How many times must we go over these same points, Silver??
The draw or cocking: (movement) you all say its not an issue, but anyone that has spent more than a season in the woods, knows it is.
99% let-off. You can draw as soon as the deer is spotted, well before it can see any movement. And then....
The holding it back: No physical or muscular activity involved in a xbow, and is cocked, locked and held there till the snow melts in the spring.
99% let-off. When you're only holding 7/10ths of a pound back, the physcal activity is minimal. Especially when you rest the bottom cam of the bow on something so you don't have to hold the bow up.
I well rememberthe P&Y 65% let-off ruledebates on this very forum. The overriding sentiment was that let-off had absolutely NO bearing on hunting challenge. If let-off is a non issue then that point of view must apply equally tothe crossbow. In fact, I made this very argument in favor of the 65% rule but we all know how well THAT went.
The multiple shooting positions: standing, sitting, kneeling, sitting on the ground, and prone, all braced! Hell if you want to get fancy you caneven shoot it over your head, from the hip, behind the back, and yes up side down standing on your head!
It's been a long darn time since I saw anyone shoot any weapon at any game animalfrom the prone position or behind the back, or sitting on the ground, or standing on his head WHILE PERCHED IN A TREE STAND!
I haven't found any reliable estimates about what percentage of all hunters use treestands nowadays but, according to the Treestand Manufacturers Association, their members crank out 1.5-2 million treestands per year. That's a bunch of treestands! I know I'm the onlyperson in our archery club that does NOT own a treestand. I assume it would be safe to say the overwhelming majority of deer hunters use treestands, so any argument about shooting position is, for all practical purposes,a non issue.
Edit: Just for the record, trying to shoot a crossbow from behind the back or while standing on one's head is dangerous to the point of being idiotic. So I hope you were just being facetious when you came up with those two 'shooting positions.'
Then there is the shot: First off its fired from the shoulder the same as a rifle, second: once the bolt is layed in the track, that is imbeded in the stock where it has no way to be torqued or no where to go except stright down the track once fired, combined with therelease or trigger also imbeded in the stock eliminating the same anchoring point, You have taken the archer out of the picture!
I also remember a good many discussions about technology where most argued that any bit of technology that aided in an accurate shot was not only okay but ethically DEMANDED.So, how canthose same peopleuse that argument to condemn the crossbow?
No sir. Considering the current state of the art in compound technology and hunting methods, unless you apply those same arguments to the compound, they become hypocritical. But even if you, personally, do apply those arguments against the compound, you'll find yourself butting heads with the majority. You'll be brandedby our bretheren here as an anti-compound terrorist. Believe me, I've ridden in that boat many a time.
