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Post by larryhagmansliver on Apr 13, 2007 12:33:13 GMT -5
I drive a lot for a living and therefore have a lot of time to think. (scary I know) I was thumbing through a archery magazine and came across a add for a crossbow. It made me think about whether this might be a better weapon than a shotgun for turkey. I have never shot a crossbow and therefore can't speak for the accuracy and drop of the bolt at extended ranges, but it seems it may have some advantages over a shotgun. The pattern won't open up on a crossbow and you don't pepper the breast like you might with a shotgun out at extended ranges. You don't have to use a blind like you would with a regular bow either. I saw Woody's article about crossbow hunting for turkeys and got the idea that it still might be harder than using a shotgun. What are your thoughts?
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Post by bsutravis on Apr 13, 2007 13:47:27 GMT -5
I'd say that a crossbow would fall between a shotgun and regular archery in terms of difficulty in harvesting a gobbler. You really wouldn't have any more range than you would with a normal compound.....I'd say most guys would be only taking shots inside 30 yards with a compound, and the same would go for a xbow.
As far as pattern opening and peppering the breast.... I can't recall ever getting anything more than a single piece of shot or MAYBE 2 into the breast of all the turkeys I've killed. Those breast feathers do a heck of a job at stopping the lead, or maybe I'm just not really connecting with the breast areas when I fire.
If you are wanting to try something more challenging, I'd say go for it with the xbow! Just practice, practice, practice so you don't have a gobbler running around with a bolt hanging out of it's side.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2007 15:51:28 GMT -5
IT has absolutely no advantage over a shotgun. Range estimation becomes very critical with the crossbow, same as it would with a compound. The bolt will drop about 60" at 60 yards, so you have to know the arc and within a yard or two of where your quarry is. The other factor is shooting the gobbler correctly, it could fly off. Not nearly as likely as with a shotgun using head shots.
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Post by Woody Williams on Apr 13, 2007 16:16:50 GMT -5
I've killed two with a crossbow and Woodmaster has killed one.
All three were killed out of a pop up blind at less than 20 yards. They were coming to the decoys and never quite got to the jake decoy before being arrowed.
Uisng a crossbow for turkeys is easier than a shotgun as I would shoot 40 yards at a gobbler with the shot gun, but I'd hold off with the crossbw unitl he was within that magical 20 yards.
Shot placement is a lot more critical with a crossbow or a vertical bow.
I consider the crossbow more challenging and more fun.
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