As I inched closer, I could see the tines of a giant mule deer raising just about the tops of a cut wheat field. After spotting the deer from the truck a mile away, I played the wind right, and used what little rise in the terrain I could to get to this point. 100 yards of cut wheat stood between us; a heavy-horned 4×4 with a kicker on his G2 and me with my compound bow.
If I could just get to under 50 yards I would have a chance. To do so without him seeing me, I’d have to army crawl. Once I got to 48 yards there was not enough cover to sit up and draw my bow. I got into position and started to sit back and draw my bow when suddenly the deer stood up and bounded a few times. I drew back and he hopped a few more times to 80 yards, well out of my range.
I thought to myself in that moment. If there was only something that offered a lower profile to the ground, would be king out west where I hunt. The answer was a crossbow!
In Nebraska a crossbow is a legal weapon to use during archery season. Crossbows, if you have the right one, can not only gain yourself a little extra distance on your effective kill range, but it can allow you to shoot from positions you never would while using a compound bow. The hunt I shared above was unsuccessful not because I didn’t get within 50 yards but because I could not get into a position to shoot without alerting the mule deer of my presence. This is a big factor when hunting open country like western Nebraska.
After hunting with the Tenpoint Turbo GT for a full season now it has shown me that the possibilities are endless when spot and stalk hunting the archery season. The horizontal design of the crossbow makes it easy to shoot from a prone position thus keeping you undetectable in little to no cover with an axle to axle of only 13.5 inches.
In addition to the overall horizontal design, shooting bolts at 350 fps is a huge factor for not only penetration, but also consistent accuracy. I am now able to shoot a 3-arrow group in the bull’s-eye out to 50 yards.It takes more than just fast shooting crossbow to have success in the field, and the Tenpoint Turbo GT offers much more than that. An overall weight at 6.5 lbs makes it a breeze to carry on your back, and maneuver through different types of terrain.
A 3 Power scope with illuminated reticle brings objects closer whe
n target acquisition and pin-point accuracy is a must. Scope, weight, and speed are great features, but can you draw the crossbow? The added Acudraw50 reduces the draw weight of the Turbo GT by 50 percent, making it quick and easy to draw. I have drawn the crossbow while sitting in a blind, standing, and crouched behind a boulder. I can tell you it is easy to do in about any situation.
A crossbow can truly be a great option for anyone wanting to spot and stalk hunt anywhere they are legally allowed. The Tenpoint Turbo GT is a great crossbow to start hunting with.
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