Vertical bow vs. crossbow accuracy

[Old Jim]

If a vertical archer had any equipment and rest he (or she would want) shot at 40 yards against a crossbow shooter with any equipment they wanted. scope rest etc.Also at 40 yards, WHO WOULD WIN??? What would the groups be?.

[RexKay]

Would this crossbow shooter be shooting an Excalibur???

[Normous]

Both could Robin Hood.

[Boo]

Too many variables but if everything is equal the compound has an edge when both have no rest. The compound shooter's body is bone on bone so very little muscle control is needed. A person shooting crossbow does not enjoy that advantage.

[Doe Master]

I agree with Don . The compounder with all the long stabilizers is rock steady . Some of these top open shooters can wipe a gnats butt with their arrows .

[cevans]

I shot the style of Nat. Field Archery indoors and outdoors for years,,and there is lots of styles of shooting the vertical bow, diff. classes, and such depending on what you had on the bow. such as sights, releases, and so on,,but I shot a style called BareBow,,just a old fashion springy rest, long stablizer on the front, aimed off the front of the arrow, no sight, no release, string walked the string with a finger tab and shot fingers,,and shot many tournaments scored 600 out of a possible 600 and out of 120 X rings in the center of the bulleye, 69 was my best,,my 2 day tournament scores still stand in the record books today,,tons of robin hoods,,out doors shot 10ft to 90 yds,,and that was the toughest..2 of my best friends hold the one day record and other holds 2 day record,,but yeah,,,we could then,,outshoot a crossbow any day. Todays shooters, with the equipment and arrows,,vertical will outshoot as you will just tire out holding a crossbow, but the ease of hunting and picking a crossbow up to shoot is sooooo nice. With the vertical bow,,and to shoot that good, and shoot those scores,,I shot and practiced 40-60 hrs a week, non stop for 2 yrs to get good,,I shot so much that when the small Pro shop I was shooting at, decided to sell out,,I bought it just to have and keep the place to shoot at..and was really the only reason I bought it. I was sponsored by PSE for a number of years,,then Hoyt,,as a Pro Shooter as well,, but crossbow is so much easier to shoot to hunt with,,now you have PRO Crossbow Shooters,,that can probably keep up with vertical bow shooters,,they practice for hours on end,,and shoot their butts off..they might argue who is the best and have reason to do so..just my 2 cents. Personally,,I would love to see PRO vertical bow shooter against PRO cross bow shooter,,as we now have the technology on our side as well as the vertical bow shooter does.. Let me ask this...why do the antis hate crossbow hunters???? do they think we can kill more deer easier,? and can easily out shoot them??? do they think we have some advantage that they don't have? I think we do,,as the vertical bow shooters, that hunt,,have to keep their bodies in shape, their muscles tuned to hunt, they have to practice moreso,,and they constantly tweak their equipment..after all,,how hard is it to shoot a vertical bow, in extreme cold weather,,bundled up after sitting in a stand for hours? and how much easier is it for crossbow shooters to pick their bow up and bam,,shoot??

[masboy]

for a hunter like me i am a pretty good shot with a regular bow. and standing up off hand with a crossbow i don,t know how they would compare, but my son says he can do better with his bow , so we will find out soon.will be shooting out to 50yds. but when hunting i can shoot sitting down resting elbo on leg,or on shooting rail ,some kind of rest. makes my crossbow deadly for hunting .i could never come close to my crossbow for accuracy with some kind of rest with a compound.

[bob1961]

every video i have ever seen with both shooting side by side offhand/no rest the compound came out on top every time....then when the xbow shooter had a standing bipod his groups tightened up a bit, but was still bigger then compound shooters groups at the same yardage....gave the xbow shooter a bench rest and well, ya know the story there ........bob

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[Boo]

every video i have ever seen with both shooting side by side offhand/no rest the compound came out on top every time....then when the xbow shooter had a standing bipod his groups tightened up a bit, but was still bigger then compound shooters groups at the same yardage....gave the xbow shooter a bench rest and well, ya know the story there ........bob

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Even then Bob, the compound shooter can tune his rest, tiller and arrows and it's not that easy for us in any practical manner. The compound shooter has a big edge. That edge may not translate into a large difference but it's there.

[cevans]

I know this,,after a 8 plus yr layoff,,got the hunting bows out last Oct..shot about 20 arrows, and then at 20. 30. and 40 yrds,,shot 3 arrows at those yrds, was slamming arrows into targets,,,went out sunday,,after shooting about 500 shots since Jan 7-8th,,at 20 shooting a loose 2 in group..30 was about 4in group..and 40 offhand was about 6in group as left arm was tiring,,weight is the issue...went in and weighed the bow,,8.6lbs for the crossbow,,and that is the issue on left arm compared to vertical bow..need to build up left arm a bit as I am right handed.

[Old Jim]

I agree with Don . The compounder with all the long stabilizers is rock steady . Some of these top open shooters can wipe a gnats butt with their arrows .

What type of sight does a compound archer use to see a one hole target or gnat at 40 yards. On a crossbow you clamp on a scope of 4 or say 10 power and you can see your target. You have to see what your shooting at . Take a bench rest, an Excalibur and a 8 power scope. Have time to sight in and see who comes out best at 40 yards. My moneys on the crossbow

[Doe Master]

Okay it was meant to be a joke .
IF they could see the gnat , they are steady enough to hit it . That is what I was getting at .
I shot crossbow down in the states as well up here competitively . I still think a top open shooter is better .

[wheelie]

What type of sight does a compound archer use to see a one hole target or gnat at 40 yards. On a crossbow you clamp on a scope of 4 or say 10 power and you can see your target.

In my open class bow I have a 4X magnification on scope and still getting a verifier which has magnification to see the pins better. On my hunting class bow I run a 7X clarifier. Vertical bows have magnification the same as a crossbow scope if you want it.
Magnifiing a vertical bow costs more than it does to buy a crossbow scope. ($700 open class $400 on hunting class including sights that takes lenses. No lense on my hunter class bow but I could if I choose to.) Have LED lights on both if lighting is not good. Hope this helps explain, if this is what you asked.
Let's make this clear, vertical bows take years of practise, and keep practising to be good. Very very few can pick up a bow a week before deer season and shoot as well as a crossbow shooter.

[Old Jim]

Does this make a difference? NO one target 4" bullseye. Use 1" round dots or squares placed approx. 6" apart. One arrow per dot. You have to hit a small target, not aim at a big one.

[bob1961]

Let's make this clear, vertical bows take years of practise, and keep practising to be good.

to a point you are very right, but....

Very very few can pick up a bow a week before deer season and shoot as well as a crossbow shooter.

i don't know if it was a fluke or what....but in a span of 3 years back in 2002, 2003, 2004 hunting seasons, i did not have the time to practice my compound i knew i should before hunting....in those 3 years i got one deer each year with one shot each year from my compound, so in 3 shots i got 3 deer in 3 years with only shooting my bow once each year....but then again i have been shooting my bow the same way since 1982....i'm not bragging and i'm not or ever was a tourny shooter either when i shot my compound, but when i did shot it i followed a process all those years that allowed me to just pick it up and hit what i aimed at.........bob