Excalibur Micro Series

Back from my 9 days in 47 (Loring Yards) for the last week of archery.

The bad first.
Weather plays a crucial role in hunting this area, this time of year.
No deer, I mean numbers are way way down.
Lots of dogs, wolves and Yotes

As a group (7 of us) we saw….saw (doesn't mean they were in range, or had ethical shots)

30 deer over 8-9days hard hunting.

30 deer seen by 1 person is a low week…Good years, each hunter will see 20 or more deer each day.
*******

The good.
Oh my gawd am I ever happy I moved from my eclipse, to the Micro.

Didn't really have a good shot for the week myself. So I can really only speak to lugging it around, holding it in the stand, the one day I ground/still hunted (moving from spot to spot through brush with it) and the time spent putting a few bolts into a target block at different ranges.

If I have a "nit" I need to find a good target block.
At 20 yards the extra weight ( Im using 150g heads now) and shorter bolt length and higher fps (compared to my Eclipse) resulted in practice bolts being buried so far into the target block, there was no getting them out.

At 40 and 50 yards.
I wasn't able to get the bolts out, broke a couple trying to.

A friend who shot a few bolts from his Matrix 380 into the same block at 20 yards…While he had to screw a retriever into the the bolt, hook that up to his atvs winch, and winch it out…was able to get his practice bolts back….Mine…nope not even the winch helped.

Couple of field pics.
While I wish I could post pics and tell you a story about the buck I shot at 35 yards, or 45 yards, on the last day, at the last hour and threaded the needle, stiff and sore neck shoulders from spending 6-7 hrs a day in a stand...

Sorry didn't happen
:)

The target block did happen. It ate every single practice bolt I put into it, from 20 yards to 40 yards and when my friend tried to winch one out (as he did with his bolts fired from a 380 at 20 yards)…The insert pulled free before the bolt did.

http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s12/v182/p906651891-5.jpg

http://jbenphotography.ca/img/s6/v148/p746585349-5.jpg

With respect to the nits I read about the scope.
Can't speak to that. being a photographer and knowing that good optics are good optics. I kept the best scope I could mount on a x-bow, and mounted that instead of the default factory supplied by Excal..(wider elements, wider tube) to allow more light in.

It looks like a toy
It feels like a toy
It handles like a toy

Its no toy

Great pictures.

Nice JBen! Sorry to hear that it didn't go as well as previous years.

Good report JBen... Nice pictures to look at as usual. :)

Sad to hear yet another confirmation for low deer numbers in most places. Sad to hear that you didn't get a deer with the new bow.

Your target practice results sound quite impressive though, and if I ever shoot one of these I'll set my target at 90 paces to have a chance at getting my bolts back!!!

Great pics young fella and yes it is a bow that just feels right . Just like my 30 30 it feels right and when it does ,its right .:thumbup: Best and most comfortable bow I ever drew up for me . It will be my next one . Saving now .;) I've tried the Matrix 355 and 380 but the micro is a real orgasm or the rest faking one LOL :D

TD

You did better then we did. We were there last 4 days of the season and seen a fawn that's it. Not sure if they yarded earlier when we had the big snowstorms or just a really really bad year...

Without getting too specific NT, it's an annual hunt for me/them/us.

We are right on and in some prime area, migration trails. I was there from Dec 7th to Dec 17th. I saw one group of four out of range and had one buck bump me at 15 yards after leaving my stand (Murphys Law)...Still not sure who surprised who more.

As a group of 7 we saw just under 30 and tagged 3.

Even without sightings and obviously low, low, low numbers, there were very few in the way of fresh tracks and sign...My game camera recorded 1 nocturnal Doe......

Lots of dogs though. So whether there are lots more to arrive...or few in the area wandering around....who knows...
Just know, we saw very little, sign or warm bodies

JBen don't know if you have tried it but I use silicone lubricant on practice bolts and arrows. I get way more life out of my 3D and block targets. I also get more life out of my elbows. I use a dedicated quiver to avoid any scent contamination. I also only treat the first 6 to 8 inches.

I so bad want to shot the micro .mayby after the holidays .something to look forward to Dutch