Arrow Precision Inferno Wildfire Crossbow Package (225-Pounds)

I bought this package a few months ago. I did manage to take a small buck with it before it completely came apart but today I had to go out and get an Excalibur Matrix because the arrow precision inferno finally came undone beyond the point of no return. ( and the difference between the Excalibur and this bow are night and day. They're not in the same league at all). I had problems with bolts coming loose from the beginning and it only got worse over time. The scope mount is terrible and never stayed put. The bow is very powerful and very hard to cock if you're short. The 240 pound Excalibur, by comparison is very easy to cock even though it's heavier. So here are the problems, as I see them.1. The design isn't particularly efficient. You get good velocity but only because of a wickedly long power stroke that exacerbates any movement made while firing and this bow has significant recoil.2. It's loud. It's fast enough that it's still effective for the most part even though it's loud, but everything for a few hundred yards is going to know you just shot.3. the aluminum rail is not high quality aluminum. If you try to tighten up the screws in it very much, particularly the one by the trigger, to try to keep them from coming loose and you will easily strip them.4. The worst thing was the scope mount not staying put. My crossbow target is blue with a black rubber frame around it and if you hit that frame the arrows lodge and don't want to come out. I broke 4 bolts that way and always just from checking to see that the bow is still sighted in - and finding out the hard way that it's 12" off at just 20 yards.... yet again.5. The trigger is terrible. Bad. Probably the worst trigger pull I've ever experienced.Overall, I just can't recommend this bow. I spent an inordinate amount of time babying this bow along and it was nothing but problems from the start to the end. I was lucky enough to get a small buck with it before it kicked the bucket, but I think that was pure dumb luck. I also missed a really nice one completely at just 20 yards to find out that the scope had dropped so much that it was shooting almost two feet high at just 20 yards.That's just not acceptable for a hunting bow. Fix the severe problems with this bow and it might be a winner in the budget category but you get what you pay for - and in this case, I don't think you even get that much.

I've been hunting with Mathews compound bows for 20 years and reached a point in my age that I wanted to switch to a crossbow. I wanted to find the best bow for the money to start out. I like compounds but I wanted to stay as basic and simple as I could with the crossbow for service and maintaining accuracy so I wanted a recurve.Long story short the Excaliburs are nice but to rich for my blood so I took a chance on the Wildfire II based on the reviews. I'm glad that I did.Pros:Excellent fit and finsh work on the entire bow. Definitely quality construction on par with any of the big name crossbow makers.It seems as fast and they say it is. Once sighted in it is consistently accurate. I think this bow is on par with the Excalibur baseline bows Like the Axiom or Ibex if not better as this bow has a one peice Aluminum rail versus a plastic rail. Weight is not bad at all and it feels well balanced for free hand shooting. Soft touch Camo is awesome and a nice balance of pattern and color.Thumb Safety just like a rifle. Not up on the side of the string latch like a lot of other crossbows and quiet as a mouse. Not a loud CLICK! when you take the safety off. The trigger does have some creep but is pretty smooth overall. The more I shoot the better it gets.Shot noise is average and less than a pellet gun for comparison. It comes with factory installed limb dampeners that attach to the riser/limb. I also installed the SIMS LIMBSAVER kit and it definitely helped reduce the sound when fired.Scope is actually very good quality and clarity. Super clean reticle and the adjustable illumination is great for early morning/late evening shots! I was thinking to buy a Nikon but this scope is really nice so I will keep using it.Rope cocker, Arrows, quiver, and sling are very nice quality as well. Super sling swivels too!Must haves:Plano Soft bow case. Best priced case that actually fits the bow another really good option is the OMP Crossbow soft case. A little more in cost but has additional pockets for arrows etc.Tenpoint ACUrope cocker (BEST). Compact and retractable. Works like a dream and has a belt pouch.Carbon Express Bolts. Either the Piledrivers or if you want the best get the Maxima Hunters. Buy their lighted nocks for your hunting arrows.Go ahead and buy the MTM bolt case for your extra bolts.Scorpion Venom string wax. The bow comes with string wax but I feel the Scorpion is easier to use and stays super slick in all weather.Rail lube. DO NOT USE STRING WAX! I did and it slowed down the bow and killed my accuracy. I had to clean the rail with rubbing alcohol and start over. Buy Excalibur rail lube and/or do some research on the bow forums on what the veteran shooters are using. Some recommend silicone spray and other types of lube. If you're going to hunt use something that doesn't have any odor. I ended up using Ultralube 4x. It's all natural and no odor.NAP 100 grain Sptifire Edge mechanical broadheads. These are my personal favorite and for overall accuracy I prefer mechanicals over fixed blades for better flight at high speeds.Target for field point is the Hurricane H25 hands down best practice target for the money. It stops the bolts no matter what and is heavy and stable. You don't need a stand for it.Target for broadheads I recommend the Blobtarget or American white tale HybriMAT AP . They are both pricey (BT 18"x18"x10" $90 shppied) (HybriMAT AP 18"x18"x12" $129.95 shipped) but they will last you for years and years vs the cheaper ones that last a year and are still very expensive!Update:Bought a Prochrono on Amazon to check the speed of the bow and right now it is 315fps with the stock arrows and with the Maxima Hunters. Dyna Flight string should bring it up to as much as 330fps.I ended up removing the limbsavers since they slowed it down (10fps!) and actually created vibration in the bow after the shot. To be honest the noise level is not much different without them.Another update. Bow is shooting 330fps using Carbon Express 20" hunter maximas and 100gr tips. I switched to Black Eagle Spynal Tapp arrows and the speed is still on.Final deer season tally is 3 does and i buck