Actually, I do! Right here you have a short list of every crossbow that I'd like to have.Come on now, you can't like every guess!!!
I spent a lot of time comparing and shooting crossbows at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg last winter, and the Viper came out on top. Reverse draw has great balance but is too wide in the front where I often rest on a small shooting house opening. The Vengeant has more power, but at 3" shorter, 1/2 lb lighter, and $500 cheaper I decided that the Viper has more than enough power at 400 fps. The Viper with it's slightly lower power is a little easier to crank and quieter to shoot, this became evident to me when I shot them side-by-side at the show, and it's deadly accurate. Their Auto-Brake Gear System, which allows for controlled de-cocking of the crossbow is a gamechanger for me. Hunting until dark then looking for a place to shoot a crossbow safely to de-cock is not a good scenario IMO.
Most modern quality crossbows exceed my requirements for power and accuracy. The two main features that I was looking for in a crossbow were, #1, a compact frame with a narrow front end to shoot out of small shooting house openings, and #2, a simple quick easy method to uncock the xbow without firing it, and Tenpoint Viper seemed to have exactly what I was looking for. This unit has a sliding trigger housing like a Raven, and it's fully reversible to uncock it. Axle-to-axle width at widest is 11" / 7.2" and it's very narrow at the front where you rest on a blind window.
Here's my new arrival from crossbow experts. They were willing to put an EVO-X Marksman scope on at no upcharge to seal the deal.
You get honorable mention. The tenpoint vapor would be my first choice for still hunting.
I’ve been tempted....but dropping what a semi-custom rifle would cost when I have 3 vertical bows I still shoot well is a little hard to rationalize.....
Good for you....sounds like it was deserved.I hear exactly what you are saying. If I could still manage a vertical I wouldn't even consider a crossbow, they were my favorite weapons of all and some years I never rifle hunted because my tags were all filled.
At 71 the crossbow still keeps me in the game and this will be the last one I will ever own so I spoiled myself.
I spent a lot of time comparing and shooting crossbows at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg last winter, and the Viper came out on top. Reverse draw has great balance but is too wide in the front where I often rest on a small shooting house opening. The Vengeant has more power, but at 3" shorter, 1/2 lb lighter, and $500 cheaper I decided that the Viper has more than enough power at 400 fps. The Viper with it's slightly lower power is a little easier to crank and quieter to shoot, this became evident to me when I shot them side-by-side at the show, and it's deadly accurate. Their Auto-Brake Gear System, which allows for controlled de-cocking of the crossbow is a gamechanger for me. Hunting until dark then looking for a place to shoot a crossbow safely to de-cock is not a good scenario IMO.
Let me first say this; For many generations farm boys have grown up sneaking through the woods with a .22 rifle still hunting squirrels, and quickly learn that the best way to shoot something is with a steady rest, and since every tree is a steady rifle rest, you sneak up to a big oak tree, cradle your rifle against the tree trunk and drop a squirrel. I had a Horton reverse draw crossbow and the biggest hangup for me was to need to be aware of what is beside that front stirrup before you shoot it, not a problem on a shooting bench, but more so when I'm watching a big buck. Yes, all crossbows have ends of limbs that move when they are fired, but for my personal preference the traditional attachment at the front is easier to manage on very random tests in hunting situations.
