The type of weapon that a hunter uses is one of the biggest factors that influences the way they act when hunting deer.
They are two completely different weapons; both have their own advantages and disadvantages. The question then is, which weapon should you use while hunting? This article will discuss the differences between the two.
Range
Rifle
It should come as no surprise that a firearm easily bests a bow in the range category. A hunting rifle typically has a range of about 50 to 300 yards, but a very skilled hunter with good equipment and conditions can reach even as far as 1 kilometer for a shot!
Bow
In comparison, bows only have a reach of around 10 to 50 yards. Unlike rifles which rely on their own inner workings to propel its ammunition forward, bow ammunition relies on your own hand to send it as far as it can, and unfortunately, human strength is just too limited in comparison.
Precision needed
Rifle
In terms of accuracy, rifles also win out here, as you simply need to aim your crosshair properly at a vital spot of the deer that you wish to shoot and pull the trigger. This applies to most targets that are 200 yards and below away.
While it certainly takes time to perfect and have a steady aim, you won’t have to worry as much about how your bullet is going to connect, so long as you can see your target in your crosshair. Not only that, a shot that does not hit a vital spot but still hits can cause massive damage, and may even immobilize or stun your target, potentially giving you a chance for another shot.
Bow
Bows do not fare too well in this regard, as like with range, a bow’s precision depends on the strength of the human aiming the bow, which is limiting in comparison to that of a rifle. A bow’s arrows will need to arc properly to its target, while a rifle’s bullets can fly in a seemingly straight line for a while before it starts dipping to the ground, although it’s more likely to hit a wall of some kind before doing so.
In addition, external factors such as wind and even temperature may affect the bow wielder. Strong winds may affect arrow direction, while cold temperature might decrease gripping strength of the bow user.
Noise
Rifle
A hunting rifle is very noisy! You won’t be able to do much to reduce your sound there either, as you will be limited to using suppressors. Contrary to popular belief and Hollywood movies, silencers do not actually silence your gun.
They reduce the sound emitted, yes, but they are still loud enough that the deer you just shot at and any nearby deer will likely have heard it and will have jumped off. And even then, being able to use a silencer while hunting depends on whether they are legal to purchase and use for hunting where you live.
Still, this does not mean you should write them off completely; a suppressor can stop a bad shot from having worse effects, as the sound will be reduced to not scare off as many deer in the area as it would without one. You will also be doing your ears a favor here.
Bow
Bows, on the other hand, are completely silent in every way. Whether it’s aiming or shooting, the noise that a bow makes is absolutely minimal and even has a high chance of not scaring your target away even if you miss your first shot.
You will likely only have one shot for your rifle, as you will likely be spooking the deer you are aiming it. That means you will have to go all in with it. In comparison, you might still be able to attempt another shot if you use a bow to hunt your target.
That means that you can take advantage of this silence to camouflage and sneak around to get as close as possible to your target before shooting them.
Skill requirement
Rifle
A lot of knowledge that you will need when using your rifle comes from handling your gun effectively, maintaining it, and aiming with it when the proper time comes.
If you are a rifle user, you will most likely be sitting on a tree stand and waiting for a deer or two to approach before firing away. It takes time, but eventually your accuracy will greatly increase, and you will be able to bag a lot of bucks.
Bow
Bow hunting requires a very high skill level to be successful as you will have to constantly be on the move, thanks to the limited range of your weapon. You will also need to practice calling and camouflage tactics.
Plus, your bow relies on you and your form, which might not be consistent depending on your terrain. In addition, bad weather conditions or wind can be a massive detriment, especially to the unprepared hunter.
It might also become quite frustrating for a deer that is within your sights to suddenly start prancing away and successfully escape through no fault of your own, even when you followed proper procedures of silently approaching it.
This, however, also goes both ways. Hunters that enjoy moving and going to the animals they are hunting for instead of the other way around find bow hunting appealing as it challenges their motor skills and forces them to be active on the hunt.
Success rate
Rifle
With enough practice in steady aiming and accuracy, a rifle hunter will almost always be able to go home with a deer in hand. It’s not a simple endeavor, but it might seem like it in comparison to bow hunting, thanks to the ease and generally lax way of hunting that rifle hunters are able to afford.
Bow
It is not uncommon for bow hunters to find themselves in hunts where they are unable to get anything. Even skilled bow hunters may find themselves returning home empty-handed.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, both types of hunting weapons appeal to different types of people. If you are someone who prefers a more passive approach to hunting and prefers having results shown for their efforts, a rifle would be a good choice.
On the other hand, for people who enjoy the thrill of going out and about and being part of nature while not caring too much about whether or not they get a kill, a bow might be more suitable for them.
Though, it is also not a bad idea if you decide to go for both… They work in different situations, after all.