I'm not trying to argue but the distance is actually greater with a compound based on the bow only and not human factor. If you compare two new bows, a crossbow and compound at similar speeds the compound will have a more stable shot long range. this is because an arrow is a lot longer then a bolt and is more stable. I used to work at Tenpoint (they own Horton and Wicked ridge as well). That was a big part of their education and training they did. On simply picking it up and shooting well a crossbow is easier at first. But with practice you can be just as good with a compound, and have added stability at longer ranges. Long range shooting with a compound is a a lot of fun and practice a long range makes most bow hunting shots that are closer a little easier.
Like others said here, there are lots of good bows out there. Pretty much all the big companies have great bows. I shoot a Mathews (after years of saying I never would) and my wife shoots a Hoyt. You can def get a bow for a $1,000 budget set up. My first look would be on Archerytalk.com there are tons of guys that buy the latest and greatest bows every year and sell year old bows every year. Another option is looking at last years bows at a dealer. My brother just bought a new bow this week. He got last years Hoyt Defiant 34, great bow. It retails for about $1,050 right now. He went to a few shops and found a "demo" bow". Its the bow that Hoyt sends shops for people to try at the shop. He was able to buy that bow new for $600.
Bought a bow today. It is a new 2015 Hoyt Nitrum Turbo. Got a helluva deal on it. Shoots stupid fast....Too cold out to get much time with it...
Go shoot several different bows and go with what feels the most comfortable to you, all manufacturers are making good bows nowadays in that price range. Finding the 1 yr old used bows is a good route also as someone mentioned earlier. Test out different styles of release aids also. I love shooting a hand held release, but got taught a lesson by a mature buck a few years ago when I thought I could hunt with one. There are many kinds of release aids out there, go with what you feel comfortable with and like. Think about what scenario you will be hunting in also. I can't stand a release with a solid connection between the wrist strap and release head because I always bang it up against the climbing sticks in the dark, so I find that a strap or rope connection is far better for me. Happy hunting! Archery sure can be addicting, and you can use arrows over and over and over again unlike bullets so practicing is basically free once you have the equipment!
Did some shooting today. Man am I rusty...But the bow does the job if I point it straight. Hits pretty hard too.
Well leave it up to me to skip the post that said you already bought one! Hoyt makes good bows, I'm sure you will be happy with that one!
The weather has been great here lately and I've been getting 15 - 20 arrows downrange in the evenings. Today I was getting 4" - 6" groups at 40 yards. It's pretty well dialed in. Just need to keep shooting so good form goes from something I have to really think about to muscle memory.
I have an old Bitz jig for fletching. I am still getting this thing dialed in so still shooting groups at long distances. Finally got my draw weight up to 70 today. Can still pull it seated and pointing down. 70lbs, 30" draw, and a 350 rating makes for a some fast shooting.
440. Should be around 315 FPS and 97 KE. Had to switch to a bag because I was punching through the black hole target.
over here in england we can not kill any thing with a bow,that came in 1980 when a swan was found with a arrow in his neck.so nothing at all with a bow,only target shooting.