moosehunter21

IMHO crossbows are cheating. What do you people think?
This is just my opinion.

pass_threw

only if it is not legal.
but then so would anything that wasn`t legal be cheating.
i have no problem with any means of harvesting game.

we are all hunters, aren`t we ?

interesting how you consider a cross bow cheating and you have a high power rifle as your avatar.
wouldn`t that be cheating.
you can surly reach out there a lot farther then a cross bow.
most times with out a deer even knowing your there.
if it`s done right.

just my opinion, no argument intended...

PT

RattleSnake1

I would have thought the same thing in a way a little more than a year ago, but that changed when we bought my fiancee's dad a crossbow for his 65th B-day. Here in WI people over the age of 65 or with a physicians written form can carry a crossbow. The future in-law had to give up bow hunting 11 years ago after a nasty spill on some ice at work that left him unable to draw a bow.
The first few years didn't bother him a whole lot, and he went duck hunting a lot more, but over the last couple of years, he really started to miss bow hunting. He came to visit on his birthday, and I helped him sight in the x-bow. I could not believe how LOUD that thing was....MAN! If somebody thinksit would be easier to kill a deer with one, I'd like to see it. I'd take my Reflex ANY given day because any deer within 50 yards of that thing is gonna duck.
On another note, if someoneuses one just because they don't want to learn to shoot a bow effectively, then I would they don't need to be out there. JMO

BigJ71

I agree.....well said pass threw!

marmax

I personally don't care for crossbows, but thats just me. I have nothing against anyone else using them (as long as it's legal). Most Crossbows are heavy, loud and cumbersome. I also have friends who have had shoulder injuries and would rather use a good compound but lack the strength. Sportman need to stick togeather and stop bashing each other over preferences.

cardeer

LOL Yep they sound like a hammer hitting a 2x4. I keep my shots to 20 yards on the ground.Deer react to the sound and over that distance there is a chance the deer will move.Also try shooting at 20 yards then 40 and watch how much it drops and the difference in penetration

PABowhntr

In the big scheme of things I would say "no" they are not cheating. However, despite arguments to the contrary I do believe they offer several advantages over a compound bow.

Kybuckhunter

Traditional bow hunters can say the same about compound bows and all the gadgets. Fiber optics, drop away rest, high let off, etc. Why it always makes someone feel better about themselves by putting down someone else's choices is beyond me. There's no reason we all have to be stamped from the same mold. Just be happy we still have the chance to make decisions and do what we love to do. HUNT !

Arthur P

By the same token, today's high speed/high let-off compounds offer several advantages over crossbows.

Reference the recent thread on how long people can hold their bows at full draw. Anywhere from a minute and a half to 10 minutes. Here's the scenario: A deer is coming in. Just before he comes into range, he passes behind a bush. You use that moment to lift the crossbow into shooting position or draw your high letoff bow. You then wait a minute or three for the deer to come out from behind the bush and take the shot.

NEITHER of the two were actually drawn in the immediate presence of the animal. Compared to a longbow or recurve, where the hold can only be maintained for a few seconds and must be drawn only when the shot is actually presented (which is my definition of "drawing in the immediate presence of game"), BOTH are 'cheating.'

The crossbow is fired with a mechanical release. These days, guys who draw and release their compounds with their fingers are relatively rare so, in all probability, the compound is also fired with a mechanical release. Only difference is the crossbow's release is integral with the weapon.

The crossbow is sighted with iron sights, scope, holographic sight or red dot sight. Since barebow compound shooters are relatively rare, in all probability the compound is also fitted with sights. Pin sights are most common but the compound is also capable of wearing a scope, holographic sight or red dot. Each can wear lazer sights, where legal.

The only real advantages a crossbow has over a compound are the crossbow can be fired from a rest or from the prone position (although I've never seen anyone shoot from the prone position in a treestand ). A case can be made that anyone can shoot a 300 fps crossbow bolt. All one has to do is buy a crossbow that's capable of that speed. On the other hand, someone who is draw length challenged and/or cannot handle 70+ pounds of draw weight probably cannot shoot 300 fps arrows.

Back when compounds were mostly shot with fingers and had 50% let-off and didn't shoot much over 220 fps, I think there was still room to say crossbows were cheating. Now the only group that can say crossbows are cheating is the tradiitonal bowhunter, and nobody has ever paid any attention to those guys anyway.

zak123

If you guys take the time to think about the argument, you will be suprised. We are doing the same thing to the guys who shoot traditional equipment- Taking the easy way out.