I have seen plenty of archers who didn't make for good bowhunters. They had the weapon...the accessories...the look. Some shot well in practice settings and some did not. All called themselves bowhunters (and maybe so) but that didn't mean they were good at it. There are few things that make me nuttier than a guy who wants to bowhunt but keeps wounding and losing a significant percentage of animals he shoots. From a selfbow to a Star Wars compound crossbow, I've seen all their users bungle shots and blame most everything for it...except the obvious cause which has its roots in the man gripping the weapon.
Let's get one thing straight: A naked compound bow is not more accurate than a conventional bow like a longbow or recurve. They are all devices which propel arrows and nothing more. In a mechanical shooting machine, a bare longbow will produce accuracy equal to a bare compound. Both bows are capable of extremely good accuracy, or terrible accuracy depending on who is using it. The difference is that a compound (and related accessories) offers many shooting advantages to the user. Each of those advantages is designed to overcome some human limitation and make it easier to achieve accuracy. Let-off, lasers, fiber optic sights, total-clearance arrow rests, trigger releases, stabilizers....and a host of many other things promote greater accuracy with less human effort. I'm not saying it takes little or NO effort; but certainly it takes much less effort to be dependably accurate with a compound bow than a longbow. With these advantages incorporated, a compound is a very appealing choice for guys who want accuracy but doubt they can get it from a longbow or recurve.
What is acceptable accuracy when hunting? A paper plate at 10 yards....80 yards....something other? What do you tell a guy who can't hit a grapefruit at ten yards with friends watching, but shoots rabbits in the eye with his stickbow? If a guy can drill a Ping-Pong ball at 20 yards with his compound, is he accurate? What if he has hit and lost multiple deer from 5 to 30 yards out...not accurate? Does one bow ensure accuracy while another precludes it? Of course not! Acceptable hunting accuracy is really found in the combination of man + weapon + correct practice + experience + dedication. If you cheapen any of those factors you'll give up accuracy under hunting conditions. In the end, I will have ultimate respect for the guy who wounds fewer animals and does so by being the best hunter/predator he can be. He'll probably show a commitment to eliminate variables and unnecessary hardware. He will spend more time developing his personal skills and abilities, PLUS he will give accuracy its just due. He won't be a slave to accuracy though, and will know how to balance it with the other things that make him a good hunter.
I like owning the kinds of tools you can't just buy. Honestly too, I like my shots close where pinpoint accuracy is of no real concern to me. I measure my accuracy by dead animals and not arrow groups.
