some research online about crossbows in general and there is a WEALTH of information so now just trying to figure out what everything means and where to go from there. I have literally just begun to research crossbows so think of me as a toddler in this category right now lol. I have a LOT to learn! Would you recommend a recurve or compound? I've read pros and cons of each but not sure which to look for?

 

[CraigMo]

Mechanical means it has moving parts, rather than fixed-in-place razor blades sticking out around the point. The reason for this is less air resistance in flight for a truer flight path, with a wider wound channel upon impact. More complicated means more can go wrong, and more expensive. Weigh the pros and cons.
I've never owned a recurve, can't really speak to them, but a compound has reduced stress when sitting cocked, so I would expect longer life out of the arms. That's just a guess on my part though.

 

[Omega]

3 brands I would recommend. Bowtech anything,excalibur,and some of the newer hortons. Broadheads. I like muzzys. Not a fan of mechanical

 

[ErfurtLuger]

+1 on the Excalibur! How much do you want to spend though? It's not hard to shoot a xbow, pretty much like a rifle!

 

[MsInbonuscivis]

+1 on the Excalibur! How much do you want to spend though? It's not hard to shoot a xbow, pretty much like a rifle!

Probably looking to spend $300 max. I'm not sure how into I want to get so don't want to drop a ton up front. To be completely frank, I really just want to kill Bambi and eat him. He keeps eating my tomatoes. Ha!

 

[MsInbonuscivis]

Would y'all recommend a recurve or compound? I've read a lot of pros and cons on both but it seems as if the compound is a little more favored than the recurve...

 

[sinac84]

You get what you pay for. My bro in law went through 3 or 4 cheap ones before he got a good one that didn't fall apart after a couple of shots

 

[Omega]

look on ebay for a used Excalibur. you wont regret it because you could make one last forever if you took care of it with minimum upkeep and they are recurve. made in usa