[jon8777]

I am looking at a Parker Buck Buster 175 and I am wondering how long these bow last till they are shot out and ready for the garbage man.

 

[bob1961]

never really thought bout that....but with my excalibur xbow it has a lifetime warinty, so i guess if mine ever wear out there replaced free

, i knew i bought the best xbow made.........bob

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[arrowhead]

I know of a Parker Tornado that has well over 2500 shots and it's still going strong. Any modern crossbow from the top three (Ten Point, Excalibur and Parker) should last a very long time. They are all quality bows.

 

[dpms]

Kind of a interesting question. Quite a few speed bows out there right now that put alot of stress on their components.

I know of some that the limbs exploded in a week and some that get shot alot and show no signs of fatigue. Pretty sure the top names do extensive research and why they offer lifetime warranties.

Their are many folks hunting with very old Hortons and Barnetts still hunting with them. Personally, I am not aware of any real difference between crossbows and compounds as far as their lifespan.

 

[jon8777]

I've narrowed my crossbow search down to the Parker BB175 based on kinetic energy, adjustable stock length, reviews and most of all price. Any one have comments on this bow?

For a few years I have looked at crossbows for personal use and possibly using this for mentored hunts for deer, turkey etc

After looking at posts and talking to guys that hunt with younger kids (still a few years off to hunt with mine) I came to the conclusion of using a cross bow for mentored hunts for the first few years. I don't want to throw a low-medium sized caliber deer rifle/shotgun at the kids and expect them to enjoy the hunt while getting thumped or end up with a pin hole in the game.

I ask the question about life expectancy because if the span of time from now till they are old enough and show more interest and maturity to handle a weapon. I am getting ready to part with one weapon and I hate to not replace this as soon as possible.

 

[jon8777]

Kind of a interesting question. Quite a few speed bows out there right now that put alot of stress on their components.

Thats why I am leaning towards the Parker BB175, you get a good warranty for limbs, trigger and body (minus the usual string, cable and wheel (wear parts)) I am not physically disabled and I can not see spending top dollar on a crossbow.

My Hoyt is 10 years old, still shoots very well, but its 30 some inches of limbs with 75# of draw weight.. alot less stress than a crossbow on the bow.

 

[dpms]

Crossbow limbs are engineered to take the stress. Excalibur dry fires theirs many times on purpose during R&D.

I believe the Parker BB175 is bulletproof and is a fine choice for what you intend to do with it. I would not hesitate to say that it should last for decades with just string maintenance.

BTW, thanks for introducing kids to the sport we love.

 

[jon8777]

The oldest is almost 5 (the size of a 6-7 year old) and every time I go hunting or have a gun out she is very interested in what is going on. I know she is a few years off from fully understanding the concept of what happens/consequences of pulling the trigger on a weapon, but shows alot of potential. Worse case she does not hunt, then I have a weapon that I can use and I am not stuck with a youth gun.

Original I had Excal on the top of the list, after talking to a guy at the LGS his only draw back was the length of limbs for a tree stand, I started to shy away from them after that.

 

[Jbiz]

The limb length is a little bit of a drawback...but it makes up for it by not haing to shoot it to decock it.

 

[jon8777]

I noticed that as well. What is the preferred way to decock after a hunt? Shoot a junk bolt into the dirt at 60 yards?

 

[TrapperDan30]

After i'm done hunting I just shot a junk bolt into a small homemade bag target acouple of feet away. i won't suggest shooting into the dirt 60 yds away, espically not in the dark.

Dan

 

[roland45]

I bought the BB175 w / hawke scope package last may or june and i am very happy with it. Since parkers come with a life time warranty, I regestered the warranty under my sons name. With me being in my mid 40s, his lifetime should be lnnger than mine, ergo, a longer lifetime warranty.
just my 2 cents

 

[Hiamovi]

I was going to keep my mouth shut on this topic.However,my son,12 was offered any reasonably priced crossbow on the market.I showed him pics of all of them.He chose an Ecalibur Axiom.My self,I see him shooting it quite accurately.Does this mean anything?Well to me it does my son picked his bow not me.So he is more inclined to keep using it.I would ask the child what he or she would like to shoot.Life is short in the scope of things so everyone should have the best shot at it and be happy.Arrowhead will help you with bow selection if needed.

 

[Hiamovi]

Shooting a crossbow 60 yards into the dirt would be the same as shooting a compound in the dirt at 6o yards.Arrows ain't cheap so use a bag target.If you lived close I would let you shoot both Excals.Arrowhead would let you shoot what he has.

 

[JTman]

I have a bag target in my back yard I shoot a bolt into when I get back from the woods.

I have a Buckbuster 150 and love it BUT I will tell ya I wish I would have spent the extra coin and bought the Tornado because of limb length and hunting out of a tree stand.

 

[jon8777]

I wish I would have spent the extra coin and bought the Tornado because of limb length and hunting out of a tree stand.

I stopped at the LGS because I need some vanes and nocks for the bow. I spent some time talking about cross bows and the advice I got was Horton and Excals.

Excals being the biggest seller and Hortons being the next biggest seller (they also carry 10point and Parker). The guy has 3 Hortons and one Excal and loves his Hortons.

I passed the Hortons off because of some bad reviews on limbs, after looking at the new 2010 line there's some new bows to look at. Hortons either come with 3 year or lifetime warranty (next to speed/fit this is a big swing factor) and the only bow that specifically said lifetime on Hortons web page was the Legacy and Vision lines. The Ultra Light fit well, but I did not ask about the limb warranty, can anyone help me out on this?

 

[jon8777]

Kinetic energy question.

150# bows run in the mid 80's for energy, 175's run in the mid 90's for energy. When I looked at the specs on my compound bow its running in mid 70's for kinetic energy.

Other than a shot in the shoulder blade that's going to be bad news for any arrow or bolt, is there any advantage to buying a 175 over a 150 for deer hunting?

 

[TATERDAVID]

I have the bb175 and love it. If shopping for a kid I would look at the enforcer or the tornado

 

[dpms]

Other than a shot in the shoulder blade that's going to be bad news for any arrow or bolt, is there any advantage to buying a 175 over a 150 for deer hunting?

#150 pound bows come in many forms. Some manufacturers are getting amazing speeds out of #150 or less. When talkin kinetic energy, we need to be talking speed and not poundage.

My opinion only here. Under 20 yards, any bow shooting a 20 inch arrow in the mid 250fps on up will get the job done. With a young kid starting out, keeping the shots close is a good idea anyway.

If the plan is to keep this bow for long term use, I would opt for a bow shooting in the high 200fps or low 300fps as a minimum. Speed is not everything but speed helps short crossbow arrows downrange past 20 yards to 30-35yards which is where most would like to extend their range to as their comfort level increases.

 

[bob1961]

speed really hasn't a lot to do with KE, but arrow weight does....

350gr arrow at 310fps has 74 lb KE

550gr arrow at 280fps has 95 lb KE

slower heavy arrow will hit harder that a fast lighter arrow any day..........bob

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