Advice for Old Rookie

[Old Rookie]

Hello to all. The name says it all, folks. For a lot of reasons I am about to purchase my first crossbow. I have decided on an Excalibur Phoenix and will likely use aluminum 2216 or 2219 arrows and cut on contact 3 or 4-blade broadheads. I have some questions, however.
1. Can one use feather fletching with a crossbow or is plastic, the "norm"?
2. I would like to use a 3-or 4-blade broadhead of 150 grains,preferably cut on contact. Am I allowed to ask what forum members prefer as a straight, non-planing broadhead. Am particularly thinking about Wensel Wodsman Elite and Magnus Stingers.
3. I make my own Femish twist strings but have no familiarity with material other than dacron. What is the desired string material of Flemish style for a 200 pound crossbow and serving material.

For your information, I have been a longbow shooter for years and made a lot of my own equipment. I guess, depending on who one talks to I am deemed to be a traditional shooter. However, my opinion is that Man far and wide has designed and found ways to get a sharp pointed stick into a vital area of a chosen animal, when necessity and/or Seasons allowed. That is tradition!
That is what we all do and I am proud to be a part of it.

[Tom]

............
1. Can one use feather fletching with a crossbow or is plastic, the "norm"?
2. I would like to use a 3-or 4-blade broadhead of 150 grains,preferably cut on contact. Am I allowed to ask what forum members prefer as a straight, non-planing broadhead. Am particularly thinking about Wensel Wodsman Elite and Magnus Stingers.
3. I make my own Femish twist strings but have no familiarity with material other than dacron. What is the desired string material of Flemish style for a 200 pound crossbow and serving material.
.................

I can't help you with all your questions but here are some.

#1 ...... fletching can be either feathers or plastic. I have used feathers for over 25 years and that is what I like best.
#2 ...... you will probually find out that you can choose any broad head that you want. Excalibur Crossbows are very
head friendly and will shoot many different types of heads as long as they are a quality head. My preference is the NAP SpitFire mechanical.

Hope this helps and starts you going.

[maple]

Welcome Old Rookie,

Feather fletching works well on bolts. What I found is that they can hold a lot of water in wet weather. Don't know how that affects their flight, and don't aim to find out. I choose plastic. They seem to be most commonly used.

As far as broadheads is concerned, stick around and you'll get an earfull. Or, try a search on the forum and read all you want on the topic. Or, as a Newbie, just post the question and grab yourself a cup of coffee. Or ask Sumner4991, who does gathers and presents statistics on bolts and heads. There are lots of quality heads that fly well. There isn't just one favourite.

The important thing is, to test the ones you choose on your own set-up and make sure you have complete confidence in them before hunting. And, have a blast.

Don't know much about strings. Boo makes strings of great repute. That I do know.

Maple

[vixenmaster]

String material 452 or dynaflite some new stuff out i can't remember the #. I use feathers & vanes both. The faster the CB shoots the smaller the BH to keep it from planing, i use 125gr Snuffer from Magnus with my vixen. Welcome to the Forum & i use 2216-2219 & GT II with brass insert fer lots of FOC

[OkXbowHunter]

I'd also add that all newcomers should put their location in their profile!! So we all know where you're from...that way we know you're not a stranger...

By the way, I'd second the Snuffers if you wanted a 150 grain but I'd also suggest you look into the Excalibur broadheads. They're not a COC, but they should work very well.

[gerald strine]

One thing to keep in mind when shooting a cross bow is you will not have a problem getting a pass through on deer the cut on contact head is not as important as with vertical recurves and long bows , the heads I prefer for my vertical bows are not my choice for my crossbow.

[j.krug]

Looks like most of your questions got answered above so I will just say welcome to the forum.
Hope you enjoy crossbow hunting as much as you do longbow hunting.

[georgiaboy]

Welcome!!!!
Can't ansewer a lot of your questions cause I'm kinda new to the excal's to!!
But I do have a little exp. With the broadhead game.
I originally sighted in my ibex with spitfire's and had it drivin tacks! Then i switched to a fixed blade (muzzy) and could not even come close in accuracy!
I guess you will just have to experiment and find what combo works best for you!!
I hear a lot of good report's on slick tricks!
Good luck!!!

[Crispy]

WELCOME!!

[Old Rookie]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Keep it coming.
I'm in Eastern Ontario.

[Cossack]

Have a gander at Grizz Tricks (made by Slick Tricks) a superb 4 bladed cut on contact 'head. Been using DynaFlight 97 for my 32 strand Flemish. Works well but takes a while to stretch in; less so since I started using a string stretcher. On the bright side, it's a bit more forgiving if dry fired.
I'm using Halo or Angel Majesty for serving. Iron tough! Serve the string streched very, very tight and in the same direction as your twists. That way, the serving only gets tighter when you twist it up for brace adjustment.
As for arrows (which I also make) have had my best results with GT Lazer II carbon shafts, 110 gr brass inserts, aluminum nocks and 2" Blazer of Fusion plastic vanes. They are much more durable than feathers (and far cheaper). The above constructed arrows weight 405 gr with a 100 gr tip. Most places that less the shaft include the inserts and nocks. Been using Gorilla brand regular glue for inserts and their 'crazy glue' for the vanes. Great stuff.
Send me a pm if i feel I can be of further assistance.
Welcome and best luck..............
From Another Old Fart, turn 70 on Sat.

[OMC-MOOSE]

Welcome to the forum! I found out A LOT from being here for almost a year now. I am an ex-traditional shooter as well and had to take up the xbow to continue bowhunting due to shoulder issues. I wanted to keep my arrows similar to my recurve arrows so I used what I had left and it has worked very well.

I use 4" shield cut feathers, LW, left helical on Easton 2213 Classic shafts (dipped and crested because I enjoy doing it). I shoot Zwickey 125 gr. Eskimo 2-blade glue-on broadheads mounted on Premium Steel Broadhead adapters purchased from 3 Rivers archery to get a higher FOC with Easton aluminum inserts. The Slick Trick b.heads would have been my next choice to experiment with on heads had the Zwickeys not worked based on the amount of positive comments on the Slicks. I also use the 125 gr. glue-on field points for practice mounted on the same steel b.head adapters to keep hunting and practice arrows identical.

I originally made up a bunch of 2219's and shot them and they flew as well as the 2213's did but with the kinetic energy levels of both (more than enough) I gave up the extra weight of the 2219's in exchange for a little more speed with the 2213's.

As for the strings, X2 on the Boo Strings. Well worth the money and the wait...order well in advance before you "need" it. Enjoy!