ORIGINAL: MA Jay
Trying to call a crossbow a bow though .. that's where you lose 90% of hunters. People just don't think a crossbow is a bow. There a few ... a very few. Seems clear to me if you were fighting for the crossbow you'd have much better luck selling them to Fish and Game as a viable hunting weapon on its own .. instead of trying to sell it as something it so obviously is not.
I agree, crossbows and hand held bows are different, and crossbows don't belong in archery season. But hey, that's just my opinion. How about the opinion of the reknowned
Norb Mullaney:
(But hey, don't let physics get in the way of a good argument!)
Mr. Norb Mullaney, a professional engineer, is recognized as the leading authority on the physics of bows and endows. He states that "The hand held bow has one characteristic that distinguishes it from a crossbow or any type of firearm. The internal ballistics are a function of the shooter, his or her physical geometry and capabilities, shooting form, consistency and reaction to stress and trauma. In the crossbow and firearms, the internal ballistics are fixed. The action of the shooter in triggering a release of energy does nothing more than initiate a process that is consistent and repetitive. The hand held bow is different. Every action of the shooter contributes something either positive or negative to the interior ballistic process. As the interior ballistics vary, so do the exterior ballistics. Shooting the hand held bow and arrow is much more complicated than aiming a fixed system of ballistics and touching off the energy discharge. The total energy to draw, hold and release the bow must come directly and unassisted from the shooter's muscle power."
Copies of the Mullaney Report can be obtained from Mr. Mullaney, Engineer, Writer, 8425 North Greenvale Rd. Milwaukee W/ 53217