What You Learned

The crossbow is a short-range hunting tool. It is a bow with a rifle-like stock that shoots shorter arrows. To produce the same arrow speeds as a conventional compound bow, a crossbow must have more than twice the draw weight of a compound bow and must have much heavier limbs.

Before using a crossbow, you should become familiar with its parts. The most common types of crossbows are recurve and compound.

A crossbow arrow (bolt) must meet the specific arrow size requirements for your crossbow. The minimum arrow size, weight, and length are given in the crossbow’s owner’s manual. The broadhead arrow point should weigh 90 to 125 grains.

Although a crossbow can be cocked manually, an increase in crossbow draw weights has made the need for cocking aids more important. Two of the most common types of cocking devices are the cocking harness and the hand crank. To uncock a cocked crossbow, it is recommended that you shoot an arrow into a safe backstop.

Other accessories for crossbows include quivers and sight systems. Three types of sight systems are the red dot, scope, and peep/pin.