Crossbow deer

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The problem is guys want to take 100 yd shot with the crossbow. It reminds me of guys taking 300 yd shots with a muzzleloader.

Get closer! It's called hunting.
 
My Excalibur Grizzly was chornod' at only 290 fps. I've killed a bunch of deer with it. My longest shot was at 40 yards. Speed is really overrated I think.

The Mag 340 shows up today. I had another talk with the DOW. It seems they're very aware of the draw length and told me a warden will measure it if it looks short. So, i'll look at the bow and see if it's legal. If it isn't i'll send it back and get the GRZ2 which is similar to your Grizzly. I agree that 290 fps is more than enough.
 
The Mag 340 shows up today. I had another talk with the DOW. It seems they're very aware of the draw length and told me a warden will measure it if it looks short. So, i'll look at the bow and see if it's legal. If it isn't i'll send it back and get the GRZ2 which is similar to your Grizzly. I agree that 290 fps is more than enough.
Crazy how they come up with some of these regulations for crossbows. I think that New York state has a rule that you can't have over a 200 pound draw weight. Arrow length is another odd one. Oklahoma, minimum arrow length is 14 inches. Connecticut is 18 inches. Go figure.
 
I'd like to see states get together and all use the same laws. It might have more thought put into it if they did that.
 
I'd like to see states get together and all use the same laws. It might have more thought put into it if they did that.
Crossbows for hunting are still sort of a new thing. I mean that it's less than what, 20 years since they became so popular. Maybe down the road, regulations will be more standardized nationwide.
 
That's a longshot. They aren't for any other kind of hunting. I doubt crossbows will ever be legal in archery season in Colorado. No matter to me. I can do it and i'm not bothered by dirty looks from the bow hunters. Most don't say anything. They can see the patch on my right eye.
 
I had to jump through all kinds of hoops to get my handicap crossbow permit back in Connecticut. After all the crap I went through to get it, the same year Connecticut gave full inclusion to everyone. Really?
 
Hi there

I'm a bit late to the table with this but here's my input for what it's worth. Crossbows like muzzleloaders are an enthusiasts choice. Both are single shot, have limitations and have seen an increase in popularity. In Southern Ontario I believe that the increase in popularity is due to the ability to increase the length of our hunting season.

Like most things the human condition is such that we want bigger, better, faster and easier. To accommodate this we have numerous companies feeding that need and telling us we need to have extra fps / draw weight / muzzle velocity etc.

I believe that sometimes simple is best. I have recurve bows, compound bows, crossbows and muzzleloaders. My crossbow is an Excaliber Matrix / Phoenix with 175lb draw strain producing 305fps. It's a bit cumbersome being a recurve but I believe much better than a lot of the newer bows on the market. Why? The answer is simple. Recurve = less part to wear out and Excalibur still produce spares for all of their bows. If I bust a limb I can simply order a new pair and if it has failed due to the product they replace on their dime.

I have a muzzleloader, a Knight disc Extreme in .45. I chose the Knight because after all of the years in production I can still by parts. That in itself is huge. A lot of the latest, biggest & fastest equipment out there becomes redundant very quickly. Try buying spares for a lot of compound crossbows especially the ones that aren't produced in North America.

I think that the reason I enjoy what I have so much is that I know and am happy with the limitations of both myself & my equipment. I'm not good enough to take that 250yd shot with the ML or a 50yd shot with the crossbow. Bring it in a little closer and my old equipment nails it every time.

One last thing. I don't think anyone has the right to criticize a hunter, able bodied or not for their choice of bow or gun. If your choice enables you to shoot and harvest ethically when otherwise it would not be possible then that's what we should be aiming for (excuse the pun)

Off my soapbox now. Apologies for the length of the post. Hope I didn't send you all to sleep.
 
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No, it was a good read. I think the three of us are thinking along the same lines.

I measured the crossbow I just got and it is illegal in Colorado. Draw length is short by 1/2". Colorado is the only state it's illegal. Just my luck but i've come to expect it from them. So, it's all packed up and going back. I'll have to think about what my next move is.
 
No, it was a good read. I think the three of us are thinking along the same lines.

I measured the crossbow I just got and it is illegal in Colorado. Draw length is short by 1/2". Colorado is the only state it's illegal. Just my luck but i've come to expect it from them. So, it's all packed up and going back. I'll have to think about what my next move is.
That stinks, what exactly is the legal draw length and how do they determine it?
 
I think that if you look at the older Excalibur models you will find the draw length that you need. Look at the EXO series, Exocet, Exomag, Equinox etc. These bows shot at 225fps + with draw weights 200lb up. The newer Excalibur bows are designed to be more compact with shorter limbs and draw length.

They are still great bows and I bet you find exactly what you need there.
 
Is there a difference between draw length and power stoke?
 
Yes there is. I believe the power stroke is from the string to nocking point. The draw length is nocking point to the front of the riser. That's what Colorado is concerned with.

I don't have to go all the way back to the older Excal bows. The Matrix is legal. The one I have the Mag 340 is a Micro. The GRZ2 and G340 are legal.

I'm seriously thinking of arguing with a warden if I get stopped. If they wanted to the front of the riser the law should have said that. It says to the front of the bow. That's too vague. If I measure to the front of the bolts that hold on the limbs i'm legal. Isn't that the front of the bow? How can the front of the bow be the riser when more parts of the bow are in front of it.

With my luck if I keep the bow they'll rewrite the law for 2021.
 
As I understand it draw length is an archery term referring to both archer and also to his / her equipment. I have a draw length of 29 inches and my bow is set to that, my arrows are cut accordingly. Power stroke is used by crossbow manufacturers and describes the difference in length of the string between it's resting and cocked positions. I think the terms get mixed as I just did earlier so apologies for that.
 
The problem is the Colorado DOW thinks if a crossbow has a draw length of less than 14" it won't have enough power to kill big game. They were speechless when I told them the fps the crossbows' have with less then a 14" draw. That's why I think the law will change at some point but it should change in my favor now that I think about it. Meanwhile, I can get a ticket for a lame law.

I'm ready to take that chance and keep the bow. I absolutely hate sending something back. Mike's archery bent over backwards to give me a good deal. I'd feel like a jerk sending it back. Just typing that helped me make up my mind. I'm keeping the bow. Stupid law be damned!
 
Slightly off topic but I thought I'd share this. My daughters 1st 3 shots ever with our Excalibur bow at 25 yards. She can almost do the same with her compound as well. She was 14 at the time and yes, she is better than me :)
 

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