I always viewed crossbows as for seniors/disabled but recently purchased one for my son this year. My son is 12 years old and is a string bean and would take him a long time to pull back sufficient weight for a crossbow for deer. He shoots it well and I got him a shooting stick to help him with tree stand shots. Fast forward to deer season...he has a nice 7 point come in at 25 yards. He placed the bolt with a Rage X-treme head perfectly behind the shoulder and got a complete pass thru. That buck dropped within sight and he was beyond excited and grateful for that buck. Watching him shoot that buck was a priceless memory. Needless to say I'm a big fan of crossbows. They are great for youth and IMO more lethal than low poundage compound bow.
Agreed! So when you get too old to draw a compound bow what will you do? Use a crossbow, rifle or sit on the couch?
Anyone remember when your mom told you, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? If you don't like crossbow hunters, so be it, but don't rag on someone for the style or method they choose to hunt. if it's legal and they enjoy it let them get out in the woods and have fun. I grew up gun hunting since I was 10. I took a long time off, 20+ years, and then shot a bow. After that, I THOUGHT I would never pick up a rifle again and even said that to a couple of friends. Then this year the weather was really hot and it was impossible to bow hunt. I'm talking like 70 degrees or better at morning light. I went back to the rifle I had when I was 13 and shot my biggest buck to date and couldn't be happier about it! I would have had no chance to kill that buck with my bow and honestly wouldn't even have been hunting if I hadn't decided to use my rifle. My step-mom used to shoot a compound bow, then had to have shoulder surgery. Now she can't draw a compound so she shoots a crossbow. Tell me you'd hang up your entire hunting career if you couldn't draw a compound because you you have too much pride? I did get a buck with my bow on opening day archery season but never saw a buck in bow range the rest of the season. Archery buck.... Rifle buck.... Shoot what you want, have fun doing it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't mistake someone's stupidity because of the weapon they are carrying in the woods. Chances are they'd be dumb doing anything.
Had I been using a crossbow this past Friday I would have also. Biggest buck I've ever seen alive was at 20yd but, by the time I was drawn he was out of my shooting lanes and had a sapling in the way. It keeps me going though. I'll get him if he steps within that yardage again. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
The same slob hunters had vertical bows in their hands before x bows became legal in so many states. Now they are probably a little more accurate honestly. It still takes skill and practice but, nowhere near the dedication and time of a vertical bow. I have no issues with it as long as common sense is used. It's still shot placement that kills. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk