nasty neighbour with a crossbow!

[blooregard]

"Not a crossbow, a proper bow"....good old bow snobbery in full effect as usual.....

Crossbows are still used by many armies across the world for various reasons, I don't get why archers are so down on them. I've got an Armex Titan(200lb draw, claimed 380fps) and use it safely in my garden using a Third Hand Rag Bag as a target. I'd argue crossbows are more safe than the average PROPER bow....my neighbour has a recurve bow and has done archery for years, he can't hit 2" groupings at 40yards. I can....
(Ah, that's why archers are probably down on them...I can consistently achieve the same results with a £245 kit that an archer would need to spend a grand on, like a Hoyt?)

Not snobbery dude, sorry if it came across that way.

Using a bow properly takes skill, strength, patience and practice, using a crossbow properly can be picked up in no time. When it comes to safety, a proper bow cannot be discharged negligently and you cannot walk around with it at full draw.
As for accuracy, most accomplished archers I know can put in a sub 2" group in at 40 yards with no trouble with a recurve or compound, to be fair 40 yards is very close for most archers, I would be using 3 spot targets at anything less to avoid damaging my arrows.

I own a couple of Hoyts (Rampage XT and an Eclipse), however I also shoot a Samick SHB and a Bear Charge, both come in at under £245. I'm certainy not a snob with my archery kit, a crossbow however is a far inferior machine, finite accuracy, never as powerful or as efficient and far less skill required.

EDIT : Good call on the Bolts, most people still call them this but Bolts and Quarrels are almost unobtainable nowadays, I have certainly only ever seen short arrows sold as "bolts".