dumb rifleman needs cross bow advice from the pointy stick people

[log_roller]

I have never hunted with a pointy stick just pointy bullets, a friend of mine lended me is excalibur crossbow I was farting around with it and Im surprised how accurate they are now I want one, can I use this for bow only openings and can I shoot them in no shooting areas or does no shooting apply to both firearms and bows ?

[brotherjack]

No shooting areas usually apply to bows as well as firearms, but there occasionally exceptions (you have to check the regs for the area in question to be sure).

Yes, you can use it for "bow only" openings.


However -- as you are a self-confessed non-archer, here's some quick advice: Be VERY CAREFUL how you shoot an animal. It's not a rifle, and it will not run a bolt through the animal at odd angles or heavy bones (and even if it would, the arrow has no "shock" value like a bullet -- you need the razor blades to slide up BOTH lungs to be effective, so you shouldn't take bad shot angles). Broadside to slightly quartering away is pretty much the ONLY shot you can ethically take.

Fair warning -- hunting with a bow is addictive! The adrenalin jolt you get during the (sometimes long) wait between when you see the animal and when you can put a shot opportunity together is alltogether different than what you get when rifle hunting.

Ummm.... that ought to be enough to get you thinking, anyway. :)

[rattling_junkie]

If you want an added challenge get a compound or traditional bow. Much more skill is required in shooting one of those rather than a cross-gun. Plus vertical bows are not as bulky to carry. JMO, do what you want. In most places a cross-bow is not considered archery equipment. It is interesting how BC allows cross-bows during an archery season. I am from Manitoba and they are only allowed during the muzzleloader season. Pm me if you want to take the challenge and I can give you some good insight on some equipment.

[digger dogger]

dart&tackle or fred's should have a fraser valley map showing all the shot gun\bow and rifle area's. get a quality range finder for sure..

[MikeH]

I totally agree man!love the addiction been a addict for almost 20 heh.

brotherjack

Fair warning -- hunting with a bow is addictive! The adrenalin jolt you get during the (sometimes long) wait between when you see the animal and when you can put a shot opportunity together is all together different than what you get when rifle hunting.

[rattling_junkie]

I missed one point. Drawing back a bow is half the fun. In particular you have to time drawing back the bow when the animal is not looking or his head is behind a bush, etc. You can't get that with a cross-bow. My .02 cents.

[meesemoot]

A No Shooting Area means the discharge of firearms is prohibited. The use of bows and crossbows are allowed unless specifically restricted. In BC crossbows are legal to hunt with, as long as the pull and broadhead size regulations are followed, and can be used in bow only openings.

[cariboobill]

Roller:

I bought an excalibur crossbow this year as I too wanted to try another method of hunting. I considered all the various bows and crossbows I wanted to try and went about trying to play with one in shops or people I knew. After that I made my decision for me, I am 57, in good shape, hunt full time, retired from working. I have been hunting since I was 12.

What I found for me, compound bow hunting and crossbow hunting are different experiences. I also found that bow hunting required more skill to shoot in a consitent manner than the crossbow. Given I want the animal to be killed swiftly and without making a bad shot, I choose the crossbow.

I have several friends who have done the same investigation and are happy with the decision they made. They tried bows and corssbows before making a decision to purchase, some purchased bows and some crossbows. There are many clubs around that cater to bow hunting and have good tips on these two methods of hunting. I recommend playing with as many "bows" as you can.

Anyone who tries to compare these two hunting methods in a negative manner has a bias opinion and is NOT valid.

Good luck

[Coyote]

The biggest concern most bowhunters have with the crossbow is that someone will buy one, think that they have a gun that fires arrows and not learn the difference between bullets and arrows. If you choose to go with the crossbow, please do yourself and the animal a favour and learn how an arrow kills, where to place it, what is or isn't a good broadhead, the pros and cons of weight vs speed, how to follow up on the shot etc etc etc. Bowhunting and rifle hunting are both hunting sports but they are as different as hockey and baseball.

There is a lot of good info available. Good luck.

'yote

[rattling_junkie]

P&Y won't accept entries from a crossbow. Keep that in mind if you would like to submit an entry otherwise, I believe, you would have to submit it to the B&C.

Cariboobill,
I was not comparing these in a negative manner. I was just stating that one is more difficult than the other. For instance, I shoot a compound bow but I know this is much easier than say a recurve or a longbow. I don't kid myself and neither should someone who shoots a crossbow.