Related Horton Archery information

Vetical Bow or Crossbow

D*e said: I am a newbie looking to get into archery/bow hunting. (And pheasant hunting and walleye fishing. LOL! But for the sake of this thread I'm sticking to bow and crossbow questions ;)) I have very little experience shooting a bow and have never fired a crossbow I know that I shoot lefthanded Would use primarily for target/range Eventually would want to hunt deer with something that could be used either ground hunting or in a stand Question is, based on these "specs", what would be a better option? Should I look to use a bow or a crossbow? I guess once I know that I can focus on what kind to get (and there's already some great posts that help with that.) Just wanted to get some thoughts! Thanks!

2P*wsRiver said: Depends on what you're looking to experience. I would say start off with a recurve.:)

Wh*t1 said: That is going to depend more on you rather than what anyone can say in here. Take the time to shoot different bows, recurve, compound bow, crossbow and see which one fits your sense of what feels right. To me no bow looks better than a recurve. I haven't shot one in years and could shoot instinctively. To me a recurve not only looks good, but feels good. Saying that my bowhunting was all done with a compound bow.

M*chihunter said: That's like asking people what type of lunchmeat you should buy.:lol::lol: Get out there and try everything you can and make the decision on what makes you happy.;)

s*ggybtmboys said: I would ask around the ladies and see who may be a lefty and perhaps they would be kind enough to let you shoot their bow. Check out a few archery shops and try them all out and see what you like best. Posted via Mobile Device

h*ntallday said: Re-curves are very cool to look at and it would be a an ever greater accomplishment to hunt and have success with one. That being said, the majority of hunters that hunt with a vertical bow use compounds. My personal feeling is that re-curves are for the extremely dedicated hunter that wants to increase the difficulty of the task. I just bought a crossbow (three days ago) for the late season when I have four layers of clothes on. My vertical bow will be the bow of choice next Oct. 1. I just wanted to have a crossbow for the experience and may use it for turkey. Just my $.02. Many hunters upgrade often and you might find a good deal in the classified section that meets your needs and comes with accessories. If you buy a new bow you will be surprised how quickly a $600 bow ends up costing $1000, once you buy a rest, arrows, quiver, release and a case. My new Ten Point crossbow cost $650 with everything. Ultimately, you have to make this call yourself. Good luck with your decision.

bl*cklight said: it depends upon in which bow you are more comfortable to use because taste varies in every person. you must discover the bow or crossbow that fits yo well.

f*ghtem said: Hey I have shot ecurve for 35 yrs and I would not recommend anyone to start off with a re-curve bow . You have to put lots of time to learn to shoot it effectively. This is how I put it ...Do you have about an hour a day for about a month to shoot a compound bow? How about an hour a week for a month to shoot a cross bow. or 2 hrs a day for three months for a re-curve. That`s about what it takes to shoot those bows responsibly to kill a deer. I started on shooting cottontails with a re-curve and countless arrows to boot. I think it`s not just a case of buying a certain bow and pulling it out of the box and going hunting. You can almost do that with a cross bow but You have to learn about how all bows shoot at different yardages. Well that`s my opinion ,hope it helps.:coolgleam:coolgleam

m*k said: Crossbow take very little practice to learn to shoot accurately. Mine killed a deer the first time one came along. It was hitting a 4" circle at 30-35 yards out of the box with a scope mounted the very first time I took it out to practice. I haven't shot a compound bow since 1985 until two weeks ago when I picked up a new Martin 70lb bow. I'm going to set up a range on my property come spring but doubt I will be confident to use it to hunt next fall. I'm 50 with a messed up shoulder and had to crank the Martin down to 60lbs. Can't shoot many times without getting weak and pain in the shoulder. Age and physical condition are a big determining factor for me in what to shoot.

P*ul Thompson said: I hunted with a crossbow for the first time this year, I found that a tree stand with a small platform, on a big tree, makes it very hard to shoot a crossbow behind or around the sides of the tree, because of the limbs of the bow hitting the tree, a traditional bow would give you more possibilities shooting behind and to the sides the tree. If that made sense.

B*ckwoods-Savage said: But the buck I shot this year I do not think I could have shot with a compound. The buck was heading behind me so I had to twist around the tree (a medium sized pin oak). Because of some limbs the compound would have struck them but the crossbow worked great. However, I've also experienced the opposite. Best thing is to be prepared for deer to come where not expected and do some clearing if you must.