ArcheryTalk Forum: Target & Bowhunting Chat - Crossbows

Hawke XB30 Scope

Iron Duke — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:10:16 GMT

I should be embarrassed to admit ... but contrary to my high expectations for wringing out my Strykeforce and XB30 scope this summer; I've been buried trying to finish a 4 room addition I built. Big talk last March but little action. LOL Anyway ... I managed a fair amount of practice indoors at 20 yards upon receiving the XB30 the minute they came out. Now ... I've been sneaking outside at daybreak in suburbia the last two days to sight in at 30 & 40 yards for Saturday's opener. (Typical knucklehead archer right?) Yesterday shot one arrow at 20 ... dead on. Moved back to 30, second crosshair ... low. About 10 clicks up ... dead on for a dozen shots with the second crosshair. One at 40, third crosshair dead on. One final shot at 20 top crosshair again ... an inch low. I have no issue with an inch at 20 yards. Abandoned my hideout not wanting to push my luck. Today, daybreak again. Reticle needed illumination to see again. Half dozen shots at 40 yards, third crosshair none more than an inch off the center of POA. Shooting off a couple of bolt kegs topped with a towel and a rickety wood stool.

Bottom Line ... the Hawke XB30 ... is a major jump above the SR I used last season to kill 19 deer. Better optics, better eye relief for me, better reticle with illuminated crosshairs vs illuminated circles, and better magnification. In my opinion it's everything that Moon had foretold it would be before it hit the shelves. I didn't feel comfortable with the SR last year (mostly the circle reticles, and somewhat the optical niche) ... and I was determined to replace it. I held off mounting a Zeiss Conquest or going off in some other direction after last season primarily because of the early scuttlebutt on the yet to be issued XB30. Congratulations to ... Hawke, for bringing us a very suitable crossbow scope ... and Thank you to ... Moon, for letting me/us know it was coming, and it was going to be good. He took a fair amount of abuse from some people because Hawke didn’t give the go-ahead to reveal specifications ... and he weathered the storm. :thumbs_up

I'm ready!!

Moonkryket — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:11:55 GMT

Did a dry run sit this evening in a tree stand in my front yard at the farm. I climbed up about 6:00. At 7:15 I was looking 350 yards across the field with my binos, at one of my tree stands. It's in a secluded front corner of the field about 5 yards inside the woodline overlooking the field. I could plainly see the stand 15 feet off the ground and while I had the binos on the stand, 2 bucks walked out of the woods in the very corner and slowly walked by that stand no more than 12 steps away while feeding on soybeans!!!!!!!!!!!!! They looked like twins, almost identical 8 pointers about 18" wide with extremely tall racks. I could not believe my eyes. I know I will be taking a big chance hunting with the medieval crossbow but I'm going to take that chance. I may do some digiscoping one evening next week to get close up photos of these 2 beauties. If I get them I'll post them here. I'm ready!!:thumbs_up

Anybody shot Ramcats in you crossbow?

ncyotecaller — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:34:11 GMT

Just ordered a pack to try in my Strykeforce, any results in a crossbow with these.

4x32 scope will not zero need help

outrunner13 — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:46:46 GMT

4x32 scope on a barnett penetrator had it shooting perfect at 20-30 yds move to 40 yds shooting 12in high after over200 clicks down got perfect now at 30yds its shooting 6-8in low i give up i think its a bad scope any help would be apprecaited thanks trying to get ready for the season

G5

dogsthatwork — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:11:38 GMT

Anybody use G5 BH ?

limbsaver

dogsthatwork — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:44:31 GMT

Anyone use these on there xbows?

Slick Tricks 100gr vs 125gr

dogsthatwork — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:24:26 GMT

I have a 6 point proslider by Tenpoint and arrows are easton razer xx75. Should i shoot 100gr or 125gr broadheads. Thanks for your help.

Birthday Present Crossbow Smack-A-Hog

Zen Archery — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:43:00 GMT

New birthday present takes care of business.
Gotta do a couple of mods to the crossbow before its next trip out. Def. need to practice longer distances. Either way it was an EPIC hunt!

Best Hunt Ever !!!

smpepsi — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:10:59 GMT

Hello xbow friends was invited to Kentucky opening weekend and didnt realize what the Lord had in store for me. Just wanted to share my excitement with yall. It wasnt xbow season yet so i had to leave the ol' SF xbow at home. A little nervous cause i hadnt shot my Mathews MQ1 in a few years. Well it all came together and i was fortunate enough to take my biggest buck ever .160 class typical whitetail 10 point in full velvet @ 56 yrds with them new Redhead Gators ( old rocky mount gator xp's). Try to upload some pics .

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Slick Tricks Redeem Themselves

vaguru — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:36:42 GMT

Yesterday I posted "First Blood of 2010". I omitted that my son, R2, also shot a doe with the same results I had, only it went a bit further. We were hunting about 700 yards apart, but both deer went to the same trail and expired about 30 yds from each other.

Today he shot another doe, fell dead 20 yds from where shot. Blood trail great. 2 pics attached, first is yesterdays, 2nd is todays.

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need help with new barnett quad 400

looklow — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:39:04 GMT

I cant get this new crossbow sighted in with broadheads over 25 yards. I was told I need to buy new bolts and this would fix the problem. Any suggestions? And what is the range of a crossbow? Im new to the game.

Interesting fletching results

upland — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:00:28 GMT

I decided to try some different fletching options and came up with with some interesting results. I am shooting a Parker Cyclone using GT Laser II arrows with 125 gr. Slick Tricks. I used arrows with 4" vanetec vanes set 7/8" from the back of the shaft and 3" Fusion vanes set 1 3/8" from the back of the shaft. The 4" vanes were shooting dead on at 20,30 & 40 yards. I then shot the arrows with the 3" Fusions and was shooting 6 to 7" high at 30 and 40 yards. My 30 yd. crosshair was dead on @ 40 with the Fusions. I thought this was a little extreme and out of the ordinary. Any one else have such dramatic results in tragectory with different fletching?

Bolt length and nock styles.

deermaster — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:36:44 GMT

I am getting ready to order a Excalibur, looking at the Exocet 200 and the Ibex. What bolt length 20 or 22, and do I need flat nocks or half moon? Thanks, noob questions, but ya gotta start somewhere;)

Broadhead 100 or 125?

zSar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:35:33 GMT

Hi folks... I am just a bit concern if its ok to use just 100 gr on a crossbow arrow (aka bolt)? But the manual suggested to use heavy grain arrows which I am still confused on how to make the computations... I have the barnete Penetrator and the package comes with a 125 field head. Thanks.

Pressing the limbs on the Horton TRT Ultra Lite Express

Moonkryket — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:12:38 GMT

Horton offers a neat little tackle box sized limb press for the TRT Ultra Lite. It is exactly like the press for the Vision 175 but with added hooks to fit over the Ultra Lite's axle bushings. The bushings appear to be of a brass like material but I'm told it is much more durable than brass. One of the hooks should be removed from the cable by removing the Allen head screw so the cable loop can be slid through the crossbow's barrel�s cable slide slot and then replace the hook. Back out the take up screw enough to allow the cable hooks to hook over the axle bushings. The hooks are rather long so having them fall loose is not likely once they are in place.

The take up screw that tightens the limb press cable has a 5/8" hex nut top and a small through-pin. I do not use the pin except for initial taking up of the press cable's slack because quite a bit of force is needed to take up the cable's length enough to remove the bow string or bow's cable strings. For that reason I use a socket and ratchet.
If you will be adjusting cams� rotation only and will not be removing the bowstring, turn the crossbow bottom side up.

Making sure the cable hooks are firmly in place and the take up screw assembly is positioned so that it does not interfere with the bowstring or bow�s cables, start turning the take up screw clockwise until the press cables become tight. Continue making one turn at a time and checking bowstring and bow cables' tension. When the screw has been turned clockwise enough, the bowstring or cables will become loose enough to be removed from the cam's end loop posts. The bowstring does not have to be removed to adjust either cam�s rotation.

Before removing the string or bows cable ends, check them closely so you will know how they are positioned when re assembling them. Note how the bow�s cables are crossed and positioned in the cable slide that is located in the barrel�s cable slot. I recommend taking a few close up photos prior to dismantling if you have doubts about how to re assemble the string and cables.

If you will only be adjusting one of the the cam�s rotation so both cams are the same, note the cam that is turned inward the least (towards the front of the bow). Rotate that cam inward by hand towards the front to clear the end loop post from underneath the limb. There will be some resistance when turning the cam while the limb press hooks are in place. Pry the bow�s cable end loop off the post and twist it tighter by 2 turns. Push the cable�s end loop back over the post. Making sure the cables� and bowstring end loops are in place and attached to their respective posts and the cable slide is also in place while releasing the limb press tension by slowly turning the take up screw�s hex nut counter clockwise. Make sure everything is in place before releasing all tension from the limb press cables. Remove limb press from the crossbow and check the cams� rotation. Cock the crossbow and shoot an arrow. Now check the cams� rotation again to determine if the two turns in the twist equalized the cams� rotation. If you over corrected or did not move the cam inward enough, repeat the complete process. By turning additional twists in the cable loop you will move the front of the cam (towards the front of the crossbow) inward in the direction of the barrel and the opposite of that when untwisting the cable loop.

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