Crossbows vs Compound Bows: Which is the Best Choice For You?

The crossbow vs compound bow issue is a debate folks from the archery world never seem to agree on. But we’re going to talk about it. Should you choose the crossbow or go with the less regulated compound bow?

Choosing between the crossbow and the compound bow is not easy. There’s a lot to think about, like specs and safety, and even when you know the kind of bow you want to use, you are going to have questions about the brand or the model. It also depends on what your goals are as an archer and what you want out of the bow. 

I’m going to take you through the basics of a crossbow and a compound bow, as well as the specs you should be looking at. At the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what to watch out for when choosing a bow. 

Crossbows – How do they work?

Crossbows are bows placed horizontally on a structure that looks like a gunstock. It works just like a rifle, so if you’re familiar with guns, you’re not going to have any issues operating a crossbow. It has a system that holds the bowstring back for you, and you can pull the trigger to let the bolts fly. 

There are three main types of crossbows:

• Recurve Crossbows,similar to traditional crossbows in their design, lightweight and ideal for hunting.
• Compound Crossbows, similar to compound bows, are the modern take on crossbows. They have several moving parts, are very powerful, and can shoot bolts at incredible speeds. I’ll be comparing compound crossbows to compound bows in this blog. 
• Pistol Crossbows are mini crossbows you can hold in one hand and have less power than the regular crossbow. You can read more about them here.

There’s a lot to keep in mind when handling a crossbow. For a more detailed look at crossbows, check out this post on our best crossbows.

Pros and Cons of Crossbows

Compound bows – How do they work?

The compound bow uses pulleys to reduce the strain of drawing a bow. What I like about it is that the compound bow has a mechanical advantage that lets you draw bows with higher draw weights than you can do with a longbow. For example, let’s say you can draw a longbow with a -60 lb draw weight. If so, you can easily handle a compound bow with a draw weight 75-80 lbs.

What makes this possible is something we call the ‘let off.’ You may have seen the bows tagged 80% let off or 60% let off in store. For this to make sense, you need to know more about how the compound bow is different from other types of bows. Here’s a quick crash course.

What is let off? 

With regular crossbows and longbows, the more you pull back the string, the harder it gets. This is because their complete power comes from the limbs, and pulling them back using a single string takes a lot of effort. With the compound bows, though, they have a system of cables and wheels called the cams and much shorter limbs. When you draw the bow, the cam rolls over and the draw weight drops by a huge margin, so at full draw, you’ll be holding considerably less weight than the peak draw weight. The amount by which the draw weight drops is known as the let off.

Most compound bows I’ve used for hunting have a let off ranging from 70% – 90%, so I’ll only be holding a maximum of 30% of the full draw weight. Of course, getting the draw cycle started at first takes a bit of effort, but after that, it’s pretty much smooth sailing. 

Pros and cons of compound bows

Crossbow vs compound bow: How do the specs compare? 

If you are new to archery, choosing between the crossbow and the compound bow can be overwhelming. So here, I’ll be comparing the differences in the major specs of the two bow types and see if I can give you a better idea of their features. By the end of this, you should be able to decide what equipment suits you the best. 

Range

There are two types of ranges when it comes to bows. 

1. Overall range – is the maximum distance you can cover with your bow. While both compound bows and crossbows have high overall ranges, they don’t really matter when you hunt because accuracy dips drastically over a long distance. 
2. Effective range – is your bow’s effective range—the distance at which your bow can confidently deliver a kill shot. This is the range that matters in your hunt. 

Usually, compound bows have an effective range of 30-60 yards. This is without the shooting skill of the archer. So, if you are an average shooter, your effective range with the compound would roughly be 30-40 yards.

Crossbows are a little more complicated. While you can take lethal shots with the crossbow at over 100 yards, the ethical range for hunting is 50 yards or less. Ethical ranges are important because otherwise, you can seriously injure but not kill the animal.

Based on range, crossbows are the clear winner since both their overall and effective ranges are a fair bit higher than the compound bows. 

Arrow speed and kinetic energy 

To make a humane kill, your arrows need to be fast and carry enough force behind them. This means that the arrow speed and its kinetic energy, which are affected by the draw weight of your bow, are both important for a kill shot. 

• We measure arrow speed using Feet Per Second (FPS) 
• We measure kinetic energy, or the power behind the shot, in Foot Pounds of Kinetic Energy (FPKE). 

The crossbow is far ahead of the compound bow in both these metrics; it can shoot well above 400 FPS, while a compound bow’s maximum speed is 350 FPS. The crossbow also has more draw weight to it, so the bolts you shoot with it carry more kinetic energy than the compound bow as well. 

Crossbows are the clear winners in this category as well. 

Accuracy

This is a complicated category because, personally, I think there are a lot of good points in favor of both the compound bow and the crossbow. 

On one hand, the compound bow is lighter than the crossbow and is easy to aim. But the trade-off is you have to physically hold the draw until you are ready to shoot and this can tire out your arm, affecting your accuracy. 

On the other hand, the crossbow is heavier and can be difficult to aim with, but since the scopes you can add to your crossbow are a lot more powerful than compound bow sights, you can dramatically increase your accuracy. Most crossbow scopes have a 4x magnification and their reticles with multiple reference points. All you have to do is to take aim and pull the trigger. Your crossbow also holds the draw for you, so you won’t have to do it manually. Sure, the sights you can add on your compound bow can have multiple aiming points too, but with them, you’ll have to hold the draw until your target is in line with your aiming point before you can shoot.

I’m conflicted here. I can see the advantages and limitations of both, but I would still go with the crossbow because of the ability to add more powerful scopes. 

Hunting

Both crossbows and compound are lethal bows and you’ll be well served by either one of them on a hunt. That said, the best weapon for you really depends on what type of hunter you are. 

For example, if I am going to be hunting from a tree stand or a ground blind, I would go with a crossbow. In a ground blind especially, a compound bow is not a good choice as I have to draw it back to shoot, and I might not have that much space in a makeshift concealed structure. With the crossbow, all I have to do is shoulder it and pull the trigger. 

It would be a totally different scenario if I’m going to spend the hunting season on foot. In that case, the logical choice will be the compound bow, because it is lightweight and won’t tire me out. Either way you will want to select a high quality mechanical broadhead or fixed blade broadhead, but you want to make sure you select a broadhead specific to the type of bow you are shooting. 

I’ve got to call it a draw in this category because it’s more about the hunting scenario than the bow. 

Legality

Compound bows are legal in almost every state for the whole of the hunting season, but it’s a different story with crossbows. They are heavily regulated in several states, and you may have limitations on how far into the hunting season you can use crossbows, who can use them, and the minimum draw weight for the crossbow.

If you are lucky enough to live in the few states that allow both with little restrictions, you can choose whatever you like for the archery hunting season. But for the rest of us, we’ll have to check local regulations around crossbows and proceed according to that. 

In this category, the clear winner is the compound bow. They are not heavily regulated and if you want to hunt the whole of the archery season without worrying about legal limitations, then I recommend going with a compound bow.

Safety

All the power the crossbow brings to the table also comes with safety concerns around it. It is powerful, but this is one piece of equipment you should never underestimate and always handle with care. There are two main things to keep in mind when handling your crossbow.

• Hand safety – Keeping your hands safe is extremely important when you handle crossbows. I’ve seen experienced hunters lose fingers because their hand was in the path of the bowstring.
• Length and width of the crossbow – You should also be aware of your crossbow’s length and width. A lot of hunters don’t consider the fact that their cocked crossbows are a lot narrower than the uncocked ones; so when firing, you really need some extra space to make sure the bent crossbow limbs can unfurl without any issues.

Compound bows, by design, don’t have many of the issues I’ve talked about with crossbows, but one thing you should definitely do is to get your bow checked by a certified professional every season. Compound crossbows have a bunch of moving parts and there’s a lot of wear and tear only a professional can find, so doing this can prevent any malfunctions when you are off hunting. 

Comparing the safety issues between the crossbow and the compound bow, I think the compound bow is definitely the safer option out of the two. 

Learning Curve

The learning curve can really be a make or break factor, because most people don’t want a bow that would take forever to master. 

• Crossbow learning curve – If you’ve shot a gun before, then you really won’t have much trouble learning the crossbow because they both share similar trigger mechanisms and aiming techniques. Once you’ve got a handle on the basics of a crossbow, you are more or less ready to take it hunting—just be sure to start out small before moving on to larger game. 
• Compound bow learning curve – If you’re a beginner, you’ll first have to build up upper body strength and endurance to handle the compound bow. It then takes hours of practice to just master the basics of using a compound bow, and even after, you’re going to need consistent practice if you want to keep your skills polished. You’ll also need to maintain and tune the bow regularly, which can be challenging for beginners as you learn to adjust settings like draw weight and draw length for optimal performance. 

While mastering the compound bow can be a rewarding experience and one I highly recommend if you are an archery enthusiast, it can put a damper on your excitement if you just want to take your bow hunting as soon as you can. 

Since the crossbow is easier to learn, it’s the winner here. 

Portability

Portability depends on your hunting style. If your hunting style involves using a tree stand or staying in one place waiting for your quarry, then your bow being lightweight and easy to carry isn’t going to do much for you. But if you are someone who hunts on your feet all day, then crossbows, which are considerably heavier than compound bows, can really weigh you down and tire you out. 

So for that reason, the compound bow wins in this category because it is so lightweight and streamlined. When I am out in the woods and hunting on foot, I go with a compound bow because it’s so much easier to maneuver and light enough that I can carry it around all day without feeling it.

Maintenance

Both the crossbow and the compound bow need maintenance. They both have a lot of moving parts that need to be oiled and maintained. I also suggest taking it to a professional for inspection before every season, this’ll help you avoid the risk of it breaking down in the middle of a hunt.

Noise

With noise, crossbows are incredibly loud while compound bows are quieter and perfect if you are hunting in the woods. The reason you usually get only one shot with a crossbow is because the firing sound scares away all game from the area, and it also takes forever to reload. But with the compound bow, you can line up another shot if you miss the first one because it is so quiet. 

You can opt for a silencer to make your crossbow quieter, but it’s never going to be as silent as the compound bow. 

In this category, the obvious winner is the compound bow.

Cost

While high-end crossbows can be very expensive (a full $1,000 more than the most expensive compound bow I could find at the time of writing this article), the lower and middle range crossbows and compound bows cost pretty much the same. 

When you are looking at the crossbow prices, I recommend thinking about the crossbow’s  maintenance costs as well. You are going to face some extra expenses, like replacing strings, getting specialized tools, and maybe even paying for maintenance services over the course of using your crossbow. So, take a moment to think about your overall cost, including the initial purchase price and ongoing maintenance, to make sure your decision won’t break the bank in the long run.

Here’s the deal. Both the crossbow and the compound bow are great archery equipment to hunt with, but the right choice for you will really depend on your preference and situation. 

What Should You Choose?

If you ask me straight out which one is better, compound bows or crossbows, I would say there’s no right answer. The choice really depends on what you want, and you’ll have to choose the bow that can help you achieve your goals as a bowhunter. 

For example, if you are a hunter who doesn’t really care about archery much, the best choice for you would be the crossbow. The compound bow is a huge time sink,  and what’s the point of putting in that much effort if you don’t even like archery? You can do it more quickly and easily with the crossbow. But for archery hobbyists, the compound bow is a good choice. 

To make your choice easier, I’ve put together a list of my favorite compound bows and crossbows. As always, while reviews are helpful, the best way to find the right one for you is to try them out yourself before making a purchase. 

Gun University’s Picks For Crossbows and Compound Bows

Here are a few of my top choices: some are my old favorites I’ve used for a while and others are newcomers that have proved themselves. They are all good choices, but depending on your needs and preferences, some might be a better fit than the others. 

Crossbows Picks

Here are my picks for crossbows. You can read a more detailed article on them here. We also have articles for our top crossbow picks for women and for kids.

Compound Bow Selections

These are my picks for compound bows. Some of them were only released very recently, but they’ve quickly become favorites. 

Both compound bows and crossbows are fantastic archery equipment, and no matter what you pick, you can have a lot of fun hunting with them. If you are lucky enough to live in a state that allows both during the hunting season, you can even alternate between the two. At the end of the day, the most important thing is for you to enjoy your hunts. Happy hunting folks.    

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