Bud now uses crossbows, but believes each type of weapon can lead to success

I recently received a text message from a gentleman, and he asked me, “Which is better: hunting with a longbow, a recurve bow, a compound bow, or a crossbow?”

Wow! That is a great question, and it can be somewhat controversial. I want to encourage everyone that anytime you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I will promise you, I will respond and try to answer your questions as best I can.

I can honestly state that throughout my 61 years of shooting archery, I have shot many traditional long bows, many makes and models of recurve bows, many different makes and models of compound bows and in recent years, several makes and models of crossbows, and I have my own opinions on them.

To start with, the first few years of my archery experience were in gym class in school. All we had to shoot back then was the traditional longbow with crooked wooden arrows, but they were very instrumental in the beginning phase of many archers.

Progress in the archery world started fairly quickly, and many archers started shying away from the longbow basically because of the extreme length and crude materials used. The length made bowhunting rather difficult, trying to maneuver them in tight places while hunting, and the limbs were sustaining damage and had a tendency to twist. But there were many tournaments won and many deer harvested using them.

Even today, there are numerous manufacturers still building traditional longbows that have adjusted for those who have remained loyal to shooting traditional longbows and the heritage of wooden arrows with feather fletching. There are also hundreds of organizations for people who share information about traditional archery shooting. The manufacturing progress of materials used and methods of manufacturing traditional bows made huge improvements and popularity increased once again.

Over the years, the longbow led to the development of the recurve bow, which was somewhat similar to the traditional longbow but the upper and lower limbs were bowed back; designed to bend back and forward again, thus becoming known as recurve bows.

They started laminating the upper and lower limbs with alternating layers of wood and fiberglass, making the limbs much stronger and durable. They also started offering different lengths for target shooting and hunting, plus they offered several poundage and color options, Even today, both the traditional longbow and recurve bow remain popular amongst the target archers and bowhunters.

Crossbows were available but were not as popular initially, but in the last few decades, crossbows have become more and more popular with people, especially those who are advanced in age or have physical limitations. They also are becoming very popular with women and younger archers who cannot pull the heavier poundage required by different states’ hunting requirements.

Bud used a Tenpoint Crossbow to take this buck, which he named “Turkeyfoot.”

Personally, I am one of those archers who always stated, “I will never use a crossbow.” But I did not consider the aging factor. After several injuries requiring corrective surgeries and arthritis setting in, I could not execute the shooting process of a longbow, recurve bow, or compound bow without suffering pain. My doctors and surgeons strongly suggested I transition to a crossbow or I would most likely have to give up archery hunting.

Crossbows can be great, but they also have several moving parts that can eventually wear out and need replacement. Bowstrings and cables also need replaced on compound crossbows and constant visual checks are needed. They have several options for cocking the crossbow, from a string cocker to fancy devices that can almost cock themselves, but they need to be checked by a person who knows what to look for.

Traditional archery advantages are basic. All you have to worry about is replacing the bowstring and maybe the arrow rest when they show visual evidence of wear. It is strongly recommended that, during storage, the bow be unstrung and stored in a flat position, never standing vertically against the wall. The weight would be constantly on the bow limb contacting the floor, eventually twisting the limb. Sometimes replacing the bowstring can be a problem unless you have access to an archery shop that still offers custom bowstrings.

The same can be said for using a recurve bow. There is normally less maintenance, only requiring replacing the bowstring or an arrow rest and the same advice on storage on a flat surface and not resting in a vertical position resulting in limb twist. A frequent cleaning of the limbs and riser section with a coat of furniture polish will enhance the beauty of the wood sections of the bow.

When it comes to the compound bow, they are extremely complex and have many adjustments that the beginner needs to learn how to make. Or the bow needs to be taken to a qualified, certified archery pro shop.

The limbs and cams need to be in perfect balance. The draw length needs to be properly adjusted, and when it becomes time to replace the strings and cables. special equipment is needed to perform these tasks.

At one time, I had everything I needed to work on just about every manufactured compound bow. I had schematics from every factory with detailed information regarding all adjustments. I had bow0 stringers, bow vices, special gauges, allen wrenches, many replacement parts, allen screws, and other intricate “E” clips.

I constantly stayed busy working on bows that were purchased from Walmart as their salesperson had no knowledge of repairing and setting up the bows. But when everything was set up properly, the archer/bowhunter enjoyed fantastic shooting abilities, speed, and accuracy. Compound bows became quite in demand.

Regardless of what you choose to use, your weapon needs to be afforded the very same respect as a firearm. They need to be properly maintained and checked often for any type of damage, and anything that needs to be replaced or needs repaired must be taken care of immediately. These items are not kids’ toys.

I still hear from many tournament archers and bowhunters who use traditional longbows with wooden arrows. Many still use the recurve bow with aluminum arrows. Compound bow users and of course crossbow users that managed to stay hunting using them with fantastic results.

John Johnson used a Bear recurve bow to harvest this doe.

In my opinion, as long as it is legal and ethical, I am all for it. I will never condemn any archer/bowhunter using whatever makes them happy. I hear many people from each side of the archery spectrum criticizing and condemning the other for their choice of what they want to use, but here in America, we all have the right to choose what we want to use.

I have friends using traditional long bows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows. Every time I am contacted by them, sharing their success, I congratulate them. After all, some of my friends drive Ford trucks, some drive Chevrolet trucks, some drive GMC trucks, and I happen to drive Dodge Rams, but to each their choice.

I sincerely hope I answered the question. The opinions stated are mine and not necessarily that of other individuals. Their opinions may very well differ from mine. I did not highlight every advantage or disadvantage of any of the choices, but I did reflect on my own personal experiences.

In the hands of a competent user, any of the choices can be used efficiently for accurate shooting, competition, or deer hunting applications. A huge amount of practice and dedication is required for success. Thank you for the question!