My Misconception

[Suilleabhain]

Not that I was on either side of the debate on crossbows, I thought these things were going to shoot a bolt 150 yards. Guys in my club had them in the late season and they shot slower than a compound and the range was on 25 yards.

Maybe there are some high price ones that do better but, I was totally surprised how under-gunned these were.

Oh, and they were 175lb but the limbs were short so they had no stored energy.

[Lawdwaz]

5 minutes ago I heard a guy on "Sportsmens Of North America" on the Sportsmans Channel (Dish Network 396) say that his crossgun is good out to 70 yards. He was/is hunting axis deer in Texas.

[irish_redneck]

I have a crappy 150lb draw recurve crossbow, it's good out to 30 yards with minimal practice.

[fasteddie]

My son called one of the Crossbow manufacturers two years ago and asked why the scope was a 1X rather than magnified . The response was " the guys go to the range outside the plant and shoot softball size groups at 100 yards without magnification " . This is with a 405 fps crossbow . I have no idea what the KE might be at that distance .

Suillebhain -- didn't Mel Gibson say something in the movie PATRIOT like , "Buy Cheap , Shoot Cheap" !

[Tinlodge]

There are plenty of misconceptions about the crossbows.

One of the comments we"ve heard from non-crossbow shooters or just hunters who don’t want crossbows used is you shouldn’t allow crossbows in archery season because hunters can shoot deer with a crossbow at 100-plus yards.

First off, you can kill a deer with a lot of weapons out to 100 yards, but that doesn’t mean you should try. Sure, someone could aim really high with a vertical bow and let one fly and kill a deer if they hit it at 100 yards. That doesn’t mean they would — or should — try it! The same is true for a crossbow. The trajectory of a crossbow bolt is no flatter than the trajectory of an arrow from a compound bow. Yes, if you aim high enough, you can hit a target at 100 yards. But personally, I feel it is highly unethical to take shots much past 50-60 yards. Even the most expert shots wouldn’t shoot past that. There are simply too many things that can go wrong between the time the shot is taken and the time the bolt arrives. All the animal has to do is take one step and you’ll have a gut shot! Wind becomes a real factor also. A 5 mile per hour breeze will move your bolt 10 inches or so at 50 yards. Just imagine a higher gust!

[SteveB]

Look at archery talk - lots of bowhunters talking about 70 plus yd hunting shots with their compounds.

[G-Man]

Most people bashing crossbows have never shot one..they are loud and equivalent to a modern compound. Range and accuracy wise. They still require practice especially pulling it to cock it evenly and consistently. I truly believe their biggest complaint is others will be joining their season, possibly taking their deer..

[Suilleabhain]

Eddie, that was my first thought, they bought cheap. Talking with my brother, he said like compounds, you can get whatever you can afford in performance. I can see where guys wouldn't like them in archery season. I bought my muzzleloader when NYS was iron sights and patched roundball only. I bow hunted with a recurve before compounds were invented. Far as I'm concerned, new muzzleloaders and compounds aren't what those seasons were made for. Need primitive seasons, butthat's another thread.

[jersey guy]

One thing worh mentioning here is that many hunters are using crossbows because of physical disabilities limit them from drawing a bow or absorbing recoil from a rifle or shotgun. This keeps them in the sport (the more hunters the better).

[Suilleabhain]

good point

[Five Seasons]

Most people bashing crossbows have never shot one..they are loud and equivalent to a modern compound. Range and accuracy wise. They still require practice especially pulling it to cock it evenly and consistently. I truly believe their biggest complaint is others will be joining their season, possibly taking their deer..

1. not with the autocockers

2. there is some truth to your last statement. But the fear is that more of the "weekend warrior" "deer camp" hunters will be in the woods. While it's true that there's a handful of clown bowhunters out there too, the quite and peaceful bowhunting where you hardly ever encounter another hunter would be at risk. yeah, yeah, yeah i'm an elitest etc. etc... There will be less than a handful of new hunters added if xbows are approved. all it will do is bring current gun hunters into the special season, so I dont want to hear about us being endangered and that xobw's will save our sport.

[josephmrtn]

ive shot my cousins crossbow and it is louder than a compound if you ask me...

[G-Man]

Not to start a debate but i think if they are allowed, many that have never shot one will

1. Balk at the price tag for a good x-bow and bolt, broadheads.

2. If they do buy will give up quickly as bow hunting and x-bow is a close range sport, it takes more than good equipment to get close to your target bow hunting.

3. I truly hope it keeps many of my rapidly aging friends in the woods during bow so they can enjoy themselves in retirement,because they beat their bodies up working hard all their lives!.

[Five Seasons]

3. I truly hope it keeps many of my rapidly aging friends in the woods during bow so they can enjoy themselves in retirement,because they beat their bodies up working hard all their lives!.

i've yet to see someone debating against elderly/handicapped.

[Doc]

Not to start a debate but i think if they are allowed, many that have never shot one will

1. Balk at the price tag for a good x-bow and bolt, broadheads.

2. If they do buy will give up quickly as bow hunting and x-bow is a close range sport, it takes more than good equipment to get close to your target bow hunting.

3. I truly hope it keeps many of my rapidly aging friends in the woods during bow so they can enjoy themselves in retirement,because they beat their bodies up working hard all their lives!.

And yet, in Ohio the crossbows out number the longbow/recurve/compound bows in their version of bow season. Somebody must like them. And most of that "take-over occurred before a lot of the more recent technological crossbow innovations took place. In other words their popularity overtook the bows popularity at a time where they were relative junk compared to what is on the market today. Just the fact that they do not require a whole lot of time dedicated to the form disciplines and it does open up the bow season to people that don't have time, patience, interest, or energy enough to master the bow, provides reason enough to think that the migration from gun and bow to crossbows will eventually be significant.

I hear what you are saying, and maybe it will turn out that way. It all depends on how many gun hunters really want to get into that early season bowhunting season badly enough. And I guess there is little doubt that plenty of non-bowhunters are already casting a jealous eye toward the bow season. The good news is that it took Ohio more than 30 years to get to the stage where they are now. It apparently is not a fast transition, but it is a rather slow but sure evolution.

[G-Man]

Yes i agree, many years ago i went on a bear hunt in new brunswick with Will Elliot (buffalo new outdoor writer) and he was fishing for an answer to what the others in camp though of crossbows and if they should be legal or just for handicapped. I told him the problem is not making crossboww legal, but redefining what nys considers handicapped to allow crossbows to be used by them. yes i know draw locks are available but face it buying a car and then adding air conditioning is much differnt than buying one with it already designed in nys idea of handicapped for hunting is a quadroplegic, but gives out handicapped parking passes for a stubbed toe! lol .. He looked at me strangley and said, i never looked at it that way.... I believe it is comming in bow season and will cross my fingers and hope for the best with the new hunters entering the woods.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

First I would like to say that I don't like crossbows

Secondly I would say that they should be legal and a lot of what I'm hearing is BS

My father due to old age and disablitity is a crossbow hunter in PA he wouldn't he allowed to hunt in NY during archery season under current legislation. That is a disgrace. The range of a cross bow is equal to that of a bow. I can shoot my bow more accurately then I can a cross bow out to 50 yards which a far greater distance than I would shoot with either. Yes you read on archery forums of people taking 100 yard shots but I also read on this site about how many people take head shots etc... Frankly I'm going to say its mostly BS. Yes with practice and a good rest I could hit something at a 100 yards but its simply not practical and I could do the same with my bow.

As hunters and sportsman alike we need to bond together in this aspect and make the sport stronger. If you don't like it don't use a crossbow. It won't take anything away from your experince and you won't see an influx of people in the woods. I saw this happen in PA and nothing changed except a few older hunters are hunting a little longer.

[WNYBuckHunter]

i've yet to see someone debating against elderly/handicapped.

Look at the crossbow threads on this site, youll find plenty of people saying no way in bow season for any reason. In fact, thats your beloved NYB's stance on it.

"New York Bowhunters, Inc. (NYB) is opposed to the use of any weapon; other than those bows drawn, held and released by hand in any archery season or archery only area."

-direct from the NYB webpage.

[d-bone20917]

... and you won't see an influx of people in the woods.

I bet you will. I believe a lot of gun hunters that have steered clear of bow hunting because of the amount of practice involved will buy crossbows and hunt. The big influx we see during muzzleloader will now start 2 to 3 weeks earlier during the archery season. That is why the state will pass it because of the increased archery tag sales. The good thing I see is if a lot of gun hunters start hunting with crossbows during archery season is that maybe there will be more support for a longer archery season in the northern zone.

[Five Seasons]

they updated their petition to the governor. i cannot retrieve it anymore because the bill expired. the website must be outdated. In fact I think I posted it here somewhere.

[G-Man]

Doc, as i travel for work between ohio and new york, many of the crossbow hunters in ohio also own / use a bow. i've asked dozens of fellow hunters in ohio and most still prefer the bow, but grab the crossbow if the hunt will be short (an hr or so) due to time constraints with work if going for a day they take their bows for a long sit. Most i have talked to are 40 years old and up. I have not heard anyone complain about sharing the woods with crosbows, and like ny most huters are now increasing in age. so perhaps there are more crossbow hunters now due to physical limitations with there increasing age. I don't believe in just numbers as there are always more factors involved that what the survey covered. the people i work with are from all over northern ohio. and they have no problem with them or with out them. They are still a stick n string and therfore should be considered archery equipment.

[josephmrtn]

Doc, as i travel for work between ohio and new york, many of the crossbow hunters in ohio also own / use a bow. i've asked dozens of fellow hunters in ohio and most still prefer the bow, but grab the crossbow if the hunt will be short (an hr or so) due to time constraints with work if going for a day they take their bows for a long sit. Most i have talked to are 40 years old and up. I have not heard anyone complain about sharing the woods with crosbows, and like ny most hunters are now increasing in age. so perhaps there are more crossbow hunters now due to physical limitations with there increasing age. I don't believe in just numbers as there are always more factors involved that what the survey covered. the people i work with are from all over northern ohio. and they have no problem with them or with out them. They are still a stick n string and therfore should be considered archery equipment.

LOL arent we all....

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I bet you will. I believe a lot of gun hunters that have steered clear of bow hunting because of the amount of practice involved will buy crossbows and hunt. The big influx we see during muzzleloader will now start 2 to 3 weeks earlier during the archery season. That is why the state will pass it because of the increased archery tag sales. The good thing I see is if a lot of gun hunters start hunting with crossbows during archery season is that maybe there will be more support for a longer archery season in the northern zone.

You will see an increase at first but nothing crazy, crossbows aren't free and the novelty wears off when hunters realize that deer don't kill themselves you still have to out and hunt even with a crossbow.

I could really careless about regular hunters but it needs to be allowed for the handicap and elderly

[SteveB]

i've yet to see someone debating against elderly/handicapped.

Look at the crossbow threads on this site, youll find plenty of people saying no way in bow season for any reason. In fact, thats your beloved NYB's stance on it.

"New York Bowhunters, Inc. (NYB) is opposed to the use of any weapon; other than those bows drawn, held and released by hand in any archery season or archery only area."

-direct from the NYB webpage.

Straight from the horses ***.

That's going to leave a mark.

Edited January 2, 2013 by SteveB

[Doc]

Doc, as i travel for work between ohio and new york, many of the crossbow hunters in ohio also own / use a bow. i've asked dozens of fellow hunters in ohio and most still prefer the bow, but grab the crossbow if the hunt will be short (an hr or so) due to time constraints with work if going for a day they take their bows for a long sit. Most i have talked to are 40 years old and up. I have not heard anyone complain about sharing the woods with crosbows, and like ny most huters are now increasing in age. so perhaps there are more crossbow hunters now due to physical limitations with there increasing age. I don't believe in just numbers as there are always more factors involved that what the survey covered. the people i work with are from all over northern ohio. and they have no problem with them or with out them. They are still a stick n string and therfore should be considered archery equipment.

I am simply going by the state's own harvest records. I'll leave it to others to figure out the "whys" of it all. My reply was related to claims that the crossbow is a pain in the butt to use and a horrible weapon to try to hunt deer with and that it basically will never "catch on" because of all the negatives. I am simply pointing out that that is not the experience in Ohio.