Sooner or later, people interested in archery want an answer to this question. 

Are Compound Bows Illegal? 

Whether it's simply because you want to practice with the same instrument every time, for competition purposes or because you're interested in bow hunting, people often get to a point where they want ownership of their equipment.

Compound bows are especially great for those of us who take the sport more seriously, but their power may also raise legal concerns. For instance, you may know that crossbows, swords (etc) are prohibited and can only be purchased if you have the right papers.

Compound bows have generally been on the looser end of weapon restrictions in Australia, but media coverage of this issue in the past two years seem to have led people to wonder if anything's changed.

The first thing to keep in mind is that laws do vary depending on the territory you are in, so are compound bows illegal in your territory?

Well, to start off, please note that this doesn't constitute as legal advise. To our knowledge, and at this time, the following info is what you can expect. However, laws may change so it's always best to consult you're territory's own legislature before you can be definitively certain of the facts.

With that said, here's what you need to know:

1. About legality

To our knowledge, buying and owning a compound bow is currently legal in Australia. People may use them within the confines of the laws governing their state, but keep in mind that you must also respect the laws related to carrying and the transportation of your bow in your state.

While owning and using a compound bow is legal, any unlawful consequence of its use will obviously still constitute an offence. The owner is responsible for using his archery kit with caution and any damage caused to people, animals or property will be charged according to the gravity and circumstances of their offence.

2. The responsibility that comes with owning and using a compound bow

To give you an example, the main reason why the use of compound bows has been fostering negative media attention in recent years is due to bow and arrow attacks on wildlife that have been going up. People are show growing concern over the effect that unrestricted bow use is having on wildlife. It's still important to keep in mind that this concern doesn't reflect so much over the issue of compound bow ownership, but how they may be used.

Professional hunters believe that this growing concern is not happening because of the sport itself, or because of the laws regarding ownership of different types of bows, but only because of a small number of amateurs who aren't respecting the rules or don't know what they're doing.

In order to ensure the continued legality of owning and using compound bows for sport, it's our responsibility to do so according to the law. Now, archery sets can currently still be used for hunting purposes. If that's your goal, however, make sure you first research the topic and learn how to properly use your bow for that purpose. This will help you avoid incidents that may cause concern for others.