Every year after the first few weeks of archery deer season, there are broken crossbows in the back room of Archery County’s archery shop in Waite Park, Minnesota.
Hunters leave them for repairs – broken cams, cables, strings and limbs. Many are nervous, believing they have a product that will withstand normal wear and tear.
Brandon Looman, Archery County manager, said he’s seen more of that in October than in years past, a side effect of more people using crossbows for the first time after a fresh law allowed all hunters to operate them throughout Minnesota’s archery season.
“Your jaw would probably drop to the floor if you saw how many shot crossbows we have in the back,” Looman said. “You can go online and read the reviews and see guys complaining that, ‘This thing isn’t durable. It blew up on me.’”
He attributes at least 90% of crossbow failures to user error. However, most users are unaware that they have broken something.
They think the crossbow is just broken.
Important factors to implement
There are many factors to consider when purchasing a crossbow. Cost, feel, and fit of the bow are critical, but so is the basic understanding that these are powerful tools.
Almost every manufacturer sells crossbows that shoot bolts at speeds of over 400 feet per second, with some even reaching 500 feet per second.
Compound bow users can shoot thousands of arrows before needing to replace strings and cables. But that’s not the case with crossbows, because of the energy they store at full draw and the power of each shot.
“The most important thing you can do is follow the instructions in your owner’s manual for changing your bowstring and lines, and you’ll have no problems,” said Dave Bakken, vice president of archery sales for Velocity Outdoor, which represents Ravin’s Crossbows AND CenterPoint Archery“Especially with these higher-end spearguns, you’re making a big investment. There’s a maintenance factor that people need to be aware of, but ultimately it pays off big time when you take care of your gear like you take care of everything else.”
Take string and cable replacement seriously
Looman said the most common mistake crossbow hunters make that causes them problems is failing to change their strings and lines regularly.
“A crossbow string will break,” he said. “When it breaks, you have broken limbs; you may have broken cams. We recommend replacing these strings after two seasons of use.”
Bakken also recommends replacing strings and cables every few years.
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Crossbow users need to consider more than just the number of shots. Hunters who are in the woods at every opportunity should carefully inspect their bowstrings and cables after each season.
“If you draw a bow and hunt with it for six, seven hours and then cock it or shoot a bolt, that’s probably the equivalent of 10 to 20 shots that day,” Bakken said of a bow at full draw. “It’s hard to say exactly what that is, but the weight on the bow over that time period — that’s the number of shots. That’s why we say every two years, whether it’s 400 shots or not, because the bow has been under some stress.”
Match the screws to your arch
The second most common mistake Looman sees is hunters using the wrong bolts or those with the wrong nocks for their crossbow.
“With the Ravin, the arrow snaps onto the string like a compound bow. With all other crossbows, the nock just slides (on the string),” Looman said. “If you use the wrong arrow, you run the risk of the string jumping over or under the nock and unknowingly dry-firing the bow. Then it explodes.”
Understanding these basic principles of using a crossbow will go a long way in helping you acquire a precise tool that will serve you for a long time in the woods.
Match your crossbow to your hunting style
Much like buying a vertical bow, it’s critical to find a crossbow that fits you, both in terms of its physical attributes and how you plan to hunt with it.
The dimensions of a bow—the width from axis to axis, as well as the length and weight—affect where the bow sits and how it feels when aiming.
“I always encourage people to try them,” Bakken said. “Crossbows are a little different than compound. I don’t know if you have to test every single one, but holding them in your hand to get a feel for the comfort and make sure it’s what you’re looking for is good.”
Are you someone who is used to hunting with a rifle? Maybe a slightly longer crossbow that replicates the feel of a rifle would be right up your alley. If you hunt in tight spots, a shorter, narrower arc from axis to axis may be critical.
Do you plan to hunt from the ground and operate a shooting aid, such as a tripod? In that case, the weight and balance point of the bow may not be as critical as it would be for a hunter who plans to operate the crossbow freehand and walk deep into the property.
“In our set we have a bow that can be folded and unfolded, R-18 This is huge for fresh saddle hunters because they can push it for miles on public land,” Bakken said. “It’s 25 inches long overall. There are a lot of different ways to do it, depending on what your needs are.”
What are you paying for?
The prices customers pay for crossbows vary, from about $200 for the cheapest one to almost $5,000 for a top-of-the-range model.
Each one is available as a kit with all the accessories you need to hunt. The higher the price, the better the features and overall parts you will get in the crossbow itself and the accessories that are part of the kit.
“It’s the performance, the accuracy — all of those things are built into a higher-end crossbow,” Bakken said. “It’s no different than anything else. You can get $2,000 rifles or $200 rifles. ‘You get what you pay for’ is definitely true, but that said, we’re starting to see some really great crossbows in the $599 to $799 price range that are feature-rich.”
Some people need a draw device to aid them fully draw their bow due to strength limitations. Built-in draw devices that allow the hunter to draw and undraw the arrow at the end of the day without firing the trigger lock are included in many high-end bows. Greater trigger control and better optics are also areas where the higher price tag is noticeable.
“The scope attracts more light; it looks clearer,” Looman said. “The higher-end scopes have speed dial systems. We match the speed dial to the arc speed, and then it calculates automatically, so when we zero in at 20, your 30, 40, 50, etc. are on.”
These types of features can be critical to a hunter who spends a lot of time hunting food plots, where a long range and rapid bow mean a flatter, more exact shot at a slightly longer distance. Someone hunting in the denser cover of safety, where shots are out to 30 yards and in, may not need all the bells and whistles.
You know your hunting style better than anyone else. Matching that hunting style to the right crossbow will go a long way toward getting the best experience from your purchase.
