Crossbow Advice

[Barneyboy]

(28 June 2013, 18:02)Mortblanc Wrote: I am going to buck the trend here. I hunt with crossbows and regular bow legally here in the U.S. Our deer archery season lasts for 5 months and we have a special crossbow season. One can also hunt with a crossbow during regular gun season, which is a month split into two sessions. I have carried a crossbow in the field for many hours and killed enough deer with them to have stopped keeping score.

I own 150/100/80/50 pound draw crossbows

Anything below the 125 level is good only for using on hay bales, 3d targets or other placebo effects. One might pot a rabbit, squirrel or rat with one of the lightweight models but for any target over 25 pounds weight you need the full montie offered by the 125-150 range. There is also the problem that most of the light weight bows are presented and built as toys and have the quality to match. Poor QC, poor materials, poor design and miniature arrows.

The crossbow normally equals the power of a normal bow with 1/3 the draw weight, so an 80 pound crossbow has no more power than a 25+- pound normal bow, a device generally regarded as a toy. Yes I realize there are people here that think they can hunt with a 25 pound bow, they can do so, just not effectively.

If you find cocking the 150 pound bow difficult you might consider a mechanical device, there are many available or you can make one.

I have had three back surgeries and I use a simple device that allows me to cock the 150 pound bow with no difficulty.

I think that a 100 lb draw cross will do the job on the small deer here in the uk and the 80lb pistol xbows are only for connies and birds ,if you cant get close enough to a deer to get a good hit then you shouldn't be hunting .but yes I have got a 150 draw compound for the too legged hunting