What's your fav bow? Pics?

It's just Self Amalgamating tape that i wrapped round it.Really does a good job of protecting the finish and as it's rubber tape it helps lessen the chance of the stirrup sliding on wet surfaces.

Do v bars have that much of a difference? I have a stabilizer, and I barely notice it.

Absolutely. The difference is more obvious as the target distance and draw weight increases.
It's all about tweaking and tuning, getting it exactly right for optimum performance.
Here's a handy page I found to save me typing like a lunatic on my phone Hope it helps

www.alansarchery.pwp.blueyonder. ... lisers.htm

Just picked this little beauty up the other day.It's and old Barnett Delta Storm .This one needed a new locking bracket for the extending stock which i'm nearly finished making,and two new limb tips.
Compared to my Vixen it's got a heavy trigger and far less penetrating power,but for a compact easy to pack crossbow it does nicely for me

It's the price we pay for having the good taste to prefer recurves Lukas (i'll cop some flack for that remark) :twisted:

Agreed though,with my vixen scoped and quivered up it turns it into a bit of a heavy clunker and takes up a fair bit of space,this new one though no Excalibur at least means that i can fold it up and pack it away into a bag.
I'm waiting for Excalibur to make a folding version.The Matrix is nice but it's way beyond my price range

Yeah, the Matrix actually doesn't interest me. Apart from the fact that I really dislike the looks (that stock looks awful), the additional draw weight is unnecessary IMO. Just means more strain on the string and material. No idea how the Matrix would handle a dry fire…
Only thing I prefer about it is its smaller size.

No crossbow is as quiet as a bow but I found a good suppressor system makes quite a difference. It not only has a positive effect on the "sound" but also makes the bow a lot easier and more comfortable to shoot. Less vibration. Your scope and mountings profit from that, too. That's actually the main reason I have it on the Phoenix. The sound doesn't really bother me. I don't go hunting anyway.

I hear you on the recurve advantages, Talon Totally agree

Pete, I get why you prefer a normal bow. The reason I decided to go with the crossbow is simple reliability. I love bows and shoot them but I just do not have the time to practice with a bow as often as I should would I want to rely on it. With the crossbow I am a lot more confident to hit my mark when it really depends on it, even if I only take it out every few weeks or so. The additional penetrating power is a nice benefit, too, as is the ability to use the crossbow from various shooting positions (lying, kneeing, standing, etc).
I do believe though that a truly good "instinctive archer" (I hate that term) is better off than a skilled crossbow user should a SHTF scenario ever happen.

Um what is it that you hate about the term instinctive archer exactly?
I actually agree with a lot of your points regarding crossbows in a SHTF scenario,I'll also add that its a lot easier to make working bolts for crossbow than making GOOD arrows for a regular bow.
But in the end for me a longbow or recurve beats virtually every crossbow I've owned or tried,and that's been a few. But hey one day I'll find one I like that can do something that neither my normal bows or one of my firearms can't! :-)

I mean its a lot easier to get a 16" straight piece of wood han it is a 30" piece. Plus if your using a tracked crossbow ( as averse to a bridged crossbow where the bolt is unsupported in the middle ) spine is a negligible thing. Obviously you can't just grad any old piece of scrap wood and expect it to shoot,but it would be easier than trying to make arrows matched in spine as you would with a regular bow.
I kind of agree with your views on instinctive archery. Yes instinct is something your born with. But that doesn't mean there aren't instinctive archers out there. Some people can pretty well just pick up a bow and shoot it well from scratch,I've seen it done too many times in 25 years of bow hunting/archery to not believe it to be partly true. You may have to give them a quick run down on how to hold the bow and arrow but after that they're on fire !
Also instinctive archery is generally more of a term describing an aiming method where you do not consciously use the arrow or any part of the bow to provide an aiming point. Personally I can shoot "instinctively",and very quickly too,but I'm far more accurate and certain of my shot if I shoot using my version of the Howard Hill split vision aiming method. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what way you shoot as long asthe arrow goes the right way!
Actually I might make myself a crossbow just the way I want it just so I can use up broken arrow shafts.... :-)

I would love one of the high end crossbow manufacturers to make a modern version of the takedown crossbow.The Delta Storm was made when Barnett still had a good reputation even so it has some blatant design flaws that could be vastly improved upon(the trigger breaks at 7 lb's with a fair amount of creep,compared to my Vixen that breaks at around 3 and breaks extremely clean,also the limbs need a seperate allen wrench to tighten them).

Still i find it better than the modern chinese copy of it that's available. It is a handy bit of kit though,and while it lacks the quality of an Excalibur (or simmilar top end crossbow) i'm very pleased with it,it will take any animal on Uk soil wether four legged or two within 30 yards

On the subject of instinctive shooting,though it still requires a lot of time and practice.I see it more akin to throwing a ball,when you throw a ball at a target you don't think of trajectory or range.You throw it and the brain instinctively does the calculation for you,and puts it where you want it to go.
I see instinctive archery as the same thing,practice is definitely required,but whenever i shoot the bow i think i tend to over think it,my best shots have come from just having fun and loosing the arrow.

I've done quite a bit with homemade bolts and arrows,i believe they're easier to make than arrows.The archers paradox doesn't come into the equation,and spine is far less important than a non centre shot bow.
I also believe that a wooden arrow/bolt is perfectly safe to shoot from a medium poundage bow/crossbow.Regardless if it's compound or recurve (just my opinion folks).
Making either a bolt or arrow from natural sources though is more complex,a piece of seasoned dowel is simple,making an arrow or bolt from either greenwood or seasoned wood that isn't uniform needs a whole new skill set as you have to straighten the shaft as well as having a uniform thickness regardless if it's a straight arrow or a barrel style bolt.

I'm in complete agreement with Lukas on the superiority of the bow vs the crossbow for shtf,though the crossbow has some advantages (ease of use and the ability to stay cocked for extended periods of time),i find the bow superior for it's simplicity,lack of weight ,and speed of reloading.I just wish i was better with one,but for me the crossbow wins out,I'm a decent rifle shot and the crossbow is more to my nature.