Gold tip VS new Easton Carbons

[Iamcdneh]

I hope this doesn't start a war but I think it's important to possibly discuss this.

I am a huge fan of this sport of ours and have always taken pride in making sure my bow is tuned accurately. I take great pride in target shooting at 40-60 yards and being able to keep a tight group, especially when I'm beside a "high end" Horton or other bow.

For years I have used Gold tip laser 2 Carbon Bolts that Excalibur used to endorse or use.... This yr I finally convinced a buddy to give carbon's a shot....no pun intended. Anyway he calls me saturday morning asking if this was some kind of joke? This friend of mine is very very anal when it comes to making sure his exocet is tuned in. Anyway after telling me that he purchased a set of excalibur carbon bolts and the flight pattern on them was so irradic he had to return them because he couldn't even adjust his scope to get them to form a 8 inch group at 20 yards I was quite surprised because I had never had any issue's.

Finally yesterday I decided to buy some new bolts my self, I went to my local hunting supply store picked up the excalibur box of carbon arrows and checked out. I went home and decided to just take a few shots for fun. I loaded my old bolts and fired 3 into a target at 20 yrds all within an 1 1/2" group! I then decided to load up my quiver with the new bolts as well. After opening the box I realized that these were different bolts, made by easton. Shiney, with an Excalibur logo on them....very nice! Cocked my bow pulled, loaded the new arrow and pulled the trigger. Whammo off the ground 2 feet below and to the left of my deer target. My first thought was WTF? So I loaded another one......same result. I then loaded two of my old gold tips and bang bang dead on into the vitals!

Now I know that with different manufacturers there will be some differences but I mean I dont think I could even compensate in my scope to get this sighted in with these. Fortunately I went back and found a box of old stock Gold tip laser 2's I exchanged them right away went home and all 6 bolts in a nice 2 1/2 group at 20 yards.

So after all this long winded story here's my questions:

1. Why would Excalibur do this?

2. Can you still buy Gold tip laser 2's on their own?

3. What the heck could be the problem?

Anyone else experienced similar results?

I mean the likely hood of someone going to the store buying 6 carbon bolts in the same style packaging / box that he/she has bought for years thinking they r gold tip's is very likely, and then not noticing they are different getting a shot at any deer or game and missing or wounding the animal to the point where it's unrecoverable is also likely and very frustrating. It just seems to me that this is messing with their reputation to a certain extent.

[sumner4991]

The new bolts are different. Heavier, but, I didn't think there would be that much difference.

From a packaging standpoint, I can certainly understand where you are coming from.

The Gold Tip Laser II's are still available.

This is along the same lines as the Excel string . . .they changed the string ,material under the same label. They should probably add numbers to the end of the description.

[Cossack]

I jsut bought raw Lazer II bolts from National Archery along with 110 gr brass inserts. 2" Blazer vanes completed the finished product. Shoots muich better than Excal originals

[BigUgly]

I have heard a lot of this lately and I must be the lucky one. I made the switch to carbon two years ago and bought some new GT this year no problems at all same point of impact. WEll close to it. There are 3 bolts in my quiver that would be end to end to end if I shot of a rest.

[vrodman]

First off I'm the new guy, so ''hello'' to everyone, first xbow or any bow for that matter. I've enjoyed all the reading. Now to the question, I bought my Vortex just about 2 weeks ago and it came with the new ''firebolts'' if thats the carbon bolts you are talking about. I had 4 out of the 6 that shot 1''or less. Now 2 since I didn't know any better and robinhooded 2. I ordered another set and 3 of those match up with 2 of my others. I dont know if 50% good shooters are good or bad but it would be nice if all were on. Oh, and I did have to mix up certain colors down to get them matched. They did shoot differant depending where cock feather was.

[DuckHunt]

I bought a new pack of Excalibur bolts from Basspro.com the first week of October and got the Easton Firebolts. Based on other posts I knew they were heavier so I did not immediately start using them until my GT-II were running short.

As expected, the only difference in flight is the Easton arrows shot slightly lower. Only about an inch at 20 yards. Overall I lost a few FPS but a quick sightin and slight turn down on the Varizone and they shoot just as accurate as the Gold tips in my Exomax out to 50-yards. Truthfully, the slight additional weight probably improves arrow flight with fixed broadheads.

I fired my first one hunting into last Saturdays' 9-point. I'm happy with them. My only complaint if you can call it one is that the arrows do have a shiny finish. Very shiny. You'll never hide in bright sunshine.

DuckHunt

[bbbwb]

I bought a box last week and the retailer assured me they were the same as the last ones I had purchased ---- Goldtip Laser 2. I didn't notice the difference until I opened them at home. I wrote Excalibur and their response indicated the Firebolts were heavier than the Gpldtips. I am not sure as I haven't received a reply from Excalibur as to whether the Goldtips are no longer available period. I was at Bass Pro and Le Baron in the Toronto area today and neither have the Goldtips. Bass Pro staff indicated that they didn't even have any "old stock" I assume that they are no longer available other than custom made.
It is dissappointing as I just had switched over to carbons with 1 box and now I will have to adjust for their replacement. I haven't even shot a deer with a carbon as yet and I'm now going to be using 2 different ones.
However it is interesting to read people's different comments regarding the Firebolts.
bbbwb

[Stash]

The Toronto Bass Pro has a few GTs still available if you want them. We still have maybe a dozen older stock Right Stuff Standard packages remaining with GTs in them. You need to ask a staff member to open up one of the "Standard" Right Stuff packages and swap them out for new ones. I'll let the other staff who work in the Archery department know about it.

As for Iamcdneh's problem, I don't know. 2 feet low at 20 yards?

We sight these bows in on a daily basis in the store, and I haven't seen any difference - we do have a set of GTs and a set of Firebolts and we've shot them out of the same bows, with no difference (at 20 yards).

[gad]

I shoot the bemans thunderbolts and also the excalibur gold tip II's.
No problems at all. Gold tips very accurate. Bemans a little more stronger.

[Shakky]

This may answer your question.

http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2 ... ht=#159532

I don't use the GT's anymore because the quality of the product went down. I did use them for years and was happy. Then I started reading reports of some problems with quality control. I started weighing my arrows and in one six pack the range went from 235gr to 290gr. That was it for me. I purchased a six pack of Firebolts and they were with in 2grs. Anyone can get a bad batch but if you do a search on here you will find I'm not the only one. To each their own.

[knobby]

Finally yesterday I decided to buy some new bolts my self, I went to my local hunting supply store picked up the excalibur box of carbon arrows and checked out. I went home and decided to just take a few shots for fun. I loaded my old bolts and fired 3 into a target at 20 yrds all within an 1 1/2" group! I then decided to load up my quiver with the new bolts as well. After opening the box I realized that these were different bolts, made by easton. Shiney, with an Excalibur logo on them....very nice! Cocked my bow pulled, loaded the new arrow and pulled the trigger. Whammo off the ground 2 feet below and to the left of my deer target. My first thought was WTF? So I loaded another one......same result. I then loaded two of my old gold tips and bang bang dead on into the vitals!

Now I know that with different manufacturers there will be some differences but I mean I dont think I could even compensate in my scope to get this sighted in with these. Fortunately I went back and found a box of old stock Gold tip laser 2's I exchanged them right away went home and all 6 bolts in a nice 2 1/2 group at 20 yards.

So after all this long winded story here's my questions:

1. Why would Excalibur do this?

2. Can you still buy Gold tip laser 2's on their own?

3. What the heck could be the problem?

Anyone else experienced similar results?

unless Easton started making their bolts out of lead....there is no way a small weight difference is gunna make them hit that low at only 20 yards

something else has to be going on

larger more aggressive fletching?

[brokebow]

Something else might be wrong,I went from aluminum to carbon and there wasn't that much difference,I myself would sure liked to see them arrows,(not bolts) and checked them out,had to be something else wrong.I know that Excalabur sure wouldn't sell something that was that bad. They have a reputation to uphold. And buy the way did you tell your dealer about the preformance that the last arrows gave,if he was any kind of a sales person he would have checked in to it a little closer,chances are they put them back on the shelf.

[Bill T]

We tested these arrows very extensively and accuracy was better, point of impact was only very slightly different, insert adhesion was much stronger, and overall consistancy of weight and length was improved. If you are having a difference in point of impact os over 2 feet there is either something else going on to cause it or you are working to undermine our efforts to improve our product. What is the problem?

[ranger]

i buy mine from Dan M. and dont have any issues......