Do you think crossbows are replacing compound bows?

[Jim Boyd]

Crossbows will be as ubiquitous as compounds.

Trad hunters will generally sneer at compounds.

Compound hunters will generally sneer at crossbow hunters.

Crossbow hunters will eventually likely sneer at some of the newer devices that shoot an arrow but a powder charge.

It is always the same - people like what they like and anyone else may be denigrating or insulting the sport.

IMHO a dead deer is a dead deer and if you like him / it, I love it....

 

[shdw633]

Crossbows will be as ubiquitous as compounds.

Trad hunters will generally sneer at compounds.

Compound hunters will generally sneer at crossbow hunters.

Crossbow hunters will eventually likely sneer at some of the newer devices that shoot an arrow but a powder charge.

It is always the same - people like what they like and anyone else may be denigrating or insulting the sport.

IMHO a dead deer is a dead deer and if you like him / it, I love it....

Jim, you are ruining my next thread, "Will the Airbow take the place of the crossbow in the future"!!!! I was going to post it in a decade or so!!!

 

[uturn]

Crossbows need there own category to me if they ain’t in the gun forum! I mean they have a scope and a trigger?

They got no business being compared to any kind of bow!

If someone chooses to shoot one...or health issues force that to transpire I’m ok with that they just ain’t a bow for me!

My .02 cent on that

 

[mallardsx2]

I think the amount of people who claim to hunt with compounds but actually are closet crossbow hunters would blow a lot of peoples minds.

I know a lot of people who claim to be "Bow Hunter" but if you ask them about their setup, they look at the ground and tell you they hunt with a crossbow or they change the subject.

They are embarrassed, as they should be.

 

[Kris87]

I have ZERO issues with anyone hunting with a crossbow. Heck, my 11 year old boy has to hunt with one because I can't rifle hunt any of my spots and he's not strong enough to hunt with his regular bow yet. I think crossbows are actually great teaching tools for youth as it requires them to get close to game and actually wait for good shot angles. I'm happy I went that route with my boy.

 

[shdw633]

I have ZERO issues with anyone hunting with a crossbow. Heck, my 11 year old boy has to hunt with one because I can't rifle hunt any of my spots and he's not strong enough to hunt with his regular bow yet. I think crossbows are actually great teaching tools for youth as it requires them to get close to game and actually wait for good shot angles. I'm happy I went that route with my boy.

My buddy is going the same route with his son, who is nine but small framed. The young man loves it and it gets him into the woods with a weapon he can control and learn how to handle.

 

[spurrs and racks]

It did at my age. Two torn rotator cuffs and two torn biceps later.

 

[ryanh487]

I think there's a lot of folks out there who don't put enough practice in with compound bows to be hunting with one, and a lot of those folks are switching to crossbows. And I think the deer are better off for it.

Crossbow takes a lot less practice to hit the 10 ring consistently for sure, i only shoot mine to check the optics every season. 3 bolts from each range, and I gotta pick 3 separate dots on the target or I tear up fletchings. I like my crossbow and offer no apology or excuse for it

Compound bow takes a few weeks of practice to dial yourself back and get consistent if you haven't been shooting year round, and even then too many folks have a very low standard for hunting ready accuracy.

I hunt with whatever legal weapon I can that kills the easiest. I hunt because I enjoy the outdoors, I enjoy venison, and when the occassion arises I enjoy putting a nice rack on the wall. It's not a sport, it's a passion and an outdoor activity. Nothing wrong with a crossbow, or an airbow, or any other legal weapon that you want to use to responsibly and cleanly kill an animal.

 

[BowArrow]

X bows will eventually replace the compound because the learning curve is much shorter. A rifle hunter can pick up a X bow and his first shot will be close. If that same hunter picks up a compound, he probably will not be able to draw it even he is in good shape. X bows are short range rifles. At 81 yrs., I do not know how much longer I will be able to draw my new BowTech Realm SR6. That is one reason I do seven different exercises every day including 100 pushups. A X bow could be in my future but I hope to ride into the sunset still drawing my compound.

 

[rutnbuk]

We need more X-Bow hunters, we need more Compound Bow hunters, we need more Trad hunters, and yes we need more gun hunters. We need more hunters! Whatever legal means are available to get them - we need them!

 

[cowhornedspike]

IMO one of the main reasons folks don't switch to crossbows is the weight, bulk, difficulty to carry them around, decocking etc. Had a Barnett and hated hunting with it for those reasons so I continued hunting with my Matthews. Then I found a guy selling a mini vertical crossbow. WOW. Can't see any reason I'll hunt with my Helium again.

 

[Gator89]

IF I had stayed up Nort' a little longer, I would have bought a crossbow as Wisconsin made them legal for all hunters in 2013. Alas I came home to Dixie and bought a couple more guns.

I will figure out a way to get a handgun more involved in my deer hunting endeavors.

I can now gun hunt from late October until the middle of February, that is enough.

 

[Souhternhunter17]

I don't think so... there are tons of compound hunters and compound bow companies seem to be doing pretty well.

I shot an older model compound up through high school and then swapped to a crossbow while I was in college. I just didn't have the time to practice as much while going to school and playing baseball at ABAC, then going to school full time at UGA and working. I found a used Matthews z7 xtreme last summer for a deal so I bought it. Money well spent. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and killed a buck with it last year. Needless to say I will not be going back to a crossbow ever again and I will be bow hunting 5x more times than I would with the crossbow. Much more enjoyable to shoot and much more challenging.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

The bad thing about a crossbow is, its like carrying an open umbrella thru the woods. If your still hunting or stalking that is.

 

[ryanh487]

The bad thing about a crossbow is, its like carrying an open umbrella thru the woods. If your still hunting or stalking that is.

Or dragging a deer out.

My dad found a STEAL of a deal on a pair of reverse limb crossbows a couple years ago at Dick's. Someone had to have marked them in error, he got us 2 $800 crossbows for $125 each. I'll never buy a non-reverse limb model again should i ever have the need, it's SO much more compact and balanced.

 

[deast1988]

I have a trad bow a crossbow an a compound, Wisconsin did a survey last season they had more crossbow users then any other archery means. Believe it was PSE in a recent outdoor magazine said crossbows are killing the business, but it’s also PSE who has a big line up of solid performing xbows. They are well ingrained An going away no time soon, but you can give a rifle hunter one an day one he can make it shoot. The biggest thing today is price point, you go set up most any modern compound with solid reputable equipment from bowtech, hoyt, Matthews, PSE, your at $1500/2000+ out the door. Archery in general has outpriced itself. You can get a crosman low end PSE for $200-$300 ready to hunt an be lethal after a sight in session. It’s reality, bow company’s have outpriced themselves. A proline bow these days most start $999.99 an up, you can get a lifetime warranty excailber for $649.99 an be hunting that day. With no need to upgrade any time soon.

 

[davidhelmly]

Hopefully not, I asked the Hoyt rep one day why Hoyt didn't offer a Xbow and he said that according to statistics most people that are Xbow hunters grow out of them and into a compound bow within a few years. He said it is a great way to get people interested in archery that are intimidated by a compound or traditional bow but they usually move away from the Xbow.

 

[shdw633]

Hopefully not, I asked the Hoyt rep one day why Hoyt didn't offer a Xbow and he said that according to statistics most people that are Xbow hunters grow out of them and into a compound bow within a few years. He said it is a great way to get people interested in archery that are intimidated by a compound or traditional bow but they usually move away from the Xbow.

I suppose as a Rep he better hope his data is correct.

 

[davidhelmly]

I suppose as a Rep he better hope his data is correct.

Lol, yes you're right!!

 

[formula1]

Well I have both and use both depending on how my shoulders and back are doing. Also, I always use crossbow from a ground blind.

I can shoot a whole quiver of arrows thru a compound before I load and shoot a xbow one time. Plus it's way quieter to shoot a compound. But it has its place and I'm glad they're legal.