Category Archives: Crossbows

Wild Alberta Bear Hunt – Encounter With An Angry Bear

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Saddle Hill Outfitters is a Trophy bear camp owned and operated by Rob and Kristie Sawyer. https://www.saddlehillsoutfitting.com/ 

I hunted June 1 to June 6, 2025. 

In camp were eight hunters, including myself. Most hunted with rifle. A few of us came with bow and I came with my 10 Point Turbo S1 crossbow.  I also rented a Savage scoped rifle in .270 Winchester for backup and for wolf. Yup, I had a wolf tag too.

We hunted from 5PM till dark, in Alberta’s Saddle Hills County. Guides drove us many many miles to each baited stand. In most cases, hunters and guides communicated via phone text. 

The Hunt

Rob and guides place white tipped stakes at bait sites so we could see bear shoulder height as the bears walk near. If the bears shoulder height was equal to the top of the stakes or higher, you had as trophy boar in your sights.

Trophy bear were taken by lucky hunters. The largest was around 300 pounds taken by Cason with 6.5 PRC rifle. Holy mackerel! What a trophy bear!

 

Some hunters misjudged some bears and harvested a few sows to the chagrin of the outfitters.  The sow is essential for producing and caring for the cubs and the future adult bears. 

Harvested bears are skinned and measured. Rob is a taxidermist and can create your mounts or you can take you skinned bear home to your own taxidermist.

I was not that lucky but observed many lesser black, cinnamon, and blond bears during the week.

I double lunged a smaller boar with my crossbow during the last 3 hours of my hunt after observing over a dozen bears during the hunt. At the shot, the boar ran 20 feet up the nearest tree, only to discover he was clearly hit in both lungs. He fell 20 feet straight down like a heavy sack of potatoes only to emit his erie death moan.

 

Encounter with “Angry Bear”

Upon getting the bear back to camp, my hunt friend excitedly said, “Ed, you shot  Angry Bear!”

I responded, “Say what?” 

He said, “You shot the bear that attempted to attack a sow with three cubs and aggressively attack me in my treestand a few days earlier. I had to fire my rifle to get him away from me, but after 5 minutes he came back snapping teeth and growling.

And he was trying to kill the three cubs with the sow at the bait.” The cubs climbed nearby trees!

The mother bear chased the angry bear up a tree three times, all the while the boar was growling and popping his teeth. 

After hearing this crazy encounter, my hunter friend was so glad I had killed that bear with my Swhacker 2 1/2 inch cut mechanical broadheads. Love those swhackers!

 

Mother bear also climbed up the tree-stand to check out the hunter. Peek-a-boo I see you!

Hunters, be aware that most of the bears I observed will climb up tree stands to see who is in it. I shout hey! The bears leave the tree but remained to eat the bait.

Below, my crossbow view overlooking the bait site of Angry Bear. On the ground behind the bait barrel lies Angry Bear. Quite dead!

Arrow Shot Placement on Black Bear

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Hunting black bears with bow or crossbow requires some study of bear anatomy for correct shot placement. When I taught bowhunter education years ago we focused largely on whitetail deer.  My Outfitter will cover shot placement as well.

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation sells small synthetic 3D black bears, deer, etc. ($65) where the anatomy can be seen and a pin representing the arrow can be inserted to see what vitals were hit. The next best is a special target sold by Amazon. The company is called “ethikill” anatomy targets. On one side is a broadside bear and the opposite side is the anatomy, bones, heart lungs, liver and intestines. The hunter can shoot it and see the opposite side, e.g., what vital organs were hit. Many experts prefer a slight quartering away shot so the arrow enters and penetrates forward. 

The downside is that bears don’t often stand quartering for such a shot for any length of time. Broadside is still a great shot.

A video from “Bowhunting road” does a great job to educate. Here it is…

The Ethikill target is excellent for broadside shots. 

A double lung hit and your bear won’t go any distance at all, sometimes just feet. 

Good Bear Hunting!

 

Todays Hunting Crossbows Live Their Useful Lives In Between A Rifle and a Bow and Arrow.

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I am both a bowman and a rifleman and I shoot both very well. Todays crossbows can launch an arrow/bolt at sizzling speeds of over 500 fps, faster than the best compound bows.

Most crossbows today shoot bolts typically in the 300 to 400 fps but the 500’s are out there now. I own two crossbows, a Grizzly recurve from Excalibur which shoots at 300 fps and has taken wild boar and turkey. Full penetration.

Grizzly by Excalibur

My main crossbow is a 10 Point Turbo S1 which launches a 425 grain arrow at around 360 fps. Fast enough and with enough momentum to penetrate the largest of wild game.

Both rifle and bow are great hunting tools. We just need training and practice to master them!

Good Hunting!

Ten Point Crossbow and Oracle X: It’s A Packer Of A Swhacker For Big Black Bear

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In less than 50 days I’ll be flying 2200 miles across the USA and arriving in Grande Prairie Alberta, Canada for a week of  “two-fer” crossbow black bear hunting.

Tenpoint Turbo S1 Crossbow Package (Vektra Camo)

 

I chose to travel specifically to Alberta to hunt these unusually large color phase black bears. My Ten Point Turbo S1 Arrow/Bolts are equipped with Swhacker 231 broadheads.

With my Burris Oracle X Laser Scope, I practice at 15 to 30 yards for deer and bear and target shoot well beyond to 60 yards and more with supreme accuracy.

 

The laser works best after 20 yards by lighting the aiming point. 

Back to Swhackers; It’s cutting sharp hardened steel trocar tip leads the entry till the sharp swhacker wings enter tissue and swing the 2 1/2 inch razor sharp blades to bear, (pardon the pun).

Literally, broadside exit wounds are nearly assured with crossbows shooting 360 fps. I remember in the 1960’s, reading Fred Bear, said of his two edge broadhead blades…”It makes them lay low.” The swhacker does that in spades. I shot a red practice swhacker head out to my 60 yards target yesterday. Here is a entrance and exit picture.

I was impressed and hit the bullseye too.

Good Shooting!

 

 

 

Burris Oracle X Crossbow Scope Review

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I bought this Burris Oracle X scope hoping to extend the fun and accuracy I can have in my backyard and in big game hunting. Cost: $644 on Amazon. This is definitely not a toy.

 

 

The warranty includes lifetime fix or replacement, no questions asked whether new or used. Wow!

The video below is excellent!

I own a very accurate 10 Point Turbo S1 Crossbow below (before adding the new scope) .

 

The scope can be setup for 2 different arrow weights, aka target and broadhead hunting setups. When I am in summer mode, I can setup to target shoot out to 75 to 100 yards for fun. In fall, I can setup for max 50 yards in the deer woods with heavier broadhead tipped arrows.

Things I will need to setup the scope:

  • A very steady rest. I have a great adjustable clamp type Death Grip tripod. It works! You can use a bench rest too.
  • I needed to purchase a 10 Point raised cheek comb to have better eye alignment. 

  • Get a torque wrench for clamping the scope to the picatinny or weaver base, and torque to 40 to 70 in-lbs. I own a Wheeler Fat Wrench. Test for eye relief distance before torquing down screws.

 

  • A few Extra Lithium Batteries. CR123 or CR123A work. I like Duracell but the scope does come with a battery.

 

My practice priority is for the hunting setup with my 125g Swhacker 231 practice broadheads. I get close with field points at 20 yards then switch to the practice Swhacker heads and make minor adjustments. 

The most important thing, Oracle says,  is to shoot accurately at the get-go for 20 yards. I mean within 1/4 inch of center if possible.

Read the short Instruction Manual. Takes 10 minutes.

 

Next, I began the electronic truing at hunting yardages of 35 yards. The software allows for two arrow types and gives you a max of four truing points. Set Range (SR) 1 to SR 4. I began with just SR 1. It was dead on at the 35 yard target. It was for my first and only 35 yard shot today as I have a family gathering.  More soon for SR 2 at 50 yards. Then, go hunt!!

Wow! I like this laser rangefinding scope!!

Good Shooting!

 

 

 

 

My Christmas Swhacker Stocking Stuffer and 10 Point Arrow Puller

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My new 10 Point Arrow Puller works great so I don’t damage my vanes when pulling my crossbow arrows

 

Swhacker Practice broadheads for hunting.  Just tested them today at 20 and 30 yards. They fly like a field point and don’t drift. More tests at 40 yards soon. The trocar tips are cut-on-contact.

Swhacker 125g broadheads open to 2.25 inches .

I am shooting 350 fps out of my 10 Point Turbo Crossbow with my pro Elite 400 arrows. With the 125 grain heads the arrow and head weigh in at 535 grains. I calculated Kinetic Energy at 20 yards at 140 ft-lbs, at 40 yards Im still shooting a terminal energy of 134 ft lbs. More than enough energy for Black Bear, Moose and Elk. The broadhead was designed by a NASA Engineer. The head on left has two blades that cut a one inch hole and when inside game, it opens to 2.25 inches. Swhackers have been in the field for many years and proving their worth day after day. Yup, Amazon sells them!! I will make a video at some point.

Good Hunting!

Setting My Sights On An Adventure Filled Maine Bear Hunt – Updated

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An Adventure filled Solo Maine Black Bear hunt is in my plans for September 2024. Come on along as I film some video clips too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear

 I have not hunted black bear for quite some time, but it can be very exciting with a good outfitter and remote land access. I estimate the weight of this bear in the above image near 400 pounds. 

What is even better is that very often you will see more than one bear or two or more on a 6 day hunt.

Most hunting is done in afternoon and evening on ground blinds or tree stands over bait. 

Baiting is a great way to hunt bear, in particular, because you can be selective; e.g., to pass or shoot a smaller or larger adult bear.

The tough part is to gage the size of a bear coming to bait. Often, bears, particularly big ones, come to bait just minutes before dark, making judging size, and fur color even harder.

I am very pleased with my 10 Point Turbo Crossbow (390 – 400 fps) and my NAP Killzone Cut-on-Contact 100 grain mechanical broadheads.  Bears often hit with a razor sharp broadhead in the heart/lung area, will run flat out for 10 seconds and then collapse deader-than-a-door-nail… never knowing what bit them. Too far forward may result in the arrow hitting the scapula bone and tough tracking so the shot must be true. 

My Equipment, a 10 Point 400 fps Turbo S1 Crossbow Arrow Flight with Killzone Broadhead or my Browning 7mm Rem Mag.

Killzone provides a practice blade. It isn’t easy to assemble the practice blade but once done, it works. Note; that the there is a pencil point type head that you can get as well for this broadhead but i prefer a cut-on- contact point.

Haven’t killed a bear with the Killzone head yet, but we shall see. Many experts suggest fixed blade broadheads on bear. I have some to experiment with as well.

I will have my backup Kimber 45 ACP and my Browning Speed 7mm Rem Mag Rifle along with me as well.

X-Bolt Speed

I called to further discuss rifle at 75 yards vs bow at 20 yds and will decide when I get there. Rifle setups are further away from bait thus allowing less human odor at dusk near bait. Big bruins didn’t get big by being stupid. They use their nose and minor noise to determine when it is safe to approach bait, often after dark. Take away noise and smells at the bait site and maybe enough to to make a show. 

What will I do with the hide, skull and meat? If the bear is large, I will make a rug and have the skull cleaned. I am a meat-eater and home-made butcher and self- trained chef. Bear fat can be rendered for lubricating/rust protection and also the lard makes a great ingredient for pie crust. Bear meat and fat was a real commodity in early America for its versatility in cooking/frying and for both lubrication and rust prevention and even lamp oil.  

My Outfitter “Foggy Mountain Guide Service” hunts deep in the wild woods of Maine. Driving from southern New Hampshire to my Maine hunt location will take me about 5 hours, where I’ll spend up to six days hunting.

https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/laws-rules/licenses-permits.html

Fishing during morning and mid-day will be my pass-time before the hunt. 

Stay posted for more on this Adventure filled hunt.

Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved.

 

Excalibur Matrix Grizzly Crossbow; Muzzy Broadheads and Lumenoks on Wild Boar

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My recent hunt in Maine was the first opportunity to hunt and harvest wild boar with the Excalibur Matrix Grizzly Crossbow.  Broadheads used in the hunt were razor sharp Muzzy fixed 100 grain 3 blade heads with trocar cut-on-contact tips.

The combination performed flawlessly.  The Grizzly crossbow  is a 200 pound, 305 fps recurve crossbow. It is an older but proven model and easy to load and unload.

 

It is priced to sell right now at around $499.00. I purchased a later kit to make the bow a bit quieter.

I began the hunt with my flintlock which turned out to be finicky to fire. My backup was this crossbow and it did a marvelous job at 20 yards providing full penetration and exit with an immediate blood trail.

The scope was set with the main crosshair at 20 yards but had triangle yardage marks on the vertical scope line out to 50 yards. I think that 30 yards would be my personal max without a very steady rest and a rangefinder.

The Muzzy broadheads come in a pack of 6 and also come with practice blades for $31 bucks. Proving in these broadheads for flight was an easy proposition with the, easy to pull out, practice inserts.

MUZZY-3-Blade-100-Gr-1-3-16-034-Cut-Broadhead-6-Pk-225-Free-Practice-Blades

I tried other compound crossbows that were much faster but so much harder to load and cost way more.  As an older and smarter hunter, I knew that 300 fps is fast enough for the whitetails and boar I was after (excellent delivered energy) and that I could load it faster and easier.

A feature of this crossbow is to  also unload it easily in the field after a hunt. Here in New Hampshire you can’t have a cocked crossbow in a moving vehicle. Most other compound crossbows require you to shoot the bow into a target butt you keep in your vehicle. A pain the butt, pun intended.

The knocks on my arrow/bolts are Lumenoks and they work well to see them as they follow the lighted knock to your game hit and are easy to locate after. A word to the wise, if you want Lumenoks then purchase them installed on your arrow/ bolts already from  the factory. I had a difficult time removing old knocks that were epoxied in.

All in all the wild boar never knew what hit them.

Good Hunting!

© Copyright 2020

 

 

Excalibur Matrix Crossbow Sound Deadening System and Air Brake Dissipator Bars Review

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My Excalibur Matrix Grizzly Crossbow is a bare bones model for just under $500. It shoots arrow/bolts at 300 fps measured and very accurate. But it is louder (a high pitch like bang sound), measured with my sound meter at 102 Dba (a loud shout) at the bow.

In the woods, I believed it is truly a foreign noise and will surely spook game (not like a tree limb cracking for sure).

Accordingly, I contacted Excalibur and purchased their Sound Deadening System which consists of string stars, RAVS rubber limb dampeners, overmolded rubber stirrup and air brake limb dissipator to decrease the sound and get rid of the high frequency bang sound. Cost $130. I was also concerned that I would lose arrow speed but didn’t.

Before adding these devices I measured arrow speed at 300 fps and 102 Dba at the bow.

After adding these devices I measured arrow speed still at 300 fps and 98 Dba at the bow. Still loud but the high frequency bang noise was softened significantly.

I would have liked the sound level to be lower still, however,  it is what it is.

Adding these devices shifted my point of impact by 4 inches to the left at 20 yards and made scope adjustments to compensate. The installation, reading the detailed instructions, disassembling the bow limbs to add the air brakes, adding the string and limb dampeners took me a few hours.

Was it worth that effort?

Not really significant. Getting rid of that high frequency (almost metalic) bang sound was the best part.

The truth is that game, particularly whitetail deer will hear sound levels to spook at perhaps 70 Dba (the sound of a vacuum cleaner) or even much lower. My recurve bow at 45 lbs makes a sound level of 89 Dba without string silencers.  The recurve Dba cut the noise in half from the crossbow but still loud enough for deer to hear and maybe spook (jump the string). Was it worth the $130 dollars and reduced sound and time to assemble?

I believe It wont change the mind of a deer.

So the answer is no, but I likely knew that going into this review.

The valuable part for me is that arrow speed was maintained.

Even though my 45 pound recurve is quieter, its much slower arrow speed will allow a spooked deer more milliseconds to spook and drop to avoid the arrow, where my 300 fps crossbow at 20 yards will only be off by a quarter of an inch. On a 40 yard deer with 300 fps arrow, it will drop 5 inches. With a 256 fps bow the arrow will be off by 10 or more inches at 40 yards. Avoid these longer shots!

For further reading you can read my recent article on “Jumping the String” and the great work done by Dr. Grant Woods and his www.growingdeer.com team.

Bowhunter Arrow/Bolt Speed vs Whitetail Deer Drop- Updated

The bottom line is that arrow speed is vital and sound is less important given that many deer will react to drop at the sound of a recurve, compound or crossbow. Assume the deer will drop and aim at the lower 1/3 of the deer thus still  making a double lung hit. Here’s hoping we make better shot evaluations.

Good Hunting!