I own twenty some odd recurves, three compounds and eight crossbows. I hunt will all three of the forms of archery. I have to say that the only true bow is the recurves and the long bows. You guys who are argue against crossbows know very little of them in a hunting situation. On one can hold a crossbow steadier than a compound. You compound shooters have it easier than the traditional or crossbow hunter. My last deer was stalked to within 15 yds with a wide, heavy crossbow. I also took does with my Gamemaster recurve and my Vulcan. All were difficult but the easiest and the longest shot was with the Vulcan. Using a drop away rest, illuminated sights, a well tuned bow, light arrows, silenced equipment, arrows going over 300 ft/sec, judge release off a loop and a let off that feels like I am holding 20 pounds some how just isn't difficult compared to stalking with a crossbow or hunting with traditional bows. Traditional bows are the only true pure archery, everything else is an offshoot of that. But we are all archers bow hunting. Reading some of the truly ignorant posts(ignorant as in not knowing, not meant as an isult) I have to think some here don't hunt or shoot at all. Some here may even be real anti's stirring up the pot. I cannot imagine that the negative comments come from knowledgeable archers. No way!