I'd hate to try to shoot my crossbow at 50 yards... I have it sighted in at 25 yards, by the time I get out to 40 yards it's already dropping about a foot.

Shot placement and selection is the same as with vertical bows. The deer still has to be broadside and there still isn't any room for error.

My compound bow has a much flatter trajectory, it's faster, and has more KE. It's also easier to tune and lighter. So why would I shoot a crossbow? Well, I was amarksman and MK-19 gunner when I was in theservice and even though I have to practice just as much with the crossbow as I do with the compound, the crossbow just feels more natural in my hands. My crossbow is also easier to maintain, and it's cheaper. I've killed twice as many deer with the compound bow, mostly due to having a longer effective range (I hunt a wide open CRP field) but I guess I just like the crossbow better.

So, it's more economical, easier to maintain, and feels more natural to me. Though the specific challenges that face crossbow hunters may be different at times than those of vertical bowhunters, I believe the actual level of difficultywith taking a deer is about the same with either method.