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5 year old buck +
I can pick up my compound bow at anytime and hit a dessert plate at 30 yards all day long. The cams, the string, the riser, the tuning, the sights, the rest, etc.. I mean.. just one thing.. let off!!! I mean.. recurve.. if you are not anchored absolutely perfectly everytime, you are all over the board. With a modern bow, you have a mechanical release and my bow has a DEAD stop at the anchor. I just absolutely LAUGH when the so called "old guard" complain about xbows. Compounds of today are not bows, they are technology marvels compared to anything from yesteryear. I would love for some of these Old Guard people to set down their 2000 dollar compound bow set ups and pick up a recurve and LETS SEE HOW GOOD OF A SHOT YOU REALLY ARE WITH A BOW, LETS SEE YOU PULL BACK 65 POUNDS ON A RECURVE. PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Why?? because all those clowns have 85% let off with mechanical sights and kisser buttons and mechanical releases and torsion bars and laser sighting range finders. It's a joke.. Pick up a recurve and shoot 50 arrows at 65 pounds and see how many you put in a pie plate at 30 yards. fyi "old guard".. most recurves don't have sights... it's instinctive. So, you need to judge distance and aim with the assistance of 40 things on your bow.
You are correct. It's also true that modern, compound arrow projectors (it's hard to call them "bows" these days) produce enough energy that 45 pounds will kill just about any animal in North America. All but the smallest child or handicapped have the strength to pull adequate poundage compounds.
I switched back to a recurve in 1992 when I disagreed with the direction archery gear was headed in those days. I use no sights and I can tell you that I shoot as well or better than I did with a 1990 era compound...except my effective range is shorter. Pretty much anyone can hunt ethically with traditional equipment if they accept their personal limitations.
Personal, self imposed limitations are what bow season is supposed to be about. But it now seems that legal limitations is what too many hunters are concerned with. "Whatever is legal" right? And, if what I want is not currently legal, I will lobby until it is legalized and then I'll chastise anyone who disagrees.
There are a few other societal issues we can compare this to.