When you first start out hunting with a modern crossbow, you’ll love the simplicity and rapid fire of the trigger. However, these archery weapons can get confusing quickly. Many have very intricate parts that need to be maintained and used properly to be effective in the field.
Some questions you may have at the start of your crossbow hunting journey include:
- How do you load a crossbow? (We’ll show you below.)
- How do you pull the string back on a crossbow? (See how to cock a crossbow below.)
- What’s the trigger on a crossbow feel like? (Triggers feel as powerful as rifles in some cases.)
- Do crossbows have a recoil kick like a rifle? (Bows and crossbows have a slight kick, but it’s different. See below.)
- Are crossbows noisy? (The best crossbows aren’t noisy at all, which is why they’re valued for hunting.)
- How accurate are crossbows compared to rifles and other hunting weapons? (Extremely accurate once you get the hang of it.)
- How far away can you accurately shoot with a crossbow? (Depends on the type of bow. Get more details below.)
- Can crossbows kill deer, elk, bear, and buffalo? (Yes, yes, yes, and yes.)
If you have fired a bow or rifle before, then you can easily learn the ways of crossbow hunting. There are a few things to know first before you head out into the woods, however:
Cocking
When you cock a crossbow, you load an arrow, and then pull the string back with taut pressure on both sides of your flight track (where the arrow is loaded). If you don’t pull the string back straight, you’ll shift the arrow’s point of impact by a few to several inches, which isn’t any good. This is why it’s important to pick a crossbow that allows you to easily load and pull the string using a lightweight cocking rope. This is a device that ensures you always shoot straight, and it’s not as difficult to pull the string back.
Some premium bows also have other aids, such as a crank-operated cocking device. However, these aren’t always helpful and can contribute to the weight over your bow.
Shooting
You load your bolts or arrows into the flight track on a crossbow. This is a channel or groove in the barrel that the cock vane of the bolt slides into. You’ll find bolts that are called flat nocks or moon nocks, meaning how do they fit into the track.
When you’re ready to shoot, you’ll line up your sight and pull the trigger. Your crossbow’s limbs should be free of any kind of debris or contact, otherwise it will smack against a branch and throw off your shot. In addition, hunters must remember now to wrap their thumb over the forearm of the crossbow, or you’ll never be able to hitchhike again.
Uncocking
While a crossbow doesn’t have the same type of recoil as a rifle, it does have a small kick that goes forward, rather than backward. Crossbows have a heavier kick than a typical bow as well. Unlike with a gun where the recoil fires backward due to the velocity of the bullet shooting out of the chamber, the string is released with a crossbow exulting force forwards with the limbs of the bow.
The recoil is quite small and won’t bother a crossbow hunter who has fired one at least 5 to 10 times. You’ll likely fire your crossbow many more times than that once you get started.
Noise
Recurve bows are louder than most compact bows, but the manufacturer can make adjustments to make the operation quieter or even silent. The main value of crossbow hunting is that the game isn’t supposed to hear your arrows. This is what makes it so easy to hunt with a crossbow because your prey never knows you are there, even when you are shooting if you have a quiet or silent crossbow.
Most premium crossbows have silent operation only. Starter crossbows tend to be the loudest, but the sound is negligible depending on where you are and what hunting situation you are in. If you are hunting alongside riflemen, then you probably won’t need the quietest of bow anyways.
Crossbow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting
Hunting with a crossbow isn’t the same as rifle hunting, and generally, crossbow hunters don’t even like to be in the same area as rifle hunters because of the noise. Whereas a rifle has a kick, crossbows generally do not have that big of a recoil. In addition, they are quiet weapons, made for silently hunting prey and taking a targeted shot.
Shooting distance can be different, too. In addition to choosing the right arrows, you’ll need to know the velocity or FPS of your crossbow to understand how far you can distance yourself from your target to get an accurate shot. In addition, you’ll need to practice and develop a good technique since shooting with arrows is different than with bullets.
In a typical crossbow hunting situation, you can use a high quality 350+ FPS crossbow to shoot at a target over 500 yards away with a 400-grain arrow. However, you have to aim and shoot at your target correctly, so it’s impossible to have accuracy at this distance for every shot. You typically want to remain within 50 to 60 yards of your prey for fast, precise targeting.
It’s also important to understand the weights or grain of certain arrows. Arrows with 500-grain or higher are heavier and can slow down to 82.5% of the initial speed.
Everything else is still the same for a crossbow hunter. You still want to set up a tree stand, have camouflage, and bait your prey.
Types of Crossbow Hunting
The game that you hunt will determine how your time hunting is spent. You can use a high-powered crossbow to hunt any type of game, but if you want a clean kill, then it’s good to know the exact arrow and FPS that you need, especially if going after larger game.
Small Game
When we talk about small game, we refer to groundhogs, turkeys, pheasants, and other game you might find in upland hunting. These typically require a lower FP KE in the 25 to 40 range.
Mid Game
For antelope, deer, and other medium-sized, moving targets, the recommended FP KE is above 40. If you are elk hunting, you want your FP KE to be closer to 60 or higher.
Large Game For the largest game, you definitely want to have the highest FP KE. You can take down a grizzly or buffalo with a FP KE of 75 or higher, though you probably will find that most bows made for this type of hunting have a FP KE of 100 or higher.
Large Game
For the largest game, you definitely want to have the highest FP KE. You can take down a grizzly or buffalo with a FP KE of 75 or higher, though you probably will find that most bows made for this type of hunting have a FP KE of 100 or higher.