Joining the archery side of the house

lazarus · Jul 22, 2017

So Dick's has the Barnett Wildcat C5 crossbow with 3 headhunter arrows and 4x32mm scope on clearance for $180. Picked it and a set of NAP shockwaves heads to go with and another $20 or so in other discounts I had.

What else do I need to basic archery hunting, deer and squirrel.

Some cheap arrows for squirrel and judo points? Yes, I realize I need a stand at some point as well. One new thing to play with and learn a year is my thing. First year was muzzleloading. Second was shotgun and rifles. This year it is crossbow. Next year I plan to get a stand. Following, who knows. Recurve?

I plan to also pick up a crossbow sling and discharge bag. My neighbor has a crossbow target and has offered to let me sight in any time I need.

I've been wanting to archery hunt for a couple of years now and this seemed like a good way to dip my toes.

GunnyHwy · Jul 22, 2017

Welcome to the dark side! Get small game specific points for small game. Cheaper bolts are good too. No use wasting $10 on a squirrel. For deer, NAP mechanicals are sweeet!

outrider58 · Jul 22, 2017

If it didn't come with a cocking string or device, get the string. It will also allow you to un-cock the bow slowly without having to shoot it. It is a must for x-bow accuracy.

Sticky · Jul 22, 2017

G5 makes a small game head that I have used for years.. it's lethal!

LAS has anything you need and good pricing with even better customer service..

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/g5-s-g-h-small-game-head-100gr.html

ps - they have 100 or 125gr SGH's..

In a pinch, unscrew a field point, stick a heavy #10 flat washer over the threads, screw it back in... very inexpensive and effective small game head..

Pale Ryder · Jul 22, 2017

Sticky said:
In a pinch, unscrew a field point, stick a heavy #10 flat washer over the threads, screw it back in... very inexpensive and effective small game head..

Would work fine on regular bows, but wouldn't the washer mess with your bolt channel. The broadhead doesn't extend past the stock.

OP, sounds like a plan. Maybe get a pop up type ground blind. I've always just found a fat tree to sit behind.

Sticky · Jul 22, 2017

Pale Ryder said:
Would work fine on regular bows, but wouldn't the washer mess with your bolt channel. The broadhead doesn't extend past the stock.

OP, sounds like a plan. Maybe get a pop up type ground blind. I've always just found a fat tree to sit behind.

Honestly, my last xbow was about 30 years ago.. once my wrist healed back up from being broken twice, I abandoned it and went to a vertical, so.... that could be an issue with a modern xbow. My old PSE Firefox 2 was able to employ that method.

engineerbrian · Jul 22, 2017

If your looking for cheap broadheads for smaller game, check out the Cold Steel Cheap Shots. They are plastic broadheads and cost $1 a piece

lazarus · Jul 22, 2017

Thanks guys! Yeah, I don't mind losing $1 or 2 on a squirrel, but $20+ between arrow and head are a little much of damaged or lost.

One of the things I am intrigued about is the early season hunting being able to wander around and drop a few squirrels and if a deer happens across my path, I can just change arrows and loose.

I realize it likely wouldn't work out that way, but I also can't help remembering this past Columbus Day. I was out for squirrels with my 20ga single shot and had a decent sized 6-point wander parallel to me. I stopped and it walked up to within 20 yards of me before ambling off.

It would have been an easy shot with a bow. Hell, that distance a round of #5 to the neck might have dropped it (obviously I wouldn't even consider that).

Pale Ryder · Jul 23, 2017

lazarus said:
I realize it likely wouldn't work out that way, but I also can't help remembering this past Columbus Day. I was out for squirrels with my 20ga single shot and had a decent sized 6-point wander parallel to me. I stopped and it walked up to within 20 yards of me before ambling off.

Similar incident happened to me before. Now just be prepared to get skunked.

When I'm hunting deer, see/hear nothing but squirrels, and vice versa. :lol2:

lazarus · Jul 24, 2017

Pale Ryder said:
Similar incident happened to me before. Now just be prepared to get skunked.

When I'm hunting deer, see/hear nothing but squirrels, and vice versa.

Yeah, but I figure this way with a few second bolt change, I can shoot at "anything" from early September till February practically.

I mean you can kind of do that with a shotgun, but you'll probably spook deer if you blast a squirrel 80yds from a deer you didn't see. That and the gun season is so much more limited for deer.

Last two years I spent at least as much time scouting and squirrel hunting (and rabbit, but I am trying not to kid myself, onlymtime I see rabbits are videos and suburban lawns, oh and in my veggie garden, oh, wait I'll have a crossbow soon) as I did deer hunting. Actually fewer sightings with small game/scouting then deer hunting, but still a few and a couple that would have been harvestable with a crossbow (startled a doe that then didn't bolt another time squirrel hunting).

So 2 we're good shots with a crossbow during how season, but no bow. 3 were good shots during ML/firearm and 2 harvested. 1st one was the first day of ML, but I don't have a scope and the doe stopped ass end to me 70yds away looking over its back. I most likely could have dropped it with a neck shot if my ML was scoped, but despite shooting 3moa off bags and ghost rings at 100, standing and leaning against a tree I didnt feel that confident with no scope and I figured there would be other deer.

There were, a small yearling doe and a button buck, not that good looking 3-4yr old doe I didn't take the shot on...but I don't have any real regrets (lies! But I am fine having regrets, probably still wouldn't have taken the shot)

Melnic · Jul 24, 2017

Maybe bad luck but all the cheap bolts I have shot don't fly straight.
I got used to numbering them and if I shot the same bolt over and over again, same POI. Move to a different bolt and different POI.
I did not do alot of experimenting but the wicked ridge bolts are what I use for hunting w/ a G5 striker head.
That's another thing, cheap chinese amazon broadheads flew like a paintball. Straight for 15 yards then curve ball.

For my field points, I have one of those bags that are specific to crossbow. I originally was given one that was for bows and the crosbow bolts sunk down to the fletching. Lesson learned.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...ategoryId=734095080&CQ_search=crossbow+target

good luck.

lazarus · Jul 31, 2017

I am definitely going to need a range finder or keep it close. Still, for my first time using a crossbow I consider it decent. I seem to be able to keep 3 bolts in about a 3-4" circle at 30yds. I can certainly estimate distances well enough out to about 35yds to be roughly on the right hash mark in my scope. Beyond that though and I'd imagine there is enough drop that my accuracy of +/- 10% on distance is going to be a problem (so at "20yds" the deer might be at 18-22).

Maybe I'll come to really enjoy it, but I still feel like my favorite way to hunt is my smoke pole and archery just has the advantage of giving me 3.5 extra months of deer hunting over my muzzle loader and/or shotgun/rifle.

lazarus · Jul 31, 2017

Also yeah, the POI for the Barnett headhunter arrows with 100gr field points is slightly different from the no-name carbon fiber arrows I got (same weight) also with 100gr field points. The cheap ones shoot groups about 2" left of the barnetts at 30yds.

I do think I may have to do the same thing of labeling each arrow and writing down the POI. Even the barnetts seem to each hit a slightly different POI. I wasn't keeping close track of where each specific arrow was landing, but the groups all looked pretty similar with one hitting just about dead on my POI, one about 2" high and one about 1" left and 1" low (all at 30yds).

So I kind of suspect that might be where each specific arrow wanted to hit.

Spent about 90 minutes with my neighbor and maybe put 30 bolts down range. I should have my discharge bag in a couple of days. Too small and I don't really have the space for long distance shooting on my property, but I could do a little practice at 20yds probably against the side of my shed as a "miss" backstop.

lazarus · Aug 2, 2017

I picked up a cheap rangefinder as well. A Halo 450. Seems to get okay reviews and I am fine with the limitations. Angle correction and about 225yds on deer, 350 or so on trees and stuff and 450 yds on reflective targets. I really just need/want it for archery and I'll probably use it for ML and as a monocular as it'll be smaller/lighter than my 8x32 bonics. Though if those are clearer I'll take those for rifle and ML.

Non illuminated display means it'll suck pre-dawn and last light, but hopefully in both cases I've ranged a few things first (not like I am setting up at dawn somewhere I haven't cased prior).

For $79 I think I can live with the limitations for now and worry about blowing $200+ in a few years on a really nice one. Besides, features and quality seem to go up all the time and price down.

Joining the archery side of the house

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