Go to your local Pro-shop and buy what they recommend/support. Here's why.
Most crossbows are SUPER accurate. The problem is durability. The faster they shoot, the faster they break. If your speed is over about 360fps, you will eventually split a limb. The cheaper they are, the faster they break AND the more challenging it is to get any warrantee work done on them. $400 is about the bottom end for a serviceable crossbow capable of shooting well over 300 fps. Wicked Ridge fits into this category and is a good option assuming that there's a dealer near by that provides support. A Pro-shop works on the equipment it sells, and has a direct line to the factory for replacement parts. These guys make their living on repeat business. Most of their customers know a LOT about their own equipment, so the pro-shop is either going to do the job right, or their not going to stay in business long. They aren't going to sell equipment that won't hold up because its hard on their reputation and generally bad for business.
Another thing to consider is the service life of the strings and cables. A full set will normally cost over $100, and it's recommended that you change them every year. I would HIGHLY recommend having this work done at a pro-shop. I can generally get 4 years out of a set of strings and cables, but I only shoot my crossbow a 40-50 shots per year. I basically shoot 20 - 30 times in late September to confirm that everything is still set up correctly. Every thing else is either unloading the crossbow at the end of the day, or shooting a deer. Somewhere between 4 and 5 years, the string will break. So either replace it often enough that it never happens, have a back up crossbow sighted in and ready to go, be prepared to go purchase a back up crossbow and accessories immediately as well as spending a few days getting it lined out and ready to hunt, or be prepared to sit out the rest of the season. Come mid September, you're not going to get ANY archery equipment fixed in a timely fashion because everybody is getting ready for October. I learned this the hard way, TWICE (yeah, I'm a little slow...). First time happened in mid September. Second time happened in Mid October. Sitting out during the rut is not an option, so I now own 2 crossbows. Every 3 years I put a set of cables on one of them and then use it for the next three seasons. After that, I replace the ones on the other bow and use it for 3 years, and so on.
Most crossbows are SUPER accurate. The problem is durability. The faster they shoot, the faster they break. If your speed is over about 360fps, you will eventually split a limb. The cheaper they are, the faster they break AND the more challenging it is to get any warrantee work done on them. $400 is about the bottom end for a serviceable crossbow capable of shooting well over 300 fps. Wicked Ridge fits into this category and is a good option assuming that there's a dealer near by that provides support. A Pro-shop works on the equipment it sells, and has a direct line to the factory for replacement parts. These guys make their living on repeat business. Most of their customers know a LOT about their own equipment, so the pro-shop is either going to do the job right, or their not going to stay in business long. They aren't going to sell equipment that won't hold up because its hard on their reputation and generally bad for business.
Another thing to consider is the service life of the strings and cables. A full set will normally cost over $100, and it's recommended that you change them every year. I would HIGHLY recommend having this work done at a pro-shop. I can generally get 4 years out of a set of strings and cables, but I only shoot my crossbow a 40-50 shots per year. I basically shoot 20 - 30 times in late September to confirm that everything is still set up correctly. Every thing else is either unloading the crossbow at the end of the day, or shooting a deer. Somewhere between 4 and 5 years, the string will break. So either replace it often enough that it never happens, have a back up crossbow sighted in and ready to go, be prepared to go purchase a back up crossbow and accessories immediately as well as spending a few days getting it lined out and ready to hunt, or be prepared to sit out the rest of the season. Come mid September, you're not going to get ANY archery equipment fixed in a timely fashion because everybody is getting ready for October. I learned this the hard way, TWICE (yeah, I'm a little slow...). First time happened in mid September. Second time happened in Mid October. Sitting out during the rut is not an option, so I now own 2 crossbows. Every 3 years I put a set of cables on one of them and then use it for the next three seasons. After that, I replace the ones on the other bow and use it for 3 years, and so on.
