Well I was not so clear "Wheelie" .... sorry 'bout that. What I was trying to communicate was that over the 45+ years that I hunted with a bow, I had several "second" shot opportunities because the bow I was using was quiet enough to not spook the deer all that much. Not always by any stretch of the imagination, but more often than not. And setting up for a second shot, if done slowly, usually was easily manageable.

However, the two cross bows that I have owned and the 3 that I helped "zero" are much, much louder than the loudest bow that I ever owned (which was a double hatchet cam High Country design). The 18 shots I have taken these past 3 seasons with the x-bow, if there were other deer with the one I shot, they busted out of there like being shot out of a cannon.

Many times, too, I had deer that I shot using my bows just sort stand there or bump off 10-15 yards then collapse. Watched one one time go back to feeding ...shot right through the wheel house. Stood there a few minutes then went wobbly legged before dropping dead. Not so with my cross bow. Every case (so far) .... I'd fire ... hit the deer and they have all (but one) either dropped pretty much in their tracks or hauled tail a short distance and then collapsed.

Last year I hit a big doe a bit back. She jumped out of the field. A stood a few minutes. Laid down. Then left about 30 minutes later. Bled out about 1/2 mile away (live shot). That is the only one that I have shot that was able to leave my sight and not have run as hard is it could before collapsing. I think it is the "pop" of the bow and not the force of the hit that startles them into fleeing pell mell.

I do confess .... I have been lucky enough to have yet to need a second shot with my cross bow, but I cannot imagine getting one even if the deer did not spook .... because of what it takes me to co&k and load my cross bow. Plus I cross-bow hunt from tree stands 99.9% of the time. I have to set the cross bow vertical in front of me ... insert one foot into the stirrup .... bend over and attach my co&king rope ... pull up until the safety mechanism engages with a "click" ... stand back up ... reach for and insert a bolt ... then take aim. That is a lot of movement! Just don't that I could get away with that much unless maybe if I were inside a blind of some sort.