Whether you’re considering the purchase of a first crossbow or upgrading your current gear, you need to know the story of Connor.
At age three, Conor’s father, Steve, noticed how accurately he could shoot a toy crossbow. Furthermore, Connor wanted to go hunting and begged his dad to let him hunt on the family farm in South Africa.
When Connor was a little older, dad bought another toy crossbow, re-engineered it for maximum poundage, and crafted arrows that matched the tiny set-up. Connor’s big day came when he and dad stalked a big bull Nyala (about the size of a large mule deer) and Connor made the perfect quartering away shot right in the shoulder crease. The arrow got full penetration and dad captured the above photo to document the event.
Speed is sexy; speed is macho; and most importantly, speed sells — which is the reason crossbows launch bolts at 2/3 the speed of sound. However, with increased speed comes greater vibration and wear and tear on the bow.
To use another African example, a crossbow shooting a 500 grain arrow at 350 fps developes about 100 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, sufficient go-power to hunt Cape buffalo or elephant in a compound bow. Granted, no elephants are likely to be passing your treestand, but fast bows are like fast cars — they’re fun.
I’m currently testing bows on both ends of this spectrum. The Excalibur Matrix at 406 fps and a more modest bow, the 310 Model.
In some ways, these bows compare to a .300 Winchester Magnum and a .270 Winchester. Each will kill a deer or elk, yet that extra 100 fps makes all the difference.
I chose the Matrix 406 for an elk hunt, yet found that the 290-pound pull was more than I could manually cock. The cranking device is quite simple and allows me to engage the anti-dry fire device and fully cock the bow. The cocking device can be removed or kept in place as it does not interfere with the shooting process. A younger, stronger man can probably handle the cocking rope, yet it was beyond my ability.
Opting for the 310 gave me a shorter power stroke and less energy, yet still enough to provide abundant energy at 50 yards and a bow that was easy to hand cock, carry and shoot.
In testing crossbows over the past five years, I’ve learned that most crossbows have plenty of arrow speed for deer and most for larger game. It really isn’t how much you need; it’s more about how much you want.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
