If its legal, and you are better at it, use the x bow. With todays advancements in bows and equipment, you could probably shoot just as well with a compund though. Compunds look to be much easier to move around in a tree or ground blind. I have shot a crossbow at the range, I liked shooting it, but I really don't have any desire to hunt with one. In IL, you have to be disabled to use one, hope I never have to use it to hunt.