I'm really starting to appreciate my crossbow...

[Doegirl75]

Today is the day I'm swearing off compound bows. After a 2 year hiatus from using a vertical bow, I bought a compound in January. I've come to the conclusion that these things are hellacious money pits. Endless tinkering, "tuning", practicing, buying stuff... And for me to shoot a hunting weight with any sort of accuracy, I must practice year around. I'm done. For some, this is a passion and labor of love. To me, it's an imposition with little return. Perhaps I'm easily frustrated, lack discipline, lazy-whatever.
But there is a silver lining to this black cloud. Hanging on my wall, largely ignored for the past 6 months, is my TenPoint. I fired a few shots with it yesterday afternoon. Still sighted in. I don't have to paper tune it, buy endless amounts of gadgets to make it work, or worry that my setup has enough KE to get the job done. My vertical bow setup generated a whoppin 36 lbs of ke. My xbow 77. Add a 6 pack of ProElite bolts and Spitfire broadheads to my shopping list.

[Beer:30]

Good post. Your point is well made.

[awshucks]

DoeGirl: I'm sure you are not alone. The scenario you described is w/ a compound, correct? I know for a fact from past experience, it's even more time consuming to stay current w/ a stick or recurve. In todays world of $3.25 @ gal gas, single parent families, two jobs or else all the overtime a worker can get, the xbow seems to be a good answer to still be able to hunt ethically. Have fun!

[Doegirl75]

Awshucks: I guess I'm changing. 7 years ago, I wouldn't of even considered an x-bow. Back then, I was enough of a snob to think I was too good for one. So I worked at shooting my compounds all year round. Then it dawned on me. Would it not make sense for me to use a crossbow instead? Perfectly legal here in Ohio, harder hitting, and flatter trajectory than the pea shooters I was struggling with. A divorce, career change, and reentry into college is eating away at my free time as well.

[Beer:30]

I started bow hunting before I'd heard of a compound bow. I bought a Bear Grizzly recurve at K Mart for (as memory serves me) $25 (I still have it).
At just 45# draw wt it was still hard for me to hold at full draw.
Even in those days (late 60's) it was hard to keep up with the gear and the changes.I practiced in the yard nearly year round. My only shot with that bow at a deer came just as the sun was setting at a watering hole in N. Missouri. It was a big deer, nice rack, gray muzzle, roman nose, prolly a deer of a lifetime. The arrow went just under his chest.
I refused to buy a compound mostly because of the cost. As time passed I got less and less interested.
After rotator cuff surgery I applied for a permanant XBow exemption and got it.
I tried to get in to this XBow thing as inexpencively as possible. Thru ebay (and 6 free bolts from Cabela's with a $30 voucher) I have been able to get completely outfitted with XBow, some camo clothes, a tree harness etc. for just over $300.
I know I don't have the best equiptment but it'll kill a deer. It took about 6-8 shots to get it zeroed in at 25 yds. Its a pretty hard hitting outfit.
I'll make sure its still right on before season but as you say "practicing is over".

Now let that big ol buck show himself at that watering hole.

[Hotburn76]

Been there, done that!! I used to get pretty pissed at the local shop when he would say well you just need to try something different, but would not make a solid recommendation, but was willing to give me 2/3 trade in price for something else!! What a rip off!

[sproulman]

.

[awshucks]

OMG, 25# bow w/ EXPANDABLES?? Sproul, you,ve gone from driving the Bozo bus to owning the bus line w/ that bit of nonsense. You give archery in general a bad name w/ most of your drivel, but this takes the cake.

[Hotburn76]

Yep! That right there takes it up a notch!!

[ranger56528]

or TWO...