Infatuation with wheeled crossbows?

marmot · Post by **marmot** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:17 am

It may be because an entire generation of hunters grew up with compound bows, but I just do not see what it is that attracts so many people to “wheeled” crossbows. My local pro-shop only sells Excalibur (I turned them onto Excal four seasons ago). However, at the local Outdoor World, people always tend to gravitate towards the crossbows with wheels. I cannot understand why anyone would want to own a crossbow that requires a bow press in order to be able to do something as simple as changing strings. I guess that most people do not already have enough complexity in their lives.

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:26 am

They are probably new to crossbows and do not realize how often they will need to take the string off. It's not like having a vertical compound.

So, do they need a bow press everytime they need to adjust the brace height? Everytime they need to reserve? Everytime they need a new string? Seems like a reason to buy a bow press or make a lot of trips to the local bow shop . . .that might actually be a perk if I could afford those trips.

Makomachine · Post by **Makomachine** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:12 am

I own a Phoenix and love it. It's a great crossbow and the only one I would take on a back country / remote hunt. With that said, it is wider than I would like and that is one of the advantages of a compound crossbow. I think there is room for both, with each having particular strengths and weaknesses. I won't go into that here since this is the Excalibur site and it doesn't make sense to discuss this in this venue. Given that, I think there are many people who frequent this site that understand the strengths & weaknesses of both types of crossbows. Probably the reason they own more than one! A man can't have too many toys.

marmot · Post by **marmot** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:19 am

Excalibur used to offer the Paradox, which was a wheeled crossbow.

Shakky · Post by **Shakky** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:46 pm

I have both a Phoenix and a Maxpoint/Paradox. I shoot the Phoenix most of the time but for hunting I like the Maxpoint as I find it easier to shoot and handle in my blind. I like the balance of the bow and you can change the string in the field if you have to. Big Bear I think posted a way to do it awhile ago.

mike41 · Post by **mike41** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:58 pm

I got my 1st xbow in 1992, a Barnett Demon. I can't remember how I came to buy that brand, or even where I bought it? I had never shot a xbow or for that fact even held one. In 2003 I bought a Barnett Revolution because I had such good luck with the Demon. The Revolution served me well, until it was stolen. But the trigger pull was extremely hard, and I don't think it was as accurate as it should have been.

In Missouri you have to get a disabled permit from the Conservaton Dept. to hunt with a xbow, and until last yr. I didn't know of anybody else who had one. My uncle got one last yr. and now shoots a Exocet, and loves it (of course I keep reminding him it was my idea).

I had never heard of Excalibur until I found this web site (sure glad I did). Now that I have a Phoenix that I can cock, I hope to enjoy it as much as the other members on here enjoy theirs.

Mike41:

BigTiny · Post by **BigTiny** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:42 pm

Simplicity of design was one of the things I liked about the Excal bows. I need things as simple as I can get them.

wildwindom · Post by **wildwindom** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:43 pm

A little easier to walk thru the woods with to.

navaman · Post by **navaman** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:41 pm

forgive me all true blue recurve xbow hunters. i still have a liking for some of the compound xbows. i started out with a barnett ranger recurve and had a lot of fun with it. then i bought the revolution. i loved the speed . i kept it for awhile and then passed it on to my step-son. i know now i can get speed from a recurve but if i ever get rich i'm gonna buy a couple of 2000.00 crossbows with 405 fps just for funsies. but i know what can be counted on and that's excalibur !

BigTiny · Post by **BigTiny** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:14 pm

$2K is a lot of money to spend on a stringed instrument. If I had that much burning a hole in my pocket, my purchase would go BANG and not TWANG.

kev · Post by **kev** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:55 pm

I had a few Horton bows, before I owned a computer and knew there were other crossbow manufacturers. After using a computer and surfing the internet I'd found this site and ordered my first Excalibur through a local Gun Shop, then found out about Dan Miller on this site and orded two from him over the years, plus goodies. I still have a Maxpoint also, very nice wheeled bow.

There are'nt to many places that carry Excaliburs by me. Hortons and Tenpoints and Parkers at the Gander Mountain. The local archery place closed down, they mostly carried Hortons. I'd imagine chain stores carry Hortons also. I think alot of buyer like to handle/look at a piece before buying wich results in wheelbows.

Buy the way most of my friends/hunting buddies have computers for there kids/wifes and NEVER even surfed the net, probably never will. They watch outdoor hunting channels though

I'm 49 and did'nt use my wifes computer for years. For information a computer is great, if you can weed through the people that actually know what there talking about.

I've always thought this website was the best advertising Excalibur had for promoting there products. When I stumbled here years ago NO other manufacturer had a discussion forum! It sold me back then and I've probably been responsible for a few Excalibur sales since. If you can't find info here on Excalibur products with the Search button you ain't going to find it anywhere.

Really for any crossbow owner that shoots/practices a bunch there is no other bow to own hands down. No bow press,no cables,no wheels, just re-serve the string and go

marmot · Post by **marmot** » Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:47 pm

Having worked professionally with computers since 1979 and having used the Internet since it was called the ARPANET, I sometimes forget that most Baby Boomers are barely computer literate. If it were not for the Internet, I too would have never discovered Excalibur crossbows.

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:18 am

As the bible says: "No man can live by one brand alone." (Or something like that.) I love my Vortex. Simple, accurate, good looking. But the Terminator is great too. Narrower, lighter, quieter and has a better trigger. So why choose when you can have it all.