I have never seen anyone torque a crossbow and cause bad arrow flight.Punching the release isn't nearly as big of a deal.You can even use a tree to steady one if need be.


Those are a few things that are advantages of the crossbow over a compound,besides the obvious that you have already stated.



NOW,I have no problem with using a crossbow,especially if you re health deems it neccesary.


I don't think they should be allowed as a bow,I have no problem with them having their own season though.Here in Ky,they have just about as long a season as bow season and I have no problem with that either.


BUT don't try to tell me there isn't a difference,just like people trying to compare a compound to a long bow or recurve,there are advantages to the compound just as there are advantages to the crossbow.


I personally feel that recurve should be separated in the books from compound and the same goes for crossbows.But that is my opinion and it probably won't happen.

Yes they are heavy and loud.

big rockpile

I have one, and find it too gun like, right down to the scope! I've killed 13 deer with itsince '02and stopped hunting with it 2 years ago. The biggest advantage is that you don't have to draw it at that crutial time, and don't have to hold the weight. Once you see a deer at what ever range,you just raise it, rest it, (unlike a compound) aim it (scope)in the general area of the deer, and wait for how ever long for it to get in a good shootingposition. If that's notan advantage, I don't know whatis.

For the record,my stepdad has 2 because of a bad elbow and I have shot them andsighted themin for him before.


So I do have some knowledge of them,I also can't stand them personally but won't hesitate to use one if my health puts me in a position that I need to.


He hunts out of blinds with gun rest.He lays the thing right on the rest for his shots.

Please people .............. NEVER EVER USE A TREE TO SUPPORT THE CROSSBOW WHEN SHOOTING .................... MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE

If you do this, you chance your string against the tree or worse yet, have the limb strike something whouch could seriously hurt you. I have known people that have dislocated shoulders, broken collar bones ect but having limbs strike a tree or branch.

Advantages or crossbows are:
- Pre loaded bow
- easier for physically challanged to use
- easier to become compitant
- effective range for deer is 35-40 yards


Advantages or the compound (Vertical)
- More accurate in the hands or compitant shooter
- easier to transport (walk through bush or fields)
- Faster second shot
- More quiet
- Lighter
- easier to find a window to shot through (need vertical window through brush, trees grow vertically, crossbows need a horizontal window)
- effective range is 45-50 yards (reading poists that claim this, as well as from TV shows)

The big thinkg is that most of the advantages the crossbow has can be negligated by the use of hunting equipment. Using a blind would eliminate the advantage of pre-loaded bow because you can move in blind to draw bow when deer is there. You do not need to practice as long as you would with the vertical bows, but you still need to practice. The effective range I believe is the same between compounds and crossbows.

Hope this helps

I've killed two deer with a recurve, 70+ with a compound and 6 with a crossbow. each has it's advantages and disadvantages. I used to buy into the myth that crossbows in archery would be detrimental to the sport but I no longer believe that. States that allow either for the able bodied have not seen success rates skyrocket as some predicted. IMHO, here are a few reasons that it's just another short range weapon


Crossbow advantages

Incredibly easy to learn to shoot

Dont have to draw in the presence of the game

easier to shoot from a cramped (overhead) postion


disadvantages

noisy

less stable due to the shorter projectile and shorter power stroke, therefore it's actually less accurate at longer ranges than a compound in capable hands

heavy and awkward to carry

needs plenty of side clearance which can present challenges from a treestand when the game comes in from behind

less stable than a compound when shooting offhand

many have a very harsh trigger pull

The advantage is that a disabled hunter would be able to hunt duringthe archery season.


I believe that they should be the only ones to use them. A normal, healthy person should use a bow and arrow.

Accuracy wise, the compound bow is more accurate and the arrows are easier to remove from the target than a bolt. The reason they are not as accurate is because of the shorter weapon, both hands in front and less stable base to shoot from. Sort of like a rifle vs a pistol.

A decent archer will out shoot a X-bow almost all the time. I have many times. However, when it gets to the point that I'm not able to draw a regular bow, I'll gladly switch to a X-bow so that I can continue to do what I love the most, hunt deer during the archery season.

After I got shot with a .30-06 one bow season I had the privlege of using a x-bow late season......it sucked. It was heavy, loud, and was a PITA to carry in the woods. I hunted 2 evenings with it and decided to hang it up and wait until the following season to hunt with a compound again.

As far as legality....I have no opinion......except that I'm happy as hell that my 21 yr old nephew can use one, because he's handicapped.

Is there anybody who thinks that they would kill more deer, or kill bigger bucks, if they used a crossbow instead of a compound?

I doubt it.

History and data from different States DNR proves that there is no greater harvest of animals with the crossbow over the vertical compound. The Data shows that they are very close in most States to % of kill.