New Member, Old Questions

[Rich M]

A big shout to the Excalibur Gang!

I'm down in FL, land of the mouse - over 30 yrs chasing deer with bow & rifle. Used to hunt hogs (don't eat them any more), and do minor amounts of turkey hunting. Meat hunter mainly. FL is going Xbow legal for 2011, Ga already is.

I'm almost legally deaf - wear 2 hearing aids and can not hear when I'm making noise in a tree stand, or on the ground. I have shot 4 deer with a bow - found 2, lost 2 - 3 of the 4 jumped the string... Have missed up to 10 shots in one day due to deer ducking & dodging arrows.

Thinking a crossbow might be a way for me to hunt archery and actually get something instead of just scaring them at close range. Last year I spooked a buck at 10 ft (right under me - we made eye contact as he looked up between my knees!) and a doe at 12 yards as I tried to draw a squeaky compound bow...watched her come about 150 yards down a trail - never knew the bow made noise!

After some research, considering the Phoenix - light, should be easy to string & shoot, and seemingly has enough oomph for deer out to 40-45 yards or so. Have a few ?s about things:

- Is the Phoenix model a good quiet set-up, or should I look to another model for this? (I'm so "trained" that the deer are gonna jump it scares me to think about slinging arrows at them if they are just going to get wounded and run off.)

- Arrows/bolts - 2219 aluminum as good as carbon? Noise and penetration? Durability?

- Fletching - Blazer a good way to go?

- String silencers - the poofy/spider string silencers the best option?

- Broadheads - is it the heavier the better? I've shot spitfires and muzzys with my bow and always got full broadhead penetration, just rarely got arrow penetration - except on hogs at close ranges.

- Jump the string - the videos on here show that the deer do move, but they don't seem to jump the string as bad as I've experienced - what is the consensus on that?

I'd love to shoot a Phoenix but all I know of around here is Bass Pro (won't let you shoot it unless you already bought it) and Gander Mt (doesn't have any Excaliburs in stock).

Thanks for your time. I have only been able to watch some of the videos...don't know how much of this is addressed in them.

[Doe Master]

First off . Welcome to the forum
As for the not making noise question . Everything makes a noise it just comes down to how much will the animal you are hunting will tolerate .
The Phoenix is a great bow or its twin brother the Ibex .
As you can see from multiple posts from the past the bow has the ability to get passthroughs .
As for broadheads . Crossbow arrows being shorter can be fussy about some BH`s . The list of heads used here seem to be slicktricks, rages and Boltcutters to name a few .
Arrows, I personally use 2219`s as well as 2216`s . The carbon arrows that come in the package are great as well .
Fletching, I have been using the blazers the last couple years . But I am using the X-acts so they fly like a fieldtip .
There is no bad Excalibur bow .

[vixenmaster]

Welcome & phoenix is as good as any model Excal has. 2216-2117-2219 are all good. BH's some great one's out there mech. Spitfire is a very good one. COC slick trick's razor trick & lots of others. Tip shoot at bottom of heart if deer duck/jump string you get double lung. 45 yds is really pushing the envelope 35 yds is much better & i am not saying it won't reach that fer i just am more conservitive in my distance.

[strum]

welcome to the forum..
I have a feeling you will do much better with the phoenix than with the compound your using now,,
Its still a stick and string so all the rules you use for archery still apply.
Get em as close as you can,calm yourself,make a good shot..
go get deer,,
The thing i feel will help you is you wont have to stand up and pull the bow back,,thats where those deer are probly alerting on you ..
The phoenix will make much more noise than you used to but
the deer will be hit so the noise it a non issue,,
I think you will be on here next season telling us about more kills and saying you wish you could have crossbow hunted years ago..happy shootin

[hiking]

there is a phoenix package for sale right now in the trading post. the price is right and it has a lot of extras. check it out.

[secret]

Try hunting out of a ground blind . Cant make much noise lifting your crossbow to shoot out opening.

[wabi]

Phoenix is a great choice, but I'd think more in terms of 30 yards as a maximum range for deer.
The noise happens after the trigger is pulled, and the deer can react quickly.
I'd go with 2213s or 2216s and use a bit heavier (125 grain) broadhead.