>>452672Cold weather is one reason that I will swap from bow to crossbow. I've only done archery for a year, and while I am pretty good I am not as practiced when wearing the bulk of cold-weather layering. So when the temps dip enough I will take my crossbow instead of my bow.
I also took it earlier in the season because I was working through a bout of target panic because I couldn't figure out why my groups had opened up. Turned out I had started putting more weight on my heels, causing me to lean back and causing left errors. Shifting to correct caused right errors. Most shots were still within an acceptable kill zone, but I'm kind of OCD about accuracy. I'm not feeling good if I'm not practically touching arrows at 30 yards.
Crossbows are also a great step for new hunters who do not have the time or space to practice a lot. I'm lucky in that I can practice almost daily behind my house at about 40 yards. If I was elsewhere in my neighborhood I'd be limited to a small back yard that may cap out at 20 yards for a clear shot in a direction that wouldn't put a catastrophic miss in someone else's yard. A crossbow requires similar demands for bowhunting - most notably a similar range to bows - while not requiring as much dedicated practice to become very accurate.
The one thing I don't like with them is their off-hand accuracy becomes trickier for standing shots. With a rifle I can use a nearby tree or branch as a rest for a standing shot. A crossbow requires clearance for the limbs to move without hitting something. A bow, by comparison, is almost ideally shot from a standing position so it's better suited for impromptu shots when traveling or stalking.
