Back to being serious for a minute. Have any of you considered just how far these things might go? Once they are accepted (read as profitable)to the point that companies are willing to pour the cash into r/d, there's no telling what they will come up with.

There's two BIG differences I can think of off the top of my head with a crossbow vs. a bow--compound, recurve, longbow, selfbow, flatbow, whatever.

#1 Regardless if the thing has 95% let-off, you still have to be able to pull the peak weight, even if just for asplit second. That is going to keepbows within the boundaries of human physical abilities. Not so with crossbows--with prods and other cocking devices, you can get them in outrageous weights, which will mean in time you will be getting outrageous performance/distance.

#2 You can't prop a bow. Sure, somebody will come up with some special situation where they were able to get off a shot like that, but it's not normal or usual. Propping up a crossbow is as simple as propping up a rifle. Add scope and 300#+ limbs, 80+ yd shots are feasable. The race is on--who can make the fastest, longest-range, EASIEST weapon on the market.

Is this really what bowhunting is all about? What happened to the old adage about bowhunting being about getting close? About the challenge? Or has it gone down the same road as most everything else--make it as quick and easy and simple as possible?

Chad