Is a crossbow a legit addition to ones arsenal, or just a corny toy?

[NapaCountyShooter]

If it was me, I'd much rather have a longbow than a crossbow.

[compulsivegunbuyer]

Compound bow, the ultimate stealth weapon.

[Kala]

Crossbows seem like a bit of a novelty weapon to me, something that would be cool to have just to have. Crossbows however can be deadly, as always, shot placement counts! Hit a major artery or a vital area of the body, like the heart or the brain, than more than likely they are dead or will bleed out within minutes.

[maccmill]

They're pretty cool, I have one of those little 75lb pistol style ones that shoot the 6 inch dart/bolts and it got stuck half way through/broke one of my fence boards. Its accurate out to about 20 yards and think it could easily kill if it had to for whatever reason. Say if **** hits the fan and my .40 was impossible to access and it was my only available weapon, I don't think I'd be uncomfortable defending myself with it other than the fact you have to reload after each shot. Crossbows are typically pretty cheap too from what I've noticed. Also, you can re-use your ammo and play with it in your back yard, which is a big plus for me.

[Esquire]

Crossbows are way cool. I have one that's around 80 lbs, and it's a great indoor shooting weapon. I got it for under $40. I like the compound crossbows - ones with cams like compound bows.

Larger crossbows - 150 lbs draw or higher - can easily take down most N.American game.

[MrExel17]

Crossbows are cool! And have plans to have it my arsenal!

[Yugo]

I have one of these....its fun to play in the house and it packs a good punch! (yes sportsmansguide shipped this to sherman oaks!)

[slick_711]

Ok, see you guys are talking about toy crossbows. That would be fun to play with, I agree there.

I was thinking of a real hunting crossbow, which is not light, is not quick to reload, and is definitely not safe to use indoors or in a small yard. It is accurate and lethal out to nearly 100yds though, so if that's what you need...

[USMC 82-86]

I think they are a legitimate choice, but I can shoot my compound probably 3 times before I could reload and shoot a crossbow. If I am shooting my longbow I can probably shoot at least 5 or more times before shooting and reloading and shooting again with a crossbow. I shot one crossbow that was putting arrows out at over 400 fps. that was impressive.

[calidefector]

I have a Horton one that I bought in Arkansas so I could have an extended season. This whole "real men" stuff is corny... how about "real mean use recurves" or better yet, "real mean use snares and deadfalls"? A quality hunting crossbow is a nice piece of hardware and is more accurate and powerful than my compound bow, and I can hand it to someone else and they can nearly instantly use it to take game. As far as a "weapon" though, I guess it beats nothing. Bottom line, if you want one get one, and don't worry about what other people think.

[glock_this]

The original reason why I was thinking about a crossbow, as opposed to a compound bow, would be the cross over from so much rifle shooting. Muscle memory for holding the crossbow, since it is essentially a rifle, use of a scope, etc. It seemed like a logical crossover skill that would compliment acquired rifle shooting. Plus really anyone can use it. And that is a nice bonus.

BUT, in doing some research on the higher end models, these things are not as light as I thought. Some in the 8-9 pound range, more than my rifles. So that surprised me. And, many make a good point about slow reloading. Having never used one, it seems many need that rope to reload and that alone is a slow process.

Now a little history. When I was a kid - 10-15 - I did a lot of archery shooting with a long bow. Took classes, had a legit longbow, even had a setup in our yard (we lived in Iowa on some land). I have not touched one since that time. Never used a compound bow, but I understand them and have buddies that have them. Maybe that is something to consider instead.