Crossbow deer

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MY Excaliber will hit the same hole at 20 yards I practise at 40, I kill about 3 or 4 a year with my ML just dont have room in the freezer If I shoot more with the crossbow. Nice job
 
I don't know much about crossbows so I am likely very wrong here, but I always thought they shed energy pretty rapidly. So the ranges you you would be using them would likely be ranges where light ML loads would be fine i'd have thought?

Elk aren't made of steel, I haven't shot one myself but there is a lot of literature out of New Zealand from the guys who hunted them extensively and they always noted that an elk bull was easier to out down than a red stag. I've shot quite a few reds with the ML and with proper shot placement at reasonable ranges they die quick. I think I read you prefer shots within 50 yards or so, I'd call that close.

I'm sure there are plenty of options of bore size bullets around 300gr that would do the job behind a shootable load of powder.

I'm not at all trying to put you off the crossbow, just offering encouragement for the ML.
 
It's true you don't need a heavy load for elk at my distance. I used a 30-30 for decades for elk. When I turned to muzzleloaders in 1980 it was a Hawken .54. I used 80gr of Swiss with a PRB. Not a heavy load by any means but certainly way more than a crossbow. I only hunt for cow elk now and they aren't as tough as a bull. I know elk pretty good. I've hunted them since the late 50's. I love the meat and can eat it everyday and not get tired of it. I need to go get one this year.

I just found a LH .54 Great Plains Rifle and i'm thinking about it. I started to look for black powder and everybody is out. I finally found some and now I can start to think seriously about buying the GPR. I do love the Hawken style guns.
 
Okay I referred to it as recoil and it may not be? What I am getting is a sore shoulder after releasing my 400 grain crossbow bolt in a range session that consists of more than 10 shots. I shoot my 45 X 209 Encore with 80 grains of t7 and 200 grain XTPs that many times I have no shoulder pain the next day.
 
Crossbows are illegal during archery in Utah as well, unless you obtain a special handicap permit. A guy I work with had rotator surgery last year and I think he qualified for the permit. I don’t think he followed through and got it though.
 
The problem with a shoulder disability in Colorado is it still won't get your the scope on the crossbow. Using open sights on a crossbow would tough since holdover is so critical at longer distances.

I never applied for the crossbow disability. I applied for the scope in muzzleloader season and she added in the crossbow too. I used a longbow but had given it up due to my shoulders. When the disability license showed up in the mail I started to think about the bow season again.

I've bought so many inlines and put scopes on them that i've lost count. I always change my mind about using it right before the hunting season starts and go back to a sidelock and open sights. I always feel guilty about having a weapon I can use that the majority can't use. I can only imagine how all the bow hunters would react when they see me with a crossbow. Maybe nothing and figure it out when they see my age and patch on my right eye. Maybe the same deal with a scoped muzzleloader. I may never know.
I prefer to use a sidelock and open sights in the rifle seasons that puts me at a disadvantage to all the scoped CF rifles. I suppose I could do the same thing with the crossbow and use it in the rifle seasons. I'd be giving up the 30 day bow season for a 9 day rifle season but i'd feel better about it. The rules I put on myself are pretty strict. Never make the hunt easier but make it as hard as possible. It will be more rewarding. My dad drove that into my brother and me. Never pull the trigger if it was too easy. The game deserve a fair chance to survive.
 
I don't know much about crossbows so I am likely very wrong here, but I always thought they shed energy pretty rapidly. So the ranges you you would be using them would likely be ranges where light ML loads would be fine i'd have thought?

Elk aren't made of steel, I haven't shot one myself but there is a lot of literature out of New Zealand from the guys who hunted them extensively and they always noted that an elk bull was easier to out down than a red stag. I've shot quite a few reds with the ML and with proper shot placement at reasonable ranges they die quick. I think I read you prefer shots within 50 yards or so, I'd call that close.

I'm sure there are plenty of options of bore size bullets around 300gr that would do the job behind a shootable load of powder.

I'm not at all trying to put you off the crossbow, just offering encouragement for the ML.

They are definitely not made of steel, but they are by far the Toughest of the Deer Family that i have hunted/Killed. I have Taken several Elk over the years, From Bulls to Cows, They are Tough Critters, But simple fact is, if you Put a proper Projectile through their Living Room, They Die.

Moose are by FAR the Easiest, They don’t Take Lead well. A well known Canadian Guide (Dead now) Said “Hit a Moose ANYWHERE and i will find it CLOSE BY” When they get hit they Don’t go far, even a Poor Shot like Guts, Hind end, Etc. An Elk on the other Hand will Move to another State if the Shot is not Lethal
 
I heard that about moose. It's so hard to get a moose tag in Colorado. You need 20 years of points to even consider it and even then odds are low. I never bothered.
 
Here's the bow I was going to buy. I still might. This is a 5.5lb bow and if a bow was going to kick this one would. I don't want to bust any chops but look at the recoil if you can call it that.

Scroll ahead to 7.00 min for the shots.

 
Well, I bought a crossbow. It's more than I wanted to spend but I really like the features it has. I got a Ravin R15 used very little. 425 fps.
 
That deal fell through. I didn't feel right about the seller and the bow.

I'm going to go for the Mag 340 and just deal with the draw length. Hopefully a warden won't know about it and if he does I can tell him the DOW in Denver told me the bow was legal. Which is the truth. Now, i'll have a bow I can change the string myself and no cams to mess with. Plus, it's lighter than the Ravin by quite a bit. That's important for an old coot who still hunts. If I sat in a stand it wouldn't matter as much but carrying it all day can get old with a heavy bow.
 
I've been shooting Excalibur crossbows for 7 years now.
I have 2 of the older Matrix models. Grizzly and Matrix 330.
The Matrix 310 is a good choice if you can find one.
 
I had a GRZ2 and it was a good bow. I'll give the Mag 340 a try this time. I sure like a month long bow season compared to the 9 day muzzy season.
 
My buddy bought one the micro 340's last year. Not the TD model.
It's been good to him so far. I do think they kinda pushed it with these small bows with high speed. Limb failures are not uncommon.
The older bows are pretty much more reliable, I think.
 
I decided to just stay with my original deal and bought the Mag 340 and the EXT Crank.

I was getting carried away and about to spend way too much money. All that extra speed does is shoot through the game and then stick so far into a tree you can't get it out. The Mag 340 will be just right.
 
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.
 
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