Post by Greenedog on Oct 25, 2014 10:07:08 GMT -5
Finally "pulled the trigger" and bought a crossbow yesterday. I went down to Dunham's Sports in Vincennes and bought a SA Sports Ambush. It was $259 in the store, but I found a coupon on their website for $199. It was really easy to put together and I shot it quite a bit yesterday evening and even got comfortable enough to take it back to the buddy stand for my first crossbow hunt. All the haters who say that crossbows make it too "easy" to hunt with during archery season have obviously never hunted with a crossbow! It's going to take a lot of getting used to; I banged it on the stand more than once and carrying a 150lb cocked bow through the woods in the dark produces some major pucker factor. I was wishing I had unloaded into a squirrel before it got dark. 
I'll be adding to this list as I shoot and hunt with it more, but here's my initial thoughts...
Pros
Price - I was really wanting a Wicked Ridge crossbow, but their cheapest bow is twice the price of the Ambush.
Accuracy - Took only a couple adjustments to get it zeroed in.
Size - Although it's a little bigger than some of the Barnett's I looked at, it's smaller than the Ten Point/Wicked Ridge and Excalibur I compared it to at Dunham's.
Rugged - Seems well built.
Looks - It was hanging next to a $750 crossbow in the store and you wouldn't know which one was the high dollar bow unless you looked at the tag.
Easy assembly - Good instructions with photos were included and they had a link to a youtube video where you can watch a bow assembled step by step.
Cons
LOUD - I doubt I'll be taking any long shots because there is no way a deer is not going to jump when this thing goes off.
Fore end - It seems perfectly made to hold with your fingers up so they'll get chopped off by the string. I need to come up with a mod for this because it's an accident waiting to happen out in the woods when the adrenalin's pumping and you might not be thinking about finger position.
Arrows - I wasn't expecting much from the bolts that were included and they're not. They will make good unloading arrows though.
I'll be adding to this list as I shoot and hunt with it more, but here's my initial thoughts...
Pros
Price - I was really wanting a Wicked Ridge crossbow, but their cheapest bow is twice the price of the Ambush.
Accuracy - Took only a couple adjustments to get it zeroed in.
Size - Although it's a little bigger than some of the Barnett's I looked at, it's smaller than the Ten Point/Wicked Ridge and Excalibur I compared it to at Dunham's.
Rugged - Seems well built.
Looks - It was hanging next to a $750 crossbow in the store and you wouldn't know which one was the high dollar bow unless you looked at the tag.
Easy assembly - Good instructions with photos were included and they had a link to a youtube video where you can watch a bow assembled step by step.
Cons
LOUD - I doubt I'll be taking any long shots because there is no way a deer is not going to jump when this thing goes off.
Fore end - It seems perfectly made to hold with your fingers up so they'll get chopped off by the string. I need to come up with a mod for this because it's an accident waiting to happen out in the woods when the adrenalin's pumping and you might not be thinking about finger position.
Arrows - I wasn't expecting much from the bolts that were included and they're not. They will make good unloading arrows though.
Just another night at work for me and Monty will be back here again bright and early. 
