Posted: 10/29/2018 7:37:04 AM EDT
I decided I was going to hunt deer during archery this season, and being really paranoid about wounding something, I decided I was going to use a crossbow to get comfortable with using arrows. I bought a package deal off of Ebay, was $899 for the Excaliber Banshee with x3 arrows, TactZone scope, a soft case, 3 Rage Hypodermic Broadheads and "Yeah, One Little Bottle of Lube" (Little Superbad quote there ) but yes a small tube of Excaliber lubricant. I've only ever harvested one other deer (15 years ago), so I'm still learning and figuring everything out. That being said, I missed a buck after about 4 sits in my blind. I don't have a rangfinder, I thought he was farther away than he was. The Banshee has a 16" arrow and 100 grain broadheads, it shoots pretty flat. I sent that arrow right over his back. No blood, just a single cut hair. It was 100% my error on range, and it wasn't his day to die. It did however destroy one of my arrow shafts completely. Well, a few more sits later and a nice mature doe walks into range at 30 yards. I place the Green illuminated 30 yard triangle behind her shoulder, I squeeze the trigger, I sent that arrow right where it needed to go. The Hypodermic broahead expanded to about 75% before making it all the way through the skin. It didn't hit any bone, the blades were perfectly lined up with the ribs and it cut a 2" wide path through both lungs and out the other side. It stuck into the ground about 15 yards away behind where I shot her. Almost like it never hit anything and went about its normal trajectory. I followed a very good (Bubbly) blood trail about 40 yards and found her in a circle of blood. My other deer was a fluke, dogs ran it past me and I shot it with my M44 Mosin at 10 yards. This deer I feel like I set a goal and accomplished it. The crossbow worked great, the package was awesome in that it included everything I needed for a hunt. The scope has a BDC, and is adjustable for the speed of the crossbow you are using. I just set it to 310 out of the box, I assumed 308fps, 310fps, should be good right? Wrong. With the noise dampening kit installed, I get 285-290fps through my chronograph. Big difference actually. I learned all this between my miss on the buck and my doe harvest, it gave me a lot more confidence in the crossbow knowing some basic ballistics of the arrow. With this crossbow and a range finder, you could be a silent dealer of death for anything 60 yards and under. Probably farther, but the BDC stops at 60.
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