I always believed that the premise of bowhunting, be it with a longbow, compound or crossbow; was to meet the critter in their own enviroment and match wits with them. Trying to outsmart them and get as close as you can before shooting. It sure as hell isn't about having to kill something. Outsmarting a critter and getting within 30 or less yards is the real meaning to bow hunting!!!

If I wanted to shoot at 50plus yards I would use a center fire rifle. not a bow.

I commend you on your ethics, re: one in ten chance of wounding one. I can hit poker chips out to 40 yds. I'd take that kind of shot on a lot of game, but not deer. I've gotten string jumped at 30 yds at 328 fps w/ my xbow. Clean miss, but a wake up call.

I can hunt turkey, bear, small game, varmits ect here in Ar. You're pretty well going to be limited to deer only if I understand your regs right.

By all means get one. They are a lot of fun even just on targets. Sooner or later you'll want to gig a deer w/ it. By then you will have a full understanding of it's limits.

Like all else in the hunting world, there's a craze for speed. Don't be fooled by that, there's been more game taken w/ xbows under 280 fps than over. This is just my opinion, but around 300 fps seems to be a very popular common denominator. Have fun!

Thanks for the replies guys. Lots of good information for me to take to heart. awshucks, I learned the hard way that even a chip shot can result in a wounded, lost deer. I've only lost one, under ideal circumstances, but it teaches you not to take anything you perceive as an iffy shot if a good one could go wrong.

What part of Mn you from......

i think cross bow is only way to go

i like shooting my crossbow, a lot.


nice thing is my basement is 52 ft long,so i can shoot all winter long

Interesting, sure I can hit every time at 50 yards. . .but a deer, I think I will hold to 40 yards. What if you hit a bone? I can't believe it will break at50+ YDS.

when i used my compound bow a few years back,ONEIDA EAGLE,i would never take shot over 30 yds.

with my recurve i shoot at 20 yards,BLACK WIDOW.

scopes on crossbows , i think show 50 yds.

so, many think thats great to use on deer.

scope co. should only put like up to 30 yds in huntingscopes.

this might stop the KNOTHEADS from shooting out to 50 yds or more.


i heard one yesterday say, I SHOT THE BUCK RIGHT UP HIS HIENY HOLE.

he said, i got out of car and pulled back, shot and the buck turned and arrow went up his butt.[:@]

this was with COMPOUND BOW and he said it was a 75 yard shot.[:@]

Ranger, near Willmar. Sproulman, I hear you. Fortunately, around here, most of the lazy hunters like that are carrying shotguns? Or is that fortunate?But during bow season, most everyone I know or hunt with won't go past 30 -40 and the latter end of that range is only under ideal, ideal conditions. Myself again, I won't shoot outside of where - barring any upredictables - I know I wont nail the target.

your a good hunter that cares about deer,i cant see that.

the big buck i had come out to me after 4 weeks of hunting, you believe that, 1 buck in 4 weeks here in wmu2g of pa.

i left him go because it was WINDY, HE WAS AT 33 YDS,15 minutes before dark,rain was to happen at 8 pm.


i just diod not feel comfortable at that range with ANY BOW with wind blowing and rain coming.

all that went thru my head was,WHAT IF I WOUND HIM AND HE HEADS DOWN IN HOLLOW AND RAIN STARTS.

this is why i like hunting in morning, you have all day if something happens.

then he winded meand was froze at 33 yds sniffing and licking his nose for , i bet 10 minutes.

i could not MOVE,then wind blowing,man, i did not feel right.

but did he have a rack of horns, you bet,it was one of tallest racks i have seen in years.

you know what MOST said at our sportsmans club,WHY DIDNT YOU SHOOT, I WOULD HAVE.unreal[:@]