I will attest to what Dan says about crossbows being harder to shoot offhand. With my compounds the first 3 to 5 starlings I shoot at are dead at 30 yards. With my crossbow they all live. JimC had described a test where they put an LED on compound bows and crossbows to illustrate the ablility to hold on a target. The compound was always the hands down winner over the crossbow in anyone's hands.