So I have not been bow hunting very often, so I wanted some advice about whether to use a crossbow or compound bow this archery season. I have been wanting to go for a while, but cannot decide whether to get a crossbow or compound. I have shot many types of bows like recurve, crossbow, and compound. I am comfortable with them all. Any advice on whether to hunt with a compound bow or crossbow?
Thanks

I've shoot a bow a long time. I'm very comfortable with it. This is the first season I've had a cross bow. I haven't hunted with it yet but I like the way it shoots. I got it for my kids so they don't have to wait for rifle deer season. I'm taking my daughter out with it the morning.
I think depending in the situation UR hunting they are both good tools to employ.
I do like the no movement shot with a cross bow. It's hard to not get busted drawing a bow in most cases. But I enjoy that challenge of a level playing field.
Have u harvested anything with either weapons?

50+ years of bow hunting I can't really say what you should buy; I've never in all my hunting, competing, and doing outdoors events have I've never shot a cross bow. I guess it's what you have confidence in, you sure don't want to injure an animal. I would imagine that it a crossbow would be easier to get ready for hunting season than a compound.

You need to ask "What are you most comfortable with and how much will you practice?"

For folks that do not practice a lot a crossbow will make you a good shooter faster and there is a lot less movement when you shoot an animal. Downside is that most crossbows are loud and even the quietist ones are louder than a compound. For hunting with shots under 40 yds I think a crossbow is fine. Beyond that I have concerns about the noise and the animal jumping the string. I think a crossbow is accurate out to 50-60 yds but I am concerned that past 40yds the noise is what limits you not the crossbow accuracy.

If you have time to practice and enjoy shooting a compound then you can probably get accurate out to 35 yds pretty quickly and that puts you at the same killing range as the crossbow. You will have more movement with a compound but if you need a second shot you will have an advantage over a compound.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer....but there probably is a preferred answer for you and what you are willing to invest in practice.

I shot a crossbow one time at a 3D range. My impression was that it was very accurate and probably had its place, but it was very heavy and loud compared to a compound bow. Plus it being "loaded" all the time was a little worrisome to me. I would not want to have to hunt with one out of a tree, which is my normal method of bow hunting.

So do you hunt with unloaded rifles?

Just buy a real bow. Not some gun/bow hybrid.

If you shoot and miss, how long will it take to reload a crossbow? It is very quick and easy to grab another arrow from your quiver and reload a bow. That is part of the reason why I never gave a crossbow much thought.

i can reload a crossbow almost as fast as a bow in my tripod. If you miss the first time, chances are very high you're not getting another immediate shot anyway.

I have never shot a crossbow, but was under the impression that reload was much mor time consuming and took much more movement to do so. I do disagree about getting a follow up shot. I once shot at the same doe three times over a period of about 90 seconds...the reason I missed 3 times is a whole other story. I have had deer that we're hit that only walked a few steps and then turned around and looked at the arrow laying on the ground before expiring. I have also had buddies that have connected with follow up shots immediately after missing. In my experience, follow up shots with a bow are more common than with a rifle.

Follow up shot's more common with a bow than a gun??? Don't you hear multiple shots almost every time you are sitting in a stand during rifle season, oh but wait...they are running, they are still follow up shots. In 20 years of bow hunting I have had no follow up shots. Also with a rifle the deer will run 50 or 100 yards and stop and look back, still in range, and it's very easy to wax them...this was a little off topic but when something is posted that is flat out stupid, it's hard not to reply

get the compound, more of a challenge, crossbow is like shooting a gun. when the time comes and you can't pull the compound back switch to the crossbow.

That's like saying a compound is like shooting a slingshot. Go with the one you want and don't look back is what I say............

Do you shoot a real bow or a compound?

Actually, that was a stupid comment. For some reason, my thought traveled from my brain to my hands and completely changed once typed in. What I was getting at was that in my experience, it is not uncommon to get a second shot at a deer within bow range. I have no clue as to why I even typed the word rifle.

You tell me.

If you do have time to practice regularly then go crossbow.

Well, sold my bow because I have a shoulder that has just been damaged too many times and I cannot practice enough with a bow to justify using one anymore.....cross bow may be my only option if I want to hunt the bow season.

What I meant to post was, if you do not have time to practice regularly then go crossbow.

That's a stick.. do you hit them with it like a bat or what?

your humor is on point this morning buddy, might want to bottle it.

thats a pretty "stand up" response bubba, now you know we dont like no nancy boys admitting when they are wrong round here now...

It's actually a spear. I keep that string on it so I can safely lift it into my tree stand.

If you want to bow hunt get a compound

There all tools in my tool box. I pull out the right one for the rite job and get it DONE!!

You gotta go with your heart and gut feeling. I personally think if you want to "bowhunt" then you need to try a bow. Although I do not feel a crossbow is a bow I understand its applications and respect everybody's choices. And believe me, I have heard the cries about what crossbows will do to our archery only seasons. Its all a fallacy. Crossbows will/are not the ruination of archery seasons. I hunted with selfbows from 1994 to 2010 and longbows the past 4 years. My traditional and primitive archers disagree with me but I have two eyes and ears and a brain. Choose what you want and like and don't worry about what others think. If your not up to practicing year around and limited range go with a compound. When you can't pull it back for whatever reasons go with crossbow.....or wait till gun season.

Just get out there and enjoy the oudoors. Life is too short

I thought I was wrong once...but I was mistaken.

IMHO there is no thrill like harvesting a deer with a compound bow. The thrill of knowing that you can actually do it. I know its legal but I feel that using a crossbow is just for lazy and unskilled hunters.

And if you were harvesting them with a self made bow you would say the same thing about compound bows as you are about crossbows.

That may have been a little harsh to call them lazy and unskilled but I do feel its basically like shooting a gun. No skill needed.

The only way I see cross bows as "easier" to hunt with is you don't have to draw on the animal. I had 8 deer around me, including a six or seven year old 9 point, when I needed to shoot a doe who was suspicious and spooky Sunday evening. Getting the right moment to draw and not spook one of the deer around me and getting the shot off was the hardest part. A 17 yard shot isn't hard with a peep and pin sighted compound. That same shot with a traditional bow would be iffy for me.

Get out and hunt. If a compound works better for you, hunt with it. If a crossbow allows you to be deadly and lights your inner fire, hunt with it. If you are good, really good, with traditional gear and can put them down regular with it, hunt with it. We need to stop judging each other by what we hunt with.
Making the comment that someone is lazy or unskilled because of their choice of equipment is unfair. Is that the case for some? Maybe. For others it is their only choice due to age or health issues. Maybe they work 60+ hours a week and can't get to a range to practice. Maybe they don't have a mentor to help them learn to shoot well with a vertical bow. But it is legal, it is putting a few hunters in the woods who wouldn't be before and I say more power to them.

That said I think a crossbow kill ranks a little above a rifle kill. Compound a little higher and traditional is the pinnacle of archery kills. So if you want to impress me with a kill show me your self made bow, arrows, broadheads and ground blind posed by the little doe you just got. To me, that is the real deal.

I have shot both compound and crossbow, they are both a blast to shoot. I was researching compounds for a while and then I had to have back surgery right in the middle of hunting season. I could not shoot a gun and there was no way I was not going to be in the woods during season. I ended up with a crossbow due to the fact that I wasnt able to draw a compound back (doctors restrictions). I bought the crossbow and the hand crank assembly and never looked back. The other thing I like about the crossbow is that its not just set up for me. Anyone can use it and not have to worry about draw length, etc.... I could give anyone a few safety instructions and they would have no problem hitting a target at 25 yards on their first shot.

I would say look at your circumstances and go from there. Good luck with whatever you decide

cross bow is heavier and louder, and only a little faster than high end upright bow... unless you are handicapped in a way that keeps you from drawing I don't understand why u want a cross...

I hunt with a recurve, compound and crossbow it just depends on which stand the choice of which is based on wind and how I feel that day. As far as how I feel about a kill with he 3 types of bow equipment. Compound and crossbow the same recurve is more of an accomplishment to me.

Not sure how some of the compound shooters will feel about this but if they really want to experience archery hunting go traditional. I have setup new archers with a compound and with a little coaching and a pro] rely tuned bow fitted to them they were shooting 2.5 inch groups at 20 yards within 30 minutes, at least 2 of them have killed deer cleanly less than a week after buying their first compound. With today's compounds sights releases.... it just is not that difficult to become proficient enough to hunt with a compound

Agreed on the self made

Spear, rock, Trad, knife and bare hand all trump your compound.

Well seeing as how the post asked about compound vs crossbow. Who gives a rats arse about "Spear, rock, Trad, knife"?

Just wanted to point out while you beat your chest on your high horse that you're not at the top of the pyramid.