newbie needs advice

[mongo]

I'm thinking of getting a crossbow and doing some deer hunting.

I have a good deal of experience with firearms, muzzleloaders and used to do a bit of small-game hunting in my youth with a bow (recurve only; that was the days before compound bows!).

What should I get for a crossbow; recurve or compound? What features should I look for in a crossbow; draw weight, velocity specs, sights? How about bolts; I've seen composite and aluminum; which are better?

How much experience is needed to become proficient with a crossbow?

What is the effective range of a crossbow?

Thanks

Mongo

[Sandman]

Mongo,

Allot of the info you are looking for can be found at the Excalibur Inc Web site. Here is the link to it.

http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/

Welcome aboard!! Take a few minutes to register...it's free and you can send and receive Private Messages once you have! There is a tonne of experience and knowledge on this forum!

Regards,
Robin

[A.W]

You can't go wrong with an Excal recurve. If you have to change a string in the field you can do it in a couple of minutes. With a compound you're usually out of the game.

The Excals are more "forgiving".