Post by SW on Dec 21, 2008 22:15:14 GMT -5
I've worked a lot with my Parker Saf Mag #175 lately. I'm shooting carbon 20" bolts with indexed Rage 100g 3-blade broadheads and 4" vanes on bolts(403.5g). I'm shooting 341'/sec +/- 0 at 10'. 80 yd groups are appx 2": 60 and down are 1" max. For those of you not familiar with the Parker, the string has no contact with the arrow shelf - no lub needed. It always shoots the same. I use a Sightron 2 42 MM 3X12 Mil dot scope. 1 1/2 dots hi=20 yds, 1 dot hi=30 yds, 1/2 dot low= 40 yds, 2 dots low=50 yds,3 2/3 dots low= 60 yds, top of post =70 yds, 2 dots below post= 80 yds. I need to cant the scope down slightly so 4 dots up is 20 yds and then it could go to 100 yds. These bolts with indexed expandible broadheads out of this x-bow which is fast but not fast by today's fast standards will easily group 2" at 80 yds and that's guessing 2 dots down - not ideal. I believe with an exact aiming point, that 2" @ 100 yds is doable. The 385'/sec Strykeforce shooting 425g bolts, the Stryker at 405-410'/sec will both have 100 yd velocities over what many x-bows have at 10'. X-bow range limitations are mainly in x-bow scopes-lack of long range marking and some are of very poor quality, lack of long range practice - using good rests, lack of effective range finder usage, lack of well matched bolts/aligned broadheads and practice to see what alignment works best, lack of belief concerning what is really possible. The Strykeforce(385), Stryker(405), new Barnett(375'/sec) API Terminator - if actually improved in quality(needed!!) as they say, Parker Cyclone(350), Desert Stryker(350) should all be capable of 100yd shooting. Others may be announced Jan 4-8,2009 at the Archery Dealer's show in Indiana. This isn't claiming the superiority of the x-bow over vertical bows as they also can shoot very accurately at 100 yds. My son's 5 year old Hoyt Razor-Tec set on only #60 will consistently hit the kill zone of the deer at 80 yds with my only occasional shooting of it due to my shoulder problem. Time of flight with both horiz and vertical bows becomes a major ethical issue when considering hunting at these ranges. Some long shots could be ethical while others wouldn't be at all. None of us need to "stick" deer and then loose them.