The debate on which weapon is better the bow or the crossbow and vice versa, has been going on since the time that these two weapons were used in the forests, and battlefields of our ancestors up until the present. The bow is essentially older but in terms of the ability to hurt and maim, both these weapons are essentially the same. So why debate on which is better if they are essentially the same and use practically similar concepts to function? Well, the debate probably stemmed on which is more practical to use. The thing is, this could be answered in a million different ways without necessarily giving overall advantage to one type of weapon. Why?
Think of this situation as like a comparison between oranges and apples. Some people like apples, and some like oranges. However, it doesn’t follow that if you like oranges you don’t like apples. So where do we start the comparisons between these two kinds of weapons?
We’ll start with the bow. What are the advantages of using this weapon? And if this were used in the hunt how effective would it be in knocking down the target? To state frankly, the bow is an extremely powerful weapon that is capable of helping you hit your target from extremely long distances. One thing going for the bow is the range with which its arrows would be effective. In comparison, its younger sibling also has decent range but is actually more effective at shorter distances. The efficacy of the bow however is directly dependent on the skill of the bowman, and this is the glaring disparity that it has with its less skill-dependent sibling. Additionally, it is a lot less complicated to operate a crossbow than to notch, aim, and shoot with an arrow. Ultimately, this discussion between which weapon is better would boil down to skill level and preferences.
Not a lot of people know how to use a bow and arrow, and although it is quite easy to learn how to use it, it is also another matter altogether if anyone wants to be good at it. The other weapon however, can be quite a breeze to use. The quarrel just needs to be fitted or notched to the weapon and in no time at all you’ll be ready to use it to hunt for your favorite game. So to sum it all up, bows are for experts and crossbows are for everyone.