I was going to do a little ice fishing and decided against it since the weather was terrible.  Below zero wind chill isn’t exactly my idea of fun!  I thought to myself I could do something productive to get ready for next deer season, so I broke out my reloading equipment and began to plow through some cartridges that I had started to prepare sometime ago.  I had two boxes of 30-06 cases with new primers already in them along with a box of 30-30 cases in the same condition. 

     I started with my 30-06 rounds first.  I broke out the trusty load charts and dug through my powder selection to see what I had and then made my selection according to what my load charts recommended.  I used a bottle of H4350 powder for my 180 grain bullets that I had purchased.  After looking at the load specs I knew which Lee dipper to choose to make my powder measurements correct. 

     After setting up my dies and doing some measuring with my calipers I began to run round after round into the press.  It didn’t take to terribly long to run 40 rounds through which made two complete boxes of new hand loaded cartridges for my deer rifle!  I can’t wait to get to the shooting range to give them a try and see what they can do.  I will be taking my chronograph to check my speeds to see where they line up to the factory Remington loads of the same grain.

     Next up was the box of 30-30 cases that needed loading.  After looking at my load charts I had to switch to the IMR 4227 powder to produce my rounds.  To me it looked like the amount of powder was a little on the small side.  So I did some checking to see what they would be in the 30-06 load chart.  I found out if I used this same powder in my 30-06 rounds that they would measure almost half of what the H 4350 powder that I used measured to.  This IMR 4227 powder was a much finer grained powder than what the H 4350 was.  I also compared the speeds on the 30-06 load chart between the two powders.  The finer IMR powder speeds were much slower than that of the H 4350 for the same caliber and grain.    This is why you MUST check your load charts when figuring out what powders to use along with how much! 

     After double checking to make sure I had the right measurements, I began to load the 30-30 rounds and within a few minutes I had a box of hand loaded rounds to take to the shooting range to test the next time out.    Hand loading ammunition can be a fun and rewarding way to spend a cold day inside when your not able to get out and play!  Not to mention it can also save you quite a bit of coin along the way!

     To back up a bit, I purchased a set of Ruger scope rings for it last weekend while I was up north shutting down our cottage.  I made a quick stop by Jay’s Sporting Goods in Gaylord, Michigan to see if they had any rings in stock.  Sure enough they had just what I needed so they made their way home with me on the return trip!  Two weeks prior I purchased a BSA illuminated 4×16 40mm scope to perch atop my coyote rifle while I was down at Cabela’s.  With my optics equipment purchases complete, I could now get down to the business of setting up the rifle so I could get to the range.

     This week I put the rings on the rifle and mounted the scope to the rings.  I really like the way the Ruger rings mount to the rifle.  With only two mounting screws (one on each ring), they fasten down without the worry of making sure you have the rings centered on the rifle.  They mount onto the Ruger by tightening from the left side of the ring, which forces the ring to become centered on the rifle.  As the screw tightens it brings the ring into alignment with the wedge on the right side of the ring being pulled into the groove on the rifle.  I have seen some rings that have screws on both sides of the ring which must be tightened down equal turns to ensure that the ring is centered on the rifle.  Not with these, that is what makes it so easy to mount the scope yourself!

     I hit the range today knowing that I would be shooting the .17 for the first time!  I have heard a lot of good feedback on the .17′s and was wondering just how mine would perform.  As I slipped the first round into the chamber and closed the bolt, I didn’t quite know what to expect.  I drew down on the target at 12 yard station and pulled the trigger!  The gun barked and the tear on the target was fairly close!  I was pleasantly surprised by the punch from the little caliber!  It had a nice little poke to it for being such a small round.  I fired a few more rounds and then began to make my adjustments. 

     With it being fairly close after a few adjustments, I moved to the 5o yard line and set up shop.  I looked down through the scope and squeezed off a round, dead center!  No adjustments needed, I moved to the 100 yard line and proceeded to fine tune the scope to hit the center!  It didn’t take long until I had it where it needed to be.  I cracked off a few more shots to verify it was good, then it was off to some longer distances to see what this little puppy could do.  I had heard that it could shoot pretty flat out to longer distances, but I was skeptical.  I moved to the 150 yard line and dropped 10 rounds down range, then I moved back to 200 yards and did the same thing again.

     I went to check my targets to see exactly what I could expect from the little .17 and found that the Ruger was shooting about 3 inches low at 150 yards, I could deal with that but at 200 yards it didn’t even hit the paper!  It looked to be about 7 inches low or so at the longer distance.  I thought it might be the ammo I used to tune the rifle in, so I will be checking other ammo choices at a later date.  Today I used CCI TNT jacketed hollow points to do the initial sighting in.  I do have three other choices of ammo to try: the Hornady V-Max, the Remington Magnum Accutip and the Winchester Super X JHP, that I will be testing as soon as I can make it back out to the range again.  All in all a great day to spend out shooting the new little varmint shooter!  Best thing about it was that I was out there all by myself.  Nothing like having the entire shooting range to yourself to have fun on!

     All went extremely well and he even got his first bird of which everyone give him a congratulatory birage of “ataboys”!  We all took a duck or two and made our way back to the launch.  Upon arrival I was greated with a terrible surprise of a shot out window on the back of my pick up! 

     Someone, whom I will not call a hunter, found it necessary to shoot towards the parking area at what I hope was a duck and not just plain malicious destruction!  I say not a hunter because a hunter would know where his or her safe zone of fire is.  A hunter would know where the parking area is.  A hunter would know that it is dangerous to shoot towards any area where people might be congregating.  That is why I will not call this person a hunter.  I know accidents happen, but this is exactly why you don’t shoot towards an area that you don’t know what is in front of your shooting lane!

     Just think what could have happened if this had been a group of hunters standing there instead of my truck?  I might be writing a story of how a group of hunters were shot or worse yet killed because of someone’s stupidity!

     Am I mad?  Hell yes, I’m mad, but I won’t let this ruin what was one of my greatest days in the field watching my youngest boy become a man that day hanging out in the marsh with fellow hunters!  And by the way, he knows his safe zone of fire, we went over it thoroughly that morning!  Have a great hunting season and be safe out there!

To read about our entire hunt and view the photos check out my Up North Journal Hunting Blog.

Press Release:

WINCHESTER SUPER-X POWER MAX BONDED A NEW BONDED BULLET FOR WHITETAIL

Winchester® Ammunition introduces its new 2009 line of centerfire rifle ammunition. Super-X® Power Max Bonded^TM is specifically designed for the whitetail deer hunter and takes the time-proven jacketed bullet design to a new level of performance at an affordable price. Winchester’s proprietary bonding process welds lead to a copper alloy jacket where the two act together during expansion for improved penetration and retained weight.

“The bonding technology improves bullet performance with increased retained weight and deeper penetration, while still providing a quick and lethal knock-down,” said Glen Weeks, Centerfire Product Manager for Winchester Ammunition. “For any whitetail hunter who is interested in bullet strength and penetration, the new Power Max Bonded is it.”

Key features of the Super-X bullet include:

Protected hollow point PHP design
Lead core bonded to jacket with proprietary process
Massive frontal area of mushroom is more than double original diameter
Lead remains bonded to jacket after impact
Super-X Power Max Bonded will be offered in the following calibers and bullet weights, with expected store delivery set for June of 2009:

Cartridge Grain                    Muzzle Velocity     Symbol
.270 Win 130 PHP              3060                          X2705BP
.270 WSM 130 PHP            3275                          X270SBP
.30-30 Win 150 PHP           2390                          X30306BP
.308 Win 150 PHP              2820                          X3085BP
.30-06 Sprg 150 PHP         2700                          X30061BP
.300 WSM 150 PHP            2970                         X300SBP
.300 Win Mag 150 PHP       2960                         X30WM1BP
PHP = Protected Hollow Point
For more information about this Winchester product, visit Power Max information page.

Winchester Ammunition prides itself being a leader in conservation efforts. The company is involved with numerous partnerships at local, state and national levels. For more than 12 years Winchester has been a proud sponsor of Whitetails Unlimited. During this partnership Winchester has contributed funding to support P.O.L.I.T.E (Permission of Landowner in Order to Enter) and Chronic Wasting Disease projects. In addition, the Winchester Library is housed at Whitetails Unlimited headquarters and Winchester supports many local and state Whitetails Unlimited chapters. For more information about Whitetails Unlimited, visit www.whitetailsunlimited.com.

17 HMR AMMUNITION AND MODEL 597® 17 HMR SEMI-AUTOMATIC

DO NOT USE REMINGTON 17 HMR AMMUNITION IN SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARMS.

DO NOT USE THE REMINGTON MODEL 597 17 HMR SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE.

Remington has been notified by its supplier of 17 HMR ammunition that 17 HMR ammunition is not suitable for use in semi-automatic firearms. The use of this ammunition in a semi-automatic firearm could result in property damage or serious personal injury.

If you have a semi-automatic firearm chambered for 17 HMR ammunition, immediately discontinue use of Remington 17 HMR ammunition. If you have any Remington 17 HMR ammunition that you wish to return to Remington contact the Remington Consumer Service number below. Do not return the ammunition to the dealer. Remington will provide you with a $10.00 coupon for each complete box of 50 rounds of Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition you return to Remington. This coupon will be good for the purchase of any Remington ammunition at your local dealer.

In light of the ammunition manufacturer’s notice, it is very important that you immediately stop using your Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle. If you own a Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle and wish to return it to Remington please contact the below Remington Consumer Service Number. In return for your Remington Model 597 17 HMR synthetic stock semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a coupon valued at $200.00 good for the purchase of a replacement Remington firearm. If you have a laminate stock Remington Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle, Remington will provide you a coupon valued at $250.00 good for the purchase of a replacement Remington firearm. Remington will also reimburse you for the actual postage to return your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle to Remington.

Please allow up to 6 weeks after Remington receives your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition for the appropriate coupons to arrive. Instructions for redemption of the coupons will be contained on the coupon.

For any consumer questions or instructions on how to return of your Model 597 17 HMR semi-automatic rifle or your Remington branded 17 HMR ammunition, please contact the Remington Consumer Service Department at 1-800-243-9700, Prompt #3.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Safety First
Always observe the ten commandments of safe gun handling and wear approved eye and ear protection anytime you are shooting

     By now your probably asking yourself, what the heck are you talking about here?  What I’m speaking of is the recent passage of a law allowing crossbows to be used liberally in the upcoming Michigan hunting seasons.  Before, during and after the discussion and passage of this new law there was a strong force opposing this and another that strongly supported this law.  I did some research on the subject by looking at what the weapon was, what other states have faced since they allowed them, and then I looked at what both sides were saying before I formed an educated opinion on them.

     Once the new rules were voted on and passed I began to think about what arguments both sides used to sway the Legislature into seeing their side of the equation.  I thought about why I thought this would be a good weapon to allow people to hunt with and looked at some of the problems that might arise along with the arguments of the non-crossbow hunters.  It was then that I thought about doing a field test of my own to see what arguments held water and which ones were a wash!

     Since I had no experience using a crossbow or hunting with one for that matter, I thought I could be as unbiased as they come to try and figure out just how viable a weapon this would be.  So I began the task of contacting each and every crossbow manufacture that I could find to see if they would be willing to allow us to shoot, test, and hunt with their offerings.  I had three companies step to the plate and take the challenge.  The first company was Ten Point, they allowed us to put their “Titan” crossbow to the test.  Next was PSE, which chose to offer the Sidewinder out of their stable.  The third company to take the challenge was Excalibur which selected their Phoenix recurve crossbow to be put up against the other two companies.

     Each of the three crossbows have very different features that distinguishes them from one another, yet they all still offer the crossbow hunter or shooter the basics in what one would expect in a newer crossbow package.

     The first experience we had was with the Titan from Ten Point during a spot and stalk hog hunt at a hunting enclosure, basically we had live practice.  I thought that this would be a good opportunity to see what a crossbow could do, so I took one of our staff members along and allowed him to use the Titan for his stalk.  Chuck who used the Titan had never spent any time with a crossbow before, so he didn’t have an informed opinion one way or another.  We took some time for him to practice with it at the archery range and get familiar with the gear before heading out to the field with it.  Let me stop right here and say this:  We should have spent much more time practicing with it before heading to the field, just as we should if it were a bow, shotgun, or rifle!  That was one of the first myths that was being spread about crossbows, “they are too easy to shoot, they shoot like a rifle”.  Many people assumed or misstated the fact that they were so accurate and easy to use that you could just pick one up and if it had a scope on it you could hit the field running.  Wrong!

     After spending a day at the archery range shooting and practicing we thought that we could just hit the field running with it, although Chuck did get his hog, we later found out during testing that you need to spend time with the crossbow practicing to become proficient with it.  Just like any other weapon of choice you need to spend time with a crossbow to improve your accuracy and safety skills with it.  I will get into that later, but when Chuck took his hog, he was at close range when he placed the shot on it.  This crossbow shot just shy of 300 feet per second when we later tested it with a bolt and fixed three blade broadhead combined weight of 418 grains, the same setup as what Chuck used in the field.  We expected that this bow would have had a pass through shot at less than 20 yards, that wasn’t the case.  Chuck placed the shot just behind the front shoulder and it didn’t exit the other side what so ever, this with a 175 lb. Limb package.  The Titan was the fastest of the three weapons we shot, so this claim of super powered strength is not exactly what some are claiming.

     The Titan was unique from the other two crossbows in the fact that it had a draw assist device on the unit.  This allows the shooter to use a hand crank to draw the string into the cocked position.  This is a very important feature that we will cover later in this review.  When the crossbow is cocked the safety is automatically placed in the safe position.  This is a very important safety feature on this weapon.  The Titan also sported a 40mm multi dot scope for distances of 20, 30, and 40 yards respectively.  With an 11 1/8″” power stroke, it boasts a 300 feet per second speed which is close to what we tested it at.  Our chronograph speed was 298.7 fps with a total bolt & head weight of 417.9 grains and 287.9 fps with a bolt & head weight of 466 grains.  This crossbow weighs in at 7lbs 12 oz without any accessories, which is in the middle for weight for the three companies we tested.  The Titan HLX package starts out at around $519 and can be built with extras depending on the features you want with it.

     The next piece of gear we obtained was the Excalibur Phoenix of which I wrote a first impression review on earlier this season, you can find that review here.  This crossbow was different from the first two in the fact that it sports recurve limbs on it which boast a draw weight of 175 lbs.  They advertise a speed of 305 feet per second with a 14 ½” power stroke, but we measured speeds of 285 fps with the 417.9 bolt and 280 fps with the 466 grain bolt respectively.  The Phoenix must be drawn by hand or with the aid of a cocking draw string.   The safety on the Phoenix must be engaged manually every time it is loaded unlike the other two offerings.  This is the lightest of the three crossbows we shot, coming in at 6lbs 3oz.  This is due to the stock thickness being machined down, thus keeping the weight at a minimum.  This crossbow starts out at $519 and can also be built with extras as you see fit.  The model we obtained came with the “Lite-Stuff” package, which included a scope, quiver and bolts for a total of $770.

     Last but not least is the PSE Sidewinder XB.  This crossbow has compound bow limbs with a draw weight of 185 lbs.  The Sidewinder has a power stroke of 12 ½” which produces a claimed speed of 310 feet per second.  Once again we saw something a little different with the two bolts we shot.  The bolt that weighed in at 417.9 grains chronographed at 317.6 fps and the bolt weighing 466 grains came in at 301.3!  The Sidewinder must be drawn manually also or with the aid of a draw string, it also locks the safety in the on position when cocked.  This is the heaviest of the three crossbows weighing in at 8 lbs.  The Sidewinder comes in a package deal that includes a scope, quiver, and bolts  for $400.

     That covers the basics, now let’s get to the other aspects of our test.  When we set this up for the accuracy and penetration testing we did so with a bench rest shooting vice and an uncompromised broadhead shooting block.  We took a new broadhead and placed it on the bolt for each penetration shot we did for each crossbow with the two different weighted bolts we used.  The Excalibur Phoenix with the 417.9 grain bolt penetrated 15 7/8″ in the block and the 466 grain bolt penetrated 16 7/8″ deep.  The Titan from Ten Point with the 417.9 grain bolt penetrated 18 7/8″ in the block and the 466 grain bolt penetrated 20 1/8″ deep.  Last is the Sidewinder from PSE  and with the 417.9 grain bolt we had a penetration of  19 5/8″ in the block and with the 466 grain bolt we had a penetration of 19 5/8″ deep .  Why we obtained the same depth with this last crossbow we haven’t figured out, except for the fact that there might have been a harder spot on the target with the last shot?   

     When it came to the accuracy test we had an interesting dilemma.   We began to shoot the Excalibur by hand cocking the crossbow, we soon saw accuracy results all over the page with one eventually missing the target completely!  Remember we were shooting off of a bench rest gun vice!  We then started looking at how the crossbow was loaded and cocked.  It was then that we realized something was wrong when we saw that the serving on the string was longer on one side of the rail than the other after being cocked.  I called the Excalibur factory rep and explained what was happening.  He told me that there was virtually no way to hand cock any crossbow and get any consistency out of them.  What happens he explained, is that everyone is either right or left hand dominant which leads to one pulling harder on one side of the string than the other.  This leads to power loading or over cocking one side of the crossbow than the other, thus ruining your accuracy!  This is very important to understand since it caused us to completely miss a target at 20 yards!  Imagine what could happen in the field, either a missed game animal or worse yet an injured game animal!  The rep also explained that this could happen with a string aided cocking device if the string hooks and guides are not placed directly against the rail before you start to load the string.  So much for once again picking one up with no practice and heading to the field like some do with a rifle!

     Once we got the loading issue worked out, everything started to fall into place.  At a distance of 20 yards we saw all three bows basically shoot groups of 3″ to 4″ groups.  Not what I would call the accuracy of a rifle by any stretch of the imagination!  We found one other surprise while shooting these crossbows, especially with the PSE and Ten Point Packages.  Both of these crossbows came with scopes that had multiple dots or crosshairs for distances of 20 yds, 30 yds, and 40 yds.  The gap or what we archers refer to as pin gap was pretty wide.  With that being said, if you tried to shoot out to 60 or 70 yards or even 100 yards you would have to aim so high to get the bolt to fly to that distance you wouldn’t be able to see the target through the scope!  These crossbows might shoot out to those distances if you arc them high enough, but how in the world are you going to see your target through the scope?  Accuracy and distances of 100 yards like a rifle myth? Busted!    Then naturally the next argument will be that the TAC 15 by PSE claims 400 fps and 100 yard accuracy.  The State of Michigan has put an end to that argument as well.  They will not allow any crossbow that shoots over 350 fps to be used for hunting.  The Michigan DNR has said that they will ticket anyone who is caught with a crossbow that the manufacture claims will shoot over 350 fps, PERIOD!

     We did a comparison shot with a Bowtech Guardian set at 66 lbs, 29.5″ draw with a 29.5″ Carbon Express Aramid KV arrow @ 273 grains with a measured 106 grain broadhead.  We chronographed the bow at 280 fps with  a penetration of 23″ from a total arrow weight of 379 grains.  We saw better penetration with the conventional compound than that with a crossbow!  I can hold tighter groups with my compound also than what we experienced with a crossbow on a shooters bench!  One of the biggest things that everyone that was around us when we shot them noticed immediately was how loud the crossbows were!  That was their first comment, “Man that thing is loud!”  Noise is a huge concern for hunters who have to take their game up close and personal.    With those observations, I will stick with my compound bow until I can no longer effectively use it.  Then I will gladly take up a crossbow  to hit the field with.  I want to take the most effective tool to the field to use legally that I can when I’m pursuing game.

     While shooting these crossbows, one of my staff members had his daughter with us as did I also.  We naturally thought that these would be good choices for youth who couldn’t pull a high enough draw weight on a bow to effectively take a deer, so we had them try out all three crossbows.  Both of the girls liked the PSE Sidewinder for the simple fact that there was less hand shock from the forearm and stock.  Even though it was the heaviest of the three it was the favorite of the two girls.  We also had them try to draw  the string manually and with the draw string aid with no luck!  The only crossbow they could load themselves was the Ten Point Titan with the draw assist hand crank.  With that said, a parent would definitely have to be afield with them to aid them with handling of the crossbow.  This alone teaches parental supervision!

     Some other observations we found were mostly related to safety handling of the crossbows.  We found ourselves handing the loaded crossbows to each other to place into the bench rest and the person on the receiving end more than once started to grab the rail thought the already loaded strings!  Also, YOU MUST keep your thumb and fingers down off of the rail when shooting!  I have seen more than one instance where a shooter has lost the tip of a finger or thumb that got in the way of the cables or string coming down the rail!  Last point of safety we thought of, it might not be wise to use these in a simple treestand since you must bend over the crossbow to pull the cocking aid draw string or to manually load it by hand.  Doing so could cause one to become unbalanced and lose your footing or balance in the treestand!  If I were going to hunt out of a treestand, I would want a crank style device to load the string!

     All in all, I don’t feel that the people who spoke out against the crossbow issues have anything to worry about.  These are not the magic weapon of choice that they claim them to be.  They do have a place in our woods and should be welcomed to encourage those who can’t take advantage of the archery season for what ever reason to now do so.  Since I have spent some time shooting these three crossbows, I have learned a lot about them.  They are not like a rifle so don’t treat them like one!  They will not shoot accurately over a long distance and they are not quiet by any means.  Most newer compound bows can out perform them with a little practice.  A lot of people who are speaking out against them claim that crossbow shooters have an advantage by having the string pulled back and locked, which they do, but is that any reason to keep them out of the archery season?  I think not!  Modern compounds are more effective than a crossbow so should they too be disallowed from the woods?  Traditional archers have an advantage of an easier let down if busted by an animal than that of a compound shooter who has a hard time letting down with out a jerking motion once the cams roll back!  Should we disallow the traditional shooters for that advantage?  We can find an advantage or disadvantage with any weapon of choice.  Instead of knocking down one another, we need to be supporting one another instead!  The anti’s don’t have to fight us if we are killing our own!   No matter what weapon you choose to take into the field this fall, remember to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!  When you get done with that, practice some more!

     As of our last post we had just launched our new website and then we ventured out on our newest endeavour.  It was the culmination of years of dreaming and months of hard work finally coming to fruition.  I’m glad to announce the unveiling of our new Vidcast show “Beyond The Wild“! 

     This show started out as a dream then to the concept mode and finally to our first episode!  We have decided to maintain our weekly Up North Journal podcast along with this new monthly offering of a half hour outdoor video series show.  You can find the new show at the same place as our podcast, at our website www.upnorthjournal.com and it will play right from the site just as the podcast does now.

     The basic concept of the show will be about everything we do leading up to the hunt, the hunt itself and everything after the hunt.  It will show a year round synopsis of what we do to get ready for the upcoming seasons as well as what we do when we are not hunting, thus the name everything “Beyond The Wild“.  We will also have our prostaff members on the show as well as some of our friends and family members that help us do what we do in the outdoors.

     So sit back and grab a cold beverage and enjoy our first episode of Beyond The Wild where we take a first time turkey hunter out and watch him bag a double bearded tom as well as some food plot basics!

     The Up North Journal Team has launched their new website and they invite you to stop by and check out the new digs! You can find it at the same ‘ol place: www.upnorthjournal.com you will find a new interactive video panel that will play their most current video and will eventually have the most current episode of their upcoming new video show. You will also be able to click the link to take you to the archive page of all their videos. Not only does it have the video player but it also offers an audio panel that has the most current episode of their podcast with a scrolling banner with an outline of the current show. The link below the player also takes you to an archive page of past episodes for download or playing right from the site.

     The site is not 100% completed but the important items are there, so keep looking for further updates to the site and bios on the prostaff pages. When your finished taking the tour, be sure to drop them an email and let them know what you think about the new digs!

     The purpose of this year’s review is to check performance and learn as much as possible about crossbows to pass along to you the readers.  Michigan and Pennsylvania both passed legislation this year allowing the use of crossbows in their archery deer seasons.  Since these weapons have now been included for use in these two states and a few others, we thought it would be a good time to see what the buzz is all about and learn a few things along the way.   We hope to either prove or disprove any myths about crossbows and find out just how viable they are to use in the field.  We have confirmation from three companies this year to help us in the testing, with that said, lets get to it!

     Upon opening the box, I knew I had an assembly job in front of me!  At first glance I was glad to see that most of the detailed pieces had already been assembled.  I then began my reading of the manual!  Yes I read the intructions, I know most men don’t but I figured this was a little too important to pass them by.  The kit also came with an instructional DVD which I refered to quite a bit.  It was easier to use and it was nice to see how a particular item was assembled, that made the job a lot easier.

     After unpacking the box, I checked the inventory of the items to make sure everything was there and began the task of assembly.  It took me about an hour or so to finish the job.  The hardest part was stringing the crossbow.  This model is a recurve style crossbow, so I naturally thought it would be an easy task of putting the string on.  Let me say this first, my compound is set to a 60lb. draw weight, I had to use all the strength I had to put this string on manually.  They offer a stringing device that would have made the job much easier, so I suggest you purchase one for this bow.  With that said, I do like the idea of being able to string this bow yourself.  I can see this being very useful in the field incase a string breaks, you can restring the bow in the field and get back to hunting!  This is something we will be checking on the compound style bows to see if it is possible.

     Everything went together with ease and I was off to the range to sight in the scope that came with the bow.  When I arrived at the range, I got everything out and was getting ready to start shooting, when I noticed that the box of bolts that was sent with the bow was missing the nocks!  I searched everything I had and then searched again at home with no luck.  I then went to my local proshop to obtain some nocks for the bolts only to be told they were already on the bolt!  These bolts use the flat style nock on them, but these have a screw insert which led me to believe they were missing something.  I was told by the tech at the shop that this is a new style nock system that allows a screw in insert to be attatched for fletching purposes.  This is an interesting and inovative design to help re-fletch the bolts.  Boy did I feel stupid! 

     The first impression of the bow is good, it is extremely light weight and sleek looking.  It came in Realtree camo and outfitted with everything you need to hit the field running!  Now I just have to get back to the range to do some testing!  Stay tuned for the other bows as they come in for our reviews and testing of them.