buck_hunter_87

spend the extra cash and buy a crossbow. some look down on it but it still takes skill to do it and it does not take as much time. i know what it is like to have limited time. i have been wanting to start bow hunting for 5 years or so and now at age 20 i am finally getting a chance to do it now that school is out of the picture and my job allows me to hunt

walker12

Mossberg you say you have social activities and such. If you want to be a very good hunter you've got to make it a priority. Practice year round, scout year round, whatever. Ask your friends to come with you to shoot your bow, or just shoot it by yourself.

Jasonlester

If you go with a compound you can go to a decent shop they will set it up for you and you'll only have to adjust the sights to sight it in. Then you practice once a week should be plenty. I set up my compound years ago and can still shoot it well even when I haven't in a couple years (3 inch groups at 40 yards) But I have shot for years. Also I shoot traditional all the time so its not like I am not shooting. If you buy a compound already setup like from a proshop then don't touch the arrow rest you should be able to dial it in with a few practice sesions.

Crossbows are good to. Less practice needed but I think its similar to a comound. The biggest difference is you have to train you muscles with a compound.

mossbergman11

most of the sports i do im required to be there evry day unless im sick

Paul L Mohr

The reason many look down on crossbows and shotguns is because of people doing exactly what you want to do. They don't want to put any real effort into it or take the time to learn to be proficient with the weapon they want to hunt with. They just want to buy it, shoot it a few times and go hunting. Then they get all upset when they miss, wound and lose deer.

If you do decide to hunt archery season I would suggest a bow over a cross bow. I have owned both and once you get the hang of shooting a bow I think they are better than a cross bow. The only real advantage you gain with a cross bow is not having to draw on the deer, because the cross bow will lock at full draw. And to be honest it isn't much harder to draw on a deer than it is to pick up and aim a cross bow, at least if you learn to do it right. You should be able to lift your bow and draw on an animal in one smooth motion. They do have an advantage in power as well in some cases, but depending on your size maybe not in the price range you are thinking of. They have a lot of draw weight, but have a very short power stroke so they really are not that efficient.

A cross bow will still take practice. You can't just go buy one, sight it in and not touch it until season starts. While you don't have to worry as much about form and anchor points they are still a bit tricky to shoot accurately. You have to draw them the same way every time and they still have limited range. This means you need to practice and get to know your weapon and what YOU can do with it. Not to mention cross bows tend to be heavy, loud, cumbersome to carry and aim and usually more expensive for a good one. Not that bows are cheap, but I think for the money you are thinking of spending you could get a better bow than you could a cross bow.

My honest opinion is if you don't want to put the effort into doing it right then you should just skip archery season. Just stick with gun season if you have success with that. At least until you can devote the time needed to learn how to hunt with either weapon well. The reason you see less bow hunters is because it is harder and some just don't want to mess with it. Although I have seen plenty of slob bow hunters that don't practice and can't hit the broad side of a barn at 30 yards with a range finder. But you don't want to be one of those guys do you?

I also feel once a week would be enough time to learn to shoot either as long as you gave yourself enough time to do it. Like until next season. Especially if you had someone that could help you. Lessons never hurt either.

My opinions anyway.

Paul

kevin1

You can find a serviceable crossbow for far less than a compound, and once it's sighted in you can hunt confidently. You still have to practice though. Here's where you can find cheap crossbows:

Sportsman's Guide

They also carry a few higher end crossbows.

mossbergman11

well because i already have a pse silverhaek bow i will get a crossbow also and hunt with bow and crossbow at different times and at different locations. i was thinkin about gertting a excaliber vixen

rybohunter

Why worry about the crossbow and being legal. Just shoot the deer regardless of season with a shotgun like in your other post.

kevin1

Funny that you should mention that particular model:

Excalibur Vixen

mossbergman11

rybohunter i dont do that 1st of all and i want acrossbow so i can hunt more
remember i said no hard feelings in that post
kevin 1 why is it funny that i mentioned excaliber vixen?