Cossbow or Compound?

[KahrMan]

I am going to be buying a bow this season.  I have not had a bow for a couple of years and am ready to start bow hunting again.  In the past I have always shot a compound bow.  Right now I am leaning towards a crossbow.  

 

I hunt almost exclusively from the ground.  Weight, bad knees and ankles make it hard and dangerous to hunt from a stand.  I also like the fact there is less movement with a crossbow versus a compound.  

 

Any thoughts on compounds vs. crossbows?  Also, if you shoot a crossbow, what brand are you shooting?

[Jonnin]

crossbow is harder for any follow up shots as they take a moment to reload.   Compound requires more "bow" skills... you have to hold the string back to aim and pull it while aiming and not being seen/heard by your prey.   The xbow is a lot like a single shot rifle... loaded and ready, aim and fire from a rest for a clean, sure shot.  Both have merits, but as you have some health issues already, the xbow might be easier to use (??) for you at time goes on.  

[Slappy]

I agree with the above. My plan is to use a compound bow for as long as my body holds up. Then I will switch to crossbow.

[ShaunM]

I've always looked at this way. If your hunting from a tree stand I say compound bow but personally if I'm hunting in a ground blind I would use a crossbow. It's all personal preference though. Shoot what's comfortable.

[300winmag]

The crossbow to me takes care of a lot of the form issues that you would have with a compound or recurve.  As long as you know your range and can work with the wind, the crossbow is easier to use in hunting.  Crossbows are heavier than compound bows and to me are not as fun to shoot.  But if you have say limited time to practice or have difficulty using a compound, a crossbow is the way to go to allow you to hunt during bow season.  I am all for giving people more opportunity to hunt and if a crossbow is your way to hunt, have a good time.

[whiskey]

Well unless you are going to put in the time to shoot a compound well, then just go for the crossbow. The only real downside I see is the shot noise and follow up issue. The crossbow is a lot easier to master. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[frankmako]

when i was a young man i use a bow.  then i moved to a compound bow (this tell you how old i am).  then i went to the crossbow.  so for old farts the crossbow and/or a rifle is the way to go for deer hunting.

[Chris]

I switch back and forth. The xbow is preferred for still hunting (stand or blind) but it is damn near impossible to stalk through the woods with it.

I'll use the compound if I'm stalking or even if I just have to hike through the woods for a while.

[Chris]

Oh, and as to brand. I really like the Excalibur xbows. It's a little bigger than modern xbows but much less likely to have problems.

Also if the string breaks, I can easily replace it in the field. I topped it off with trijicons xbow optics... pretty nice piece of kit.

[KahrMan]

Those Excalibur crossbows look really nice and have great reviews.  I will check them out.  Thanks

[Slappy]

Excalibur and 10 Point are the best brands that I know of.

[JWC]

I was up for buying a new bow 2 years ago. I decided to buy a crossbow just for something different. I figured I could keep shooting my old bow too. I will say the thing is damn fun to shoot. So much so that I only shoot it. Screw a bow.

[Ron Padilla]

I had a conversation with the owner of one of the shops here in town yesterday, and his comments were along the lines of Whiskey, it takes time and practice to master the bow, along with the fact that I am not a young man, (61) snuck up real quick, along like others have mentioned, bad knees, over weight, so I decided that I would go with the cross bow, I took 2 shots in the shop and put both in the eye, I don't think I would have done that with a compound right out of the gate.  So being that the local shop runs a Christmas in July special I put one on layaway and look forward to bow season. 

[whiskey]

I'll add that a crossbow is a great way to get younger kids out in the woods during bow season. You can use a shooting stick and a ground blind and greatly increase their chance of success. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk