I had a crossbow, a real cheap one, years ago when the law didn't allow it except in case of medical trouble. At the time, I had medical trouble, and got a doctor go give me a permit. Killed two deer with it.
But it was a cheap piece of junk. I sold it when my shoulder healed and never looked back, thinking that crossbows were not for me. Heavy, bulky and loud.
The last two archery seasons I missed because of new medical issues. Last week I bought a real crossbow, 175lb. draw. Lordy what I learned this week! At 40 yards it is as accurate as I can hold it. From a rest, it outshoots any hunting revolver I've ever owned. Dead center bullseye every shot. I can't believe I wasted so many years fooling with recurves and longbows. If I'd only known. Paired with a laser range finder, a crossbow is so very deadly.
Whereas I used to shoot at a pop can at 20 yards for practice with the recurve (and hit it no more than half the time), now I can pick out what part of the pop can I want to hit and never miss. I can turn it with the end toward me and skewer it with every shot.
And then there's all the mind-numbing details that come with recurves. It's supposed to be the simplest way of hunting, but good grief, when one considers arrow length, spine weight, arrow rests, draw length, arrow material, anchor point, brace height, nock height, sting material, degree of offset for the fletching, FOC, arrow weight, and all the other details, recurves and longbows take the prize for complexity.
With the crossbow, zero it and go hunting. Simple, simple, simple. I'm hooked.
