glad you enjoy your x-bow and they are kinda neat to play with too. but now at the age of 65 years both shoulders rebuilt,neck surgery and 3 back surgeries ,I have to make a decision soon if I want to hunt with a x-bow. I have drawn , shot and hunted now for over 55 years recurve,longbow and compounds have killed many animals, won a state title or 2 in the state free style classes, so its difficult for me to switch to a x-bow. we hunt in Montana to bowhunt x- bows are 100 % illegal to use to hunt with also in that state no matter if your handi capped or not. so I have been struggling trying to use a drawn bow again and its been hard almost impossible ,second year no bowhunting deer in my home state too. will I buy x-bow ? this next year will determine what I will do ? good luck ,Pete53
I'll be 67 in January. I've shot recurves and compunds, currently have a 45lb recurve for fun (and maybe rabbits!). There's no way I could practice enough with a hunting weight bow to be as proficient as I'd want to be for big game. I can cock this thing manually, but not for long, so I have a crank I use for practice and to ready the bow before I go out to hunt. I carry the cord in my backpack for follow-up shots. Cocking effort with the cord is 130lbs; with the crank 12.
The choice for me was whether to use a crossbow for extra time in the woods and a better chance at a public land buck, or stay home, so not a choice at all. The challenge remains the limited range and high trajectory, but not so much shooting skill, and that's enough. Our wildlife situation in the East is one of way too many deer in most places, and often limited access to places to hunt. When I read about guys out West that can't even get a deer tag, it makes me appreciate what we have, even with access problems and crowded public land. Where I hunt, there are deer, turkeys, the occasional bear, and lots of squirrels, with waterfowl for those who want them, and varmints.
If you have a place to hunt where crossbows are legal, I recommend you choke down your old prejudices and just go for it. It's the hunt that matters. I know a couple of guys who are hard-core bowhunters facing physical issues that are looking into switching so they can continue to
hunt.
