timbercruiser

Alabama has made it legal to use a crossbow during the regular bow deer season. Those of you that have used both crossbow and compound bow, how does the crossbow compare as to distance, ease of shooting and any other things you can think of.

soarkrebel

Oh boy let me make sure and check this one as soon as those nutcase bow hunting religion fanatics start posting. i always love to read their bullsh**.

You get really no more range with a crossbow so they still have to be close. you can get busted just as easy as you can drawing a bow.
actually they are more cumbersome than a bow .
yeah they are as accurate as a bow.
i say get you one and enjoy it. but if you can find one of those fruit loop purist bowhunters and hunt close![8D]

kelincp

Wow...I'm speachless. Nutcase religion Fanatics...Wow. Maybe they aren't the only ones around.

In response to the original post,
Crossbows main advantages over a bow are ease of use and holding a full draw. Range is close, maybe a little better with crossbow. I compare a crossbow with a good handgun. There is no reason Crossbows should not be hunted with in regular season. They are however easier than bows and should not be part of the bow season. If Cbows were legal here in NY I would certianly use them along side my shotgun and Black Powder.

trmaker

I have used both in Ohio and I can tell you that neither one truly gives you an advantage over the other. The range is nearly identical, the draw strenghth goes to your own personal choice. The smaller shaft for the crossbow can be a slight disadvantage. It is more bulky to carry but it does hold the draw strenghth locked till you release it. The speeds are a little faster with the crossbow I believe which causes a few more shoot throughs. Basically it all comes down to personal choice. Lets face it, if you are an ethical hunter you are going to make sure what you are using is sighted in and you will have the patience to wait for the perfect shot. As for this religious thing, I aint going to go there but consider this. In alot of states crossbows are illegal unless you are handicapped. I would pose the question or statement that if a person hunts with a bow all their lives and worships bowhunting, and if they become handicapped, are people saying that these folks arent true bowhunters anymore because of what weapon they are using? I dont think so.

soarkrebel

Dang thats the best i can get after insulting the bowhunting purists?

I am glad i live in a state where they are legal to hunt with in the ARCHERY season. I like the choice to hunt with either if i want.

cfdjay

I started hunting in Ohio as a teenager with a crossbow. Let me tell you, it is a gun without the range of a bullet. You pull the trigger. Real tough. Compounds intorduce challenges that surpass the crossbow infinitely. Oh, soarkrebel, if I'm using too big of words for ya let me know and I'll throw a couple of "ya'lls" and "dun gots" in there.

soarkrebel

Oh cfdjay i jest can't figger that northurn accent! geez!

your right you do pull a trigger to shoot but i pull a trigger on my release thats far more sensitive! and yep you do point it like a gun but it's more cumbersome.
I have to move just as a do drawing my bow maybe not as extreme but when a deer is close movement is movement.

Most people think that a crossbow extends range to shoot a deer nope! not at least that i have seen.

My problem is with these folks that are so high on themselves cause they "bowhunt" exclusively that if you mention another type of archery equipment they attack it . so a person uses a crossbow during an archery season in a state. why would that bother someone else? unless maybe that person is insecure about their on abilitys.or jealous .or what??
who should care if a person goes out with a crossbow and enjoys the outdoors in october.so they hunted with a crossbow and someone else hunted with a matthews .
They are both primitive weapons as is a muzzleloader, at least it was ,and the special seasons were developed ,at least in arkansas, for people to have a longer periods of time for the chance to take an animal. whew.....

you know the only place i have ever been in a discussion on crossbows is online maybe the folks i hang out with in arkansas are just more understanding or just don't care about this arguement!

But even though i have about $500 invested in a bow and probably $300 in a crossbow . another $600 in a T/C encore i still take my best bucks with a rifle. i hunt to take an animal not just to see them and wish they would get close enough. i see deer almost everyday and when i get a chance to get the "one" i want the best weapon ....a rifle!

timbercruiser

Soarkrebel, it seems we share many of the same opinions about the term "primitive weapon". It is applied to hunting weapons as liberally as Hillary Clinton is. Muzzle loaders that are as accurate at 200 yards as my .270 is are not primitive, they are just loaded on the other end. Special bow seasons were not started for the compound bow, however the purist bow hunters that use long bows don't get special considerations. Heck if you are going to be primitive, get a straight stick and tie on a flint point. One thing I try not to do is look unfavorably on hunters that do not use the same weapons or styles of hunting I do. I try to lean on the "if it is legal, go for it" viewpoint and I hope I didn't stray too far from that viewpoint here.

deerslayer223

I hunt with a crossbow and it does not give you a range advantage. I have hunted with both and the crossbow has no advantage whatsoever.

firstshot

I was in a motorcycle wreck several years ago and tore up my left shoulder to the point that I could no longer pull a compound to full draw. The shoulder would always give out just before reaching the break-over point.

So I'm very thankfull that crossbows are legal here in Arkansas. If it wern't for the cross-bow, my bow hunting days would be over. Until recently, I also had a hunting lease in southern Missouri, and even though crossbows are NOT legal there, I was able to get a special permit to use one by sending in medical records and Dr's recommendation to the MO Game & Fish Commission. So for those of you in similar circumstances, check with your game & fish commission. They may make exceptions on cross-bow use if you are unable to hunt with a standard longbow or compound.

The only practical advantage I've found using a cross-bow is you can hold full draw till the cows come home. There is no range advantage and actually, probably due to the shorter arrow shaft, I don't think they are as accurate as a compound. I do find them a bit more cumbersom as well. As far as "instinctive" shooting is concerned, the compound definitely has a big edge as you still have to aim a cross-bow....no way around it.

With all that said, I'm sure glad I've got my cross-bow and am still able to hunt with it.

firstshot