I started hutning with a X-Bow a few years back after being unable to sufficiently recover from damage done to my shoulder. There are many, many great combinations that will work fine as far as hunting gear. Your price range is adequate to buy something good, but no top of the line. If you were an avid bow hunter, as I was once, one of the major adjustments that I had to make was the need for horizontal space for limb clearance. The other was that a second shot will be about as rare an opprotunity as a hen having teeth. The 5 cross bows that I am familiar with a louder than any compound that I have ever used, and cocking requires a lot of movement. I have never had a deer stand for this much noise or movement.