Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer Bow Talk Compound vs Crossbow

Mike, the crossbows do not require extensive expertise.

The first time I hunted with one, I had a grand total of about 45 minutes on the back deck of a lodge shooting into a target 20 yards away. About two hours later I killed a doe with it, and it was very much like shooting a rifle.

The doe fell dead like I'd hit her with a 4x4. I enjoyed it and probably will hunt some hogs with mine this spring and summer.

Anyone can shoot one if they can hold a rifle and pull a trigger. Cocking the cable is even easier now with crank assistance on crossbows.

But the expertise comes from practice with different heads and tinkering with the gear to refine it and get into your 100 percent comfort zone with it, as any hunter should with any weapon.

They're not evil and you're not less of a man or less of a hunter for using one. At least you're looking to get back in the field instead of sitting on the sideline.

Probably not because after the first skirmish all the single shot rifle people were dead.

I have never hunted with a crossbow but am considering it. I am not a good hunter (I believe the indian name for that is "vegetarian"). I have never been in a club with tons of deer. I have mostly hunted public land. I have spent probably 3 or 4 hundred hours in a stand and have taken 2 shots with a compound bow at deer (killed 1). This season, I hunted many hours and never got an opportunity. On our club it was tough early season. The deer were going to the green fields late evening but most of our green fields don't have trees that you can hang a stand on, so I was deep in the hardwoods or pines. The crossbow hunters started using the shooting houses and killed some deer. Compounds don't work in shooting houses, or at least ours don't for me. I had shoulder surgery the previous year and missed the entire bow season because I couldn't pull my compound. I won't do that again. I know there are die hards, but don't miss time in the woods or decrease your opportunities because of them.

I just acquired thru a trade a SCORPYD 165 with a 2.5 to 7 power scope on it. shoots 427 fps. Most awesome thing I have ever seen. Its my first crossbow. I was hitting a pie plate at 95 yards on one knee with it just yesterday, and my 8 year old shot it at 42 yards and hit a bulls eye. The only problem with it is that it almost takes a half inch piece of steel to stop the arrow. At 95 yards it drove the bolt all the way to the fletchings in a blob target. It messes up the fletchings shooting it at 40 yards im going to have to get something as far as a target to stop this thing. Needless to say im impressed. I still will bow hunt for I like the challenge but with the piney woods I hunt down here in lower alabama and florida it will open up soooo much more hunting places for me.

Fairwater, check on your inshore bowfishing opportunities and don't pass up those. Rays, sharks, whatever's legal.

Clem, and I don't want this to come off as unrespectfull to anyone that likes to blowfish, but I don't kill anything that I don't plan to eat. I don't eat sharks, rays, and carp.

No problem!

What's wrong with sharks? I know rays aren't probably the primo table fare, but shark's OK ain't it?

I don't eat carp, either. LOL

Im sure you can eat sharks but I prefer a fish that don't piss through its skin, anyway have access to about any fish out there. I would like to go to lousiana and bow fish for sheephead and redfish on the duck flats. Its hard to do that here.

I have hunted my entire life with about everything you can hunt them with. Shot 3D competively for awhile and managed a sporting goods store in Bham. Bow Hunting is my true love. I had to switch to a crossbow after loosing vision in my right eye. Was horrible left handed with a bow. I like my crossbow, but it is so similar to rifle hunting, espescially black powder I don't find it as challenging or satisfying as bow hunting. I loved my bow and was always messing with it, tunng and shooting. My crossbow is to much like a rifle. I pull it out and it will hold a 3 inch group @ 60 yards all day long. At 350 FPS on a 425 grain bolt it will definitely put them down. I personaly do not get the satisfaction from a kill with my crossbow that I did my bow. Every deer with my bow was truly a trophy. I would reccomend bow hunting as long as possible and then when forced switch to a crossbow.

Good Hunting,

Funny, i get the same satisfaction if i whack one with my crossbow as i did with my compound. To each his own I guess.

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