The crossbow debate resurfaces every few months, driven by accusations that miss the real issue. Crossbows matter because keeping hunters in the field matters. Our community is strongest when we support all hunters, no matter their equipment.
And here’s something worth paying attention to:
The loudest crossbow critics are rarely traditional longbow or recurve shooters. These archers, often using bows they've built, are usually the most accepting. They know limitations and respect anyone who practices with purpose. Most criticism comes from compound-bow hunters using advanced setups: 80% let-off cams, rangefinding sights, extra-long stabilizers, drop-away rests, carbon-fiber everything. Yet they claim crossbows are 'too easy?'
This raises an important question: why does this tension exist?
The answer isn’t really about the type of equipment at all. Instead, it’s about something deeper: identity. It also comes down to insecurity. Having confidence in your discipline means supporting fellow hunters, not policing them.
Crossbows keep people hunting: older hunters with worn shoulders, veterans recovering from injuries, newcomers facing the steep learning curve of compound archery, and parents introducing kids. Every hunter lost to age, injury, or gatekeeping weakens conservation, heritage, and our community. By preventing that loss, crossbows keep people connected.
And let’s just admit something else: crossbows are fun.
If you want to hunt with one, then hunt with one. It is not a vertical bow, but it’s not a rifle either. It’s its own discipline with its own strengths, limits, and responsibilities.
What matters most is this: Ethics in hunting never depend on hardware.
Ethics rely on decisions, shot placement, practice, restraint, and maturity. A poorly placed compound arrow is no more ethical than a poorly placed crossbow bolt. The equipment isn't the issue. The hunter is.
Modern and traditional archery coexist. Crossbows do not replace longbows, recurves, or compounds. Traditional gear thrives. Crossbows expand the sport by attracting new shooters, supporting retailers, contributing to conservation funding, helping the industry grow, and keeping hunters active. They bring in new shooters. They support retailers. They contribute to conservation funding. They help the industry grow. They keep hunters hunting.
The takeaway is clear: the real threat to hunting isn’t crossbows.
It’s the division within our community.
— Jay Pinsky
The Hunting Wire & The Archery Wire
jay@theoutdoorwire.com
