180 lb Crossbow - Test, Assembly and Review

Ok, the crossbow arrived today:



The bow is well manufactured and put together. It's made in Taiwan but I can't fault the construction. It folds down to a thin 'rifle-like' proportion.



Two sling attachment points here:



and here:



There's another one here but its a bit close to the pistol grip:



Speaking of which it might be wise to pad out the grip as holding the grip for long periods will likely be uncomfortable the way it is right now:



Assembling the prods and stringing:



Now the prod assembly was simply straightening them and inserting a blackened screw through each prod hole, then through the main body, then through the remaining prod hole and tightening. Two spacers slipped in-between the pod holes to keep the screw thread more enclosed. Pretty impressive.
The prod supports are also welded,giving extra reinforcement to them.



Now onto the bit we all groan at; stringing the crossbow.



This, being 180 lbs of string force is more than I weigh but I knew it to be doable, just called for a bit of ingenuity.
Being larger than a pistol crossbow meant there was more size to use as a lever. I slipped the end caps onto the prods and began.
I tried a few methods which got nowhere.
The I just placed it, foot stirrup and right-hand prod first, into the carpet, with the shoulder-stock sticking into my stomach. This was better but I knew if I really went for it I'd probably end up in casualty with a mishapen intestine so I chucked a thick bath towel on it.

Then levered down.



She's good and only needs the red-dot sight putting on now.



The sight unit is pretty good, made in California by our colonial brothers and it's light enough to match the iron sights in weight.

The only hitch is that the xbows sighting rail (for the iron sights) has to be unscrewed slightly, swung out to one side, the crossbow flipped over to expose the iron sight elevation adjuster.
Which you must then unscrew.
If you don't do this the red-dot sight will not sit correctly on the sight rail.

Here's the story by pictures.

Right, the screw you see clearly to the left of the picture must be removed, along with the elevation wheel (unscrew).



Then unscrew by 2-3 turns the screw nearest the stock.
Unscrew the other 2 FULLY.
The sighting rail will now be able to be swung out.



Now flip the bow over and the sighting rails iron sight elevation screw head will be exposed. Unscrew it and bag it up with the iron sights and other screws, you may need them if your red-dot sight fcks up. The pistol crossbow that I posted a thread on has iron sights that look to interchangeable with this models.



Use this type of screwdriver, otherwise you will likely ground out the screw heads. The Taiwan folk really go to town on torqueing up the sights.



Now swing back the sight rail, re-align and screw up all the screws.
Don't worry if you can't get it 100% in line, when you come to zero the weapon you will practically eliminate any mis-alignment for small errors.

Now install your red-dot sight.
You want about 3 inches of eye relief for me this was ok





Onto the fun bit, zeroing.

My back garden is only 30 yards to the firing boards and the sight manual implies that 50 - 100 yards is best for zeroing.





I was expecting the strain on cocking the string to be a ball-buster, but it wasn't too bad.



Now onto a semi-flaw of the weapon. The weapons safety catch, while performing the job admirably and a cinch to operate has a potentially lethal flaw.
The safety, like the pistol crossbow I reviewed previously, is :
Catch Fully to the rear is the safety ON!
Catch Fully forward is safety OFF!
The side of the weapon has a safety catch aide memoir etched in. Guess what it says!
Catch Fully to the rear is OFF!
Catch Fully forward is ON!



Maybe the Taiwan folk relate the 'ON' to ready to fire and OFF to 'it won't fire, as it's off' but for me and I think most westerners this is a dangerous assumption. Asian mentality vs European / American? Who knows, but it is what it is.

Anyway, adjusted the elevation to the lowest setting it will go, I consider this to be about the 45 - 50 yard mark.

Fired off the first bolt, Twuum! The noise it makes seems much less than that of the 80 lb Pistol Crossbow. I'd say the same as a biggish elastic band twanging.
I aimed dead center of the boards.
Whack! It hits high and to the left of my aim



This is at thirty yards.



I intended to show you folks what this baby can do at close quarters once I'd zero'd, but I decide against it, as it is very likely to tear straight through and end up in someones back garden.!!

That's one bad hat Harry. Thank you for showing it to us. Your grandma is going to be really mad if you got any gun grease on that couch cover tho.
What's with the floral on floral man?

Just yanking your chain. That would easily bring down a man or a small deer.

2nd shot
Made some adjustments to the windage, 5 clicks to the right.

Retrieving the bolt was fun and games, had to drill out the bugger.

Fired off bolt 2.

Whack! This time it hits center right, I've over compensated.



Come 2 clicks left.

Retrieve bolt.


Fired 3rd bolt, it looks good for zeroing.

So that ended the days activities.
If you look at bolt 2 hitting center right you can see a 'creep effect' this is something to be aware of when zeroing at sub 50 yard targets and 'forgetting' to compensate by aiming lower. We all make mistakes though and I forgot this golden rule.

Still the real test comes in the field when I'll zero it at longer ranges

The next thing was to get the field / maintenance kit attached to it. Several places are possible - The butt stock has several hollows for kit to be taped to but the place that I chose was the prod support recesses.

I wrapped the lens cloth and string wax (candle material) together in the left hand section and a spare string and sight-battery in the right section like so



Both of these are waterproofed and the balance is not affected much.

Just 2 sling pins and swivels to add and it'll be complete.

for now it'll do though

One more thing:

Mind your fingers!
Do not do the shooter-style 'finger curl' when aiming
and firing (like this).



You will end up with potentially broken or mangled fingers!
I know, cause when I was a young dude (13 or so) this happened to me (although thankfully the string only jarred them, being a low poundage).
Like this, all the time is wise:



Or this way...



[edit on 10-9-2008 by WatchRider]

[edit on 10-9-2008 by WatchRider]

[edit on 10-9-2008 by WatchRider]

[edit on 10-9-2008 by WatchRider]

Cheers JPM, I just need a quiver knocking up now along with the sling attachments and I'll be in clover with the xbow area squared away mate

That's pretty much all the weaponry I need, sorted. No firearms, just plain old fashioned tension-based ones, just like our ancestors used!

Great posts an pictures

I see a few guys using an x-bow technique where they rest the front of the bow on the BACK of their front hand.
I suppose the thinking behind that is that you don't 'snatch' the front when you release.

I use an open left hand when firing with the compound bow.It's a fact that 'holding' it with closed fingers affects the alignment when you release,deflecting the arrow.(I don't do the dumb 'dipping' thing tho..When the arrows gone..what's the point? )

Toys are great.

Where did you get it from and how much? This would be great for hunting in survival situations as you can reuse arrows.. very nice..

Holy Moly! that is one hell of a gadget!

I'd hate to be on the recieving end of that...particularly with a broadhead attatched! (are you going to do a comparison test of the effective power of a 'bodkin' vs. broadhead?)

regarding the sighting, have you thought of using a scope, or would the red-dot suffice at the ranges it will be lethal to? how about a laser-dot pointer?

and lastly, how quickly can the unit be unfurled, strung and ready to fire, and vice versa? (and how strong d'you reckon the limb-hinges are in terms of a long field-life?)

edit to add:

after looking at your last pic wit the close-up of your stock-grip...perhaps it could be made a little safer and steadiable (is that a word?) by using the fore-grip similar to the type you find on electric drills...so you have a pistol fore-grip preventing ANY hand-mangling

[edit on 10-9-2008 by citizen smith]

Hi Free!

I got it from here:

www.bestcrossbows.co.uk...

www.bestcrossbows.co.uk...

For about 75 pounds, they even threw in 6 extra bolts too

It is so crazy, they don't even give it a name!
It's like 'The Crossbow With No Name!'

Hey mate another top notch review!

Thats the one I was after but they sent me the xbow with the fixed arms not the folding ones...how sturdy are the arms once there extended and is it easier to string with the folding arms?????

Yo Citizen!

Red-Dot allows a quicker sight picture.

It's not got the televisual effect BUT for the ranges of 30 - 120 yards It'll be used at I won't need one.
Seriously, I think telescopes are ok, but for most situations there are very worthwhile alternatives.

The grip option might be a 'mare to configure BUT I have been giving though to padding the 'danger area' for gripping, instead of risking the risk of unconciously 'finger curling.'

At a rough guess, I'd say...

Either:

2 minutes inserting the spacers (plastic rings which protect the screw from the elements)

1 minute 45 second without inserting the spacers (plastic rings which protect the screw from the elements)

The limb hinges are tough man, they've welded the prod supports (hinges) so I'd say at least 5 years maybe less with hardcore use.
For the string I don't know. I wax the thing all the time so I reckon a while.

Gotta say a prayer it doesn't take your eye out if the string snaps on you though

I'm tempted to do the Broadhead vs bodkin! We'll see...



[edit on 10-9-2008 by WatchRider]

Kudos WR! Have a four foot gorgeous longbow and a wicked little three foot 60lb compound.

Guns are for lazy people. Just kidding. They have there place.

But I am also a purist. Nothing like going out early in the morning to practice for 3 hrs until your shoulder is screaming.

Those 3 hrs go past like fifteen minutes.


And you don't wake up the neighbors.

I have to wipe away a tear. You used duck tape. MY man. Bow your heads for the mans prayer.

[edit on 9/10/2008 by jpm1602]

[edit on 9/10/2008 by jpm1602]

Regarding the bolt extraction/guide-rail lubrication thing that I mentioned in your pistol-bow assembly and test thread, I came across this...a PTFE lube that they sell in Maplins, a large can of the stuff for a decent price...maybe worth a try than paying vastly inflated archery-store prices...just dont spill it on lino or laminate flooring, stepping in the stuff in trainers, flying down the hall and smacking your head on a doorframe just aint cool!

...just a thought

Oh and BTW...now is the perfect time of year for rabbit-hunting, all those lil baby rabbits I saw a couple of months ago will be just the right size for a meal for two and plenty tender enough!...nom! nom! nom!

Originally posted by jpm1602
I have to wipe away a tear. You used duck tape. MY man. Bow your heads for the mans prayer.

*bows head*

Our gaffa, who art in heaven
ducktape be thy name
Thy kingdom come
before things come undone
and last through heaven, as in hell

...

amen

Well I was thinking of a longbow, but the hardcore ones (medieval power) are really hard to get hold of. To get the real deal you have to order them in from Oregon (where the decent wood is) or buy a lower powered one here.
With the crossbow I've got it's got good longbow power but ease of use.

The lube stuff looks cool, I might get a can of that.
Well said CS

[edit on 10-9-2008 by WatchRider]

Hell yeah its rabbit season!

I got 2 of the buggers yesterday

No bow though just a fast dog!

Another cool thing about Xbows is you can fire off ball bearings, they don't fly as true but for near infinite ammo and weight they rock!

I am a man. But I can change. If I have to. I guess. Redgreen show.

Citizen Smith congratulations. I think I need my hernia resowed.

My neighbor of twenty years was coming back from his 'cough' other home in Fl with his wife and stopped at a garage sale in WV. Retired leather neck. He would have given it to one of his sons, but it's a lefty and he sold it to me for ahem fifteen bucks.

Bear glass powered grizzly circa 1953. Straight head to toe. Mostly ash it looks to me sided by ebony fiberglass.

A thing of beauty. It's a burner, will drive a bolt into a sand bag up the the quills.

[edit on 9/10/2008 by jpm1602]

If you've owned a bow that's 50 + years old I think my xbow must have plenty of years left in it!!!

Good story man.

reply to post by jpm1602



I have the recurve Fred Bear Grizzly also from 1953. Wouldn't trade it for anything, although I admit that I am as rusty as all get out. Apartment life, does that to you. Good thing was that when I was on my game, everything under 30 yards was instinctive shooting for me which really helped when I did the 20 yard 30 sec timed round in competitions.

I used to do primative shoots, wood shafts, no sights, no counter balance, no mechanical releases, only one simple bead nocklock allowed. Been a few years, but was okay enough to be ranked.