I have a shoulder that is pretty torn up. Drawing my bow has become increasingly difficult and it's come time for me to accept that this is probably my last season of being able to shoot a compound bow, Both, my dad and brother shoot Barnett bows. I am considering buying a Barnett Jackal to enter the crossbow game. I have read a lot of reviews about the set up and it seems most say that the two important things are to replace the sight and the bolts. Do any of you have other helpful advice about this crossbow? Thanks in advance. Shiner
Well the scope that came with my Quad is great so I do not know why you would want to change it. The Head Hunter bolts are pretty good bolts. Most xbow bolts are to light because people are chasing speed but lose grouping. FOC is very important on bolts and 1/4 inch is a lot. Spine is controlled more by weight than anything. Just know it takes more to stop the bolt.
I have a Jackal and like it. It is a bit heavy but not bad. It fits right, have been shooting Carbon Express Cross Bolts and have good tight groups out to 40 yds. I use a support, can't do the free hand any more. I think you would like it. It did put a 3 X 9 scope on with 10 through 50 yd POI points that are very accurate.
Had the Jackal out Saturday Morning. 20 yds it put 3 in a tennis ball size group. 30 yds the group enlarged to around 4". That will be as good as I will ever be able to hold steady, even with a post. The bow was delivered to me on 12/30/2016 so it is not a year old yet and hasn't been shot since last March. After shooting Sat I noticed the string to the left of the serving was starting to unravel. Looks like one strand. No one has the strings on hand so ordered one off eBay to get one by Thursday to save a additional 90 mile trip to have the string replaced. No one closer has a bow press. I know the bow has not shot more than 60 shots and the string is failing? They must put some real junk on for the original string.
Coworker of mine has one and had to send his back just a few weeks ago as the limb split when he was getting it ready for deer season. He said his father in laws did the same thing last year. Didn't have a problem getting it replaced though and otherwise has liked it and killed several deer with it the last 2 years
Mine was a factory refurbished with warranty so hopefully it won't have that problem. Getting new string & cable on it tomorrow. Hope that don't change the sighting on it.
I have a Barnett predator and it's an awesome bow. It's just a little faster (375 ft/sec) than the jackal but I can put three arrows in a peach at 60 yards. I do however have an upgraded sight on it, and am shooting 22" Easton bloodline bolts with 100gran. Shwacker broadheads
What about this? My dad jumped into the crossbow scene this year after resigning himself to the fact that a bad shoulder. He bought a Barnett Recruit, which is smaller than the Jackal. Does anyone have an opinion of the Recruit? It seemed to me to be a decent x-bow for the money. What say you???
I've shot the recruit and it's an ok bow for what it is but I really would recommend something with a bit more speed, as xbow's are quite a bit louder then a compound. You don't want to give the deer any more of a chance to jump the string then you have to.
Correct me if I am wrong but I thought FOC was measured in %, not inches. I am shooting Carbon Express, 100gr points, 3" Bohning Cross Bolt fletching, weigh right at 470 gr and 12 % FOC.
FOC is given in % but a 1/4 inch can make a big % change. On bolts I find 15 to 18 % work best. Out west last week there was a guy at camp with a new xbow. His fieldpoints grouped well but his broadheads were spreading out. He was installing mechanicals and they grouped only slightly better. His fp's had plain nocks but his hunting bolts had lighted nocks. Put plain jocks on bh shafts and they tightened up to the same. Put one of my 125 gr Snuffers on his bolt with lighted nocks and at 20 yard's grouped with fp's. 25 grains changed the FOC and grouping.
So your saying that 1/4 inch in overall length is what makes the big difference? That is moving the balance point 1/8", which would change the FOC. Same as adding a heavier point would change the balance point, and FOC. I never worked up to that high % as I understood 10% was the minimum and work from there for accuracy. That is why I use 12-13% FOC as I have nice tight groups, at least as tight as I can hold without a vise. My field points and BH weigh the same and shoot the same, but there could be a big difference between mechanicals and open Bh's.
