You can buy battery operated cocking devices but they are expensive.

A rifle like a 243 will have far more power, range and accuracy than any bow. I am a senior 6' tall with strong hands and a rifleman of over 60 years experience. I like the new to me crossbow as my state made them ok now for deer. I like playing with it in my basement and I shoot it every week down there.

Even a reduced load in a 243 would be much easier to hit with however the crossbow is fun. You can try both.



Barnett Recruit Compound CrossBow Package NEW With Scope & Arrows $159.99

Did you ever consider putting a muzzle break on your existing rifles? That would reduce a lot of recoil. Also add a quality recoil pad.

Something to think about . . .

My Barnett Recruit Recurve crossbow just got jammed here with the string back and I tried a practice shot in the basement.

Something jammed in it's trigger mechanism.

I forced a part of the trigger with a large screw driver and was able to shoot an arrow off to 'unload' it's string.

dont know if the 17 hmr is legal in your area or not but i can testify to its lethality on deer . a person i know killed 5 from a tree stand in the space of a few min or less. however a 243 is what i use . rt shoulder is full reverse replacement. if your good it will only take one shot and its only once a year. and to get it sighted in i use a folded gun case. ole hunter is no joke

I don't know if you solved your issue or not but if you haven't you may want to try the 350 legend. Hardy no recoil and deadly on deer.