[gene so]

Hello,
I plan on using a crossbow on a hunt at altitude (7,000+) in January in the Rockies, and was told to expect an average temp of around zero or colder. This will be a stalking hunt for Mule deer. Using hiking poles as I go through the snow, It seems logical to have the crossbow mounted on a pack on my back. Is there such a device made and how swiftly could you bring the weapon into usage? I would not mind fabricating such a pack and could use some experienced advise in this regard.

Thank You,
Gene So

 

[smong2000]

A lot depends on what crossbow you have. The Ravin R26 will fit inside many packs, not so much for an Excalibur M405. The takedown Excaliburs would also fit inside many packs. My Badlands Pack has a rifle carrier built in that would work for many crossbows but I don't think it would be a super fast process to deploy the bow for a shot but certainly doable.

 

[gene so]

Smong,
Thank you for your insights. I am potentially new to crossbows, but was a serious bowhunter prior to an significant injuries in 1984. Silence is golden with me and I am impressed with what I have seen in the Scorpyd and Cam X bows, I plan on using this weapon on hunting here in New Mexico. I would like to find, or create a both shoulders pack that I could easily release the crossbow from, when I finally decide on which one I want.

Thanks again
Gene So

 

[Robby Venzon]

A company called insight has a back pack specially for crossbows

 

[Magnum Lure]

I think I would find a crossbow, then figure out how you can achieve your goal. When looking keep your goal in mind...

 

[KB in YC]

I have a Allen Dyad Crossover Daypack, it is under $50 on Amazon. It is a nice backpack to carry a crossbow with if you add some extra webbing to make the straps longer, otherwise they are not long enough to fasten.

If you get this one and need some matching webbing, send me a private message.

 

[Huntersthompson]

Fieldline pro series pack has the straps set up for xbow . under $50.00

 

[Huntersthompson]

 

[Huntersthompson]

Glenwood canyon model

 

[Huntersthompson]

Has padded waist belt and a chest belt also. Found in on amazon for $32.00 Free delivery.

 

[gene so]

Thank you all for your insights. I shall find the crossbow I will buy, then work at taking an existing backpack and modifying it to it can be carried securely, then easily released quickly with a single fastener being released.
Thanks so much for your valuable insights.
Gene So

 

[bryan.y.yu]

Hello,
I plan on using a crossbow on a hunt at altitude (7,000+) in January in the Rockies, and was told to expect an average temp of around zero or colder. This will be a stalking hunt for Mule deer. Using hiking poles as I go through the snow, It seems logical to have the crossbow mounted on a pack on my back. Is there such a device made and how swiftly could you bring the weapon into usage? I would not mind fabricating such a pack and could use some experienced advise in this regard.

Thank You,
Gene So

If you go on amazon.com search for insight crossbow backpacks. They sell a cb backpack made from Insight. It's actually made for people that do what you do and need a nice backpack but also needs to have their hands free to do other things. I actually had the backpack for a week for my Excalibur Bulldog 440 but I returned it because it was a $250 backpack and frankly I wouldn't be really hiking in somewhere that I need to have my hands free. I use a regular sling from Excalibur and I carry a small 5.11 tan tactical sling bag that I can carry a lot of stuff in. The backpack that I'm referring to is made for any size cb and if it fit my Bulldog 440 then I would say that it would fit your cb. It's also made to hold rifles and it's well padded and really good quality. I'm sorry I didn't see your message sooner and it may be too late since it's already Feb 2020 but I hope you found what you're looking for. If not I would check out this backpack, it's a little costly but it helps free up your hands and is the size of a normal backpack. I have attached the photo of the bag. Maybe you will like it for your future trips. Its on sale right now for about $160 from Amazon. Just search "insight crossbow backpack" and I'm certain you'll find it.

Good Luck!

 

[bryan.y.yu]

Smong,
Thank you for your insights. I am potentially new to crossbows, but was a serious bowhunter prior to an significant injuries in 1984. Silence is golden with me and I am impressed with what I have seen in the Scorpyd and Cam X bows, I plan on using this weapon on hunting here in New Mexico. I would like to find, or create a both shoulders pack that I could easily release the crossbow from, when I finally decide on which one I want.

Thanks again
Gene So

If you're still looking for your first crossbow, I would suggest that you buy an Excalibur cb rather than a compound bow or reverse draw. The reason I say this is because, with the recurve technology, you can't really go wrong with any of their cb's. I started out with a Barnett Whitetail Pro STR and I thought that was a great buy bc I got Bass Pro Shops to match Amazon's price and at that time Amazon had it $100 cheaper on their website. Little did I know that I would be walking into a nightmare. I had to bring that cb back 4 times bc the strings/cables were fraying after 5-10 shots and it required that you waxed the strings every 5 shots which was a pain in the ass. It was bad enough that you had to use a RCD but now you have to bring a stick of wax with you and count how many shots you took to make sure you apply enough wax. I got fed up and I sold the bow on ebay and took the money and bought an Excalibur Bulldog 440 with the money. Excalibur's are not "pretty" looking bows and some are hard to cock but if you buy any 2020 model Excalibur then they come with a silent crank or chargers ext and being that you're an older gentleman it may suit you better. I'm 38 and I prefer not having to cock the bow manually with a RCD. On top of that, you can change your strings by yourself and it's relatively cheap and should you be in a hunt and snap a string then all you have to do is restring the cb since you like to spot and stalk rather than staying in a treestand or a blind. You also don't have to worry about string creep bc with the string changer that cost $30 you can easily put a few twists in the string on each side and continue your hunt and there's less to worry about. With the 2020 bows they are all Take Down bows so if you travel a lot I would suggest that you buy the 2019 Assasin 420TD or the 2020 Assasin 400TD. The main difference is that all the 2020 bows are based off of the Micro limbset and the 2019 Assasin is based off of the Matrix limbset. It all comes down to your taste and how much you like to manage your bow. If you're someone who doesn't care to learn how to restring your bow and take you bow completely apart then I would go with a compound but if you're someone that want reliablity, durability, accuracy, and low maintenance bow then Excalibur is your best bet. If you do decide to go with an Excalibur like the 420 Assasin or my 440 Bulldog it will be the last bow you'll ever have to purchase. Unfortunately, I can't take my Bulldog apart like the new TD's but I prefer to have the 440FPS rather than the 420FPS Assasin TD that costs $400 more because it's a TD bow. Typically, if you go with the 2020 Assasin 400, you'll still be good to go because 400FPS is more than enough to kill most NA game. You can throw an Excalibur out the window of your car or truck and pick it up and shoot a bulleye. I wouldn't suggest doing so but you can and unlike a compound bow, where you would need to take it to a pro shop or have a bow press to fix it yourself. I haven't had one problem with my Excalibur since I purchased it late 2019 and I have grown to love the way they look. Excalibur's also have a great warranty, they give you a "lifetime warranty" should anything go wrong but you can find people that have had their 300FPS Excalibur's from back when they bought it 10+yrs ago and I can't say that for compound bows. Compounds look cooler and are easier to cock without a crank but who really cares about the way they look, if you're a real hunter you wouldn't care what your cb looks like but rather how durable/reliable your cb is and there's no other bows out there that's more reliable than Excalibur. I can say with 100% certainty that I will be able to use my cb for the rest of my life and I would not need to purchase a new one to replace it although I probably will because I want to start a collection. The most expensive Excalibur is $1799 and that's the 420/400 Assasin TD with integrated silent crank and you can easily/silently decock your bow if you don't shoot it. On top of that, most compound bows like Barnett tell you not to leave your bow cocked for more than a few hours. I can say from experience that I have left my Bulldog cocked overnight bc I couldn't figure out why I couldn't decock the bow with the charger ext that it came with. That was based on my ignorance and nothing happened to the bow. The limbs didn't break or splinter and it was cocked for over 24hours. What does that tell you?

 

[NDPronghorn]

Tenzing has a great Crossbow Pack.