question on phoenix
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
question on phoenix
I'm new to this site and xbows. After 40 plus years of shooting and hunting verticle bows, I'm wanting to get a phoenix after trying one at Bass Pro. Will the 175 lbs phoenix give me plenty of power for deer out to around 30 yards? The 200 lb vortex would be harder to cock and I don't know it would really be needed. Phoenix users, how do they perform? Thanks.
A good choice.....
The Phoenix has more than enough to take a deer or moose at 30 yards, is lighter, and not as loud.
ohhh, and like all Excaliburs, reliable and a tack driver....
and welcome aboard.
The Phoenix has more than enough to take a deer or moose at 30 yards, is lighter, and not as loud.
ohhh, and like all Excaliburs, reliable and a tack driver....
and welcome aboard.
If the thrill of the hunt is lost, then I have lost.
Phoenix - Varizone Scope - Custom GT Laser II - 100 grain Slicks / brass inserts - Boo string
PSE Axe 6 - Axcel Sight - QAD Rest - TruBall S1 Release
Phoenix - Varizone Scope - Custom GT Laser II - 100 grain Slicks / brass inserts - Boo string
PSE Axe 6 - Axcel Sight - QAD Rest - TruBall S1 Release
I use a Vixon and it has plenty of power for deer ect. all bows have same quality parts and same trigers ect. Phoenix will be the other crossbow I will get next year. I never plan on going bigger than that for one reason you mentioned as well as couple others. You would make a wize choose but....
get the right stuff package if you ever plan to put on a scope which we all end up doing evenually
get the right stuff package if you ever plan to put on a scope which we all end up doing evenually
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Phoenix_Tom
- Posts: 437
- Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:09 am
- Location: Eastern Ontario
Welcome Macobow!
I don't just like my Phoenix - I loooooove my Phoenix!
It'll shoot through a deer at 30yds no problem. At 40 yds it punches arrows twice as deep into my target backing (Black Hole) than my 150# PSE xbow did at 20yds. Like Bowster said, it's little bit lighter and perhaps not as loud as the heavier xbows. My Phoenix is whisper quiet.
Buy it! You won't be disappointed.
If you can, get the Right Stuff package with the Varizone scope. If not, at least get the rope cocking aid. You may not need the cocker for cocking that one time before the hunt but it sure makes it a lot nicer / easier for target shooting and also for uncocking. It also does a nice job of cocking the string so that it's centered.
Good luck!
Tom
I don't just like my Phoenix - I loooooove my Phoenix!
It'll shoot through a deer at 30yds no problem. At 40 yds it punches arrows twice as deep into my target backing (Black Hole) than my 150# PSE xbow did at 20yds. Like Bowster said, it's little bit lighter and perhaps not as loud as the heavier xbows. My Phoenix is whisper quiet.
Buy it! You won't be disappointed.
If you can, get the Right Stuff package with the Varizone scope. If not, at least get the rope cocking aid. You may not need the cocker for cocking that one time before the hunt but it sure makes it a lot nicer / easier for target shooting and also for uncocking. It also does a nice job of cocking the string so that it's centered.
Good luck!
Tom
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crazyfarmer
- Posts: 5250
- Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 10:21 pm
- Location: Virginia
- Contact:
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crazyfarmer
- Posts: 5250
- Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 10:21 pm
- Location: Virginia
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also, the thing you have to look at is... will I want a faster model next year. If so, then spend the extra and get what you want. I did the samething and went with the exocet 200 when it came out instead of the exomax.. well this year I sold the exocet and got the faster brother(equinox)
speed is a addiction
speed is a addiction
The Phoenix is plenty of bow at 30 yards for any deer in North America.
Select arrows with enough weight to keep the bow shooting smoothly, but not so much weight as to slow it down too much. For my Phoenix that seems to be anything in the 380-410 grain range. Still good velocity, but a lot smoother/quieter than a minimum weight (350 gr) arrow.
I don't know the exact velocity, because I don't need to know.
I feel very confident that I can cleanly take a deer at 30 yards, but I have never taken one that far. I did miss one at close to 30 yards (because of a scope malfunction) and the arrow was stuck in the ground before the doe reacted to the shot. Not a lot of time to spare, but the bow was shooting 8" low when I checked it right after the miss (it was dead-on the previous evening) and the arrow went right under the doe. If she had dropped even a couple inches it would have drawn blood! (not fatally, but it would have hit the brisket)
For me the Phoenix is all the bow I need. I'm sighted in with the crosshair dead-on at 25 yards. (new system I'm trying this season) If I hold the crosshair in the center of the kill zone, any deer out to 30 yards will die quickly if I shoot accurately. So far I have tested that method on a couple deer and both of those are close to me now. (I can touch the freezer from where I'm setting
) Matter of fact, we just had meat from one of them for lunch today. 
Speed is not a bad thing, but hunting skill and shooting ability is important. To gain a few fps I would have to get a bow that is much harder (for me - I'm not tall) to cock, and that would mean less practice. To keep my shooting ability at it's best I'll opt for the loss of some speed and take a few more shots each practice session.
As for hunting skill, there are enough dumb deer to keep me eating until I improve, and dumb deer taste good, too. 
Select arrows with enough weight to keep the bow shooting smoothly, but not so much weight as to slow it down too much. For my Phoenix that seems to be anything in the 380-410 grain range. Still good velocity, but a lot smoother/quieter than a minimum weight (350 gr) arrow.
I don't know the exact velocity, because I don't need to know.
I feel very confident that I can cleanly take a deer at 30 yards, but I have never taken one that far. I did miss one at close to 30 yards (because of a scope malfunction) and the arrow was stuck in the ground before the doe reacted to the shot. Not a lot of time to spare, but the bow was shooting 8" low when I checked it right after the miss (it was dead-on the previous evening) and the arrow went right under the doe. If she had dropped even a couple inches it would have drawn blood! (not fatally, but it would have hit the brisket)
For me the Phoenix is all the bow I need. I'm sighted in with the crosshair dead-on at 25 yards. (new system I'm trying this season) If I hold the crosshair in the center of the kill zone, any deer out to 30 yards will die quickly if I shoot accurately. So far I have tested that method on a couple deer and both of those are close to me now. (I can touch the freezer from where I'm setting
) Matter of fact, we just had meat from one of them for lunch today. Speed is not a bad thing, but hunting skill and shooting ability is important. To gain a few fps I would have to get a bow that is much harder (for me - I'm not tall) to cock, and that would mean less practice. To keep my shooting ability at it's best I'll opt for the loss of some speed and take a few more shots each practice session.
As for hunting skill, there are enough dumb deer to keep me eating until I improve, and dumb deer taste good, too.
wabi
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Doe Master
- Site Admin
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- Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 7:57 am
- Location: Baden , Ontario
Like it has been said before all the excal bows are scary accurate ,it just comes down to how far do you want to sink the arrow into the ground on the other side of the deer . The pheonix is a very good bow for what you want to use it for .
There is really no bad choice in the bows .The deciding factor more is your height ,if you are shorter than 6 foot then the thumbhole stocks are more friendly .
just my 2 cents worth
The pheonix is a very good bow for what you want to use it for .There is really no bad choice in the bows .The deciding factor more is your height ,if you are shorter than 6 foot then the thumbhole stocks are more friendly .
just my 2 cents worth
I have the phoenix and have hunted for 2 seasons now with it.It is a great crossbow and has plenty of power for deer.The longest shot I have taken with it is 34 yards a complete pass through.I have killed 7 deer and a turkey with it so far.I am 6'2" and have no trouble with the length of the stock.I use the 2216 arrows that came with it and fixed and mechanical broadheads both.You can't go wrong with a excaliber.
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GA.crossbowhunt
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2003 12:25 pm
- Location: savannah,ga.
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welcome to the excal site. you will love the phoenix. i wasnt able to hunt with mine this year but look out for next year. i am 5' 4" and can cock it with no problems at all. but i am adding a acudraw to it because of my right hand its getting weaker as time goes one.
excalibur phoenix
lumi-zone
sts system
acu draw 50
custom string by boo
groundpounders mount
cas custom bolts
100gr slick tricks
excalibur shooter for life
lumi-zone
sts system
acu draw 50
custom string by boo
groundpounders mount
cas custom bolts
100gr slick tricks
excalibur shooter for life
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Grizzly Adam
- Posts: 5701
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:36 pm
- Location: Decatur County, Indiana
Welcome to the forum, Macobow!
The Phoenix is a fine and adequate choice for deer hunting, but don't let it's sufficiency alone cause you to rule out other (heavier draw weight) models.
I believe the useful advantage of a heavier bow is it's ability to shoot heavier arrows as fast or faster than lighter models, and in archery hunting, given adequate speed, a heavier arrow is a better arrow.
Heavier arrows penetrate better, period. They perform better with marginal strikes. They aren't as adversely affected by the "unseen" limbs or twigs that get in our way. They dampen the vibration of your bow and reduce it's noise.
It's also important to consider whether you might want to hunt other game than deer at some time. The Phoenix is adequate for hunting bigger game, but that doesn't mean it's as good as a heavier draw weight bow. When hunting heavy game like bear, draw weight really becomes a factor, especially in marginal strikes.
My own advice for those choosing hunting bows has always been to use the heaviest bow that you can comfortably handle, for the reasons cited above: That way you can sling the heaviest arrow possible at a good speed, without wearing yourself out or preventing practice.
My choice in crossbows was the Exomax, according to that thinking.
Sounds like yours might be the Phoenix!
As you see, they've got good reviews!
The Phoenix is a fine and adequate choice for deer hunting, but don't let it's sufficiency alone cause you to rule out other (heavier draw weight) models.
I believe the useful advantage of a heavier bow is it's ability to shoot heavier arrows as fast or faster than lighter models, and in archery hunting, given adequate speed, a heavier arrow is a better arrow.
Heavier arrows penetrate better, period. They perform better with marginal strikes. They aren't as adversely affected by the "unseen" limbs or twigs that get in our way. They dampen the vibration of your bow and reduce it's noise.
It's also important to consider whether you might want to hunt other game than deer at some time. The Phoenix is adequate for hunting bigger game, but that doesn't mean it's as good as a heavier draw weight bow. When hunting heavy game like bear, draw weight really becomes a factor, especially in marginal strikes.
My own advice for those choosing hunting bows has always been to use the heaviest bow that you can comfortably handle, for the reasons cited above: That way you can sling the heaviest arrow possible at a good speed, without wearing yourself out or preventing practice.
My choice in crossbows was the Exomax, according to that thinking.
Sounds like yours might be the Phoenix!
As you see, they've got good reviews!
Grizz
