Contributors to this thread:
I'm looking into buying my first bow, and was planning on picking out a compound when I get to the archery shop in town. I mentioned to a friend that I'm getting into bow hunting and he said to definitely get a crossbow because they're so accurate. What's the general consensus on using a crossbow over a compound or recurve? Thanks!
On this site you will be considered an anti-Christ for even suggesting using one! That said I would highly recommend getting a compound and learning to use it as, at least to me, it's much more rewarding to shoot one with a bow than a crossbow. And yes I have shot one with a crossbow, I had it sold before I had the deer out of the woods because I didn't care for it at all but I wanted to experience it before having an opinion on it.
A crossbow is a weapon that should be used by disabled folks only. It is a short range gun. In my humble opinion, if you want the real feeling of being a bowhunter go with a compound or recurve. I don't understand how somebody can get the same satisfaction using a crossbow when they are physically able to draw a real bow. I will now sit back and watch my post be crucified.
Cross bows are heavy, clumsy items in the woods.
This is the Bowsite....Are you trying to bait people??? Perhaps crossbowforum.com
As DT said they are also very clumsy in the woods especially in a tree stand.
I never understood though why if they're so bad and so efficient why they should be allowed for disabled? If that's the case then maybe someone that disabled shouldn't be "bow" hunting.
Crusader, I won't crucify your post other than to say it's in no way a gun. A gun kills through hydrostatic shock, not through bleeding. It's aimed like a gun but that's about where it ends.
A few questions. How old are you, do you plan on hunting from the ground or stand, and how much time do you want to put into practicing and staying somewhat proficient?
Compound 100%. Unless you physically can't pull one back.
One big factor, do you have private land to hunt or just going to the public lands. At this point in Wi. hunting if you are going to public land hunting take the easiest method that you can use or it will just be frustration and send you back to the games. Infact, if I was starting all over again I wouldn't spend the money nor the frustration with bowhunting the rod and reel be it, if you are going to get a cross gun stay with the rifle. The recurve is the most satisfying to hunt with if you have the time and dedication, bowhunting was never started to be made easy as now, as one young gent said at the archery course that if you can't kill a deer now then you ain't no bowhunter, he had a rifle scope on his compound at the time. Make the release illegal and that would change the compounders way of thinking. Excuse my negativity, but put alot of yrs and time in bowhunting and seen where it was and have gone, the legalization of the cross gun was the breaking point for me and I could have legally got one a few yrs ago but there are self standards I rule by. In the end it is your choice so do what you want and do it with a ethical attitude when going int he field.
There is a lot of different public lands in the state. If I hunted public land in Manitowoc County where I live I would get frustrated with lack of deer and to many hunters very quick, but "up north" there are plenty of places to go where other hunters are not an issue. There still might be a serious lack of deer though!
I don't really like the idea of a crossbow, never experienced one but it doesn't seem like real bow hunting just from the thought of it. I figured that was the general opinion but I like to hear from everyone!
Knife2sharp, I'm 22 and planning to hunt from a tree but I want to get out and try from the ground before I decide on a preference. I'm planning to head over to the bow shop in the next couple weeks and get a bow so I can start practicing, I want to get as much practice in as I can winter-summer so I'm ready for next season. I'm planning to head out to the public land up by Tigerton so I can practice scouting and get a feel for being in the woods.
Right now I don't have any private land lined up, I have some family and friends I'm going to check with, and at least one has a pretty bad problem with the deer eating their crops so I'm pretty sure I'll get the go ahead from them.
I think the reason a crossbow was suggested to me is because I'm a woman and that would be easier than drawing back. Personally, I'd rather learn to draw back than take the easy way.
Bows are more difficult to take game with, also much more feeling of accomplishment, I don't think it will ever happen, but there maybe limitations put on crossbows in the future, they are a "newly" legalized weapon, that is very controversial. Xbows are not more "Accurate" than bows, in fact technically, arrows(from a compound) hold trajectory better than bolts(from xbow), but this is by a fractional amount, this is because of the weight and length of each. People mistake xbows accuracy, for ease of use, two different things
I broke my sternum spring/summer of 2015. You don't ever want to do that. Now I hunt with a crossbow. I am supposedly all healed up from the injury, but when I pull my compound back and can feel an strange sensation in my breastbone that I don't like...so I think I am going to be sticking with the crossbow for a while.
I admit I do enjoy shooting a crossbow, but like others have said they are clumsy and clunky in the woods. I also now only hunt from ground blinds because the kind of stands I used to bow-hunt in are not so great for holding onto, hanging, and shooting a crossbow.
They certainly are easier to shoot and more accurate when at the range. But you really need to plan your hunt around them to make sure you need to be able to maneuver it around as needed. Even inside a pop up ground blind they can be a pain in the butt.
Personally I never much cared if a person wanted to use a crossbow or a compound or a recurve. Use whatever you like to use. Use whatever us going to make you a better hunter to make ethical clean cleans.
tarzan- Without my opinion or judgement expressed on your question- here is an answer - a good cross bow to get started with is a Barnet raptor- comes with 3 bolts and a scope-for around $350.00. Its compact and very accurate for humane kills. I also had a hunter with a Parker this year that swore by that crossbow. A good friend of mine in Hayward-a Matthews dealer/gun/crossbow shop- Shooting Star archery said he sold 100 of the Barnets last year and not one came back. He also sells Matthew's crossbows-which are way more expensive, but they are really nice and have lifetime warranty. Most people do not need the auto cocker-the ropes for cocking take most of the tension and work fine. Many of my bear hunters use them each year-we have never lost a bear and all were able to shoot there crossbows from a tree stand without any special considerations other than me knowing if they were right or left handed. Good luck on whatever you choose.
I'm not one of the guys that believes your satisfaction with the harvest of a deer is indirectly proportional to the level of technology or ease of use of your weapon (I have shot plenty of gun bucks that rank higher on my hunt satisfaction list than many of the bow bucks I've shot). If it is deemed legal to use by the state that you are hunting in, then I say have at it (the discussion on whether or not certain weapons should be allowed in certain seasons has been discussed ad nauseum here....)
That said, I had a minor shoulder injury this year that manifested this summer that caused me to use a crossbow next year. For the majority of my archery setups I did not like it. I have since rehabbed my shoulder and will be going back to a compound this year. I didn't like my crossbow for the majority of my archery setups because I thought it was heavy, clumsy, and loud. Was it accurate as hell when I had it benched? YES! But I am better with my compound freehand. For my archery stands freehand was the only way I had the stand setup to shoot and lot of them were in the thick and nasty stuff so my shots were 25 yards at the most..so the compound is actually a better weapon for me there.
I will be keeping my crossbow for one reason...ground hunting from public land around my house....its a long hike in and its pressured and where I setup in that spot there are no trees.
My advise, shoot both freehand at an indoor range if you can. Try an entry level compound with a lower draw weight, nice smooth draw cycle, and make sure the draw length fits you, the peep is setup correctly for you, and the release you use fits well. Have a proshop member work with you, or an experienced compound shooter with you, to help you get your form right out of the gate. Shoot the compound and the crossbow at least 12 to 15 times before you make up your mind. You will likely find the compound is easier to shoot for extended practice sessions (seriously, cocking those dang xbows over and over gets tiring ... and it's slow!), you will find the compound is much quieter and will have much less handshock, and after you get your form down with a compound, freehand from 20 yards you will get better with the compound and you will be better than the xbow. (Don't compare a benched xbow with a compound.....). Just my 2cents....
You are plenty young and have the time and desire to take up bow hunting, I say go with the bow. I enjoyed shooting my bow on a regular basis when I was in my teens. I will also add that compound bows require some knowledge to keep them consistently accurate. There are lots of good books as well as the internet, but if you don't have a mentor or someone to go to when something is off, a good proshop relatively close by is almost a must.
Even though I took up hunting with a crossbow this year I would never suggest to a new hunter a crossbow over a bow just for ease of shooting. Practicing with your bow is part of the overall experience and you already show an interest in shooting.
That is the one neat thing about a bow, is they are an extension of you. You can't just pick up anyone's bow and expect to shoot it as accurate as the owner becasue it's sighted in for them. I don't think you will regret going with a compound bow based on your response. Good luck.
TT, try the vertical bow first. The hunting aside, you may find, as many of us here have, that shooting your vertical bow year round is a pleasurable pass time all on its own. My 21 year old daughter only hunts with her bow and does very well with it. To each their own but you just may find that vertical bow gives you much more fun other than just for hunting.
Go bow, and if I could change one thing in my transition from stick and string to primitive compound to high-tech 80 percent let-off, it'd be sticking with fingers instead of a trigger release. Have shot a lot of deer both ways, but got much more satisfaction when using my fingers to draw and release. Yes, triggers/peeps are deadly accurate in skilled hands, and I do shoot tighter groups with a release, but it's not a big deal either way as far as "how tight" (my finger groups were plenty accurate to stay in the boiler room). Just feels less like bowhunting in my opinion pulling the trigger vs. pulling the string with three fingers, anchoring middle finger in right corner of mouth and releasing.
have to agree with Naz, the feel of your fingers, letting the string slip, and the arrow go out, is sweet,,,,,,,
shooting my checkmate falcon is special.......
go vertical, a crossbow is a nice weapon for those who can not shoot vertical, for various reasons,,,
but you are not cutting country, or climbing mountains, or going over the prarie, lugging one of them along.....
try them all you sill find a nice fit..... stay vertical
I used to hunt in MN when releases were illegal, imagine that. I remember the first time I shot with one, it was a Bear hand held thumb button release. I shanked it, bad, and sent my arrow off target and to the back of the garage wall.
Knife-I worked Minnesota for the crime lab for thirty years. When one of the wardens came into the lab I asked him about that. He said that less deer would be shot if releases were legal because a lot of guys were too lazy to practice with their fingers and more deer that were shot at would be recovered. Interesting. (One guy here suggested that a bolt that was not recovered would have prints...LOL (Most labs are 6 months or more behind on the serious stuff.)
Crusader Dad...no crucifiction here. I agree 100% with your post !
I will NEVER hunt with a crossbow!!!
I smell a troll.
I hunted with a crossbow last year. Not this year. Why, cause I am a bowhunter - and they are heavy, unwieldy and get caught up all the time when things get thick. In other words carrying one is a PITA. If I had only one stand or blink and a short walk to it, then I might be tempted. But they can quickly turn a walk in the woods to something far less enjoyable then when carrying a bow.
