ORIGINAL: Sliverflicker

Big John
Now I never said You thought it was shot like a compound or traditional bow, You made it clear in your opening statement, that it was not!

I call it a crossbow, have since I was about 5 years old, my Grandchildern call it a crossbow, even said it has a bow on it .

As far as the word Crossbow not having the word gun in it, It's because Crossbows came befor guns.
Since it has a gun stock and is Shot like a GUN, If gun's had been made first, do you honestly believe it would have not been called a Bowgun, Boltgun, Gunbow, or yes, even aArrowgunor somthing of that sort.? In other words since the invention of the gun, and everythingmade since the gun,with a pistol grip, or a gun stock, has been called a gun of some sort, Air Gun, Water Gun, Ratchet Gun, Grease Gun, BB Gun, ect, ect, Yet none of these Gun's launch a projectile from a ignited powderd propellant!

We could pick each others post's apart for days, but let's get back to the real Issue at hand, Is it Archery!
You claim it is because it has a bow , I say, once you lay a Bolt in the track of a crossbow, The Archer has left the Building! Again, No Archer, No Archery.
It takes Zero archery skills to shoot a crossbow, no matter how many Bow and Arrow components it is made up of! And I'm sure you know this as well.

And let me end by saying, I'm not the bad guy here, I helped to get it so Handicaped Bowhunters could hunt with a Crossbow during Archery season. I'm all for them having their own season.
The Bad guy's are Crossbow manufactures spending hundred's of thousands of dollars, maybe millions, and archery shop owner's trying to open up our Archery season for a whole new market for their profit, and Gun Hunters that will jump at the chance to Chisel away at even more of our Archery season. We have already went from a once generous 75 day season in my state,to 45 from these special intrest group's, not counting the early youth season a week befor Archery season opens.

Some states with low Hunter numbers, it may not make a differance, (They always use OHIO as an example)I think my State sold somthimg like 650,000 deer tag's last year (someone correct me if I'm wrong) If you take 1/4 of that who would hunt with a crossbow (just guessing) your looking at an additional 162,500 thrown into our archery season and public hunting land.

Like I said, I'm just your average John trying to keep Archery season for Archers. If someone wants to hunt Archery season they can aquire a Bow and some Arrows and learn to be an Archer, If not, they can hunt with a gun or Gun type fired bolt launcher in their 3 Gun season's where it belongs.