Hi there
I'm a bit late to the table with this but here's my input for what it's worth. Crossbows like muzzleloaders are an enthusiasts choice. Both are single shot, have limitations and have seen an increase in popularity. In Southern Ontario I believe that the increase in popularity is due to the ability to increase the length of our hunting season.
Like most things the human condition is such that we want bigger, better, faster and easier. To accommodate this we have numerous companies feeding that need and telling us we need to have extra fps / draw weight / muzzle velocity etc.
I believe that sometimes simple is best. I have recurve bows, compound bows, crossbows and muzzleloaders. My crossbow is an Excaliber Matrix / Phoenix with 175lb draw strain producing 305fps. It's a bit cumbersome being a recurve but I believe much better than a lot of the newer bows on the market. Why? The answer is simple. Recurve = less part to wear out and Excalibur still produce spares for all of their bows. If I bust a limb I can simply order a new pair and if it has failed due to the product they replace on their dime.
I have a muzzleloader, a Knight disc Extreme in .45. I chose the Knight because after all of the years in production I can still by parts. That in itself is huge. A lot of the latest, biggest & fastest equipment out there becomes redundant very quickly. Try buying spares for a lot of compound crossbows especially the ones that aren't produced in North America.
I think that the reason I enjoy what I have so much is that I know and am happy with the limitations of both myself & my equipment. I'm not good enough to take that 250yd shot with the ML or a 50yd shot with the crossbow. Bring it in a little closer and my old equipment nails it every time.
One last thing. I don't think anyone has the right to criticize a hunter, able bodied or not for their choice of bow or gun. If your choice enables you to shoot and harvest ethically when otherwise it would not be possible then that's what we should be aiming for (excuse the pun)
Off my soapbox now. Apologies for the length of the post. Hope I didn't send you all to sleep.