This enables a crossbowman to handle more draw weight, and to hold it with significantly less physical strain, thus potentially achieving better precision. A crossbow has a locking mechanism to maintain the draw, limiting the shooter's exertion to pulling the string into the lock and then releasing the shot by depressing a lever/ trigger. This demands significant physical strength. Ĭrossbows and bows use the same launch principle, but an archer must maintain a bow's draw by pitching the bowstring with fingers, pulling it back with arm and back muscles and then holding that form in order to aim. A person who shoots crossbow is called a crossbowman or an arbalist (after the arbalest, a European crossbow variant used during the 12th century). Crossbows shoot arrow-like projectiles called bolts or quarrels. Now.For other uses, see Crossbow (disambiguation).Ī crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a prod, mounted horizontally on a main frame called a tiller, which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long firearm. Now that you know what draw weight is best suited for your style of hunting, all that's left is to choose a crossbow. Start with something that won't actually kill you if you maim it - like a fuzzy little rabbit! A grizzly bear in the wild can cross a football field in roughly 6 seconds, so hopefully you're in a tree stand at this point. You can't afford to miss a grizzly bear at 40 yards out, knowing that it will take you at least 5-10 seconds to prep the crossbow for a second shot. draw weight will give you bolt speeds up to and exceeding 330 fps - plenty of power and speed.īecause of the danger inherent in shooting one of these magnificent creatures, it's wise practice to work your way up to them. Now if you're into the really big game such as moose, grizzly bear, and cape buffalo, you'll want to go with a 200 lb. It looks like the non-working end of a shovel - big enough to slip your muddy boot into while you pull back on the stock of the xbow. Many of the new crossbows available feature a handy foot device to assist in this procedure. You may want to consider getting an assistive device to help you span the crossbow. crossbow, a 175 pounder is a bit tougher. While the average guy can span (cock) a 150 lb.

crossbows fire bolts at speeds up to 300 fps or higher. What's needed here is raw power to penetrate into the kill zone of the animal - not speed - although you'll have plenty of it to work with. Note that these larger animals aren't particularly quick about getting out of the way of a bolt or arrow. You'll want the fastest bolt speed possible to actually hit a coney, rather than the grass where it used to be.Ģ) Hunting for Larger Animals e.g ELK, Caribou?įor larger animals with thicker hide and more fat density such as elk, caribou and small bears, you'll want a crossbow with a draw weight of 175 lbs. Because of their meager size and therefore naturally smaller kill zone (as compared to a deer or antelope), the speed of the bolt is actually more critical than it is for larger animals. This is actually plenty of power to bring down a turkey, an antelope, and even a deer - provided you wait for the right shot and hit a kill zone.īelieve it or not, rabbits are tricky beasts to nail with a crossbow because they're relatively small and are prone to either crouch, jump, or dart when they hear the twang of the crossbow. That degree of resistance will typically give you a bolt speed of 220 to 250 fps. If you have your sights set on taking home a rabbit or two, you won't need much more draw than 150 lbs. How much draw weight do I need for crossbow hunting? But how does draw weight - and the resulting speed of the bolt - factor into hunting? That difference in resistance can mean a bolt ejected at 130 feet-per-second (fps), or one ejected at over 330 fps. draw pistol crossbow to the 200-lb.-plus, full-size crossbows.

You'd be surprised how many people aren't aware of the fact that crossbows have varying draw weights to accommodate the wide range of hunting available.

Drawing a crossbow