as the season draws near, I am getting hassled by my buddies.

[ChuckC]

Ya know. . .  good points.  We try to teach that in bowhunter education classes.  

When you are going to be shooting at a critter, you have certain obligations ( whatever they are FOR YOU).  

For me, one is that I have a reasonable chance of actually hitting it well enough to kill it.  For Me That means, if the world record deer saunters past at a distance, maybe 25 yards or so, I probably won't shoot it.  

But I WILL ALWAYS remember it.  

As you increase the ability of your equipment, you obviously increase that distance.  This is probably the main reason many folks go to the machines in the first place.  

Why limit yourself to 20 yards (or 40 yards diameter circle) , when you can cover half the woodlot, or the entire ridge, or the entire ditch, or half the field of apple trees etc using a well apportioned compound or cross bow.  

And of course, quadruple that when you chose a .270 or .300 Win Mag.  

Why ?   That's the part about your choice.  About what the whole game means to you. About the feel aspect of this whole thing.  That's the part where you say to your friends " if you gotta ask, you wouldn't understand".

Go get em Tiger.
ChuckC

[md126]

Who cares what they think or say. You can't control that so do what  you want and they can do whatever they want. Find new "buddies" to hunt/shoot with if it bothers you that much. Confidence is key and they aren't helping.

Btw, lots of people on here make this a compound vs Trad thing and use a very broad brush.

some of the best and most ethical hunters I know shoot wheels and they've never been negative towards me or my equipment

[Mudd]

Don't let anyone get under your skin except those who love and support you.

I wish I could convey the "pride" I felt for a group of "Trad shooters" I was blessed to share a pheasant hunt with when the "dog handlers" announced that our group took more pheasants and quail with our equipment than the last group of hunters they took out to hunt with their shotguns.

It's about the dedication to our sport that makes it what it is.

God bless,Mudd

[Gehrke145]

I don't think I'd have anyone to shoot with if I tried to get away from the BS talk.  I don't shoot with any other trad shooters and also shoot a compound.  You really can't compare accuracy out of a stick versus a compound, it would like be comparing a rifle to a compound.

[YORNOC]

For some dumb reason, "friends"(not all, but some) often try and mess with your head instead of supporting you. Better to put failure in your head than talk you into feeling good about your shooting. Then whenever you are around them, you don't always shoot to your real ability, because they are all around you and in your head making you nervous.
Used to happen to me in our 3D group.
Funny though, at the end of hunting season I usually had game down, while there were stories lots of misses or non recovery from the group.
When you are shooting alone, that is usually how you will shoot while hunting.
Laugh with them, let them talk. Then show them your antlers and see how fast the negative talk stops and turns to the next unfortunate target.
Then help that guy.

[stickandstring]

"When your alone, that is usually how you will shoot while hunting" Words so true.

Know your limitations and discipline yourself to only take shots within that distance.

[VA Elite]

I have practiced a lot over the past 6 months or so. I just pray that if the chance comes along even at my limited shot distance that I make a clean kill or at the very least a clean miss.