A Beginner's Guide to Crossbows

Crossbows were invented about 2,500 years ago as a weapon of war. Basically, a crossbow is a bow positioned on a stock with a rail guide, a bow-string hold, a trigger mechanism and sight pins. There are a few different types of crossbows. The bow of a crossbow is generally much shorter than that of a standard bow, so the draw weight must be much higher to attain the same projectile force, but it is comparatively easy to keep a crossbow cocked so it can be fired more quickly and accurately. Types of Crossbows There are basically three types of crossbows have been used throughout the ages. There is the compound crossbow. recurve Crossbow and the pistol crossbow. A compound bow is a modern bow that has a levering system, such as cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs. The recurve crossbow is a more traditional style crossbow resembling that of a recurve archery bow. It uses two solid limbs that are attached to the stock of the crossbow. The limbs sweep back and forward at the tips where the string is attached, which provides the crossbow with its potential energy. Pistol crossbows are either recurve or compound crossbows but substantially smaller. They can have the same draw weight as their larger counterparts or far less. Pistol crossbows are, for the most part, used for small game. [caption id="attachment_1173" align="aligncenter" width="269"] Spider 150 lbs Camo Compound Hunting Crossbow[/caption] The primary difference stems from the draw weight of the bow. Lighter-draw-weight crossbows are fitted with a stirrup at the firing end of the stock. To cock the crossbow, you place a foot in the stirrup, hook a draw cord from a belt to the bow string and straighten your leg, which pulls the string back to the catch. The second variety are the high draw weight compound & recurve crossbows\, so they requires the use of a crossbow crank cocking device to generate sufficient force to draw the string. The most powerful varieties use a crank-and-pulley cocking system to draw the string to a cocked position. Modern Crossbows [caption id="attachment_1146" align="aligncenter" width="236"] Spider 80 lb Aluminum Self Cocking Pistol Crossbow Package[/caption] Developments in technology have resulted in high-power crossbows that can propel a crossbow bolt at velocities of over 300 feet per second. Modern crossbows are constructed with a high-tension spring steel alloy bow that uses a pulley system to decrease the draw weight when cocking, making it easier to cock while increasing the velocity of the crossbow bolt. Primary considerations when shopping for a crossbow consists of ease of cocking the crossbow, the feet per second of the arrow, overall weight and the sighting mechanisms (pin sight, red dot sight or reticulated scope).