“Which safety guideline for using bows is unique to the crossbow”... When you’re shooting, never ever let your fingers or your thumb on your foregrip hand, move above the flight deck, inside the cables or release path of the bowstring.
You will find that you feel quite at home even when you first start using one simply because it’s not a drama learning how to shoot.
You can become quite good at shooting and in relatively short period of time.
This means that even if you’re a ‘crossbow beginner’ you’ll feel capable and confident quite quickly after a handfull of shots.
Regardless of what you’re planning to do with your crossbow, be it target shooting or hunting in the wild, it’s important that you read and clearly understand the safety information we have laid out for you.
Crossbows have little to no recoil and, when compared to a firearm, they’re nearly silent when fired. This makes them very enjoying to shoot.
Modern crossbows are far lighter and beautifully balanced so users of any age or weight will feel relaxed when using them.
There’s no doubt they’re a super cool piece of equipment indeed.
Archers need to be aware that the benefits outlined above can result in their senses being ‘dulled’ and their awareness level not as good as it should be
Most regard crossbows as being very safe, and they are, but it is still a weapon and if it’s not treated as such serious consequences may result.,
More Safety Tips for Crossbow Users...
12 more safety tips that you need to know regardless of which bow you have ~
- Make sure you’re wearing safety glasses when you’re putting your crossbow together, cocking it, loading it or shooting it.
- Never load a crossbow until you’re ready to release.
- Be absolutely certain that what you see is your target, the lack of light or shade can play tricks on our vision. Never shoot if you think you can see the target or you see something move.
- Conduct your target practice in broad daylight in an open, cleared area free of any people or pets.
- When you’re conducting target practice, never point a loaded crossbow at anything but your target. When talking with someone be sure never to point your crossbow toward them.
- Have a good look around before you start practicing to ensure there are no obstructions such as tree branches that your crossbow limbs may hit.
- Not until you are good and ready to release should your bow status change from safety to fire.
- Keep your finger well away from the trigger until you’re absolutely sure that you’re ready to shoot.
- Extra care should be taken if you standing with or around other people to ensure they are all standing well behind you. If your crossbow dry fires or breaks a string, fragments may fly in every direction.
- If you’re using a treestand always cock your crossbow prior to mounting a treestand.
- When treestand hunting, a full-body harness and safety rope should be used on every occasion.
- Lift up and let down your cocked, but not loaded, crossbow with a rope and have the forward end of the bow facing down.
If you’re new to archery then I would suggest you start looking in the ‘best crossbow for beginner’ section of any archery shop so you don’t end up buying something that’s not suitable for you.
Invest the time and do your research so you find the right crossbow for your requirements, then make yourself familiar with the safety features that it has.
This will result in your experience being for more enjoyable and you’ll keep yourself and those around you much safer, which is a really good thing.
Crossbow Q&A's
“How do you know the minimum arrow size that can be shot from your crossbow?”
Best place to find that is in your owner’s manual. There you will find the minimum size, weight, and length of an arrow that your crossbow can safely shoot. Don’t ever use an arrow that doesn’t match the manufacturer’s suggestion.
“How far can a crossbow shoot accurately?”
Would you believe that 680 yards (621 meters) is the longest distance that a crossbow has shot an arrow. Although this is a fact, if you can shoot accurately up to around 150 yards (137 meters) you will most certainly be the local star.
“How long can I leave a crossbow cocked?”
This is an issue you need to make yourself aware of. Keeping your crossbow cocked whilst you are on the hunt is fine however the majority of highly experienced archers would say that, after about 4 or 5 hours, it’s best to ‘let the bow down’.
Then, kick back and relax for 30 minutes or so before you cock it again.
“Can a crossbow kill you?”
The short answer is yes!
An 80 pound bow using a hunting broadhead arrow can easily kill a deer so it would be just as easy to kill a human.
Hence the story that crossbows were originally banned for use during warfare simply because they were able to effortlessly kill knights who were fully armoured and had been training for warfare since they were born only to be easily killed by a lowly farmhand.
“Can felons have crossbows?”
In the United States a felon cannot use, own or have a crossbow. That said, a crossbow is NOT a firearm but it is considered a weapon.
Many States prohibit the use of crossbows for hunting. in some states a crossbow license is not required but a hunting license is. In others, a crossbow license is required. It’s somewhat confusing and it’s best if you contact your local authorities for the correct information.
“Can a crossbow shoot farther than a conventional bow?”
A crossbow shoots further than a recurve bow and a compound bow.
A compound bow is capable of shooting up to 330 yards or 301 meters. A recurve bow is capable of shooting up to around 400 yards or 365 meters, however you will more than likely not hit your target at that range.
A modern crossbow is capable of shooting up to whopping 500 yards or 457 meters. Generally Compound Bows have a draw weights under half of a crossbow.
A 70 pound compound bow is quicker and releases with more power than a 150 pound crossbow.
The draw weight of a typical crossbow is as high as 150 pounds and it needs this amount of power to generate the speed and energy because, at only 14 inches, the power stroke of a crossbow is significantly shorter than a compound bow.
A well pulled longbow has by far the better range. As mentioned crossbows are better for the untrained. I have shot both and found long bow to be faster, longer and more accurate.
“What is an advantage of hunting with a crossbow?”
Crossbows, recurve bows and compound bows are all seriously impressive hunting machines. The hunting advantage goes with to the Crossbow as it will generate faster arrow speeds and higher kinetic energy than a compound bow.
Why do many hunters choose a recurve crossbow instead of a compound crossbow?
Hard to say really, it becomes a very personal thin. Quiet, lightweight and easily managed, the recurve crossbow is totally suited for hunting.
The most powerful crossbow is the Compound crossbow which can fire a crossbow bolt at a far greater speed than a recurve is capable of. Last but not least is the pistol crossbow, this option is the smallest and less powerful of the three so it’s not really comparable to the others.
Do Crossbows Have Recoil?
The short answer is yes, technically they do but not enough to concern yourself about. There are archers that think crossbows have a recoil however some archers claim that they do not.
Maybe the best way to find out is to try yourself!
Crossbows have a lot of power, but with that power comes a bit of recoil. The different levels of crossbow recoil from different companies is quite noticeable. We decided to do some research, and we found that some crossbows have up to 120% more recoil than others.
You should try various types and brands of crossbows before you invest in one. This way, you will find out which one gives you the accuracy that you need on the target range as well as the level of recoil, if any.
Also, by trying the different brands of crossbows yourself, you’ll be able to find out which one gives you comfort while shooting, that is, which one has the least amount of recoil.
In addition, when shopping for a crossbow if you are right handed, look for a model that can be drawn on the left side of the body so that it can be used with ease as compared to a crossbow that can only be drawn on the right side of the body.
To determine whether you need a crossbow or a regular bow, you need to determine what style of hunting you are planning to engage in. For hunting land animals, you can use a bow while for hunting water animals, it’s best to go for a crossbow since it can be fired underwater.
Another key aspect that you need to look at when you are going to buy a crossbow is that the crossbow should be able to shoot at a regular frequency. A good crossbow for example can shoot up to 3 arrows per minute and more or less recoil would have an affect on this rate.
Can Crossbows Pierce Plate Armor?
The very definition of crossbows that were used in medieval times, or several centuries ago, are different from the more advanced crossbows being used even today.
Crossbows can pierce armor that is made of steel if it’s not thick enough for it to be considered heavy plate armor. The reason for this is that crossbows can shoot an arrow with much more force than a normal bow. This means that the arrow can easily go through armor that it would be nearly impossible for a normal bow to pierce.
That being said, there still are factors such as how far the crossbow was when the arrow was fired, the thickness of said plate, if it was worn on a person or flat against a wall, etc.
The crossbow was developed in China around 500 BC. The Chinese would modify the design of the crossbow frequently, as improvements were made. The crossbow spread to Europe, and became one of the most deadly weapons in Medieval Europe, until it was replaced by the musket.
Why Are Crossbow Arrows Called Bolts?
There are archers that refer to them as arrows and there are others that refer to them as bolts.
Let’s find out what they’re really called, or more to the point, what they should be called.
The Sportsman’s Guide says that majority of crossbow manufacturers readily agree that the modern crossbow actually shoots arrows and not bolts.
If these guys have got their act together and agreed to refer to them as arrows, why can’t we?
The short answer is… we are all correct but, the term bolt must only be spoken when speaking about crossbow. Lightning will strike you dead if you mention it in the same conversation as a traditional or regular bow.
For the perfectionists a bolt does not have any fletching at the rear end of it whereas an arrow does.
It’s all a bit silly really, we all know that when someone is talking about arrows or bolts, they are talking about the same thing.