Bows

Crossbows

Crossbows are a distinct discipline with their own specifications, safety rules and legal requirements. Articles here explain how they work, what the numbers mean, and what to consider before buying one for hunting or target shooting.

Modern compound crossbow with a scope resting on a log in autumn woodland — Photo: Crossbowproductions

Crossbows articles (23)

Top-view diagram of a crossbow with six numbered maintenance points: rail, string and cables, limbs, serving and trigger, scope mounts and cocking device

Gear

Crossbow Maintenance: A Complete Checklist

A crossbow maintenance checklist: pre-shoot inspection, waxing string and cables, rail lube, checking bolts and screws, storage and string replacement.

October 16, 2026 · 9 min read

Older hunter in camouflage aiming a scoped hunting rifle across open, brushy country

Comparisons

Bowhunting vs Rifle Hunting: Which Should You Choose?

Bowhunting vs rifle hunting compared: how each kills, effective range, seasons, skill and practice, scouting, safety, cost of entry and which suits you.

October 15, 2026 · 9 min read

A hunter in camouflage aiming a scoped modern crossbow in woodland; the crossbow shown is not a Ravin R29X

Reviews

Ravin R29X Review: Speed, Cocking and Verdict

Ravin R29X review: a 450 fps bullpup crossbow with silent crank cocking. Specs, R29 and R10X comparisons, the RDS package and who should buy it.

October 15, 2026 · 12 min read

Labelled diagram of a crossbow bolt showing the point, insert, shaft, vanes, index vane and nock, with typical length

Gear

Crossbow Bolts Explained: Length, Weight, Nocks

Crossbow bolts explained: carbon vs aluminium, length, minimum weight, front-of-centre balance, nock types, lighted nocks, inspection and how to choose.

October 13, 2026 · 10 min read

Chart comparing the effort to cock a 180 lb crossbow by hand, with a rope cocker (about half) and with a crank (about 10 percent)

Training

How to Cock a Crossbow Safely

How to cock a crossbow safely: by hand, with a rope cocker or a crank, centring the string, loading a bolt correctly, and safe ways to unload or decock.

October 13, 2026 · 9 min read

Spec card for the TenPoint Turbo X crossbow: 415 fps and 157 ft-lb with a 410-grain arrow, 9.5 in cocked width, 33.25 in length, 230 lb draw weight and 12.75 in power stroke, with a schematic top view of a forward-draw compound crossbow

Reviews

TenPoint Turbo X Review: Speed, Cocking and Verdict

TenPoint Turbo X review: 415 fps, ACUslide cocking and safe de-cocking, Outdoor Life's accuracy results, the Vision package and the Venom X compared.

October 11, 2026 · 12 min read

Black-and-white photo of a scoped hunting crossbow resting on a fallen log in a forest

Gear

Crossbow Broadheads: What's Different, How to Choose

Crossbow broadheads explained: why crossbow versions exist, fixed vs mechanical at crossbow speeds, broadhead and bolt weight, legal rules and safe handling.

October 9, 2026 · 9 min read

Bowhunter in camouflage at full draw with a compound bow among the trees of a deciduous forest

Guides

Can You Hunt Deer With a Bow? A Beginner's Guide

Yes, you can hunt deer with a bow. Learn the legal basics, which bows work, how hard it is, effective range, gear, shot placement and a first-season plan.

October 6, 2026 · 13 min read

Hunting crossbow with a camouflage stock and a telescopic scope mounted on the rail

Training

How to Sight In a Crossbow Scope, Step by Step

How to sight in a crossbow scope: safety, mounting, a 20-yard zero, multi-reticle and speed-dial scopes, broadhead checks and fixes for wandering groups.

October 6, 2026 · 9 min read

Illustrative top-view diagram of a crossbow bolt pushed by a crosswind: the bolt path curves away from the aim line and the gap widens at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards, with drift exaggerated and not to scale, plus a panel showing that a side wind matters more than a headwind or tailwind

Training

Crossbow Shooting in Wind: Drift and Holdoff

How to adjust a crossbow scope for wind: why crosswinds push bolts, what makes drift worse, holding into the wind vs dialling, and when to shorten the shot.

Updated October 7, 2026 · 4 min read

Simplified four-step diagram for checking crossbow broadheads: zero with field points of the same weight, spin-test every bolt on its tip and watch for wobble, compare broadhead and field-point groups on a target, then fix the cause and re-zero for the broadhead group, with notes from the TenPoint, Barnett and Ravin manuals

Training

Do Crossbows Need Broadhead Tuning?

How to broadhead tune a crossbow: why broadheads can hit apart from field points, the spin test, nock indexing, and when to re-zero for hunting heads.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified side-view diagram of four crossbow shooting rests: a monopod, a bipod, a tripod with a fore-end cradle and a rest fixed inside a ground blind with the limbs clear of the window, each supporting the fore-end behind the limbs, with the string path along the rail marked and a warning to keep limbs, cables and string clear of obstructions

Gear

Crossbow Shooting Sticks and Rests

Crossbow tripod, bipod, monopod or blind rest? How each one steadies a heavy crossbow, what it costs you in weight, and how to keep limbs and fingers clear.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

A modern compound crossbow with scope, cams and camouflage stock on a white background

Comparisons

Crossbow vs Compound Bow: Which Is Better for You?

Crossbow vs compound bow compared: how each works, speed and energy, weight, holding and follow-up shots, accuracy, learning curve, hunting rules and costs.

August 12, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified diagram of two lighted nock designs: a contact nock that stays off with a small gap and lights when the string drives it fully against the shaft end, and a string-activated switch nock with a piston, beside maker-listed weights of 15 to 34 grains and a pre-hunt checklist

Gear

Lighted Nocks: How They Work and Where They're Legal

Crossbow lighted nocks and lighted nocks for arrows: how they switch on, what they weigh, why to re-check your sight, and where they're legal.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified top-view diagram of a crossbow rigged for bowfishing: a heavy fibreglass bolt with a half-moon nock and barbed point, a reel on a mount below the barrel, and line running to a ring near the front of the bolt, beside AMS's crossbow kit contents and notes that Texas allows crossbows for bowfishing while Minnesota allows them only with a disability permit

Gear

Crossbow Bowfishing: Rigs, Reels and Rules

Crossbow fishing explained: how a crossbow bowfishing kit mounts a reel, why fish bolts use a ring for the line, and which states allow it.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Fifteenth-century manuscript painting of the Battle of Crécy, with crossbowmen spanning and shooting crossbows on the left and longbowmen on the right

Guides

Why Were Crossbows Banned? History and Myths

Why were crossbows banned? What the 1139 Lateran canon really said, why it named archers too, why it had little effect, and how crossbows are regulated today.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Chart of crossbow string and cable replacement guidance by maker: TenPoint every 2 years; Ravin 2 years or 400 shots (200 for R18 and R500); CenterPoint 2 years or 400 shots; Barnett at least 100 shots, often several hundred; Mission about 200 to 500 shots; plus warning signs that mean stop and see a dealer

Gear

When to Replace a Crossbow String and Cables

When to replace crossbow strings and cables: what TenPoint, Ravin, CenterPoint and Barnett recommend, how to spot serving wear, and why it's a press job.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Simplified three-step diagram of a rangefinding crossbow scope: press the range button so a laser measures angle-compensated distance to a deer, the scope lights the aim point for that distance, and auto-calibration builds aim points out to 80 yards from a 20-yard sight-in, with a bar showing ranging to 250 yards is far beyond shooting range

Gear

Rangefinding Crossbow Scopes Explained

How a crossbow scope with a built-in rangefinder works: laser ranging, speed calibration, batteries in the cold, and why legality varies by state.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

View over the scope and limbs of a modern compound crossbow aimed across open grassland

Reviews

CenterPoint Sniper Elite 385 Review: A Budget Crossbow Explained

CenterPoint Sniper Elite 385 review: 385 fps, 185 lb draw, 14-inch power stroke, 4x32 scope package, safety features, set-up, and who it suits.

Updated April 9, 2026 · 7 min read

Simplified top-view diagram of a cocked compound crossbow labelling the butt stock, safety, grip and trigger, string latch, flight deck, bolt, limbs, cams, riser and foot stirrup, with the power stroke marked between the latch and the string's resting position

Guides

How Does a Crossbow Work? Recurve, Compound, Reverse

How does a crossbow work? The parts, how the latch and trigger release the string, what the power stroke is, and how recurve, compound and reverse-draw differ.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

A line of people in medieval costume aiming wooden crossbows on an open shooting field at a festival

Guides

Is a Crossbow Considered Archery?

Is a crossbow considered archery? In some hunting laws yes, in others no, and target archery's governing body leaves it out. How each one draws the line.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Front view of a camouflage compound crossbow on a shop counter, with the draw weight printed on its limbs

Gear

Can You Adjust a Crossbow's Draw Weight?

Can you adjust draw weight on a crossbow? Usually not: most are set at the factory. Why, what makers warn against, and how cocking aids make it easier.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Two European crossbow bolts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with short wooden shafts, iron heads and two wooden flights

Guides

Bolt vs Quarrel: What Crossbow Arrows Are Called

Crossbow bolt vs quarrel: what each word means, where they come from, why makers now say 'arrow', and how medieval bolts differed from bow arrows.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

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