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Parker StingRay Review – Compound Crossbow

November 6, 2024

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ModelDraw WeightStrokeVelocitySuggested Arrow LengthCrossbow Length / Weight Parker StingRay Check price on Amazon.com 100-125 lbs.11″135-150 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning20″34.25″ / 7.5 lbs.

What Comes in the Box?

Welcome to our review of the Parker StingRay bowfishing crossbow. Each package delivered by Parker includes the following items:

The Parker Stingray crossbow
Open sight
Assembly hardware and tools
AMS Retriever Pro Bowfishing Reel
200 feet of Hi-Vis Braided Dacron Line
2 AMS Safety Slide kits
1 Bowfishing Arrow
Muzzy Gator Getter 1600-gr broadhead
Owner’s manual
Warranty card

Crossbow Assembly

Putting the StingRay together is amazingly simple for such a complex hunting package. The riser, or what Parker calls the front-end assembly, attaches to the stock once you’ve installed the cable slide. If your Stingray comes with a scope, it will be premounted for you, so there is no work to be done to get the scope onto the crossbow. Once you’ve attached the riser to the stock, you attach the AMS Retriever Pro Bowfishing Reel, which includes an integrated arrow quiver for storing your bowfishing arrow.

After putting your bow together, you should set the draw weight to whatever you want it to be, between 100# and 125#. The beauty of this design is that you don’t need any special tools or a bow press to set the draw weight. Once the assembly and tuning is complete, you’re ready to move on to sighting in your crossbow.

Accuracy And Power

Whether you have the open sight or the 1X scope with your x-bow, you’ll want to sight in your bow before you hit the water. I was able to have my open sights fine-tuned within a couple of shots, and then I tested the accuracy of the Stingray. The Stingray delivers arrows between 135fps and 150fps, depending on the draw weight you have set. Mine is set to the maximum 125 pounds, so the 1600-gr bowfishing arrow was hitting the target at 150 fps with almost 80 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy.

See also 7mm-08 Remington for Black Bear Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Black Bear Hunt Hunting Calibers 04 Apr, 2020 Posted By: Foundry Outdoors Is the 7mm-08 Remington a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for black bear hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the 7mm-08 Remington is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest black bear. As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the black bear, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the black bear in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on. [Click Here to Shop 7mm-08 Remington Ammo]What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a black bear in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the 7mm-08 Remington within the ideal range of suitable calibers for black bear hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the 7mm-08 Remington is A GOOD CHOICE for black bear hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Assumption Value Caliber 7mm-08 Remington Animal Species Black Bear Muzzle Energy 2450 foot-pounds Animal Weight 340 lbs Shot Distance 150 yardsWhat is the average muzzle energy for a 7mm-08 Remington? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a 7mm-08 Remington round is approximately 2450 foot-pounds. What is the average weight of an adult male black bear? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male black bear is approximately 340 lbs. [Click Here to Shop 7mm-08 Remington Ammo]What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in black bear hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for black bear to be approximately 150 yards. What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the 7mm-08 Remington. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the black bear being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.Various calibersA common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether 7mm-08 Remington is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest black bear - and to this question, the response again is yes, the 7mm-08 Remington is A GOOD CHOICE for black bear hunting. [Click Here to Shop 7mm-08 Remington Ammo]This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting black bear to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment

From 25 yards, I was able to maintain a 1/2″ grouping with this crossbow, and held the same grouping from 35 yards. From 50 yards, I could hold a pattern just 1-1/2” in diameter, which is more than accurate enough for serious bowfishing. With the Stingray sighted in and tested, I was ready to hit the water.

Will Hunters Enjoy the Parker Stingray?

This x-bow is designed for bowfishing, so you won’t take this up against a deer. With that said, it has the stopping power for a deer, but the speed of the arrows is probably too slow to account for the tendency of deer to string jump. I didn’t even try this bow land hunting, using it instead for what it was designed for—bowfishing.

For fishing purposes, this is an excellent crossbow. You can easily penetrate and nab the largest fish, whether you’re in fresh water or salt water. The reel works flawlessly, and the included 200 feet of high visibility line makes it easy to see where your arrow has gone. An illuminated nock will also help tremendously.

What was really exciting about this crossbow was the inclusion of the Muzzy Gator Getter arrow point. I had the good fortune of getting in on an alligator hunt, and chose the Stingray as my tool of choice for hunting gator. During my gator hunt, I was able to fill my limit of gator easily, with the Stingray performing exactly as I expected it to on this once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunity.

Cocking The Stingray

The Stingray has an adjustable draw weight of 100 lbs. to 125 lbs., and the adjustment can be made without any special tools or a bow press. For some, this light draw weight might mean hand-cocking the crossbow, but I definitely would not recommend this. While it’s easy enough to draw by hand, using a rope cocking device makes your draw much more even and consistent, helping your accuracy considerably. Unfortunately, Parker does not include a rope cocking device with the Stingray, so I would recommend picking one up at your local archery shop when you get your Stingray.

The Crossbow Scope

Parker delivers this crossbow with either an open sight or a 1X scope. I chose the open sight, but I’ve also used the 1X scope in the past. This scope is very good quality, with coated optics for fog-resistance, and excellent light gathering capabilities for use in dark swampy areas. It sights in easily and quickly, and holds true almost indefinitely.

Bolts

Your purchase of the Parker Stingray will net you one bowfishing arrow, which many will say is all that you need. That’s probably true, because the hassle of switching your retrieval line from one arrow to another is more trouble than just pulling your arrow back in and reusing it, but you may want to invest in additional arrows in case yours becomes damaged. Parker recommends 1600-grain arrows for use with the Stingray, and attempting to use a lighter arrow than that could result in some serious problems and injuries for you and your crossbow.

Safety and Design

The Stingray is designed with boat fishing in mind, so it is small and compact. It is also lightweight, and almost perfectly balanced. It features a G2 Bull-Pup trigger with an auto-engaging ambidextrous safety and auto-engaging anti-dry fire mechanism, both of which operate reliably for each and every shot. The vented forearm’s safety finger flange is perfectly sized and positioned to keep you safe when firing your x-bow.

The AMS Retriever Pro bowfishing reel that comes with the Stingray is set up with a right-side crank, so if you are left-handed you may struggle with the retriever reel. It works perfectly, though, and serves wonderfully for reeling in that big catch when you nail it.

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Warranty

All Parker crossbows are covered by a 5-year limited warranty, and Parker’s customer service representatives are easy to work with, friendly, and knowledgeable. Make sure to register your warranty within 15 days of your purchase, though, or your warranty may not be valid.

What Crossbow Case Fits the Parker StingRay?

If you use a smaller scope, the Carbon Express Deluxe Case is a nice soft carrycase for $66. If your StingRay is equipped with a bigger scope, opt for the Allen Company case. It is a $30, soft carrycase which offers more space.

Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading my review of the Parker Stingray. This is an exciting crossbow with excellent potential for hunting alligators and use in bowfishing. If you want to get involved in bowfishing, but would rather use a crossbow than a bow, the Stingray is the crossbow for you. Take a look at today’s amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.