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A New Chapter for My Hunting Memories
Posted by mountaineer659,
23 September 2011
·
661 views
crossbows Parker Hornet Extreme
I have been gun hunting for deer since 1984 and began bow hunting in 1986. In the 25 years I bow hunted, I have owned three compound bows…two Browning’s and a Mathews Feather Light that is now 15 years old which I currently use to hunt with.
This year I was in the market for a new compound. But a commercial I saw sparked my interest in crossbows. If you would have asked me 25 years ago if I would ever opt to hunt with a crossbow, my answer would have been an emphatic NO. But in the last 3 or 4 years I have given some thought to hunting with a crossbow. The advantage I saw to owning a crossbow was practice time would be less and it would suit my style of hunting…still hunting. So I began to do a lot of research on the various crossbow companies in addition to the numerous models offered. I decided to limit the crossbow models to the price range I was going to spend on a new compound.
After considerable deliberation over the past 6 months, I decided to purchase a crossbow. I had narrowed my choices to the Excalibur Phoenix and the Parker Hornet Extreme. Both crossbows fit me well and both shot very accurately. I liked the simplicity of the Excalibur and I liked the compactness of the Parker. Most of my hunting is done by still hunting. I spend very little time in a tree stand. Based on my style of hunting, I chose the Parker because it’s axle to axle width was narrower. There were two other reasons I chose Parker. I have read and heard nothing but good comments about Parker’s customer service. Having previously worked for 23 years in a locally owned community bank, customer service was our number one priority. For me, that is what separates one company from its competition. And lastly, a local archery shop, Bowcase Archery, located in Follansbee, WV, where I have transacted business, is a Parker Dealer. I could have purchased the crossbow from a major retailer and saved with a 10% off coupon, but I am a major believer in helping out your local merchants. The money I would have spent on gas and probably something to eat would have almost equaled what I would have saved. If I have any problems with the crossbow, the shop is only 15 minutes away.
The next day after I took Saint for a walk, I set up my Block Target with the back of the garage as a backstop, moved back 20 yards to a bench rest I fashioned out of milk crates and a seat cushion and prepared to take my first shot. I cocked the bow using the cocking rope, set the bow on the bench rest, kneeled down on the ground, flipped the safety off, placed the 20 yard cross hair line in the middle bulls-eye on the target and pulled the trigger. Whoa! Much to my amazement the arrow missed the target. I was assuming from videos I watched that I would at least be on the target. When I walked up to the target, which was sitting on a wooden bench that was made for my wife’s flower garden, I saw a hole in the 1” x 3” that trims the seat portion. The Redhot Carbon Arrow had gone through the wood and then 3 inches into Masonite siding of the garage. The shot was 12 inches below where I was aiming. I pulled the arrow out of the garage and the Redhot Carbon Arrow was still intact except for a vane that had been ripped off. I made adjustments to the Redhot scope to get on target and by the 6th shot I was hitting the 3” bullseye. A couple more minor scope adjustments and by the 10th shot, I was hitting the bullseye right in the middle. I was impressed.
After a few days of practicing with field points, it was time to shoot an arrow tipped with a Parker Crosspro 100 FX broadhead. The broadhead hit almost dead center of the 3” bullseye. I am looking forward to the opening of Ohio's archery season on September 24th and beginning a new chapter of hunting memories with a crossbow.
This year I was in the market for a new compound. But a commercial I saw sparked my interest in crossbows. If you would have asked me 25 years ago if I would ever opt to hunt with a crossbow, my answer would have been an emphatic NO. But in the last 3 or 4 years I have given some thought to hunting with a crossbow. The advantage I saw to owning a crossbow was practice time would be less and it would suit my style of hunting…still hunting. So I began to do a lot of research on the various crossbow companies in addition to the numerous models offered. I decided to limit the crossbow models to the price range I was going to spend on a new compound.
After considerable deliberation over the past 6 months, I decided to purchase a crossbow. I had narrowed my choices to the Excalibur Phoenix and the Parker Hornet Extreme. Both crossbows fit me well and both shot very accurately. I liked the simplicity of the Excalibur and I liked the compactness of the Parker. Most of my hunting is done by still hunting. I spend very little time in a tree stand. Based on my style of hunting, I chose the Parker because it’s axle to axle width was narrower. There were two other reasons I chose Parker. I have read and heard nothing but good comments about Parker’s customer service. Having previously worked for 23 years in a locally owned community bank, customer service was our number one priority. For me, that is what separates one company from its competition. And lastly, a local archery shop, Bowcase Archery, located in Follansbee, WV, where I have transacted business, is a Parker Dealer. I could have purchased the crossbow from a major retailer and saved with a 10% off coupon, but I am a major believer in helping out your local merchants. The money I would have spent on gas and probably something to eat would have almost equaled what I would have saved. If I have any problems with the crossbow, the shop is only 15 minutes away.
The next day after I took Saint for a walk, I set up my Block Target with the back of the garage as a backstop, moved back 20 yards to a bench rest I fashioned out of milk crates and a seat cushion and prepared to take my first shot. I cocked the bow using the cocking rope, set the bow on the bench rest, kneeled down on the ground, flipped the safety off, placed the 20 yard cross hair line in the middle bulls-eye on the target and pulled the trigger. Whoa! Much to my amazement the arrow missed the target. I was assuming from videos I watched that I would at least be on the target. When I walked up to the target, which was sitting on a wooden bench that was made for my wife’s flower garden, I saw a hole in the 1” x 3” that trims the seat portion. The Redhot Carbon Arrow had gone through the wood and then 3 inches into Masonite siding of the garage. The shot was 12 inches below where I was aiming. I pulled the arrow out of the garage and the Redhot Carbon Arrow was still intact except for a vane that had been ripped off. I made adjustments to the Redhot scope to get on target and by the 6th shot I was hitting the 3” bullseye. A couple more minor scope adjustments and by the 10th shot, I was hitting the bullseye right in the middle. I was impressed.
After a few days of practicing with field points, it was time to shoot an arrow tipped with a Parker Crosspro 100 FX broadhead. The broadhead hit almost dead center of the 3” bullseye. I am looking forward to the opening of Ohio's archery season on September 24th and beginning a new chapter of hunting memories with a crossbow.
