Hello everyone - new guy here.

Bald Eagle · Post by **Bald Eagle** » Mon May 29, 2006 7:58 am

Man! I'm glad I found this forum.

I'm an old lefty compound bow guy and have many years of bumps, bruises, and now good old arthritus is setting in. Three years ago I dislocated my shoulder and things have not been good since then. This past deer season I missed three great shots at three very nice bucks. All because I just can't draw my bow very well anymore.

I have gone to BassPro and two local bow shops looking at xbows. I fell in love with the entire excal line of bows. I have to admit though, that none of the xbows that I have held in my hands feel very comfortable. They feel very awkward and front-heavy. Is this normal for a person who is new to this type of bow? I shot a Hoyt, Ten-point, and an Excalibur and all three brands just don't have a good "feel".

Is this normal? I'm sure this feeling would go away with lots of practice but these bows are VERY expensive (to me) and I don't want to make a costly mistake. Any suggestions?

A.W · Post by **A.W** » Mon May 29, 2006 8:58 am

They will all feel awkward at first but you will get used to it. The Excal models will last you a life time and you wont need to keep visiting the Pro-shop for repairs/adjustments.

Their guarantee is second to none.

Welcome!!!

diesel · Post by **diesel** » Mon May 29, 2006 9:40 am

Excalibur is where my money goes. I'm in Ohio also. Most of my family owns hortons. But now that they have seen my Excalibur they are all up grading to the Excalibur. I have bought two of them Excalibur crossbows and I feel that is just a begining. I here there are two more that are thinking about getting the Excaliburs.
Excalibur builds the best crossbow. If the string breaks or gets worn out just install a new one and shoot a bulls eye. It's that simple. The owners at Excalibur are the best you can call and talk to them and they will help you.
All you need to do is find a bow in your price range. If you stay here @ the forum people sell them here. This forum has a lot of good people that sell things.They will help with any question you have.
Grey Wolf just opened his own shop. Dan Miller @ Horizontal Archery in Sardis , Ohio. Bow Hunters Super Store. There are three very good places to buy a new bow. I was just at Buckeye out doors in Newark Ohio they have 4 Excalibur bows there you can shoot, then buy anywhere you find the best deal.
Excalibur has the best trigger of them all.
Good luck and wellcome to the forum.

GREY OWL · Post by **GREY OWL** » Mon May 29, 2006 10:55 am

Welcome to the forum Bald Eagle. I believe Excalibur is the lightest of all the xbows. But when you start mounting add-on's, like scope, sling, quiver, etc,etc. it can get a bit heavy.

Trust me, once you have a big buck in your sights, there's no weight at all to them. Good luck Bald Eagle, and have fun.

Grey Owl

Bald Eagle · Post by **Bald Eagle** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:03 pm

Thanks for the quick responses. I just noticed that I said Hoyt in my first post - I meant to say Horton.

Fall hunting season will be here quickly and I gotta make up my mind pretty soon. I love to (and need to) practice.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:18 pm

Welcome to the forum!
I think you'll find out that a lot of us here are aging bowhunters that have learned to "adapt" to a crossbow's disadvantages to keep bowhunting. I tried Horton and Barnett, and had decided the crossbow wasn't really that great of a way to sling arrows, so I was about ready to give up bowhunting. (Bone spurs in the shoulder kept me from shooting my longbows and recurves for several years, but I can shoot lower draw weights if I limit the number of shots now)
I finally got a chance to shoot an Excalibur, and it soon became my #1 hunting bow! It takes a little getting used to the weight, width, and noise, but the Excaliburs require minimal maintenance and are very accurate with great arrow velocity.
I highly recommend Excalibur, and I think if you purchase one and hunt with it you will probably be pleased. The crossbow took some getting used to, but it's really just another method of launching arrows and the bowHUNTING remains pretty much the same. I spend more time in a tree stand or ground blind than I did with a longbow, but the hunting is still enjoyable!

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:52 pm

welcome man! Im a new xbower also and everyone ive held has felt weird. Im just use to compounds to much I guess. Ive made a few bad shots and missed a few awesome bucks which is why I'm gonna give the xbow a try. I only shoot 60pounds on my compound and ive nailed a few shoulder shots on nice bucks and couldnt find them. Im hoping the extra speed of the xbow might help break through the other shoulder a little better if i pull a bad shot again. Plus the drawing back of the bow usually gets me in trouble in the stand. With the xbow its already to go

i know these are louder than compounds, but like everyone said here.. sound doesnt matter with the speed of these excals!

I went with excal since they are a little quicker, lighter, and easier to maintain then the xbow compounds

NZ Hunter · Post by **NZ Hunter** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:10 am

Welcome
I did a lot of research & reading before deciding to go Excalibur. I am pleased I did. I am fairly new to this forum but was made feel welcome buy all. I did have a mishap with my new Phoenix doing some damage but was helped out big time by Excalibur, they really stand behind their product and are second to none when It comes to customer service.
The more experienced guys here have a wealth of knowledge to draw from and have always helped me out what ever the questions may be. There is still plenty for me to learn but I dont feel alone.
If you do take the challenge I wish you all the best.
NZ Hunter

curmudgeon · Post by **curmudgeon** » Tue May 30, 2006 6:31 am

Welcome, just keep your digits under the rail and never shoot when your limbs may hit something. I started out with a Vixen and I'm still glad I did. Hunting in Ohio I just couldn't pull it back on a cold morning. Had three opportunities at a nice 8-pointer, that's when I went to Excalibur.
Good Hunting