Bill
Administrator
100% accurate. I’m sure it may take longer for someone with no prior knowledge of how to shoot something with a trigger. But if you’re a competent shooter your theory is correct.
Gonna try crossbow hunting this year
- Thread starter jsasker007
- Start date
100% accurate. I’m sure it may take longer for someone with no prior knowledge of how to shoot something with a trigger. But if you’re a competent shooter your theory is correct.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I shot a couple of does with a crossbow when they were first made legal here. I wanted to argue against them and know what I was talking about. Turns out I had the exact range and success as I did with my compound, and it took the same amount of practice to get ready for season. Now with that said, I've got 40yrs of practicing and shooting a compound, so to get ready for season doesn't take much and is pretty much the same as a crossbow. For someone without a lot of compound experience the crossbow is infinitely easier to learn.
I found them to be very comparable weapons. But I don't hunt from box blinds, over corn, or in a way that I could set up a rest and have an absolute known distance to the deer. In this manner I found the crossbow to be clumsy, and unlike my compound.
One thing I really didn't like about the crossbow is the 100% certainty of hitting the target. So much into shooting a compound in the moment of truth. Got to make sure form is right, that I don't pull the shot, etc that adds pressure to the shot. The ones I shot with the crossbow didn't feel the same. Just aim and shoot it.
I found them to be very comparable weapons. But I don't hunt from box blinds, over corn, or in a way that I could set up a rest and have an absolute known distance to the deer. In this manner I found the crossbow to be clumsy, and unlike my compound.
One thing I really didn't like about the crossbow is the 100% certainty of hitting the target. So much into shooting a compound in the moment of truth. Got to make sure form is right, that I don't pull the shot, etc that adds pressure to the shot. The ones I shot with the crossbow didn't feel the same. Just aim and shoot it.
Feelslikefar.
5 year old buck +
Based on yesterday, I would say certainly.
But I'm also not new to flinging arrows or to crossbows, so that's some of the learning curve gone.
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I bought my wife a compound bow - gave it to her for Christmas one morning. Took it out that afternoon and we got it sighted in. She had never drawn a bow in her life. She was about 50 yrs old at the time. She took it hunting the next afternoon and killed a doe. First deer she ever shot at with a bow. These new compounds are pretty dang easy to shoot. Granted, a beginner isnt going to shoot one inch groups at 20 yards with a compound - but three inch groups are easy and lethal at 20 yards.
I agree with Catscratch - for most deer hunting in my area, shots are 30 yards and in. Many years, after not shooting my compound bow for six months, I would pick it up a month before bow season, walk out on the front porch, and shoot my first arrow of the year at the target 60 yards away. Usually, it was in the kill zone. I needed almost no practice to be dead on out to 30 yards with my compound. Now when we would go out west, it took a lot more practice to be efficient out to 60 yards. THe last 15 years I hunted with a compound, I didnt ever feel like I was going to miss if the deer was within 30 yards - and didnt. The biggest thing for me was shooting a ton of hogs and learning patience - waiting for the deer to turn to a good position for shooting. When I was younger, I was pretty prone to take a risky shot.
The biggest difference I see in a compound and a crossbow - is you dont have to draw a crossbow - making it harder for a deer to detect you and allowing a hunter to hunt effectively in many locations where hunting with a compound would be ineffective. A crossbow Also allows young kids to effectively kill deer that would not be able to hunt with a compound. Most of my grand daughters killed their first deer at age six or seven with a crossbow. Of course, they probably would have killed their first deer with a rifle one month later.
I agree with Catscratch - for most deer hunting in my area, shots are 30 yards and in. Many years, after not shooting my compound bow for six months, I would pick it up a month before bow season, walk out on the front porch, and shoot my first arrow of the year at the target 60 yards away. Usually, it was in the kill zone. I needed almost no practice to be dead on out to 30 yards with my compound. Now when we would go out west, it took a lot more practice to be efficient out to 60 yards. THe last 15 years I hunted with a compound, I didnt ever feel like I was going to miss if the deer was within 30 yards - and didnt. The biggest thing for me was shooting a ton of hogs and learning patience - waiting for the deer to turn to a good position for shooting. When I was younger, I was pretty prone to take a risky shot.
The biggest difference I see in a compound and a crossbow - is you dont have to draw a crossbow - making it harder for a deer to detect you and allowing a hunter to hunt effectively in many locations where hunting with a compound would be ineffective. A crossbow Also allows young kids to effectively kill deer that would not be able to hunt with a compound. Most of my grand daughters killed their first deer at age six or seven with a crossbow. Of course, they probably would have killed their first deer with a rifle one month later.
Angus 1895
5 year old buck +
I got a raven r9 and a koda bow with Excalibur micro limbs. It’s a custom deal.
The raven has a better trigger and cocking system. The lighted raven nocks make the bolt hit low. The scope on the raven confuses the be Jesus outta me. I struggle with multiple circles. The raven is very very accurate. It’s also awful to carry.
The koda bow is tricky to cock, and has a stiff trigger.
The raven has a better trigger and cocking system. The lighted raven nocks make the bolt hit low. The scope on the raven confuses the be Jesus outta me. I struggle with multiple circles. The raven is very very accurate. It’s also awful to carry.
The koda bow is tricky to cock, and has a stiff trigger.
Attachments
356
5 year old buck +
I took up,bow hunting with a compund at 50 (2011). I still use that original Mission bow, but added a Ten Point crossbow in 2016 after shoulder surgery. The crossbow is my choice for many blinds and a few ladders. I love bring either into the woods. I guess which bow I use is secondary to the experience.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
You should have it sighted in before you even leave the shop with it.
You can probably doe that with any deer hunting weopon but a recurve, longbow, or spear. I have seen it done with compound, muzzle loader, and modern rifle.
I know a guy that yes he's older but lazy and he went to chiropractor and got a medical release for a crossbow before they were allowed for everyone and he can also shoot a rifle out of truck window, I guess not much different in letting chiropractors do sports physicals. When they don't check anything medical.Good luck to everyone and wear your safety harness
Feelslikefar.
5 year old buck +
I found that after 15 years without touching a bow, when I picked it up again, the very first time out, I shot as well, if not better than I ever had. And it was all down hill from there. 
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
I am the same way. When I get into something I really get into it. I think I'm better now with age and not as many years left to make money to burn. Easy to spend a good chunk on anything hunting related these days.In my youth I bought whatever arrow the local big box sporting goods store had laying around and some heads I got mail order.
In my 30's I at least started buying the right arrows and semi decent heads.
The last trip around, two years ago, I totally geeked out. Wasted thousands of dollars over the course of the summer trying different brands, different spines. Plus all new jigs and tools and testers. Testing, squaring, knock tuning. Spent months testing all sorts of different fletching, different angles of helical, 3, 4, 6 vane fletching in a multitude of styles and lengths. Crazy minutia like adding weight to my knocks so they'd be the exact weight as the lighted knocks. Played with all different arrow weights that would invariably send me back to square one. 15 to 150grain inserts, 100-300 grain heads. Then buying and trying several brand of higher end broadheads. Always stupid about it, buying them, then buying a jig to sharpen them, then deciding I didn't like them or wanted to try something else. Heck I probably spent close to a grand alone on that. (this is why I'm poor)
But that's where I ended up though.... "Oh my goodness, this arrow is almost $100! I better bring a junker with me for targets of opportunity." Of course since I had lots of leftovers, that wasn't a problem.
With the new crossbow, I won't have time to do any of that stuff, which is probably a good thing.
Crazy the money I spent/wasted on the bow, especially if I can't shoot it anymore. I went nuts, but I was having fun. The irony being I bought a "cheap" bow BECAUSE I wasn't sure I was going to be able to shoot it. Then I spent ten times as much on everything else. Pissed away piles of money. The arrow experiments, a few different sights, a few different releases. That hit me one day sitting in the tree stand... "This release cost more than any bow I ever owned." (prior to the one I was using)
Feelslikefar.
5 year old buck +
Archery especially. It's easy to lie to yourself. "I'm going to buy a new bow, but I'm going to reuse all my old accessories." Which invariably has never happened. I always end up buying new anyway.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Doesn't help a guy save money when they keep coming out with better stuff. Advertised as better anyway. My plan is to get everything I need for the rig I have and hopefully just stick to the same equipment for the rest of my days. Finding targets that last very long might be tricky.
Hunters are gonna kill deer - even if they have to use a spear. Look at states in the NE and some mid western states where firearms seasons are short or very restrictive. They still kill a lot of deer - but the total state harvest is almost half with archery equipment. In the south, the harvest percentage isnt that high because we have a long rifle season. And bow hunters are usually allowed to hunt the two best times of the year to kill trophy bucks - very early and very late in the season.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
I sure like the long archery season. Get out there before it gets too cold and once the mosquitos and the leaves are gone it's as good as it gets.
Natty Bumppo
5 year old buck +
Yeah, that's what I was trying to understand. Take a crossbow or a rifle out of the box and you're on paper and hunting in less than half a day. Very easy to kill deer out of the box with a crossbow even for a beginner. And yes agree...probably for most experienced archers they could also do the same with a compound bow...but that's after years and decades or practice. Not sure if a beginner could do that.
It sounds like for experienced hunters who know how to shoot and hunt, the big advantages are less about distance...but more about not having to draw, use of a scope, the ability to use a rest, and faster. For brand new hunters it sounds like the advantages are infinitely obvious...the ability to point and click at 40 yards out of the box...vs. years of practice with a compound bow.
And for new hunters, I want them to be able to have that early success. It's more likely to make a lifelong hunter out of them. While access to private land may be shrinking, so are hunter numbers. We need to keep the number of hunters up to guarantee the sport lives on into the future for the masses, not just the privileged few.
fishin coyote
5 year old buck +
I was having a bad year(misses,wounded,etc.) broke down and got a cheap package unit from an outdoor box store. Took it home shot it twice at 30 yds. Junk scope was really close to dead nuts. My 3rd shot a hour later was from the box blind into a mature doe.
I don’t think I’ve picked it up more than handful of times since and that’s only to make sure it’s still sighted in if I ever need to use it again.
I don’t think I’ve picked it up more than handful of times since and that’s only to make sure it’s still sighted in if I ever need to use it again.
As already said, I bought my 50 year old wife a compound bow for christmas, sighted it in that afternoon, and she killed a doe the next afternoon. She had never drawn a bow before Christmas day in her life. New compounds are pretty easy to shoot. We have archery programs in school where very low end compound bows are provided to the students. First time bow shooting sixth graders will generally exhibit deer killing accuracy at 20 yards after their first hour of shooting. However, that doesnt mean they are capable of going out and killing a deer. My wife was instantly successful with a bow - not because it was so easy to shoot - but because she already knew how to hunt.
