Just bought a Strikezone 380!!!!

[kevinbrian]

Well, it's on the way on the Fed Ex truck. What kind of targets will I need for this fast shooter??? Will a bag target from Wal Mart stop the field points??? What about hunting broadheads??? I owned to 175 Safari Mags (Parker made) and NO ARROW with a filed point flied to the same POI as with a hunting tip, expandable or fixed. Can someone give me a starting place so that I won't have to go try EVERY expandable. The bow is coming with some NAP spitfires. Will they REALLY fly to the same POI as the field point? The recip-e for wounded deer is NOT KNOWING WHERE MY ARROW WILL HIT!!!!! But with such a powerful bow, I don't know how to stop the arrows. The broadhead targets at WalMart would NOT stop the Safari Mag and I doubt that they will the 380 Bowtech.
But I must say that I am thoroughly excited about having a X bow with a decent trigger. The Safari Mag, although I stoned and used moly paste as lube, still had a pretty stiff pull. Bow season has begun in Tennessee. I was NOT going to hunt this year because of being my mother's full time caregiver (she has late stage Alzheimer's) but I have someone who will come down and sit with her whilst I go hunting so I decided to be ready for the leaves to fall. The Pre rut being my favorite time to hunt anyway. My bowtech should be here by saturday.
Steve (SW) , I know that you have a SF 380. Care to share a few tips on prepping the bow for the woods so that I won't have to go out and buy every known broadhead and every known target. Ive been there before. It eats up the savings QUICKLY. Thanks in advance.

[sw]

We'll talk. I own both the Saf Mag(limb broke today) and SZ(killed doe today).

[bluedog]

I'm with you! I just bought a SZ380 today. Anything you learn and shared will be greatly appreciated!

[kevinbrian]

I got mine in Thursday. I stuck with the 5 stock arrows (lazer gold tip 2's I think) and 100 grain RAGE expandables. Oddly, my 120 grain field points fly to the same POI as my 100 grain RAGE expandable and Spitfire Expandable. But they are very accurate to 45 yards. I have my first circle (factory scope) zeroed at 25 yards. I need the second circle at 45 yards. I killed a doe saturday morning with mine at 33 yards. I was on the ground against a tree behind a makeshift blind that I made with my hand pruner. She was coming straight towards me. She gave no indication of turning broadside. I committed a Bowhunter's sin and placed one in her neck when her head was down scooping up a white oak acorn. The arrow hit where the cross-circle was placed. The Rage Expandable performed well. NO blood trail though because of high entrance wound. The arrow departed the deer from the rear leg with small hole. Blades likely came off in deer....not sure. I walked to where I heard her crash. 60 yards. Dead deer. I WILL be more disciplined from hence forth. Rather, I will try to be. But buck fever set in a bit, and I was totally focused on making arrow penetrate deer into the boiler room. It worked out good on this deer, though I would stick with proven deer positions in the future. I shot a 175 lb Safari mag for the last four years. The trigger on this bow is better. As is the ergonomics. I really love this bow. I have been applying a bit of rail lube to serving in the hopes of adding life. But I am open to suggestions. So far, no fraying.

The arrow traveled the length of her body and exited out of a ham. Very impressed with this bow. I have not found it to be real picky about arrows as long as I use expandables. I tried 125 grain Thunderheads (Rhinehart 18-1 target) and they were all over the place. Likely planing from the speed. My Safari Mag shot them fair. But I imagine that I was right on the lower edge of being to fast for the thunderheads with the Saf Mag. Sorry that your limb broke Dr. Steve!!! I dry fired my Saf Mag last year and it happened. Sent it to Parker and they were fast with the replacement. I also broke a stirrup. Likely by cocking in a deer stand by holding my leg out straight and cocking while the stirrup was suspended in the air on my foot. But my Viper stand didn't lend itself well to cocking crossbows on its platform.

[sw]

More later. This works for me. Red Hot arrows with regular moon nocks(replace the ones that come with the Red Hots. Best flying broad head is FOC(for me). Make a practice point by sacrificing one and epoxy the blades in. I use an HHA Optimizer, WCE 1.5x4.5. This is an excellent combination . I get very tight groups out to well past 80 yds. Snail snot on rail no less often than every other shot. Use a very light coating or your velocity will drop. Wax string often(every few shots). My string still looks virtually new with nearly 800 shots. I love this x-bow. I know people would chastise me for the range I shot a doe that was starring at me last Friday but it didn't even flinch at the virtually silent shot - it did fall dead with that FOC though.

[brownbasshunter]

I boght a stryker 380 about 2 months ago. All I can say is Unbelievable ! It is very fast and super accurate.

I lube the rail with Rail Snot every 5 shots and rub the rail with my finger every other shot to smooth out what stays on the rail. I wax the string every 10-12 shots.

Smoked a doe first week of season @ 36 yds...she made a 60 yd death run. Shooting the factory stryker 20" bolts with "cheap" carbon express 100 gr. expandables. Only shot it out to 50 yds. I have a friend who dropped a doe @ 81 yds (with rangefinder).

Good luck and I think you made a good purchase.... you should be impressed.

[tar12]

I looked at this model several months back and the bad press kept me from making the plunge. Have they corrected the limb issues?

[kevinbrian]

Oct 6, 2012 22:33:09 GMT -5 tar12 said:

I looked at this model several months back and the bad press kept me from making the plunge. Have they corrected the limb issues?

Yes they have Rick. The newer ones with updated limbs have black limps instead of camo. I jst tried some 22 ich Stryker (laser gold tip) with Rage Expandables with STARTLING good success and no poi change from the 20 inch version of the same combo.
SW, I need to buy some snail snot. I have been using the rail lube that came in the pkg deal with Wyvern Creations. He said to use it on serving as well. This is a bow that I enjoy shooting targets AND deer with. I killed my second deer (another doe) this last friday from a Viper stand. She ran 25 yards. Great blood trail but didn't need it. Saw the whole post shot activity. Expired as quickly as a rifle shot. Ialso found someone who can re-serve when needed. Thanks for the tips. I'm heading for the woods. Finding some buck activity ,......not rut, nor pre rut, but made a visual when scouting. Found the batchelor groups watering and feeding place in a remote section of my lease. I hope to run an arrow thru one of them at 370 plus FPS. I'll be using this bow throughout the whole season. Bow, ML, and gun. Very light. Compact. Sling studs already installed by factory. Scope is not bad. But not great. I may put my Leupold 3x9x33 EFR on it and use on crosshair. Zero at 30 yards. It'll be for thick woods all year. I need a mil dot reticle on this scope BAD!!!!
PS: for Broadhead/expandable practice......Rhinehart 18:1. Arrows pull out easier. Its worth the cash. Kinda small. Zero first with field tips with bag target. Then switch to Expandables and Rhinehart target. This is an FYI for those who may need it.

[tar12]

Thanks Kevin that was what I was needing to know. I wish I would have had a crossbow in my hands night before last.... ;D Soon enough..

[sw]

Xbows(except recurves) have a higher failure rate than v-bows. That's just how it is. My xbow is my primary hunting instrument: I'll always have at least 1 back up. The SZ has more desirable features than any other, IMO. Small, very fast, great trigger, very quiet, balanced, moderate cost, very accurate, etc all describe the SZ. The 350 is slightly more accurate, quiet, and less stressed. Buy from a great dealer or Wyvern . I have appx 900 shots thru my 380 w/o any problems: serving and string/cable as new. This is not a black limbed model. My Parker Saf Mag(175) is awaiting its 4th set of limbs(no dry fires, just over 6,000 shots). Ten Point limbs break also. Xbow limbs just break eventually, that's just how it is. Want no problems but willing to accept the size, noise, slower speed, get an Excaliber. So accurate and dependable .

[Mid_Tn_Plowboy]

My best friend is using grim reapers and likes them better than rage broad heads. He's tearing them up down at Pickwick sending a pic a day almost from deer to yotes. I use Slick Trick 100s because it is the only broad head I have used that ACTUALLY has field point POI. I swapped to the Slick Trick Standard 1" from G5 Striker 100s. I have always used a fixed "NEVER FAIL TO DEPLOY" broad head but if I was to try an expandable I would try the Grim Reaper just from his success. I use a rinehart rhinoblock target for field point or broad head use. I love it.

[sw]

Update:
I am now using 22" Gold Tip Lazer 3 Pros, Al nock and insert(19.7g), Blazer vanes with 4 degree rt offset, and 170g points(NAP FOCs). I chose the 22" for flatter trajectory. I like the 189.7g insert/broadhead vs the 110g(brass) insert/100g point which is 210g. The 22" arrow actually drops less than the 20" arrow set up the same. These arrows drop less and group better than the excellent Red Hot arrows with the 170g broadhead. I'd much rather have a heavier broadhead/light insert than a heavy insert/light broadhead. Yes, I know that there are many more 100g broadheads from which to choose than 170-175 g broadheads, but 1 good one is all you need. The FOC is more field tip like than any other expandible except the long extinct Puckett. The FOC is devastating on deer! It flies quiet, does well in xwind , and cuts a huge hole. The 22" arrow shoots great out of both the Parker and SZ.