Omegalover

OK, I will step up to the plate...

I am a retired serviceman, 24 years in the AF, and for the bulk of them I played eveysport coming down the pike and loved every minute of it. (Ishould mention that I dislocated my left shoulder twice in that time). I also hunted in most of my stateside duty locations with both a Bow (Compound) and firearms.

Fast forward a few years during which I could not for one reason or another hunt, and I moved back to home turf in Ohio after nearly a 30 year absence. Out comes the old bow to get in practice for the upcoming Deer season and low and behold I can't keep a 2 ft group at 20 yards. Also if I shoot more than 10 shots a day my shoulder kills me for a week.

I still work full time, dont have any life changing disabilities other than Arthur-itis visits me most everyday. But it was obvious I was not gonna be able to Bow hunt anymore, twas a truely sad day for me to realize I wasn't superman anymore and age was starting to catch up to me.

Then a friend of mine says why dont you try a Crossbow? I didnt even know they were legal to hunt with. Ohio has had crossbows legal in this state for a long time, but due to being in the military I didnt know anything about it. So I learned all I could about them, tried several out and finally chose one that I liked, a Horton Legend.

Now I still dont like to shoot more than about 15 or 20 shots a day in preperation for the season, even that can cause me some soreness. I like to Cock myCrossbow by hand. Makes me feelas ifI am not as bad off as I could be, but there will come a day when I will have to get a cocking aid too.

I shoot every shot as if it were my only shot and can keep my groups to less than 2" at 30 yards. In 4 years I have harvested several deer with my crossbow, none of which were over 25 yards away. Never needed a second shot.

Could I live without getting a little Venison every year? Yes, but my world would be that much poorer for it. Do I want any pity from someone because I cant hunt like I used to, nope Iwas lucky enough that Ifound a little different method.

I still love to hunt and am truly blessed by living in a state where they were open minded enough to allow the use of a hunting tool that is not much different than what was already in use.

By the way I remember the day when Stick Bow shooters had as much grief with the people that wanted to use a Compund Bow. Funny how time changes very little about people and their prejudices.

Dnk

Bob, can you get your wife to talk to my wife??? LOL.

Dnk

Gentlemen and friends(I figure theres a difference, LOL). I believe this man is for real after quite a few PMs. Thank you for your co-operation. I think this one won't turn into a Peeing match so I think he's safe to open up to.
Again, thanks guys, I appreciate it.

htoler

I use one because of medical reasons 4 compressed disks im my upper back, and degenerative disk diskdisorder, I can draw back a compound but cannot hold it drawn, I did not know you could get a permit here in Illinois to hunt with a crossbow for medical reasons I had seen them for sale but figured they were used just for fun, so when checking into a getting a new Compound with more letoff than the Golden Eagle that I had bought used , I was looking into the Hoyts, Mathews,and Bowtech, and when talking to the guy that owns the local proshops wife she told me I should look into getting approved to use a crossbow, so I did, thus after getting the forms and having my doctor fill them out and sending them in , I got approved to use a crossbow.. this process took about 2 months in which I serched for all the info I could find on crossbows , and reserchered the different brands available, I now own 2 crossbows a TenPoint ProElite, and an Excalibur Exocet, and will probably end up with more in the future, so for me it was either not get into bowhunting or use a crossbow,

Rebel Hog

[quote]ORIGINAL: BOB7255KHZ

I "ve been shooting stick bows, compounds for quite a many moon ( I'm 57 years old today.....happy birthday to me)..[/quote]

Hey partner, may you have many more!

lemoyne

Happy birth day Reb. Lee

smokepolehall

Birthday now today [:-][]oh my!Thats enough back to work you whiners!Have a great one!

Hotburn76

Well for me it started when I was around fourteen. My dad started me hunting when I was nine and took me deer hunting for the first time that year also. Well when I was fourteen I was in love with it but here in ohio the gun season was only one week and when you did go you were putting your life inothers hands. I saved up my own money and told dad one day that I was going to be a bow hunter and bought my first bow, a browning I think. Well no one in my faimly had ever even owned a bow so I was pretty much on my own. My dad took me to the local shops and we got all kinds of good advice and set up but I could never shoot it well. Maybe at best I could get a six or eight inch group at best, which I think is unacceptable when you are hunting. Well after two years of fussing with the bow and not ever being good, my dad could see my frustration. If I had had someone that could mentor me and show whatI was doing wrong I would probally have stuck with a compound. But that christmas I wascaught off gaurd when I opened up my first horton CB. The crossbow market is not full of aftermarket stufflike long bow community is. You can go out and get a top of the line mathews that should and will spank them in their but if the guy behind the counter leads you in the wrong for sights, rest, and release your screwed, you may have to fork out alot of money before you find your right setup. With a CB they have been perfected by the CB makers and for the most part you just take them out of the box and with a little bit of practice your a nock splitter. When I wasout of highschoola friend tried to get me back into a compound, he bought a new one and was going to let me borrow his old one. As I remembered It took alot of practice that spring but I was getting good. So buy mid july I felt as though I could kill a deer and put the bow down untill september came and I wanted to fresh up a little before oct 1. Well that was all it took, after only a six week break I had lost all my "form & style" and it was like I was starting all over again to perfect my shots. It was after that I decided to stick with a CB. I love hunting, not target practicing,I think to be a successfull hunter you must practice, and I do. I just don't want to shoota bow all summer long to keep up my form and grove.I just got out my horton theyesterday, Needed some new bolts so I went to the local shop and bought a dozen CB bolts, with no choices because the makers have already perfectedwhich one shoots the best, You long bow guys have a million to chooses from, and if you get the wrong one your screwed, to stiff, to soft, and so on and your good bow shoots bad, and your left at the mercy of the guy at the counter selling you test arrows untill you find the right one, not me I have two choices, carbon or alluminum. So for me its much more user friendly then a long bow. I have not shot the CB since november, blew off the dust and I have three arrows right inthe center, just that simple! I think to get into a tree and get within twenty yards of a deer, ( and yes us CB guys don't take fifty yard shots because they are more powerfull, anyone who shoots past thirty five yards is putting a good deer at risk! ) Were was I, oh ya to get close to a deer takes skill, no matter what ya use. Then once the deer is close you have to be a good shot to put down a deer with little suffering, This all takes skill no matter what you use. Now I will be honest and step out of the box and give a long bow guy a little credit and that is drawing on a deer and holding a draw even though its could only be twelve pounds its still harder to do then just holding a CB. But with all that said I don't feel I have a "super" advantage over a long bow guy. The crossbow in my mind is just much more forgiving than a long bow. I live in Ohio so I am blessed!!! The CB has been used for going on thirty years now so it is widely accepted and not looked down at. Guys here know that a CB season does no affect the deer numbers Ohio deer numbers have only been on the rise since the CB so in no way will a cb season in any state lower your population. The only thing that a CB season affects in big numbers is the seniors!! And you cant convince me that having a bunch of old guys back in the woods is a bad thing. Alot of views on a CB is culture and area based, like I say Ohio has had it for a while so its well accepted, other areas have no season at all so their is alot of untruths and unknowns about it. Just be carefull trembow, If you use one you may get hooked!! Thanks for the questions, I enjoyed this post, And sorry guys it was so long!!

Hotburn76

Sorry guys! That looks way to long!!

Rebel Hog

The man is going to get insulted by calling Reb!