which crossbow

[wildaggie13]

My 7 yr old son has been driving me up the wall since he can't shoot a whitetail until rifle season. He still has a while until he has enough poundage to kill with his bow obviously so I want to get him a crossbow until then.
Does anyone recommend a decent one? The issue I'm sure is going to find one that has a short LOP for his short arms....
From the research I have done I like the Barnett Whitetail crossbow, but I don't know anything about crossbows.
thanks for your input.

 

[Gut Shot]

I wouldn't buy a Barnett.

One thing to consider is getting a crossbow that isn't real heavy out front. It is hard for a kid to shoot straight when they are holding a dumbbell on the end of a stick.

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

Barnett Recruit is smaller and cheaper, and a narrow front end....great starter.
I would only buy a Barnett..great customer service and warranty department if needed.

FYI...you won't get much help on here with crossbows.... "Mama say's crossbows are the devil" mentality unfortunately...good luck.

 

[wildaggie13]

FYI...you won't get much help on here with crossbows.... "Mama say's crossbows are the devil" mentality unfortunately...good luck.[/QUOTE]
I have never liked the use of them for hunting either until now...
However, In my mind its going to develop better hunting skills for my sons being 25 yards from a deer vs. 100 yards with a rifle. Once they become old enough to ethically kill then I won't let them use it anymore. This is the only use that I have for them!!!
Thanks again!

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

copy that. The bonus for us is that Archery season comes in Oct 1st and doesn't go out till the end of the 1st week in Jan...lots of opportunity for bows and crossbows.

 

[maxx]

The Barnetts are cheap and they do get a bad name but they will kill the hell out of game.

I have a Whicked Ridge which is a lower level 10 Point. It does what it has to do.

All x bows are going to be to heavy for a kid. That is what shooting sticks are for.

 

[10Dogs]

When my girls were about 12 & 13 we tried them on a couple low poundage bows to no real confidence.
So I traded my friend something he considered equal in value for his Tenpoint Titan HLX.
This bow has an accu draw cocking pulley that is very slick and the handle gets stired in the stock.
They have both been way too busy the last couple years but I put it to good use.
This bow is not light but they could both shoot it off hand easilly enough when needed.
This was perfect for using in a 2 man ladder or my Double Bull blind. ( it was preferable for use in the blind ).
In regards to anti Xbow sentiment...I understand all that.
However....if it is legal equipment (and) it gets you in the woods with your kids to hunt ( you guessed it).

If we were restricted to not use a crossbow I would have bought them a Mathews Genesis or something similar.
Just my take on how it helped my kids hunt with Dad.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

1. I have a Barnett
2. Very good bow for the $$.
3. Accurate out to 60 yards. (your kids will not be shooting out that far)
4. Bad for kids: a. heavy (I would suggesting using a shooting stick)
b. No cocking mechanism... you must use a rope and pull hard (bad for kids)
5. Once more... good bow for the $$$. (at least for me).

lots of other good suggestions from above posts.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[utah400elk]

I had a mission x-bow and it was great!

 

[F250]

Lots of good crossbow equipment on the market today. Too many shoulder and back surgeries have made archery hunting a crossbow effort for me. I chose the Excalibur 380 Matrix. Excalibur is about the only crossbow manufacturer that uses recurve limbs. No pulleys. Simple. I have taken 9 deer with it in the past 3 years. They make several models including the Micro which is lighter and narrower.

 

[GlockZ]

I would steer clear of any Barnett products, But if your looking for a decently priced crossbow, take a look at the Parker Thunderhawks. They sell in my area for around $450, and they come with a lifetime warranty. A few of bowhunting friends have them and have been trying to convince me to get one the last few years. They're simple to use and operate, and not that expensive.

 

[Arrow Guru]

The one thing that all compound cross bows have in common is that they all break. Talk to any shop in the US that deals with cross bows and they will tell you if they sell 30 new bows they will fix and put back together 60. I have been in the cross bow industry with several different companies and if I had to walk into a show and buy a cross bow there is no doubt in my mind it would be an Excalibur. You can change the string in the field even if you cut the string in half with a broad head. You can drop it out of a deer stand and bounce it off a 4 wheeler and you don't break them. 4 X 4 of cross bows.

 

[RobertGate009]

Excalibur recurve crossbow is a good one for beginner. As it doesn't have high draw weight, which is great for your kid. Check Excalibur Crossbow Null Matrix model.