The Basics of Crossbow Hunting

The crossbow is an ancient weapon used for hunting since ancient Greece and ancient Rome times. This powerful weapon has some advance and distinguishing features that make them different from other weapons. Today, besides hunting crossbow has many other benefits that one can avail.

With the passage of time, many industries make advanced and upgraded crossbows in competition with each other. People usually prefer crossbows over simple bows and arrows for hunting.

If you belong to the field of hunting or you want to know the basics of crossbow hunting. Then this article will surely help you.

Things you need to know before choosing crossbows.

Before purchasing a crossbow you must get information about the crossbow. Such as crossbow types, manufacturing of crossbows, categories of arrows, etc. You must have some knowledge of hunting with a crossbow and how to use it, cock and uncocking the crossbow, rules, and regulations of ethical hunting, etc. For this, you can explore the website such as;

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Why we use crossbow hunting:

We recommend the crossbow as they are early hunting weapons and are being used by earlier professional hunters. That’s why it is more reliable than recent weapons.

Unlike compound bows, the crossbows prove to be more accurate, enhancing the chances of hitting the target on a particular organ that will surely damage the prey badly.

It is easy to use for people of every age as it is easy to cock or load. Moreover, disabled persons can also easily tackle it. Such people mostly prefer the crossbow over recurve or compound bow as they cannot equip them.

Types of crossbows:

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Before initiating crossbow hunting we must know the types of the crossbow and their distinction from each other. These include;

Recurve crossbow
Compound crossbow
Pistol crossbow

Let’s explore all of them one by one.

Recurve crossbow:

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It has fundamental parts including the stock, the string, the trigger, and the limbs.

It is the cheapest and the easiest crossbow that masters usually recommend for the armature. It includes a small curve and a strain. It also has some moving parts.

The recurve crossbow uses in competitions and for ethical hunting. As it is cheap so people usually prefer them when they purchase crossbows.

Read Related Blog Post Entry: What Can Result When Attempting To Draw Back A Bow That Has Too Much Draw Weight?

Pull the string and clamp it to the trigger. After releasing the bolt it can go at a certain distance that’s why people use it as beginners.

Compound crossbow:

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The reason behind the compound crossbow’s extreme power is its stiffness as compared to other crossbows.

It contains a mount in its center known as a riser. It is rigid in texture that protects the limbs. The material for the riser’s manufacture is magnesium and aircraft aluminum alloy. Compound crossbows contain pulleys and cams that’s why they are stiff. The benefit of these pulleys and cams is to reduce the human effort in cocking the bolt. Cams allow more energy to the bolt as the overall size and weight of a compound crossbow is less than recurve crossbow. The length of the stoke is directly proportional to the bolt’s flight. The more velocity the bolt gets if the stock is greater in size.

Using a compound crossbow is somehow more difficult than recurve bow because of the extra equipment in them.

Recurve or compound crossbow:

The most preferable among all crossbows are compound and recurve. When choosing a crossbow you must have complete knowledge of it. For this read the above description of both the crossbows.

The compound crossbow is faster than recurve but it demands much care.

Automatic crossbows:

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This crossbow is relatively easy to use as the reloading and uncocking process is simple and faster than other crossbows. Hunter uses such crossbows as a defensive weapon because the bolt gains much speed as compared to ordinary crossbows.

Users fill the magazine with bolts. So it takes less time to reload a bolt because you do not need to take a bolt from the quiver. The average time to reload a repeating or automatic crossbow is 20 seconds whereas it is much more than other crossbows that take 30 seconds to one minute.

Another key benefit of this crossbow is it hits the target with more force. Hunters recommend sticking some poison at the head of the bolt in other crossbows for instant damage or death. But automatic crossbows are much more effective without any addition of poison.

Pistol crossbows:

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If you are looking for a lightweight, easy-to-carry, and effective backup crossbow then this pistol crossbow will prove the best choice for you.

Although, it has a Short size but have sufficient power to injure any target. These are not expensive. It requires small bolts. To get more damage from these bolts you must need to buy a long shaft bolt and sharper arrowhead in this regard.

How to choose your first crossbow:

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When choosing a crossbow must be aware of its manufacturer that who manufactures this crossbow, and what is its reliability. Don’t go suddenly for advanced crossbows as they are difficult to operate. Check the draw weight of usual crossbows and buy your crossbow accordingly.

Crossbow accessories:

As new crossbows are inventing in the market day by day so their number of accessories is also increasing. You must have knowledge while picking up the accessories. Arrows are usually light in weight as compared to bow arrows. But being lighter in weight they have more chances to distract from their original positions.

You can also find optics along with other accessories for the shoot. But it has no sufficient impact on enhancing the accuracy but can prove beneficial in this regard. You can choose the type of scope you want to use for shooting.

Other accessory includes the robust sling. As crossbows are heavier in size so it is difficult to walk while carrying them on hand. To keep the crossbow in its appropriate place make sure the sling is well padded and non-slip.

To hang your crossbow with a crossbow hanger is very essential. As it is cumbersome to handle it. So having a place to put the crossbow is a good tactic.

Choosing bolts (arrows):

Different kinds of crossbows with different weights are available in the market. You must choose the suitable one. I prefer the bolt 300 to 360-grain weight as they are not too heavy to handle.

The more heavy the bolt more injury it will give to the target. But keep in mind the heavy bolt has many chances for inaccuracy due to its weight.

Broadhead style and weight matter a lot in this regard. You must use the same type of broadhead for practice as well as hunting. People usually complain that they are unable to hit the target. The reason is that they change the styles of the broadhead occasionally.

Crossbow arrow speeds:

Modern crossbow speed ranges from 265 fps to 400 fps. The faster the arrow is the more chances it will get to hit the target perfectly, making your hunting more adventurous. However, no matter how fast the arrow is, shooting a crossbow bolt beyond the limit of 40 yards seems to be unethical.

Prey such as white deer, shooting beyond 40 yards, gets maximum time to escape. And the chances of missed shot increase. Meanwhile, 20 yards distance is perfect as the deer gets no time to escape from the bolt.

Here is another important thing you must keep in mind the crossbow bolt loses its kinetic energy much faster than other bow arrows. This is because of the power stroke. The nearer the target is more chances it has to get severe damage. That’s why taking long shots is much riskier as it decreases the chances of death of animals.

Choose the right scope:

Fixed scopes are most preferable in this regard as they are by default set on the crossbow. But scopes of different ranges are also present.

If you are armature and want to start crossbow shooting. You must not exceed beyond 30 yards as the chances of inaccuracy increase as go for far crossbow shooting.

Regulations of crossbow hunting:

Before going for an adventure of hunting with a crossbow. You must make sure whether the government has banned crossbow hunting in that area or not. If you go against the law you must be fine.

For example, there are some particular areas in US and Canada that have prohibited hunting. Meanwhile, in some territories, crossbow hunting is limited to only mobility-impaired hunters.

Even there are some locations where the crossbow is an illegal weapon just like Oregon in US and Yukon in Canada.

Different methods of hunting:

According to convenience people use different methods while hunting. These include;

Ground blind method
Tree stand
Stalking

Ground Blind shot: People prefer ground blind shots as it minimizes the chances of a missed shot. It is the most comfortable and relaxing way to hunt.

Tree stand hunting: Although the method is somehow risky it is more adventurous and has the potential to make your hunting excited.

Stalking is the most challenging way to hunt with the greater chances of a missed shot. People with sufficient experience can hunt via this method.

Moreover, it is an incredible physical exercise that engages you with patience and stamina.

When you should not take a shot

If the circumstances are suitable for shooting the target then you must not take a shot. Instead of a bad shot, not to shot is much better. If you target in such circumstances you may miss the vital part of the animal in return for which animal will get an injury which you will want certainly.

So when do not squeeze the trigger?

Don’t shoot when the animal is beyond 30 yards. If you have experience in shooting then you can exceed 50 yards. Otherwise, 30 to 35 yards are much better in this regard.
Don’t hit the animal if it is in continuous movement.
If you feel that you cannot hit the animal on a vital organ such as the heart due to jumping or running. Don’t shoot at that time.
Your accuracy can be affected if there is a rainstorm or windstorm.

Challenges in crossbow hunting:

A crossbow hunter whether he is armature or master. He must face difficulties. Here are some of them;

You must have mastery in crossbow shooting before attempting to use a crossbow for hunting. To achieve this, you need commitment, practice, and the ability to judge distance.
Comparing crossbows to traditional bows or weapons, crossbows are larger, heavier, and more cumbersome to move.
Compared to rifle hunting, crossbow hunting is conducted at much closer ranges. Therefore, getting into position to make the shot frequently needs more stealth and pure effort.
Different safety issues apply to crossbows than to guns or bows. A crossbow that is primed but not loaded with arrows, for instance, can nevertheless inflict great harm if it is accidentally fired.
A crossbow hunter cannot fire a follow-up shot as quickly as a bow hunter because of the way crossbows are built.

Some rules for protection:

Your safety must be your first preference. Here are some safety rules;

Always place the loaded arrow and crossbow in a secure area.
To shoot safely must load a single arrow at one time.
Only touch the trigger when you feel that you are ready to shoot.
Be certain of your objective, as well as what is directly in front of, behind, and beyond it.
To ensure that when you shoot, the crossbow’s limbs won’t hit any blind windows, tree limbs, or other objects, check their flight path.
Shoot only in a secure range or shooting place with a secure backstop or backdrop.
Dry-firing must be avoided in this regard(pulling the trigger without a loaded arrow). It could hurt the shooter and seriously harm the crossbow.
Don’t shoot the arrow straight in the air.

Wrap-up:

wrapping up the whole discussion, before going for crossbow hunting you must aware of the following basics of crossbow shooting. Moreover, you must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of crossbow hunting. You should also give sufficient time practicing the crossbow if you want mastery in this field.