Not having ... to shoot 3,000 arrows each summer to be ready for hunting season.

 

I am thinking that is a very positive adjustment!

 

Trying to find your arrow after a complete pass thru from a ground blind

And the shot noise as you mentioned.

 

The first time I hunted with a crossbow, I struggled to find a comfortable way to hold it compared to a compound bow or a rifle/shotgun. Carrying it in the woods was an adjustment too, especially for a 36" wide recurve. As you hear about many things, it was all in the technique. Crossbows are certainly louder than compound vertical bows. Some are not really all that loud though. Folks' response to the noise varies from ignore it, it doesn't matter, to "wear earplugs", to putting every damping device known to mankind on the crossbow. I do think Limbsavers or Jax are somewhat less effective on crossbows. You don't get that WOW that I felt when first putting Sims stuff on a mid '90s Bear compound. They do help some though, and my take on it is any vibration absorbed is vibration that won't make your screws or scope mount come loose, or possibly ruin your limbs.

 

Learning that it's all about the arrows!

Oh, and carrying it through the woods. Friend of mine says it's like carrying a folding chair through the woods, that's not folded!

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It seemed very awkward to carry in the woods at first but after a few weeks into my first deer season with the crossbow, I finally found a comfortable way to hold the bow. Now 5 seasons later, it's very natural and I don't think about it anymore.

 

Today's measured noise levels are not that different. Good verticles are in the low 80 db range and the quieter xbows are only 5 db or so louder. Given the choice, I'd opt for a 89 db xbow shooting 370 fps vs a 84 db verticle shooting 320 fps.

The significant difference you experienced is where your ear is with an xbow vs the verticle bow. The xbow puts you right on top of the trigger box and closer to the limbs.

A huge hunter value point with the xbow is you are always cocked. No issue with hiding that draw sequence from an animal.

Weight of the two are notably different. If you hunt a great deal by stalking, carrying a 11 lb. xbow vs a 7 lb verticle may be a big change. I'm a stand/blind hunter and in most cases I shoot off a rest of some kind, so the carrying weight difference is not an issue for me.

Enjoy!

 

Many nicely stated thoughts above. I'll add one. Consistency. Often times, I was deadly with verticals one day... less so the next. With Xbows, I'm more gooder more often! LOL

 

Ah yes ... I remember practicing 5 days per week and some days I was just a bit off. I'd alternate between a 3d deer and spots each session to guard against target panic. Less than good days ... I'd pack it in early and go back inside; choosing NOT to practice relatively poor shooting. On good days, I shoot extra to reinforce that feeling. I'd ride that wave until it crashed on the beach...lol

 

Arrows are often destroyed after going through deer and getting burried in ground. You have to bring a discharge bag to shoot a field point into when done hunting or have a discharge head on end of an arrow to shoot into ground

 

Weight

 

No adjustment needed. Enjoy!

 

Seriously ... the biggest difference is the danger. Whack your arm with a 70lb vertical bow string and you'll get a world class raspberry. Put an appendage or phalange in the path of a 175-300lb powerful crossbow string and it CAN completely remove it!!! My philosophy and warning to crossbowers is: "a crossbow is like having a loaded #6 bear trap in your lap." Because they're easier to become proficient with, many vertical archers think they're toy-like and/or simple. Their inexperience can take a dangerous cavalier attitude towards handling & shooting crossbows.

 

After messing up my right shoulder a few years ago, I'm thankful for my crossbow! No real adjustment other than what been mentioned already.

 

Toting the crossbow is cumbersome compared to verticals. Also, MUCH harder triggers than what I was used to with my vertical (getting that fixed though). Noise wasn't a problem for me s I think the crossbow is fast enough that the noise isn't a factor when hunting (45 yards or less for me). Only other thing that comes to mind is leaving pins and going to crosshairs. For me though....with pins I was satisfied to be within 3" or so at 35 yards whereas with a crossbow you want to bust nocks at that range (much, much more accurate). It takes some time to adjust to what bugs you about the crossbows but WELL WORTH the effort IMO.

 

Some xbows can be decocked without shooting.

If you don’t like noise, the Bowtech Solution or 390LS. are very quiet, as are some others.

 

 

I have a Ravin A10 and was also surprised by the sound difference than shooting my Mathews plan to try limb savers to see if it quite down some. But I assume only gonna shoot once.

 

To me there is no hard adjustment. Just a bunch of little ones. After over 50 years of bow only I noticed one big thing. It makes it a LOT easier.

 

Get in the habit of not chanting the bow.

 

For me its finding a comfortable carry as I always have a climber on my back. I hunt state and federal lands so its always a hump and a half in both directions to get away from the crowd.

 

For me it was adjusting my stands for crossbows. I like to set up between two or three trees. Finding out the width of my crossbows won't always fit like my vertical did.

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I feel a big misconception coming from compound bow hunters to xbow is all you have to do is point it and pull the trigger and the deer automatically is dead. I used to hear a lot of guys that had never shot one saying it was just like a rifle and they were all negative about xbow hunters. No matter who you are you still have to practice and know the limitations of your equipment and adjust accordingly. Just because your shooting a xbow doesn't mean the critters your shooting at can't be missed because they are a whole lot.

 

Ture but as I said before, its a lot easier. I think thats where they're coming from. I still shoot 3-D every weekend. I'm down to a known class with 30 lbs. I'm liking my xbows too.

 

I'm in agreement with mgnic. I still shoot vertical but have come to love xbow as another weapon. I have lost one deer with xbow and it was a product of looking through a scope and thinking I had more power than I did. It feels like you are holding a rifle and looking through a scope. But.... you are still shooting an arrow and need the deer turn so that you can get optimum shot placement.

 

Carrying it through the woods while still hunting is different. And being disciplined about hunting range when you know you can drop 5 arrows in a coffee cup at 100yds. Power and accuracy can make you forget it's still a short range weapon.

 

Probably not the biggest adjustment but not having to dress for shooting a compound was awesome. Now I can wear those big puffy sleeved warm jackets in winter. Helps stay out there longer too.

 

2nd biggest ... adjustment is figuring out how to drag all those additional deer you get out of the woods.