I live in VA and it wasn't too long ago when they changed the season to allow crossbow hunters. They had only let disabled people use them prior to that. At first there was a bit of "ruckus" about it but that slowly went away and turned out to be much ado about nothing. I see some guys crossbow hunting (rarely) and the occasional people shooting them at the range but it's not like there was some massive takeover of archery season.
I initially was worried about the weekend warrior gun hunters buying crossbows just to hunt during archery season and while I did see a couple of guys like that it wasn'tas bad as Ithought it would be.Crossbows still require time, effort, and money to up keep and stay proficient with. Most of the guys that fit the description above never even thought about it again after they lost their initial batch of bolts and end up selling their equipment cheap to get back a few dollars.

Having had some time to get used to them I couldn't care less if someone want to hunt with them. They are fun to shoot and not a bad way to introduce newer people to a form of archery and shooting.They are consideredarchery equipment (whether you like the label or not) and despite not having to draw them(like a vertical bow anyway)they are limited in their capabilities and range justlike other archery equipment. While they share some characteristics of a firearm most of those characteristics do nothing to enhance the actual technology of the weapon they simply make it possible to shoot a bow horizontally and release the draw with a trigger. As far as effective range, ke,one shot hunting, shot placement importance, method of killing(bleeding out/cutting off oxygen), and just about everyting else they are likeother bows (IMO).

I find it kind of comical to hear guys say they are so much easier to hunt with because you don't have to draw and hold back and you shoot it with a trigger like a gun while at the same time they are shooting their 85% letoff compounds with all of the bells and whistles holding back a whopping 10-15 lbs of draw weight with their $100 release aids(many of which have a........you guessed it........a trigger). Yeah, that is so much harder.

There are plenty of deer for all of us and while different from traditional bows and compounds, crossbows are archery weapons that have been around for centuries, I welcome them in the woods and hope they draw some more hunters to the field, which is a good thing for hunting. I certainly won't turn them away or tell them to get their own season.

That's a good post Nate, And I agree with most of what you said. But, why do folks always forget to mention the scope that's on most crossbows used for hunting?I just think that once "sighted in", aCB stays accurate like a rifle. Pick it up any time, aim it, shoot, and it's still spot on. I just think a compound requires more attention/practice to stay accurate with, that's all. As I've said, CB's are OK by me, I just choose not to hunt with one anymore.

I've seen the scopes on crossbows and pin sights as well and I would agree they are fairly easy to get dialed in and seem to stay dialed in well. But I feel the same way about my compound sights as well, mine stay dialed in well and if I do make changes it usually only takes a short amount of time to dial them back in.

I do think practice is important for both but would agree it is probably more important with my compound and definitely my recurve.

I disagree with this part. Certainly, a compound bow is easier to hunt with than a recurve, and a crossbow is easier than a compound. That's not an opinion, just a fact. A crossbow, once sighted, requires NO practice. That's not to say you shouldn't practice, just like with a rifle. But lazy hunters will NOT practice, just like the guys that sight in their rifles the day before the season. It's point and pull, no anchor point worries, no cant worries, on holding the bow through the shot worries, no drawing back in a precarious position in cold weather worries, no holding on target worries. Yes, I've shot a crossbow. Sure seemed a lot easier to me .

Well said. Basically what I said in post#92.

Early,

Just for an example say that they were voting on weather xbows should be let in during the hunting season. What would be your vote? Where would you put them (what season)? Restrictions if any?

Thanks Early.

LOL I have read your exact same argument by traditional shooters against compound bow shooters. Interesting to say the least.

I couldn't agree more with this and always wonder why somehunters are always trying to limit other hunters, or potential hunters, by denying them access.

Putting me on the spot eh?Well Schultzy, thatquestion is more than fair.As far as I'm concerned, it wouldn't/doesn't matter to me PERSONALLY. I say this because when I hunted with my CB during regular archery season here in Pa, it was just fine with me!I know there are those (compound users) out here who won't/don't agree, but that's OK.
I didn't notice a big influx of CB hunters in the area that I hunt when they became legal here. Some compound users might feel like their season is being violated when CB guys come in, I don't. I have as much, if not more success, with my compound, than the few CB hunters that do hunt my area of state land. There you have it big guy!

Actually it is an opinion, yours. The picture can be paintedhowever we want and we can call it fact but that doesn't make it so and someone with a differnt brush might paint it diiferently. I know guys that think hunting with a recurve is easier than hunting with the other two because of the simplicity of it, not having to worry about abunch of little details. Does that make it fact? No, but I can see their point. As far as compounds and crossbows, I have shot them both as well and I don't find either that hard. I sure could get a lot more shots off with my compound than the crossbow and my compound wasn't nearly as hard to draw(even though I did have to hold back 12 pounds once I got it back, agony). As far as not having to practice with a crossbow I would say that is pretty far from fact as well. Take a crossbow and sight it in and then go shoot a 3-d shoot with a guy that has been shooting and practicing with a crossbow for 5 years. Wanna take bets on who gets smoked on that course?

Componds at hunting ranges are not hard to shoot. Drawing, anchoring, holding on target??? Are you saying these things are hard to do?Both weaponsarepretty straight forwardto me, you are saying one is easier to hunt withthan the otherand I don't necessarily buy into that because hunting with a weaponis more than just howit shoots,that's why I mentioned the recurve guys I know. For me personally the crossbow was heavy and awkwardin a hunting situation in a small standso my compound is easier to hunt with, for me.

One shot at a hunting range of 18-22 yards, is it hard to make that shot with your hunting rig, whatever that may be(recurve, longbow, compound, crossbow)? It shouldn't be, you can throw in all the variables you want wind, cold, positions, etc. Those things can effect any hunter regardless of weapon.

I haven't shot my compound inmonths,it is not difficult for me to pick it up right now and shoot spotsuntil I'm tired out to 30 yards. Not terribly difficult or impressive I know but that's not the point the point isthat yes I agree crossbows are not difficult to become proficient with but neither are compounds.Crossbows have advantages(shoot from a rest, draw weight held)and compounds have some too(more ke downrange, easier to get off second shot if needed, don't need a rest) and both require practice and knowledge to maximize their potential.So to me it's harder to say which one is easier/betterwhen you consider more than thebasic concept of sightingone in and shooting it and even if I did say which one I thought was easier/better I know that doesn't make it a fact.