My dad wants to sell his; its not even a year old. He got it because he had trouble with his wrist till he got a draw-loc for his bow, and now he doesnt need it. If your interested, email me and ill get the info, or let you talk to him and he can tell you what you need to know. He may even make you a good deal if your interested in a slightly used one. ( i dont like buying used, but since you dont really know what you want, this one comes with everything for one price) email-  Seale_eric@yahoo.com

I use a crossbow because I had surgrey on my hand's an elbow's I shoot a Barnett Revaolution useing a cocking device,scoped with a rino scope,an use 12 grain Cabela's Lazer Supreme broadhead's.I've taken several elk an antelope with it with no problem's with the crossbow.The Barnett's a in the middle price range of what you mentioned an my crossbow has not let me down.Oh by the way I also shoot a 22 inch Carbon Exspress crossbow bolts with the Cabela's fixed broadhead's

Sorry that you can no longer pull your bow.
My crossbow only needed bolts when I bought it new.The open sights are easy to get on your deer and the range is actually out to 30 yards.The poundage at 150lbs is sufficient to do the job.
My bolts were carbon but I can't remember what brand,my brother is using it now.As far as transporting them they are not so much heavy as they are awkward by comparison to a vertical bow.They do not go through the woods in the thick stuff without catching on something.
I always carried a separate bolt with a practice point or a judo point  just for that pesky squirrel(when in season) and to unload string tension at the end of the day.I would shoot it into the soft ground or a decaying stump. As far as buying one at a fair cost I wish you luck.
I hope that I've helped answer at least some of your ?s.
I hunted with a crossbow for about   14  years after I broke my back ,neck,and left wrist and dislocated my left shoulder.I couldn't pull my old bow either. Send me a message if I can answer any more ?s

I'm running a similar setup as J. Dworek. I have taken plenty of deer with it out to 50 yards. It is deadly accurate with the new broadheads I'm using.Here are the specs:

Barnett Revolution with quiver
22" Carbon Express bolts
Aftershock X-bow 100 grain broadheads
4x32mm Simmons crossbow scope (has a special reticle that allows for drop at different ranges)

This unit is compund action with a draw weight of 175 lbs. I can pull it back with one arm, no problem.

try the new middleton's
great bow similar design to the excalibur
they have also been beating the heck out of excal at the 3d shoots

Overhill,
I should have mentioned earlier that if you put a Red Dot scope on your crossbow it makes it a more deadly weapon. You don't have crosshairs to line up. As long as you can see the dot on the target at any angle thru the scope you will hit where the dot is on the target. Red Dots make a crossbow real quick and easy to get on target.