Well, things certainly are a little slow in the crossbow forum. 106 views and crickets.

 

yea xbow section is pretty slow and has been. Sad really. Wish I could answer but I’m not hanging from a rope 25 feet up lol. Don’t like heights

 

Crossbow nation is a better place for crossbow content. I agree hickory creek is a great Saddle option, as are the new thinner crossbows by Tenpoint and Ravin. The R18 will definitely fit the bill, but it’s a bit ugly and slow for the price they’re demanding.

 

Crossbow nation is a better place for crossbow content. I agree hickory creek is a great Saddle option, as are the new thinner crossbows by Tenpoint and Ravin. The R18 will definitely fit the bill, but it’s a bit ugly and slow for the price they’re demanding.

slow
What is funny to me is that most are buying crossbows to hunt whitetail deer. Millions of deer have been successfully harvested with bows that shot speeds of 160 fps to 275 fps. Yet today's crossbow market is demanding 400fps to 500 fps. This increase in poundage has many negatives yet it just gets the bolt through the deer a bit quicker and sticks in the ground much deeper.
I helped Jim at Scorpyd a few years at the AMO show. He paid me with a bow each year. While working the show, it became very obvious that the speed bows were much harder to hand cock. The speed bows were louder and it only seems to reason that the higher poundage bows are harder on strings cables limbs etc. The Scorpyd I have now shot about 360 fps which IMHO is still a bit much, but it was the lowest poundage, easiest cocking, and quietest model available.
The Mini I have is set at about 120 lbs. Shoots plenty fast enough to kill deer. I can easily hand cock it, even in a treestand. It is much quieter than most crossbows. I have 3 hard decisions when leaving for an evening hunt. Which property am I going to hunt, which treestand and I going to sit and which crossbow am I going to take. Decisions, decisions.

 

I don't saddle hunt but do like using the tree as a prop and the ability to hide behind the tree. Thought with the smaller reverse draw bow, I wouldn't have near as much trouble whacking cams on trees. Hit it once while trying to shoot a turkey and once turning while shooting a walking deer. The good news, a clean miss on both and no damage to the bow either time. The immediate thought after kicking myself both times, I would have been tagging them if I had brought the Mini that morning.

 

Reverse limb is going to be better choice shooting around a tree. Most of the limb movement is out front, limbs are narrower, and string V is very narrow(closer to the rail). Only have to get the front of the limbs out past the trunk