Wicked Ridge Blackhawk 360

[Doco Overboard]

Sounds like you've been at it for a while !
I'm not entirely sure where I'll end up with this one.. If it serves me well, does what I want, and puts meat in the freezer, I may never buy another bow again. I tend to be a fan of simplicity, so the less complicated and bs the better. A big selling point to me with this bow, was that it was very basic, yet put together buy a reputible company known for quality generally. I also have a muzzleloader - one. Settled on a CVA Wolf in stainless steel, Leupold scooe, rings and bases, and its served me well for the past 2 years. I see no need for another or any sort of upgrade "just because" in the future. I'm kind of over that at this point. Now I'm just trying to sort out what REALLY works with what, and what's marketing bs..

So now you have me thinking and I'm going to go on about branded ten point X bows.
I know of in the very least problems associated with limbs de-laminating and then hearing about from the owners dissatisfaction with manufacture warranty etc.
But, I think its becuase having personal knowledge of the owners ability to be serious, and by that I mean not actually bow hunters in a hard core sense not just some guy using bow hunter seasons as a filler.
More than likely they let the limbs hit a stand rail or even dry fired or poorly maintained to some extant and just bitched becuase they were frustrated, embarrassed for what they laid out in funds or whatever.
Lots of people shift blame particularly when it shifts from user error to the product manufacturer becuase its easier to do that it seems to me. Loss of time to days afield is additive in that regard I think.
As far as archery goes or anything for that matter theirs a personal accountability in there somewhere when you learn about these things year after year.
I can guarantee that Wicked Ridge will kill as supposed tonight and it hasent been fired since early last year before Early muzzle loader and the barn has to be 100 deg regularly now.
Its just how I described earlier. heavy unwieldy loud etc little bit of string wear probably from the elements mostly but accurate and consistent. safe etc without a doubt based on my experience.
The only bow I ever had fold up on me was Browning Excellerator and that was back in the day when release aids were for chicks and nerds but it was my fault for overdrawing too light a spine arrows and cranked all the way up. It was the limbs that broke too not the laminated wooden riser.

 

[possumman]

If you are looking for simplicity try sn Excalibur. Not crazy expensive. No pulleys or cables. The old one I have works just fine with the crappy 4x scope that came on it. I shot only traditional bows for years til I tore my rotator cuff years ago. Bought a cheap Barnett crossbow with a peep sight and 2 pins. Killed a bunch of deer with it. I would not be afraid to take it out this season though I have more techy one now.

 

[jef955]

So now you have me thinking and I'm going to go on about branded ten point X bows.
I know of in the very least problems associated with limbs de-laminating and then hearing about from the owners dissatisfaction with manufacture warranty etc.
But, I think its becuase having personal knowledge of the owners ability to be serious, and by that I mean not actually bow hunters in a hard core sense not just some guy using bow hunter seasons as a filler.
More than likely they let the limbs hit a stand rail or even dry fired or poorly maintained to some extant and just bitched becuase they were frustrated, embarrassed for what they laid out in funds or whatever.
Lots of people shift blame particularly when it shifts from user error to the product manufacturer becuase its easier to do that it seems to me. Loss of time to days afield is additive in that regard I think.
As far as archery goes or anything for that matter theirs a personal accountability in there somewhere when you learn about these things year after year.
I can guarantee that Wicked Ridge will kill as supposed tonight and it hasent been fired since early last year before Early muzzle loader and the barn has to be 100 deg regularly now.
Its just how I described earlier. heavy unwieldy loud etc little bit of string wear probably from the elements mostly but accurate and consistent. safe etc without a doubt based on my experience.
The only bow I ever had fold up on me was Browning Excellerator and that was back in the day when release aids were for chicks and nerds but it was my fault for overdrawing too light a spine arrows and cranked all the way up. It was the limbs that broke too not the laminated wooden riser.

Im sure you're exactly right about using your equipment correctly, those are the type of mistakes I'm trying to avoid, the ones that bite ! I'm always leary of internet reviews, I tend to put a little more faith in forum discussions where things like that tend to get mentiined other than one star rants. I'll get out and shoot it soon here and the adventure will begin - along with something else to spend money on. Hopefully not THAT much anyway !

 

[jef955]

If you are looking for simplicity try sn Excalibur. Not crazy expensive. No pulleys or cables. The old one I have works just fine with the crappy 4x scope that came on it. I shot only traditional bows for years til I tore my rotator cuff years ago. Bought a cheap Barnett crossbow with a peep sight and 2 pins. Killed a bunch of deer with it. I would not be afraid to take it out this season though I have more techy one now.

Bow I have - now its all the tidbits I am looking to wade my through, along with all the advertising!

 

[tallen702]

I know of in the very least problems associated with limbs de-laminating and then hearing about from the owners dissatisfaction with manufacture warranty etc.

I've yet to find a single manufacturer who doesn't have broken/de-laminating limb complaints in their reviews.
Not to thread-jack, but Sportsman's Guide was having a pretty nice sale on the Barnett XP 380 with a "ready to hunt" package, so I went for it to have something a little more compact and lighter than my old Horton. Sure enough, there's one complaint (pulled from a review on the Barnett website) that says the limbs broke. The same goes for the reviews pulled from WR regarding the Blackhawk 360. There are, as you said, a lot of guys who see bow season as a "filler" and likely don't take much care of their equipment which leads to these issues.

OP, read the manual and make sure to lube your rails and wax your string according to the instructions. I saw where you said you're an IWLA member at the Damascus Chapter, so you're likely within a reasonable distance of Mt. Airy, the guys at Crosswind/Gun Shack are honest and know their craft. I've had them look at my old Horton every year to make sure it's in good shape and they've never tried to sell me on anything it didn't need. The G5 Montec series of broadheads are good. I've had excellent accuracy with them and the first deer I took with a crossbow two seasons ago expired from a double lung shot with those suckers in about 30 seconds. You're right that crossbows have incredible power. I'd rather get shot with an FMJ than hit with a 100gn broadhead at 300FPS. As someone else mentioned, if you get a bolt stuck in the tree, it's done. You're not getting that one back. Good luck in your new endeavour, and if you are looking for tips and advice for deer season, you've come to the right place. Outrider 58 is especially helpful when it comes to our region.