Off-Topic Crossbow or compound

[Deleted member 316]

I was thinking about getting a crossbow for hunting. My buddy says to get a compound bow. Which is more satisfying? Like he said a crossbow is just like a rifle, whereas with a bow there is so much more involved instead of just point and pull the trigger.

 

[John K]

Bow hierarchy as far as difficult:
crossbow -> compound -> traditional

A crossbow you can be proficient in minutes, a compound in an hour or two, trad bows take a long time. Compounds are cool, especially if you like gear; trad is cool if you appreciate the simplicity and the amount of work required.

I find the difficulty to be directly related to the satisfaction: I think trad is most satisfying, followed by compound. I have no desire to use a crossbow, they're just ... meh. For me. If I couldn't shoot a bow (e.g. physically unable), maybe... Maybe...

Just my opinion. If you've hunted before with a rifle, a crossbow is most similar, to me it was almost the same. Which wasn't what I wanted. Personally if it was my choice I'd go compound... It was my choice and I went recurve, and then transitioned into longbow.

 

[Deleted member 5559]

Where do you hunt and what do you hunt? I would say to get the tool with a season that aligns with the rut.

 

[Deleted member 316]

Canada. I'll be hinting deer and turkeys mainly, but pretty much anything

 

[ShawnM]

I have both and prefer my crossbow over my compound. Traditionalist usually prefer the traditional bow over compound and for the most part don't hardly ever use a cross bow. That's fine, to each their own. I hnt in the fall for food so I'm not to concerned with tradition. @BroMo makes a lot of sense with what you are hunting and how you hunt. If I'm in a stand for a few hours it's much easier for me to pop up my cross bow, sight it and shoot it. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Dasho]

I believe crossbows are more restricted for hunts than compound/recurve bows. In some states, their use is limited to people with handicaps or during the same part of the year that black powder rifles and other miscellaneous weapons are allowed.

 

[John K]

I have both and prefer my crossbow over my compound. Traditionalist usually prefer the traditional bow over compound and for the most part don't hardly ever use a cross bow. That's fine, to each their own. I hnt in the fall for food so I'm not to concerned with tradition. @BroMo makes a lot of sense with what you are hunting and how you hunt. If I'm in a stand for a few hours it's much easier for me to pop up my cross bow, sight it and shoot it. But that's just my opinion.

I hunt for food, I bow hunt for the challenge and a longer season. A crossbow also allows for an extended season where I am, and if all I was interested in was that it would be a good choice, especially if I don't have time or interest in developing a skill. I have to practice a LOT with my bow to stay even remotely competent to hunt with; if I didn't have the ability to do that, a crossbow would be a much better choice.

 

[Deleted member 316]

I've tried a traditional bow and I'll leave it at attempted. I think I hit the target a handful of times. I'd be better off trying to stab with the arrows. Many say it's a night and day difference between a compound and traditional bow.

 

[Deleted member 5559]

Many say it's a night and day difference between a compound and traditional bow.

It is.

 

[John K]

I've tried a traditional bow and I'll leave it at attempted. I think I hit the target a handful of times. I'd be better off trying to stab with the arrows. Many say it's a night and day difference between a compound and traditional bow.

Instruction and practice are very important. Starting small (e.g. low weight bows) and close (e.g. 10 yards) are also important. Shooting a compound that has already been dialed in is incredibly easy - you pull it to the right place every time, you have pin sights to put on the target, you have a mechanical release so you effect the arrow as little as possible. It is incredible. In a matter of hours you can be nailing the 10 ring every time at 25-35 yards. I cannot possibly be as accurate with a trad bow as I can a a compound, and the further the distance the more true that is. (I'm not making a good argument for the trad bow; the fun is the challenge.) I don't want to say there isn't a tremendous amount of skill still required with a compound, because there is - check out Cameron Hanes or John Dudley. Incredible skill developed over a lifetime of practice

 

[ShawnM]

I hunt for food, I bow hunt for the challenge and a longer season. A crossbow also allows for an extended season where I am, and if all I was interested in was that it would be a good choice, especially if I don't have time or interest in developing a skill. I have to practice a LOT with my bow to stay even remotely competent to hunt with; if I didn't have the ability to do that, a crossbow would be a much better choice.

Where I live in Virginia there’s very limited rifle season, in fact I have to drive hours so I don’t bother. Now and cross bow season lasts much longer and we have a spring season for small game and Turkey.
I have a compound bow that I tinker around with. Due to elbow issues I can’t practice like I need to so I switched to cross bows. I wish I could do both, cross bows just don’t hammer my joints at the similar pull weight.

 

[John K]

Where I live in Virginia there’s very limited rifle season, in fact I have to drive hours so I don’t bother. Now and cross bow season lasts much longer and we have a spring season for small game and Turkey.
I have a compound bow that I tinker around with. Due to elbow issues I can’t practice like I need to so I switched to cross bows. I wish I could do both, cross bows just don’t hammer my joints at the similar pull weight.

I have a *long* history of problems with my right shoulder, which is also my bow-pulling side. If I ever got to the point I couldn't pull a bow back, I would happily hunt with a crossbow! Especially if it meant a longer season or easier access to hunting lands.

 

[Steve Freides]

@John Spezzano

-S-

 

[North Coast Miller]

For hunting I'd say at least the compound bow. Modern sights and releases make it a lot easier to put arrows into a humane kill zone.
I have shot a ton of traditional bow and managed some pretty good shooting, but at hunting pull weight my ability to hit consistently goes way down. I'd have to be 20 feet or less.

 

[John K]

For hunting I'd say at least the compound bow. Modern sights and releases make it a lot easier to put arrows into a humane kill zone.
I have shot a ton of traditional bow and managed some pretty good shooting, but at hunting pull weight my ability to hit consistently goes way down. I'd have to be 20 feet or less.

Depending on where you are and what you're hunting, you may be able to hunt with as little bow as 35-40lbs. With a sharp EFOC arrow, that'll do the trick on deer, and you might be able to expand your range some. But trad bows will almost always be sub-20 meters, and most likely sub-15 meters. That's part of the fun.

 

[Fyreman]

Compound has a somewhat old school element which I prefer. Also gives the game a fighting chance. LnR

 

[masa]

Longbow

 

[John Spezzano]

I was thinking about getting a crossbow for hunting. My buddy says to get a compound bow. Which is more satisfying? Like he said a crossbow is just like a rifle, whereas with a bow there is so much more involved instead of just point and pull the trigger.

First off, as mentioned above, definitely check the hunting regs in your state. Not all states allow crossbow.

I've been into traditional archery for a good number of years. I started with a recurve and have since switched to a Chastain longbow. And I love it!

This discussion has been a heated one in the archery community for years. I don't see the need for it to get heated, but a crossbow isn't really archery, in my opinion. What makes a bow difficult to shoot is the many things that can go wrong during your shot sequence. Did you get to full anchor, did you collapse upon release, did you get to your actual anchor point, did you pluck your release, did you use back tension, etc, etc, etc. The crossbow takes all of that out. In essence it's a rifle that shoots an arrow, which is fine if that's what you want to do.

People hunt for any number of reasons and the challenge alone is the main reason for many that I know who hunt with a tradbow. No matter what your weapon of choice, hunting is a challenge. You might be a dead shot at 600 yards with your rifle but if you can't find the animals then you're going home empty handed. I know a lot of compound shooters who transitioned to the tradbow to increase the challenge. With their compound they could kill at 80, 90, even100 yards. These are distances no tradbow hunter would even attempt. After getting lethal at those amazing ranges, they decided to increase the challenge by getting within "stickbow" range (20 yards and under for most hunters, up to 40 for a smaller number).

For what it's worth, I have an article in the current issue of Traditional Bowhunter Magazine about a bowyer who makes traditional English longbows I met while on a coaching trip in Ireland. Pick up the issue and see what you think. Maybe the tradbow is for you??

Whichever you choose, just remember a bad day hunting is always better than a great day at work. HA!

 

[Whosonfirst]

First off, as mentioned above, definitely check the hunting regs in your state. Not all states allow crossbow.

I've been into traditional archery for a good number of years. I started with a recurve and have since switched to a Chastain longbow. And I love it!

This discussion has been a heated one in the archery community for years. I don't see the need for it to get heated, but a crossbow isn't really archery, in my opinion. What makes a bow difficult to shoot is the many things that can go wrong during your shot sequence. Did you get to full anchor, did you collapse upon release, did you get to your actual anchor point, did you pluck your release, did you use back tension, etc, etc, etc. The crossbow takes all of that out. In essence it's a rifle that shoots an arrow, which is fine if that's what you want to do.

People hunt for any number of reasons and the challenge alone is the main reason for many that I know who hunt with a tradbow. No matter what your weapon of choice, hunting is a challenge. You might be a dead shot at 600 yards with your rifle but if you can't find the animals then you're going home empty handed. I know a lot of compound shooters who transitioned to the tradbow to increase the challenge. With their compound they could kill at 80, 90, even100 yards. These are distances no tradbow hunter would even attempt. After getting lethal at those amazing ranges, they decided to increase the challenge by getting within "stickbow" range (20 yards and under for most hunters, up to 40 for a smaller number).

For what it's worth, I have an article in the current issue of Traditional Bowhunter Magazine about a bowyer who makes traditional English longbows I met while on a coaching trip in Ireland. Pick up the issue and see what you think. Maybe the tradbow is for you??

Whichever you choose, just remember a bad day hunting is always better than a great day at work. HA!

The Howard Hill autobiography is an amazing read for traditional archers. I always wanted one of his bamboo longbows.

 

[John Spezzano]

The Howard Hill autobiography is an amazing read for traditional archers. I always wanted one of his bamboo longbows.

I haven't read it yet but he was a giant of the sport, that's for sure!