I have been out of the loop I guess. It appears compressed gas powered arrow guns are now legal to hunt with and have been since 2018. Well I have some real problems in my shoulders now. Had to retire my compounds several years back. Tried a crossbow but they are ungainly, suck as for balance, mine is heavy. I still use it occasionally. However nowadays there are light "arrow guns " available. Here is how I feel about crossbows. I loved my compound bows. I really like the recurves I used before compounds. Crossbows just don't have the same feeling to me as an actual bow. So since it seems like an ungainly rifle substitute anyway why not try one of the modern arrow guns. Lighter , handier and give the same performance. Anyone played with one of them?

Arrow guns may not be used to hunt deer or turkey during archery season. If they are only legal during general season, a real gun seems like the route I’d go. I assume they are like big bore PCP rifles and are loud.

If your shooting a gun that fires and arrow, why not just use a regular rife?

I’m 40 and already have shoulder issues and am dreading the possibility I may not be able to bowhunt at some point in the future. An old school recurve style crossbow with pin sights I could probably accept, but not a rifle that fires an arrow. At that point I’ll start hunting with open sighted lever guns or pistols or something.

Just a thought.Guess I will look into lighter crossbows.

I've had both shoulders reconstructed. I did the proper therapy to get back to being able to work and shoot. While one will never be 100 percent the same, it's very probable that viable recovery can happen. I've known several people had tge same long term outcome as I have had. Just depends on if you want to put in the work.

Agree with this as well.

Most guys throw in the towel way too easy.

I’m not 100% after I tore my rotator cuff. But, I did rehab it and can still shoot my 80 lb compound.

Never gonna be 100%, but still gonna be functional, God willing

I blew out my rotator when I was an archery mechanic. Now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, I believe quiet kills better than fast when it comes to archery hunting. My longbows are at 53# and compound bows at about 60#. I saw a doe completely duck under a 375 fps crossbow at 13 yards.

Most of the arrow guns are just high powered smoothbore PCP air rifles. Kind of a PITA if you ask me. You get the arrow gun, then you gotta find a backstop that is capable of stopping a legit 500 fps arrow, and you can forget about shooting groups unless you want to break every arrow. Some of them are gonna break no matter what. Doubt if there is a broadhead in existence that won’t plane at those speeds except an original Thorn.

Might be different now, i am not much of an airgun aficionado these days. Hopefully they figured out that a typical modern PCP airgun is already making more energy than most hunters get from a trad bow, and at least made an attempt to slow it down. You want accurate, quiet, and sharp.

And you gotta either invest in a tank that needs to be filled at a scuba shop or maybe the fire department if they are cool, or invest in a compressor capable of 3,000-4,400 PSI, or get a high pressure hand pump that is gonna be a lot more repetitive than cranking a crossbow and give you more shoulder pain.

And loud. Think, .22 magnum loud.

I have a 4,400 psi hand pump for my PCP rifle. Filling it is a workout.

These are a solution looking for a problem.

I have not played with one since about what 2017 or so. Loud yes but not as loud as 22 magnum. Arrows do not have to be heavy spined since the air hits the back of the insert when fired and main pressure is from the front of the arrow inside tube. Being the arrow is pushed from the front they fly amazingly straight from what saw.

As far as sight in and target, there are several targets that will handle it well. Some bag targets work and Reinhart targets worked back then and sure they will today. Others would as well just will not last as long.

As far as speed there are crossbows that shoot 500fps.

Neither for or against them If someone wants one and wants to hunt with one, go ahead during the correct season in the area if legal.

Sooner or later some lobbiest will convince our increasingly liberal Texas legislature that it will help some poor soul be out hunting in the early fall and we should allow them during archery season.
When it happens, just wanna be the first to say, just like a crossbow, it's not an archery kill.

They must have changed a lot. From my recollection, it was a samyang big bore and arrows modified to seal in the bore. Other than that, maybe an FX Ranchero, which is not powerful enough to be taken seriously.

The original Benjamin Pioneer Airbow is the one I have any experience with. With it the knock end of the arrow is hollow the barrel of the gun the arrow slides over the outside of the barrel and air comes out against the insert when you shoot it so it is driven from the front. That was a 450fps arrow shooter 8 ot 9 years ago and think they have one claiming 600fps now. Of course as pressure drops over time they loose speed unless you keep them topped off. We kept the one for demo on the range at about half pressure so to keep speed down for our targets but some of the bag targets and an 18-1 target would stop full charged shots at 20 yards.

Well I am surely behind the times. What is it like pulling that bolt out of a rinehart 18-1?

I am with you. Seems like we stopped giving the crossbow guys such a hard time, because maybe it makes us the a-holes? Now they expect us to allow use of an “air bow”.

I think they should make archery season strictly for vertical bows again. They have taken it too far. Leave the crossbows for the disabled, or during gun season. Defeats the purpose of the extended archery season to make it as easy as shooting a gun.

It's no different than guys who hunt with in-line blackpowder rifles to take advantage of another season. They have no interest in blackpowder, they just want to hunt. Years ago BP seasons were primitive seasons yet today we have in-lines that are similar to centerfire rifles in performance.

It’s not an honest comparison. Anybody can pick up a muzzle loader and shoot it as good as any other rifle. I used to feel like the only disadvantage of a modern vertical bow is the range limitations, but after spending some time in a pro shop, it seems fair to say most folks can’t shoot them well without putting in the work. That is what makes crossbows popular.

Drawing the bow puts you at a disadvantage, too. I got busted drawing my bow the first time i bowhunted, and didn’t get another opportunity until my third season.

When muzzle loaders were first introduced some states even required flint lock only rifles. Most required am 1800s style muzzle loader side hammer percussion or musket cap fired rifle. Now there are states that a breal open single shot rifle in 35 Wheelen is legal. There are muzzle loaders that are accurate to at least 400 yards that are legal in most states since they load from the muzzle.

people will use what is legal to hunt with and extend their seasons.

Think about he modern rifle/scope/ammo .shooting system has changed hunting. When I was hunting and taking game with a rifle and 3X9 scope and carefully worked up reloads at 600+ yards it was a lot more work to be consistent for doing that than today with the accurate dial scopes and better tolerance on rifles and bullets to be truthful.

Overall the game has gotten easier for most hunting be it bow, rifle or front stuffers. There are still those that hunt old school but those are getting o be a smaller part of the hunting public over the years.

It's not the legislature who revises the TP&W Code. It's the TP&W Commission. They are appointed. Elected politicians can at least be eliminated by the voters.

I am for going back to open sight only for all muzzle loader seasons. I agree, it’s pointless when you have a 4x12 scope. Pre loaded charges, etc. might as well use a centerfire rifle, some of those inlines can easily shoot 300 yards.

Go back to iron sights and it will level the playing field.

I can’t say go back to Hawkins style percussion rifles because imo a compound bow is the equivalent to an inline and a recurve or longbow is the equivalent to a Hawkins style rifle

We have one of those arrow guns in the shop. I haven't shot it yet as we need a seal kit. I just don't see it as a fun option. It's bulky, takes about 150 to 200 pumps to air it up and loud (so I hear). As with a crossbow, you shoot your 5 or 6 shots to get it on target and now what do you do. Go shoot it for fun? Think not. I get way more use and my monies worth from my compound and WAY, WAY more enjoyment and use form my trad bows. If I couldn't draw a bow, I'd probably hunt with a crossbow simply because the severity of my hearing loss makes guns a not healthy option, even with ear protection. But I'd probably just use it during regular season. I don't hunt everyday or even every weekend. I'm semi retired so I could, in theory. So extending my season when I don't actually spend the whole gun season hunting doesn't make sense to me. I guess if I could only get off during bow season and I couldn't shoot a bow I'd use one then.

But many of us, I suspect, don't stop using our bows when bow season is over. We continue to hunt with them. So for those people, we don't really use a bow to extend our hunting seasons. Granted, some of that is the public land restrictions we have to accept, but even where one can use a gun, many still choose a bow.

I put the arrow gun in a novelty column. And I'm inclined to agree with going back to a medical reason to hunt with a crossbow during bow season. We could simplify that and say medical reason or over the age of 69. I could live with that.

You gotta draw the line somewhere

Cool toy, as long as it’s not allowed in bow season