Crossbows

[technojock]

I recently checked off an item on my bucket list and bought a Barnett crossbow. Anybody know of a good place to go to talk about these and archery in general?

Tony

[NSB]

Archerytalk.com is the best site I know of. They have thousands of members and lots of sub-forums.

[sigep1764]

I will second archerytalk.com. Wish we had a bow subsection here. Bought a crossbow with a friend to extend our hunting season. Very soon after bought my first compound bow, then another, then a recurve. Then started building my own arrows.

[GregLaROCHE]

How does hunting with a cross bow compare to hunting with a regular type bow? Any advantage or disadvantage? How long does it take to get off a second shot?

[winelover]

^^^^Think in terms of Cocked & Locked. Deer are great at detecting movement. Way less movement when using a X-bow. Yes, they are slow to load. However, in all the years I've bowhunted I've never had the opportunity of a second shot. You miss and they've bolted.

Winelover

[trapper9260]

I use crossbow for deer hunting with a permit to use it because of my disability from the service . You do not count on to do a 2nd shot. Like you do with a muzzle loader. Make the 1st shot count. They are bulky and I keep ,my shots with 40 yards. I would not shot any further. Have a hand crank to pull the string back , make it easy on you and after you get use to it you can decock the string . That is what I do. Winelover is so right on Deer are great at detecting movement. Out of all the years I hunt with one . I do not do a 2nd shot because they are gone if you do not get them. Shot placement is what need to do same as use of any firearms . The bolts are not cheap and broad heads. I use the fixed ones that way I know that they will do what I want them to do. I have 2 crossbows. Not by choose because the first one was stolen and went to get another one that was in the morning and in the afternoon the game warden show up with my stolen one that was damage . I was able to get it repaired . The first is a Barnett and the 2nd is a Ten point . I added a hand crank on the Barnett and scope and the Ten point came with one of each. I just save the Barnett as a back up now. I have both sighted in for 40 yards and I use a 125 grs broad head. I found out later that they are sighted in with a 100 grs broad head . I just stay with the 125grs.

[SeabeeMan]

The advantage to me is that I don't have enough time in the summer and fall the practice and keep my skills where I'd like them to use a bow. A crossbow moves the baseline shooting skills up a surprising amount just by the "cocked and locked" concept. It shoots like a rifle and while that requires certain skills as well, I don't find them to be nearly as perishable as with bow shooting.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I have wanted an Excalibur cross bow for a while. I need to try cocking one first though. They are simple and quiet. Not interested in the super expensive Ravin type units.

[georgerkahn]

How does hunting with a cross bow compare to hunting with a regular type bow? Any advantage or disadvantage? How long does it take to get off a second shot?

A few years back -- when crossbows became legal to hunt with in New York -- a friend -- a LEO with quite the sense of humour -- made quite an investment in a new hunting crossbow. At the time, he boasted that which made it a "hunting" device included its awesome trigger; the velocity to propel its bolts; and a really fine, adjustable sight-set. After quite the diatribe, he smiled at me, asking if I'd like to try it? Never having fired more than my French recurve bow, I was kind of intrigued... Johnny P. drew and cocked it -- warned me as it being "loaded" -- and passed it to me. As I was aiming -- almost "there" -- but safely aimed down-range -- I --surprise to me -- released it! Bion, I ended up flat on my back with the crossbow pointed straight up in the air! Embarrassed a bit? You betcha! And... I had a sore right shoulder for maybe three weeks after. Who'd a thunk that a cross-bow might have (severe) recoil?
To answer your question -- my recurve had/has no "recoil" -- John P.'s crossbow does! And -- after a regular bow discharge -- including compound bows -- it only takes the time to pull another arrow from quiver; notch it; draw; aim and release. Buddies do this in SECONDS time!
Re the cross-bow? I do not know -- after getting knocked on my behind (I, on occasion, still get picked on about that event ;)) -- never again fired a cross-bow.

[MrWolf]

I bought a Centerpoint Sniper 370 Camo Crossbow 4x32 Scope Package, AXCS185CK about six years ago. Surprisingly accurate at 50 yards. I paid $210 from the invoice I found. I can load it even with my back/neck issues. No follow up shots needed. Rage Chisel 2-Blade Mechanical Broadheads. Works just fine.
Ron

[nannyhammer]

The only real advantage they have are reduced practice time to stay proficient and you already have it pulled back when the game shows up. They are bulky to carry, many of them feel nose heavy, they are louder than a vertical bow and have basically the same range as a vertical bow for most users....about 40yds. I have owned a Barnett, a Horton and now an Excalibur. The Excalibur is by far the most accurate, easiest to carry and has the best balance. It's accurate further than I would ever shoot at game. Oh and don't forget the hate you'll get from other hunters that think you are cheating. Get one and enjoy the hunt!

[Dancing Bear]

https://www.crossbownation.com/ is a good forum as well. I had to give up archery due to a hand operation some years ago and got into crossbow hunting when it became legal here in NY.
I like my Barnett too.

[NSB]

I bought a cross-bow several years ago when I had surgery on my right hand. It was either use the cross-bow or don’t bow hunt. I’d been bow hunting for over fifty years at the time and didn’t want to give it up and sit out the season. I bought a TenPoint bow and some good arrows and proceeded to learn how to use it. Not much to it really, kind of like sighting in a rifle with a very profound bullet drop. Some misunderstandings have been posted here and I’d like to share my experience. There is no recoil with a cross-bow….NONE. About as much as you’d get shooting a pellet rifle, again NONE. To Georgerkahn, you need to try shooting one again. I don’t know what happened to you the day you shot one, but it wasn’t anything involving recoil. I’ve let nine year old kids shoot mine and they never noticed any recoil at all. If you’re shooting one for the first time, DO NOT EXTEND YOUR FINGERS UPWARDS WHERE THEY CAN BE SEVERED FROM THE BOW STRING! That triangle formed between the pulley wheels and the trigger are a danger zone. Most crossbows have guards to prevent you from getting your fingers in there, but not all of them are 100% effective. I started out with a fairly expensive crossbow. You don’t need to do that. I have yet to see any brand name crossbow that didn’t shoot very, very well. They really aren’t anything like shooting a conventional bow or compound bow. They are somewhat a happy medium between archery and muzzle loading. In experienced hands they can be effective out to sixty yards or beyond. Again, that’s in experienced hands.
See pics attached: one is a group fired at 55 yards, one is a deer laying where it stood (and dropped) at 67 yards, and one is a wound picture of what a Swacker mechanical broadhead can to at any distance if the deer is at an angle to the shooter. FWIW, I’ve shot over a hundred deer with a bow (about a dozen with the crossbow to date).
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[725]

Torn ligaments to my right hand moved me toward a crossbow. I was into traditional archery big time when the injury occurred. Even built a laminating oven to make my own bow limbs. All that changed when I was tossing lumber for a build. Got an Excalbre recurve crossbow. No wheels or bells & whistles. More or less a basic recurve turned horizontal. I cock it by way of a rope assist, which makes it almost easy. Incredibly accurate and powerful. All the deer I've taken are full pass through hits. More than once, the bolt has passed through the deer and buried itself deep in the ground beyond. Because of the relatively light weight of the bolt, vis-a-vis a traditional arrow, hunting distances remain short. Ethics prevent me from taking shots I would have taken with my old York compounds. Never found it to be a detriment, either. I hunt 'em close. Deer easily see the movements associated with the traditional archer, but he crossbow is likened to a gun and they only hear the bolt being let go. Usually, it seems, they hear it but the bolt arrives before they can react significantly. A good crossbow is a fearsome thing.

[SSGOldfart]

No recoil with my Excalibur. [smilie=s:[smilie=1::2_high5:

[contender1]

To the OP.
As you can see there are several folks here who own & use a crossbow. You have also been directed to a few places to learn even more.

I, as well as my helper both own crossbows. He got his due to his inabilities to operate a normal bow any longer. I got mine as a way to try a different method of hunting. Since I got my crossbow,, my compound has gathered dust. I hunt from an elevated blind when using my crossbow,, so movement is not easily detected by deer. Noises,, ALWAYS are an issue,, so plan for that.
A crossbow is just a different tool, for use in a different manner than other tools used for the same purpose. Learn yours, practice with it, and know the limits of it any yourself.
Good luck.

[Head Shot]

Id personally recommend not planning on a second shot myself and practice till you've mastered the crossbow to the point you can put the critter on the ground.
Not much fun in going out spending the time to only miss then lose a second arrow or bolt .
Then again no fun tracking a gut shot or wounded deer all day eighter.
Do the deer a favor JUST PLAIN KILL HIM :-)
Head Shot

[MaryB]

I have been drooling over these for years... even with a rope cocking device it is getting hard for me to draw back my crossbow(just a cheap $129 recurve from Rural King, surprisingly accurate but HEAVY compared to modern bows)

https://ravincrossbows.com/product/ravin-r500e/

[MaryB]

Torn ligaments to my right hand moved me toward a crossbow. I was into traditional archery big time when the injury occurred. Even built a laminating oven to make my own bow limbs. All that changed when I was tossing lumber for a build. Got an Excalbre recurve crossbow. No wheels or bells & whistles. More or less a basic recurve turned horizontal. I cock it by way of a rope assist, which makes it almost easy. Incredibly accurate and powerful. All the deer I've taken are full pass through hits. More than once, the bolt has passed through the deer and buried itself deep in the ground beyond. Because of the relatively light weight of the bolt, vis-a-vis a traditional arrow, hunting distances remain short. Ethics prevent me from taking shots I would have taken with my old York compounds. Never found it to be a detriment, either. I hunt 'em close. Deer easily see the movements associated with the traditional archer, but he crossbow is likened to a gun and they only hear the bolt being let go. Usually, it seems, they hear it but the bolt arrives before they can react significantly. A good crossbow is a fearsome thing.

Crossbow bolts are same weight or heavier than a traditional arrow... 100 grain broadheads... with the higher velocity crossbows 80 yards is very doable!

[warren5421]

I have a Excalibur cross bow that dose around 375 ft/sec. At 60 yards with the scope on it will hit a dine circle just about every time. I am 77 and use the rope cocking but am looking at getting either a crank or electric cocking assembly. Every bolt that has hit a deer has passed through. To replace the string on most compound cross bows you have to use a jig set-up. The recurve you can replace the string by hand. Every crossbow I have shot or seen shot makes noise, not like a gun but at 50' you hear it. I can't pull a bow any more but the crossbow lets me get into the woods. For 20 plus years I used a hand made long bow.

[NSB]

If you get a crank on your crossbow it will take about 5 lbs of force to crank and cock the bow. Anyone can do this, even super old geezers like myself. I bought the crossbow when I had the hand surgery a few years back, and next month I’m getting my right shoulder rebuilt. I’ve already been told “no more archery for you”. Just to heal will be nine-twelve months. At age 74 that doesn’t bode well. The doc already told me my shoulder will never be able to shoot my compound. Too bad, I just bought a new BowTech Solutions SS last year and got to shoot about thirty shots off it before my shoulder went bad. The upside is that I did get a nice buck with it the very last shot I took with it. I shot one buck with the crossbow left handed (I’m right handed) because it was off the right side of my blind and the only way to shoot was trying it left handed. It was 35 yards and ran nineteen yards after I shot. Try that with a compound bow! The crossbow is a blessing for the decrepit old geezers who still want to bow hunt. No reason to give up what you love.
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[crowbuster]

same here on the shoulder work. Bow was my fav. season. yrs later got a crossbow. Back in the saddle !

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I was once quite accomplished with a bow. Went through all the compound do dad stuff and finally settled on a Hoyt Ram Recurve. Shot it instinctive and could hit really well at 20 yds. Came down with a motor neuropathy about 10 years ago and lost some strength in my hands and arms. Been thinking about that crossbow for a while now.

[Thumbcocker]

Keep a good grip in the crank when cooking or uncocking. Ask me how I know. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230327/b239bc701fab0afbe1fee7917b2d4b69.jpg

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[NSB]

I was once quite accomplished with a bow. Went through all the compound do dad stuff and finally settled on a Hoyt Ram Recurve. Shot it instinctive and could hit really well at 20 yds. Came down with a motor neuropathy about 10 years ago and lost some strength in my hands and arms. Been thinking about that crossbow for a while now.

Go for it! Like I said, spending more for a crossbow doesn’t make them more accurate or “feature rich”. All my geezer buddies jumped on the band wagon when I got mine. They’re a bit more financially conservative than I am and all got decent xbows, about half of what I paid. We were all surprised when we found out that they all shot about equally well. At this time, about all, if not all crossbows come with an anti-dry firing safety feature meaning you can’t wreck your Xbow by shooting it without an arrow in place. Get a decent scope that has multiple dots on the reticle (most all do) without spending over 2-300 dollars and even the most lowly crossbow will kill deer all day long if sighted in properly. Get one and get back out there hunting. I think you already know what you’ve been missing. FWIW, there’s almost no setting up a crossbow like there is with a regular compound bow. They come in the box pretty much ready to go. Some require some assembly but it’s quite simple with easy to follow directions. Mostly just bolting the bow on to the stock. Good Luck.

[MrWolf]

My Crossbow uses the cord. Just make sure they lengths on both sides are about equal and good to go. Like I said, even with my messed up back and neck I can set it. Only need one shot, no follow ups and accurate. Great deal for me at $210 when I got her.

[NSB]

Keep a good grip in the crank when cooking or uncocking. Ask me how I know. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230327/b239bc701fab0afbe1fee7917b2d4b69.jpg

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Wow, that’s nasty looking. My xbow, and others I’ve seen with a crank have a crank that ratchets and locks as you turn it and won’t go backwards. Was this a factory xbow crank? What brand bow? For anyone considering a crank, I suggest googling a video on how they work. YouTube’s got one for every subject.

[SSGOldfart]

Ouch, My Excalibur has a latch that stops that from happening. Remember to watch out for string. while that finger heals

[trapper9260]

That is not good. I know when you decock it that you need to hold the crack all the way if not , I think that is what would happened . I am a use to use the hand crank for decrank the string. But still need to watch what you do . Like is stated keep your finger way from the string. Sorry for what happened to you Thumbcocker. Hope you heal good .

[NSB]

The safest way to decock a crossbow is to buy a special arrow made for that purpose. They cost about ten bucks and you can just shoot them into the ground (they’re heavy and have a large rubber blunt head on them). You can also buy a very small special made target that you can sit on the ground and shoot a target tipped arrow/bolt into. They cost about fifteen bucks and you can also use them for a practice target. You SHOULD NOT try decocking a crossbow by hand unless you own a crossbow specifically designed to be decocked by hand. You probably will end up with a very damaged hand or fingers.

[Thumbcocker]

Wow, that’s nasty looking. My xbow, and others I’ve seen with a crank have a crank that ratchets and locks as you turn it and won’t go backwards. Was this a factory xbow crank? What brand bow? For anyone considering a crank, I suggest googling a video on how they work. YouTube’s got one for every subject.

I was holding the latch that let's the ratchet work so that I could cook it quietly in the blind. I like being extra sneaky. To decock you have to hold the button down. If the crank gets loose it will bite.

I agree about not going overboard on the crossbow. My old Parker, an entry level unit, worked just fine on deer and turkey. My Raven cost a lot more but it can be decocked and is only 10" wide. I paid for that convenience. Don't be afraid to look in pawnshops for a used crossbow. Any competent archery shop can tune up a used bow for a reasonable fee. Also, while you can plink with a crossbow past 40 yards, I have found 40 yards to be a practical limit for me. I feel no remorse for using a crossbow. It is a legal tool that fires a single projectile. The accuracy allows for fewer poor shots and lost animals. Also a HUGE plus is that women and youngsters find crossbows less intimidating and easier to use. If we want hunting to have a future women and kids need to enjoy it.

[William Yanda]

I believe there is a crossbow forum.

I think that's the one:
https://www.crossbownation.com/

[technojock]

Since this is likely to be my one and only crossbow, I went with a Barnett Whitetail Hunter II. It has a 150# draw weight and is rated at 350 FPS. I have a messed up shoulder from a bike crash back in the 1980's and I can't pull back my compound bow any more. The action to use the rope cocker on crossbow is like rowing a boat and is way less strain on my shoulder. I planed to use it for archery hunting here in Oregon but they removed crossbows from the disabled hunting permit. I don't know if that will ever change but I'm happy to have it for a toy. I have plenty of rifles that I don't hunt with so this is just like one of those.

The scope that came on it wouldn't adjust for windage and I didn't think Barnett would come though on warranty. So I ordered a more expensive scope from Amazon and that one won't adjust enough to give enough elevation. While hashing it out with the manufacturer of the replacement scope, Barnett has agreed after 3 weeks to replace the original scope. I expect to hear back about the second scope by tomorrow however, I'm probably going to send it in for a refund and get a Vortex scope later this year when the $ are flowing better.

I bought a decocking arrow that has a heavy 1" disk end. Here's what it did to a water jug at 10 yards.
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I shot it at about a 30 degree downward angle and the arrow plowed about a 12" furrow in the soft dirt after going though the jug. BTW, I didn't notice the brand name on the jug until long after I shot it.

Thanx for the tips on the archery forums. I'll check them out...

Tony

[fixit]

While most crossbows currently have finger guards to prevent this, do be mindful of finger placement....my son successfully broke his thumb by getting it in the way of the string when target shooting. Not a good way to start deer season!

[Scrounge]

I recently checked off an item on my bucket list and bought a Barnett crossbow. Anybody know of a good place to go to talk about these and archery in general?

Tony

My wife lost one of her favorite doctors a little over a year ago to a hunting accident with a crossbow. Severed his femoral artery, and bled out before anyone knew he was in trouble. https://kfor.com/news/local/he-lived-life-king-sized-oklahoma-doctor-killed-in-apparent-crossbow-accident/ Be careful out there!

Bill

[NSB]

My wife lost one of her favorite doctors a little over a year ago to a hunting accident with a crossbow. Severed his femoral artery, and bled out before anyone knew he was in trouble. https://kfor.com/news/local/he-lived-life-king-sized-oklahoma-doctor-killed-in-apparent-crossbow-accident/ Be careful out there!

Bill

We had a person in my state two years ago who died as a result of his own actions while hunting with a crossbow. He was pulling his cocked and loaded crossbow up a rope to his treestand platform and it went off while being pulled up. The arrow/bolt passed through his stand (mesh steel) and hit him in the chest. NOTE: NEVER PULL A LOADED CROSSBOW UP INTO THE STAND YOU’RE IN. LOAD IT AFTER YOU PULL THE BOW UP. BE SAFE.

[huntinlever]

Sorry, I had a similar thread and conflated it with this one.

[SeabeeMan]

My crossbow is a cheap Carbon Express Piledriver 390 I grabbed on a MidwayUSA deal a few years back. Before that I had a Barnett Predator which was a big, heavy, ballista of a crossbow. My current one is much more compact but still nothing compared to the high dollar units. It works great and has harvested about a dozen deer over the last few years I've had it.

As to the accidents, a crossbow ought to be treated exactly like a firearm, at all times. Look at all those accidents through the lens of the 4 basic rules of firearm safety and you have something that was done wrong somewhere along the line.

[M-Tecs]

Crossbows are very good for what they are intended. That is to go out and kill stuff. Taking them out to the cabin and putting a couple hundred shots thru it with your buddies not so much.

The maintenance and string life get to be a real issue the higher the performance of the crossbow. I am mostly familiar with the Raven line since the pro-shop I work at part-time sells more Ravens than any other. Raven requires a string change at 400 shot using only Raven strings to maintain the warranty on most of their line. That about $140 dollars. The R500's are 250 shots. They need to be decocked every 8 hours per the owner's manual. I suspect cocking at sunrise and decocking at sunset is OK? I do know they start blowing up on their own if left cocked for more than a week. I have rebuilt at least a dozen that blew due to being left cocked. The normally requires replacing the strings, cables and limbs and possibility some cams.

At the shop crossbows are less than 5% of the bow sales yet they are over 50% of the maintenance work. The lower powered crossbows that can be cocked with hands on the string or using the doubler pull rope are much less maintenance, but they are slower and less energy.

If Airbows become widely legal for hunting crossbows will become a thing of the past.

When I started at the pro-shop it was for the employee discounts for a high-end crossbow. After working on them for 4 years I will shoot my compound bow for as long as I can.

[Head Shot]

Hello:
This isnt what id call a crossbow but interesting .
Traditions makes a 22lr single shot rifle called the crackshot but also included an arrow launching bbl that uses a #5 red 27 cal nail gun power load to launch up to 385 fps.
I saw it on gun broker.
It has a scope mounted on it and the inner bbl liner actually slides into the open end of a 2216 aluminum arrow thats 16 inches long and the outer bbl is bigger so that the fletchings are kept centered and arrow from falling out.
Seems to me if i recall correctly it was called the XBR option maybe - Dont quote me on that.
It could shoot fish arrow tips or broad heads or target tips per the 8x32 threaded insert.
Here in my state hunting deer with it would NOT be legal but maybe carp shooting ?????
Ive never seen anything like it before.
Thought i read traditions came out with it in 2019 ish maybe ????
Head Shot

[technojock]

Hello:
This isn't what id call a crossbow but interesting .
Traditions makes a 22lr single shot rifle called the crackshot but also included an arrow launching bbl that uses a #5 red 27 cal nail gun power load to launch up to 385 fps.


I went and looked it up. It sounds interesting but not for what it costs. Many years ago a friend of mine told me about someone he knew that use a blank cartridge to shoot arrows out of a 20 gauge shotgun. It sounded kinda dangerous to me.

I'm thinking about using my crossbow to get rid of garden pests this growing season but I might just use my .300 Blackout instead...

Tony

[M-Tecs]

410's and arrow go together like peanut butter and jelly. It was very common in the late 60's and 70's.

[winelover]

Don't own a Raven, but I leave my Mission Lite cocked up to a week at a time, depending on the weather......nice dry week, I'll hunt every day. I've had it for about 6 seasons. I took it to the pro shop, I purchased it from, to have the string changed. IIRC, it cost $60 and the owner said I was the first customer to ever request that service. He said it was in great shape and didn't need it. I'm sort of proactive about regular string changes. I use to replace the string on my Hoyt compound, every other season, using a compact bow press.

BTW, the Mission Lite was/is the quietest X-bow on the market.

Winelover

[MaryB]

Hello:
This isnt what id call a crossbow but interesting .
Traditions makes a 22lr single shot rifle called the crackshot but also included an arrow launching bbl that uses a #5 red 27 cal nail gun power load to launch up to 385 fps.
I saw it on gun broker.
It has a scope mounted on it and the inner bbl liner actually slides into the open end of a 2216 aluminum arrow thats 16 inches long and the outer bbl is bigger so that the fletchings are kept centered and arrow from falling out.
Seems to me if i recall correctly it was called the XBR option maybe - Dont quote me on that.
It could shoot fish arrow tips or broad heads or target tips per the 8x32 threaded insert.
Here in my state hunting deer with it would NOT be legal but maybe carp shooting ?????
Ive never seen anything like it before.
Thought i read traditions came out with it in 2019 ish maybe ????
Head Shot

I talked to the MN DNR about making airbows legal for the disabled(getting to where pulling a crossbow back hurts...my shoulder is really messed up) plus my bad lower back... crank cocking takes a toll on my carpal tunnel...

They flat out said no we will not even consider it then hung up. MN DNR is notorious for being pig headed about change...

[bmortell]

id just recommend good arrows as they will determine how accurate it is. black eagle zombies in .001 are some of the best factory arrows without crazy prices. my xbow will do 2" at 60yds with em. and a scope thats speed adjustable by the zoom, which it might have already idk how yours came. but those 2 will go a long way to hitting well at various ranges. any more details the crossbow nation forum is where i look

[Dancing Bear]

We had a person in my state two years ago who died as a result of his own actions while hunting with a crossbow. He was pulling his cocked and loaded crossbow up a rope to his treestand platform and it went off while being pulled up. The arrow/bolt passed through his stand (mesh steel) and hit him in the chest. NOTE: NEVER PULL A LOADED CROSSBOW UP INTO THE STAND YOU’RE IN. LOAD IT AFTER YOU PULL THE BOW UP. BE SAFE.
Same as not climbing up with any loaded firearm. PS: another piece of advice - do not aim at the same bullseye on your target when practicing, unless you want damaged arrows!

[perotter]

410's and arrow go together like peanut butter and jelly. It was very common in the late 60's and 70's.

That's what I did when I was a kid with wooden arrows. I showed my cousin and he thought it worked great.

So he loaded up some .410 and used aluminum arrows used them in uncle's expensive .410 trap gun. Manged to line the barrel with aluminum that he couldn't remove. Put him into a panic. But I guess my uncle never looked at the gun and never seen it, has he didn't like shooting trap.

[pertnear]

https://www.crossbownation.com/ is a good forum as well. I had to give up archery due to a hand operation some years ago and got into crossbow hunting when it became legal here in NY.
I like my Barnett too.

I'm a member of crossbownation & I also recommend it for good info & congenial members. It seems that everyone there is very willing & helpful to "newbies".

[Dekota56]

I have a Barnett crossbow.. I like hunting with what ever is out there for the State of Pa. To hunt with, but I enjoy hunting more with my Hoyt compound. That is due to that I had more time with it shooting and hunting. So I know it more.. good luck with your new crossbow !