So I am far from new in the hunting department. I was even a bow hunter at one time but had kids and was unable to shoot like I wanted. We recently bought some land that backs up to Corp property and I’m looking at getting back in the saddle. I think I like the idea of a crossbow but not 100% sold on it. So my question is pros and cons versus a traditional bow. Also what is a quality setup for the money for either.

It depends on a lot of factors honestly. If you want to be able to get good enough to hunt quickly, a crossbow is the way to go. I have a Wicked Ridge Invader X4 that works great. I recently upgraded to a Diamond Edge SB-1 compound bow that’s a great bow for the money. I can already tell that the compound bow is a much more difficult challenge than the crossbow. I picked up my crossbow at Cabela’s last year for $359.99 and I got my compound fully equipped along with 6 arrows and a release for $477. There’s a lot of good deals going on out there right now. If you’re willing to wait, I would so you can get the best deal for your money. I may end up selling my crossbow as a whole package next year as well, so we could work something out there. If you’re wanting a crossbow, go with anything from TenPoint, including Wicked Ridge and Horton, and you will not be disappointed. For a vertical bow, go to your local shop and shoot a bunch of them to see which one you like the most.

DEPENDS. My answer to most questions from someone I dont know anything about. Ask yourself WHY are you wanting to bow hunt? If its to extend your rifle season then crossbow will do that and itll require a whole lot less time to get good at it and stay good at it. If your goal is to hunt close to the deer then either will do but once again its much easier to learn and stay good at crossbow. If you are into the extra challenge/difficulty that a vertical bow presents then go that way but know its hard to stay really good without a lot of time and effort. I cant help you much on price comparisons but doubt its a huge difference, You probably are aware that besides being able to put the arrow(either) where you want that there is a WHOLE lot more to either type bow hunting. Getting the shot, taking the shot and then recovering the animal is all way way way harder than rifle hunting and to do it properly takes some commitment.
Also, 1997s advise sounded real solid. Kmon1 will probably chime in on this thread and I would highly recommend his advise. He will take time to help you out so it may be worth a pm to him.

To be fair I bow hinted for several years and only shot one deer, I lost that deer until 2 months later when I found him dead. It left a bad taste in my mouth. My biggest reason to move back into archery is due to some land I bought next to Corp land and I don’t want to fire a gun and put anyone at risk.

I tried vertical bowhunting for years and had misses and finally hit one....BADLY. And it is 1,000% my fault. I can set up a hunting spot. I can scout. I can work the wind, and my scent. What I never could seem to do is spend enough time shooting the vertical bow. It does take a lot more dedication, practice and muscle memory. And more practice. And even more. After wounding a deer a few years back, and the sick feeling I had as it limped away, I switched to a XBow. With work, kids, wife, life, etc....I never could get enough time to practice enough. Since I started using the XBow, I have dropped a doe and buck each of the first 2 season of using it. Plus I have a buck so far this year. It does take practice, but to me, not near the same amount.

As for what to use? Everyone will give you a different opinion. If you want the best deal for the $$, IMO, get a CenterPoint. I have the Sniper 370. Grab it and a pack of broadheads and you are ready to go. You can but it for under $300 every day, and with some waiting, it can be found for under $200.

Good luck and get in the woods and enjoy!!!!!!

^^^worth repeating.

Have a new wicked ridge invader x4 that I’m selling.

Anybody have any Thoughts on a Winchester bow?

My choice was an Excalibur Mag 340. Simple, easy to use, very accurate, and fast enough. I got mine at Wyvern Creations for 549.00 shipped to my door.

As mentioned - if you are willing and have time to practice, get a compound bow. If not, get a crossbow.

JR

Crossbow is much easier to get proficient with to make a kill with. Having never shot a crossbow before I picked one up and was able to shoot 3” groups at 20 yards within a few min.

But...they are loud and I will argue that with most crossbows i can shoot farther with my bow

Most crossbows now are able to shoot extremely accurately, right out of the box. With the ones I have you better not shoot at the same spot twice, or you'll end up destroying arrows. 3" groups out to 60yrds isn't difficult anymore. I don't recommend shooting at game that far, but you can certainly put them on target that far in 3" groups.

Crossbows are a LOT louder than regular compound bows, but none of the deer or hogs I've killed with mine seemed to care. They still died.

I just never enjoyed shooting a bow. When I decided to start hunting on a federal refuge I decided to buy a crossbow. I really love hunting and shooting my crossbow. Simple as that for me.

I enjoy both. Which i use sometimes depends on the stand i'm hunting. Follow up if needed is much quicker with a compound. When hunting with a crossbow you will need to unload it which usually means shooting an arrow into the ground, use cheap stuff for this.
Then consider the stand. I could make a funniest home video of my old fat arse standing on a 12" x 12" piece of expanded metal 18ft in the air trying to [censored] my crossbow.

I have over a grand in each setup so one isn't cheaper than the other for me.