99% of the time I' m in the woods, it' s with a stickbow. The other 1% is with a compound that is 65% letoff, or one of my old ones that is 50%.

And I have to ask.... IF shooting an 80% letoff bow is no more difficult than shooting a 65% bow, then the reverse must also be true. That 80% letoff is no easier to shoot than 65%. So, if there is no difference between them, then why even have 80% letoff bows on the market? Why would someone buy one if there is no advantage to them?

Plain and simple, they ARE easier in one very important aspect. They are easier to hold at full draw for extended periods, waiting for a deer that' s coming in to present a shot. Being at full draw, cocked and locked, and not having to draw in the immediate presence of game, in other words. Isn' t that allowing a ' bowhunter' to use his bow exactly like a crossbow?

Every time I draw one of those high letoff pieces of junk in a shop, I can' t hardly let the stinkin' thing down! I get locked in at full draw and can' t move. It' s almost like I have to push the string to get it to move forward. So don' t try to tell me that holding for a long time isn' t what it' s all about.

That is why high letoff bows are crossbow-lites. And you guys shooting them are standing at the door, rolling out the red carpet for crossbows in our bow seasons. The line was drawn at 65% just to because of that problem. If you don' t believe it, pick up a copy of the Fifth Edition of Bowhunting Records for North American Big Game. It' s a very good article where Dave Holt is interviewing Fred Asbell. All the reasoning is laid out in black and white.