[Frog123]

I've never hunted with a crossbow. Here in Tennessee they're illegal for deer unless you have a disability that prohibits you from drawing a bow. I don't think they should be prohibited for hunting but that's my opinion. For some reason I think I'd like to try hunting with one, perhaps because I never have and don't really know anyone who has. Anybody out there have any experience crossbow hunting experience??



Frog

 

[Dogshooter]

Crossbows are legal here in Wyoming. You just have to be able to cock it without a cocking device. I don't use one personally but have quite a few friends who do. They are quite accurate and are very effective on everything from antelope up to elk. One of my friends killed a very large 8X8 this year with his. I plan to get one when my shoulder gets a little worse and I can't pull back my compound.

 

[Rick Teal]

I've been hunting with crossbows sporadically since tyhe early '80's, and have yet to be successful, so I don't have a lot of info on success to pass along.

I currently use a 150 lb Horton Explorer. This is a compound crossbow, and since I'm a still hunter, I prefer it because it has short limbs that make it easier to move through the thick stuff. I have a red dot sight mounted on it.

Contrary to popular belief, the effective range of a crossbow is similar to that of a vertical bow, and the speeds are a little less than the modern hand-braced varieties.

Crossbows are noisier than vertical bows, so longer shots are less possible due to the increased chances of string jumping.

In Ontario, crossbows have always been allowed during the regular archery season, so we see none of the animosity toward them that I see on many archery sites from the US. Around here, Excalibur crossbows are generally considered to be the cream of the crop. There is an excellent forum at the excalibur web site if yoiu want to bounce questions off more experienced XBow hunters. It's at www.excaliburcrossbow.com.

 

[volshooter]

My 2 cents worth

I live in TN and hunt with a crossbow. They are very easy to shoot and very accurate. Scoped groups can be an inch at 30 yards. ( we have had one Horton shoot such a group with the aid of a cocking device.) Only draw back as far as I go is crossbows do not get the penetration like the big boys, but a standard target won't stop most arrows, a rag stuffed burlap bag will though. Lighter arrows and a max of 125gr heads are the norm suggested. I set up 2 crossbows this year, within 15 min, 45 yard 3 inch groups were got. Let me put it this way.....anyone who can shoot a gun can shoot a crossbow in less than 5 min. The shop I buy from reports that Dixie cups have been hit out to 75 yards, but because of light arrows, long shots at game are not suggested. In my hunting group, 4 of us have them and all of us are comfortable shooting at 50 yards. I used a recurve or a compound for 25 years, they have nothing but penetration on crossbows. 8)

 

[volshooter]

Crossbows

In TN ONLY disabled hunters can use a crosssbow and only if certified by a doctor as 50% or more disabled. This law is so our disabled brothers can hunt archery season with us when pulling a conventional bow cannot be pulled back. I for one am sure glad we have this law since after 20+ years of hunting with a bow I can no longer pull one back and a crossbow lets me still get out there with y'all.