Hey all - thinking about getting into bow hunting and really can't decide between a bow or a crossbow.  I've read a lot of opinions and as you can imagine they're quite different.  I'm young and healthy.  Perhaps it's my gun hardwiring but I find myself drawn to crossbows, yet can't shake the notion that crossbows are somehow "cheating" vs. the old-school vertical bow - is there something more satisfying about a vertical bow?  Does the added power/ease/range/accuracy of a crossbow make up for it?

SO -

I would really like to hear what you actually ENJOY shooting/hunting with more.  I would like to use it for hunting and target shooting, but this isn't a SHTF conversation; I really just want to hear what you find more enjoyable to use, since 100% of the reason I'm getting into this is to enjoy myself.

Thanks for voting and for your opinions!

Similar quandry. In for the results.

I shoot bows right handed but my right shoulder is junk, making shooting a vertical bow increasingly painful as I get older, and holding at draw very tough. So I hunt with a crossbow, which I find the most god awful, unwieldy and awkward piece of gear. But very effective non the less.

If I could shoot a vertical bow without pain I would never use a crossbow.

Oops not gd

If it legal in your state it isn't "cheating".

If you buy a bow, you will end up buying a crossbow eventually because you still will want one at some point.

If you buy a crossbow you will probably never want to buy a regular bow.

I like that my bow gets me 2 extra weeks of hunting, I love my crossbow for accuracy and silence

lol crossbows. the redheaded step child of the archery world. I would rather own a hipoint. and I wont own a hipoint.

Not legal to hunt with here barring a physical reason for not be able to draw a 40# bow.  If you do qualify for a crossbow, magnified optics aren't allowed.

While I have Hunted with both traditional bows and crossbows, my current crossbow setup allows me to hunt a couple more weeks a year. I shot a five point buck on Thursday with my Excalibur micro, 55 yards. My crossbow doesn't have any cams, cables or technology other than the limbs and a string.

I enjoyed traditional gear the most but now it's crossbow or no bow for me. I would say if I  could still shoot all of them it would be: traditional>crossbow>compound.

I have hunted extensively with both.

I prefer the vertical bow but am keeping my crossbow around in case of injury, equipment damage, etc.

For some reason I feel more "part of the shot" if that makes sense. I have a great crossbow, a Wicked Ridge Raider. I know that I could shoot past 40 with it, but I won't. When you pull the trigger, it just goes off and you're disconnected from the shot. When i release my bow, there is follow through and you almost feel like you can will the arrow to its mark, if that makes sense. I know this isn't rational thought, but that's why it's more enjoyable to me.

Also, crossbows are louder. If you miss the first shot, you likely won't get another... and even if the deer doesn't run off, cocking the crossbow requires a WHOLE lot of movement. Putting the crossbow front on the ground, putting your foot on it, etc. Versus a compound bow, you just grab another arrow and draw back.

Though crossbows can shoot accurately long distances, please be aware that you are still subject to the laws of physics and need arrow mass for penetration. Short crossbow bolts often don't weigh a lot, and people like to get light broadheads thinking they will get flatter trajectory. They will, but it comes at a heavy price when it comes to penetration. Use at least 100gr broadheads.

Today's bows are leaps and bounds away from what they were 20 years ago... when I got a new bow and started back up with it, it wasn't long before I was shooting tight groups at 40 yards. Back in the 80s/90s we were happy with a paper plate sized group from a hunting bow.

Either way you'll have fun, but if you want to really get into it, shoot a lot and have fun, my vote is for a newer compound bow. If you aren't going to practice much and just want to take it off the shelf and hunt (or if you have an injury), then look towards a crossbow IMO.

So many rules.

I haven’t bought a bow in 20 years and just recently got back into it. I shoot a regular compound bow. I thought about going the crossbow route but the whole draw of bow hunting to me was how involved it makes you. It’s like driving a stick shift vs an automatic. It’s just a lot of fun practicing in the back yard and seeing how good you can get.

Vertical (compound) bow is more fun to shoot.  I believe I'll be more effective with the crossbow for taking game, but that is yet to be realized.

For me the learning curve is the difference and level of practice.  Crossbow is more or less set it and forget it.  It compares more toward firearm shooting.  I shoot both and prefer the vertical bow more for the challenge.  For cross bow, before season starts an afternoon of shooting to confirm zeros and you are good to go.  For vertical bow I need to practice much more frequently but it more gratifying personally.  Also is much lighter to carry.

Agreed

I enjoy recurve bows the most. (No sights) just the eye (brain) and arrow doing triangulation with the target.

Both have their places. I can no longer draw a bow comfortably, due to shoulder injury.  If it wasn’t for a crossbow, I would not be able to experience bow hunting anymore.

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Humm, I just thought about taking up this type of adventure.  I have not looked into it at all besides the 15 seconds to look at pricing on a crossbow and then said....I should probably do more research.  Nice thread OP for my interest as well.

I have dislocated both shoulders and normally they don't affect me too bad but this might be the exception.  I totally get the in more of the feel of the moment for the traditional vertical style hunting but not sure if I can handle it.  I also was not aware that crossbows are prohibited in some states apparently.  Besides going from state website to website is there a link to find all the state rules in one location?  

Other things I would be interested to know is cost of ownership.  I understand once purchased most stuff I think would be reusable but there will be things that get lost or need to be replaced.  

Bow hunting by far. It's easier to maneuver and it's not as bulky as a crossbow.

If we are being honest, shooting offhand you are not going to see much of a difference between accuracy and range between a modern compound and a crossbow. Power is a bit of a wash as the difference is like comparing killing power of a 300 win mag and a 30-06 on deer (spoiler alert, there is no difference). Personally, I enjoy shooting my compound more since its a whole lot less work to shoot. With a compound I dont have to constantly fumble with a cocking string,  grease down the barrel, mess with a safety, worry about where my fingers are, just knock an arrow pull back and shoot. There is a bit of a learning curve with a compound but if you are planning of shooting deer at reasonable distances, like less then 35 yards, its surprisingly simple to keep arrows in the kill zone. Last summer I got my wife a compound and within 10 min of instruction and practice, was able to keep shoot 5 arrows within a 4" target at 33 yards.

Loading my crossbow scares the fuck outta me. Iv shot it 2x in 4 yrs.

Compound bow is less work and great for just taking it out and sending a few arrows downrange if you have a few minutes. For serious work, hunting or whatever it is hard to beat a good crossbow. Very accurate with much longer effective range. However they are heavier and far more awkward to carry.
For me a compound is more fun and can still be effective for hunting. Crossbow is for accuracy work and when you want to put an arrow THROUGH the critter you are aiming at.

I prefer a self bow. I have longbows and flatbows made of various woods. I do have an original Horton crossbow when they first came out. Made in Stow Oh which is the first place they started. I used it to kill an 8 point the first year Oh allowed crossbows for hunting but I prefer Traditional and primitive bows.