Crossbow Blow UP!

Deadeye

Deadeye

Well-Known Member
One of the Guys in a Florida Hunting Group on FB I'm a member of had one heck of a scare on Opening Morning in Central Florida. Said he was just sitting there watching when BOOM!!! His Crossbow blew up!

He posted some pics of it and the entire front end was destroyed. It wasn't the Limbs, it was the part that holds the limbs that blew up. He couldn't even find the part you put your foot in to draw it back.

Had no warning that anything was wrong. It was a Barnett Ghost 360 I believe he said. Then several others commented that they also had had that same model blow up on them.

If I find the pics again I'll post them. Just putting it out there for anyone that might be using one of those models.
 
Found the pics.

Before.
308267e651f2a9a45bffeb43e80e70d5.jpg


After
a51e47b1f86e4f7b0fdfc4a2e49c546d.jpg
 
Lots of stored energy and stress there....one little flaw or defect and ......boom. Be glad it happened like that and not while he had it slung over his shoulder or the like. Sucky way to end a hunt!
 
Oops ! If enough of that same model have blown up, there should be a recall on that particular model.
 
It happened to me also. Mine was sitting on a shooting bench.The wife found a big chunk of it way out in the yard. I've thought a lot about how it is positioned in the box blind when cocked.The Lord looks out for idiots and crossbow hunters. Wait...... maybe we're the former.
 
One guy on that page commented that he had had TWO of the same Model blow up on him. The First one he got replaced under Warranty the 2nd one he threw in the trash and never wanted another.

I have a Barnett but it is not the Ghost Model, so far no issues. My Brother was shooting an bolt into his target to de-cock his Parker after an evening hunt and he said he first smelt hot fiberglass, then his Parker blew the limbs up while he was holding it in shooting position. He got it replaced under warranty, but now Parker Bows is out of business according to his buddy that sold them.
 
j-bird said:
Lots of stored energy and stress there....one little flaw or defect and ......boom. Be glad it happened like that and not while he had it slung over his shoulder or the like. Sucky way to end a hunt!
Click to expand...
You know that is something I've thought about both with Today's Compounds and Crossbows. Back in the Day we always Un-Strung our bows (Recurves) to relax the limbs and I even took the String off off the Poundage Rollers on my Whitetail Hunter for the same reason.
Now there is no way to do that and with stronger than ever Bows and Crossbows that energy is stored constantly in the limbs.
 
Deadeye said:
You know that is something I've thought about both with Today's Compounds and Crossbows. Back in the Day we always Un-Strung our bows (Recurves) to relax the limbs and I even took the String off off the Poundage Rollers on my Whitetail Hunter for the same reason.
Now there is no way to do that and with stronger than ever Bows and Crossbows that energy is stored constantly in the limbs.
Click to expand...
Being an Engineer it frustrates me how the business today is all about minimal investment into the product....just strong enough, push the limit of materials and their applications, just the bare amount of material, and the lowest production cost we can find and then minute flaws then are exposed and everyone seems surprised! I have a Barnett as well - not a ghost model. I will certainly keep this in mind and be mindful of where it is pointing when not being shouldered for a shot. I will need to find a discharge method as well. I typically carry mine cocked but no bolt/arrow when the hunt is over (dark) and then shoot the bolt/arrow into my target at the house. It's not a long walk.....but I certainly don't want that thing exploding while it's slung over my shoulder!
 
Tell the guy welcome to the club. The same thing happened to me earlier this month while on an elk hunt in CO. I was walking back to the truck after the morning hunt when I heard my crossbow make a weird noise. I had never heard it make a sound before but I didn't pay much attention and kept on walking with it over my shoulder as if I was carrying a rifle. I walked about 50 more feet and then all of a sudden I heard an explosion. I was afraid to take it off of my shoulder to look at it because I knew it wouldn't be good. I pulled it down from my shoulder and one limb had flown off and was dangling by the cable and the other limb was split lengthwise all the way down. It was a 10 year old Parker Cyclone. The good news is that it was a Parker with a lifetime warranty, the bad news is that Parker went out of business earlier this year.
 
Glad he wasn't hurt. My brother was sighting his in when the arm broke sending pieces flying through the air. Someone is going to get seriously hurt when this happens. If there was some way to "cock" the thing right before shooting would be ideal but that's a lot of movement. Be careful out there this year!
 
I had a Barnett Predator just long enough to realize that I won't be buying another Barnett. I sold it and the new buyer fired 10 shots before it blew up. Thankfully they gave him a new crossbow.
 
Randy Lahey said:
I've always figured crossbows were for 14 year olds, not trying to be a dick, just sayin.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but what about older folks or folks with bad shoulders, or folks that just plain don’t want to invest the time necessary to learn to shoot a vertical bow. Many, many people who shoot compounds don’t want to put in the hours of practice it takes to become proficient with a stick bow, yet these people have every right to hunt the same as you and I. Think about it......
 
Fine for older or disabled even the younger but should you really shoot something with a scope,forearm,stock and trigger during archery season
 
buckdeer1 said:
Yes if you had to cock it right before shooting would almost be like a bow
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buckdeer1 said:
Fine for older or disabled even the younger but should you really shoot something with a scope,forearm,stock and trigger during archery season
Click to expand...

Here’s my take. Crossbows have been around as long as stickbows have. If your state says it’s archery, then it’s archery. I think they are clunky as hell, I’ve owned three and never have I pointed one at anything other than a target, but they are legal for archery season in Texas and I’m not one to tell folks what they can use or not use to kill a deer. (If I were, then I would raise holy hell about shooting deer with a .22 centerfire !) I’m pretty sure the deer don’t want to be shot to begin with, so what difference does it make ? I would rather see someone make a sure shot on a deer with a crossbow than a piss poor shot with a vertical bow.

I’ve killed many deer and antelope and a few hogs with Bear, High Country, Mathews, and Elite compounds and none with a crossbow but I do not care what you hunt with as long as it’s legal and ethical. Now....I’ve popped off enough, so I’m out of this.

Ain’t gonna change each others minds anyhow..........:)
 
buckdeer1 said:
Fine for older or disabled even the younger but should you really shoot something with a scope,forearm,stock and trigger during archery season
Click to expand...
I'm with DryCreek on this one. If the state your hunting in says that it is legal to use, then it is legal to use. Who is anyone to tell you that you can't?

I've hunted with one, never shot at a deer with it yet, and I can tell you that they are way more bulky to carry and handle than a compound is. Besides the same old tired arguments were used when Jennings introduced the Compound Bow the the world back in the early 70's. If you were not using a Recurve Bow you were cheating and "might as well use a rifle".
 
The crossbows that have the limbs moving towards the shooter make me nervous. If things are going to come apart and go flying somewhere I'd prefer that the parts were flying AWAY from me.
 
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