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Post by Buckrub on Feb 5, 2009 15:25:15 GMT -5
I wish I had more time to go into detail..... Suffice it to say that I FINALLY and for the first time in my life last Saturday morning got a shot with my crossbow at a deer. This is after shooting my new Barnett Predator over 100 times at targets. When I pulled the trigger, IT BLEW UP IN MY HANDS. or at least it came apart. The actual composite material broke and the bolt holding the limb portion to the stock portion split in half. Here are two pictures. I couldn't find a way to get a picture close enough to really show what happened.   Barnett made me send it back intact so they could figure it out. They claim this is FIRST case of this they know of. Scares me. I contacted a few friends, some suggested I buy another bow. I can't, this was bought with bonus money I'll never get again, and I have to live with it. Barnett said to send it back and they'd replace instantly. It was shipped Tuesday at Barnett's expense and is almost there per UPS. It'll be next week before I get a new one shipped out. What a mess. |
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Post by edge on Feb 5, 2009 16:11:21 GMT -5
 That would be a little unnerving! Did the arrow fly true or where did it go? Glad you are OK, and hope they get you a replacement quickly  Does that model have an anti-dry-fire mechanism on it? edge.
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Post by Buckrub on Feb 5, 2009 16:23:28 GMT -5
I actually found the bolt in the GENERAL line of the path to the deer. I have no idea how true it flew, or with what amount of speed loss. This fairly well baffled me.
As to what caused this, I am on pins and needles awaiting Barnett's analysis. I hope they give it to me, they may not.
I have a small degree of trepidation, knowing my luck, that they will say something like "the string MUST have touched part of the stand and threw off the moon and all of nature's forces and thus we're not liable" or some such.
Something happened.
I don't know what.
Not sure what an anti dry fire mechanism is, so I guess I don't have 'ary one 'em.
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Post by kevin k on Feb 5, 2009 20:23:22 GMT -5
that looks like a bad stock it had to have a bad mold is all i can think anti dry fire wont release the string when you pull the trigger unless theres a arrow in it but even dry firing a crossbow wont do that the limbs crack instead hope there arent any marks is stock they might try to tell you you dropped it but they should replace because they have to bring there rep up there not the only crossbow makers anymore i know ten point goes way out of there way to keep you happy hopefully barnett does also good luck. kevin
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Post by Buckrub on Feb 6, 2009 9:43:25 GMT -5
I will find out soon. I tried a ten point but too expensive and WAY too heavy. None of these contraptions is easy to carry through the woods, I've found out. But an 11 lb crossbow is too much.
This is my first one. I am hopeful it's just a bad stock, an aberration, a manifestation of my luck (y'all are starting to believe me on that.......mine is just worse than most folks, a fact of life).... or something. I really have enjoyed hunting with it and hope this works out. I really can't afford to bail out and throw it away and buy a new one just cause.......
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Post by edge on Feb 6, 2009 10:12:25 GMT -5
You didn't "double load it" or try to shoot a ramrod did you ;D  ;D edge. |
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Post by joe21a on Feb 6, 2009 10:13:32 GMT -5
X bows give you a forward kick when fired. Looks like the composit stock had a flaw. If it hit part of your tree stand you would have felt it and you should find some wax on the spot it hit.
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Post by Buckrub on Feb 6, 2009 16:11:10 GMT -5
Barnett finally got my crossbow and called me today.
Turns out that this bolt that holds the 'prod' (the limbs and that front part) to the stock goes into a threaded slot that has a bushing in the back. They said the bushing was required because the bolt was too short to reach the back of the slot without it.
I was flabbergasted. I said "So, that means that when you discovered that you had bought 10,000,000 of the wrong length bolt, your fix was not to buy more bolts but to add a bushing to the back of the slot to compensate, is that right?"......... and basically that's it.
However, apparently a FEW of these bows got shipped out without the bushing installed.
That means that when the customer puts them together that the bolt won't 'bite hard' because it never hits bottom. That leaves a gap, and the stress of 175 lb pull breaks the bolt. Apparently mine is not the only one that the bolt has broken, but is the only one they know of where the entire stock composite material exploded.
A new stock and prod piece with the bushing installed will fix the issue. They are shipping me out one today.
Actually, I look at this as good news. This means that a known missing piece caused the problem, and the piece is installed, this shouldn't happen.
I just wonder if the first time I shoot this thing after I get it, will I flinch quite a bit expecting it to blow up???
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Post by edge on Feb 6, 2009 22:38:12 GMT -5
AFTER you get your bow back, call them back and mention that you don't think you are satisfied and ask them if they ever heard the term "strict liability".
edge.
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Post by broomebuck on Feb 7, 2009 10:54:54 GMT -5
brings back memories about eight years ago i had this happen with a high country bow while target practiceing it took me a month of shooting to get it out of my head ,the first shot after getting the new limbs i flinched so bad i missed by four feet
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Post by sw on Feb 10, 2009 20:07:30 GMT -5
Bill,
Barnett is known for "quality" problems. AND always has been. I understand they have made some strides fwd. I suspect that the one you get back will have been fairly well inspected. One the "Crossbow Review" web site, your bow has a fairly good review/write-up. Good luck.
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Post by Buckrub on Feb 12, 2009 11:15:40 GMT -5
I read that review before purchasing. I guess I should have asked more people's opinion (like yours). I had X dollars to spend, no more. The good review, the price, the speed, etc......and I pulled the trigger (haha). I still haven't seen the new one, so we'll see. I may have bought a 'pig in a poke' but like my Remington, it's done so I have to live with it!!! More when it shows up. |
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Post by huntingmike on Feb 12, 2009 18:19:05 GMT -5
I am glad you were not hurt.
I think several days of practice will get you over the flinching. Good Luck !
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Post by Buckrub on Feb 18, 2009 15:49:45 GMT -5
I got the bow back last weekend, a new one of course. I put it together, and today I sighted it in. I did pucker pretty good on the first shot!! But it works fine. I didn't have a reference point on the other one, but since this one has the 'missing bushing' installed, I can tell it's much tighter and I expect it to be ok. I have two weeks left in the AR bow season. Not sure if/when I'll go, but at least I'm ready. I keep hearing I have a bad crossbow, and I admit the blowup bothered me. But I'm optimistic and convinced that what I have now will work fine and give me no more problems. I couldn't afford the Stryker or 10-point or Excalibur, etc.......and most of them were just WAY too heavy, over 11 lbs. This thing is cumbersome enough to get up into a deer stand!! This is my first one, and I've NEVER done ANY bow hunting, so it'll probably be next year before I get enough experience to know much. Till then, I'm just a newbie/novice jabbering about stuff I don't know about (sort of like a Savage ML10!!!  I do know that next year when bow season opens first, a month ahead of gun, I will be trying to pop one and get my 'archery deer' out of the way, and not be waiting till February! |
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Post by sw on Feb 19, 2009 7:59:07 GMT -5
The heavier the bolt, the more the energy that goes into the bolt and less "wasted" energy to go back into the x-bow. Consider using 2" longer bolts and a 125g broadhead or 1 of the two. You will loose 4-5'/sec for each 25g increase. The bow also gets quieter as heavier bolts are fired as well as stressing the bow less. Keep a close watch that the main front bolt doesn't loosen. I used "gun" locktite to keep my front bolt from loosening. Appx 1,000 shots later, it is still tight. I suspect you will do well with this x-bow.
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Post by Buckrub on Feb 19, 2009 12:09:12 GMT -5
I use 22" bolts with 125g broadheads or field points..........
I'll SURE keep an eye on this bolt from now on!!!
Thanks.
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Post by deercrook on Sept 7, 2009 7:15:16 GMT -5
To buckrub it does not have a anti-dry-fire mechanism so make sure the arrow is all the way in it or the string will go and the limbs see it happen two times one shot with out a arrow the other arrow was not back in all the way so make sure that you got arrow holder tight so the arrow will not slide if you point it down and hit it a time or so to make sure not to move good luck
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Post by davewolf on Sept 7, 2009 9:27:32 GMT -5
That would be a scarey experience! Happy to hear that Barnett took care of your problem. As instructed with my TenPoint, I'll be sure all my bolts are tight before I head out! Thankful they have an anti-firing device...saved my bow yesterday....as I was concentrating so hard on the target, I actually forgot to put in the bolt. But of course I was just testing the device. Have a great day! Dave |
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;D 
