After 52 years of shooting selfbows, longbows and compounds, foolishly shooting extreme draw weights up to 125 pounds for many of those years, my shoulders don't work properly any more. Rather than give up archery entirely, crossbows let me continue to shoot arrows. I would be lying through my teeth if I said I don't miss strolling through the woods with a sleek longbow in my hands, because I do miss it - terribly - but shooting a crossbow is better than not shooting at all.