How to choose a crossbow

Are you considering buying a crossbow, but don't know how to choose the right one? Keep on reading and we will advise you!

It is believed that this mechanical weapon, originally invented as a combat weapon, is an invention of China, where it began to appear in the 5th century BC. In Europe, the crossbow occurred in the 5th to 4th century BC. n. l, in Greek city-states. Like the bow, this war weapon was gradually pushed out by firearms from the 15th century.

The crossbow is currently mainly used for sports and hunting, although not every country allows its use for hunting.

HOW DOES the CROSSbow WORk?

The crossbow uses the principle of operation of the bow, which is placed on a body similar to that of a pistol or rifle. Its body is mostly made of wood, hard plastic, fiberglass or metal. The crossbow, unlike the bow, usually uses shorter arrows. Another difference between the two mechanical weapons is the draw weight, which can be up to 200 pounds with crossbows. Such powerful arms can no longer be pulled with bare hands and are pulled with cocking ropes or winches. Thus, the drawing time is usually longer than with a bow. The most powerful have a much greater penetration and arrow range.

Every bow or crossbow with a draw weight greater than 33.7 pounds (150 N) is already an over-the-counter category D arm in Slovakia from the age of 18 and is therefore not a toy. Also, keep in mind that you should only shoot with such powerful N arms at approved and safe shooting ranges.

According to Act no. 274/2009 Coll. on hunting, it is forbidden in the Slovak Republic to hunt with a crossbow, regardless of whether you are a hunter or not.

SHORT CROSSBOWS

Short crossbows are also referred to as crossbow pistols because their frame and size resemble pistols. They are usually charged by a direct-charging tensioning mechanism or a folding mechanism called COBRA. The draw weight of the crossbow pistol is in the range of about 50 pounds to about 130 pounds. As with the bow, the drawing system can be either compound or recurve. Some models can be fitted with additional tactical accessories, including a collimator, tactical light and many more. The advantages of smaller crossbows are their compact and storing dimensions, cheaper replacement arrows, lower weight and faster charging of arrows. A short crossbow will be a good choice if you have limited space to shoot. The effective range on the target in the case of crossbows with a draw weight of 50-80 pounds is about 25 m, in the case of crossbows with a draw weight of 90-130 pounds it is about 40 m.  Popular and proven models up to 80 pounds are, for example Alligator crossbow and Hori Zone RedBack, the more powerful ones are the Cobra R9 and Cobra RX. At the end of 2019, an interesting novelty called the Cobra ADDER from EK ARCHERY was released with a magazine and a draw weight of up to 130 pounds.

LONG CROSSBOWS

Long crossbows resemble rifles in their dimensions and shape. It is usually necessary to use crossbow ropes or winches for charging. This is related to the draw weight that starts from 150 pounds. The drawing system can also be either compound or recurve, with the compound system giving the arrow more speed and range. Some long crossbows can also be upgraded with tactical accessories, such as arrow quiver, tactical flashlight, collimator or crossbow. The main advantages of long crossbows are their strength and effective range, which, depending on the draw weight, exceeds 50 m.

A popular model of the long crossbow at an affordable price is the model Jaguar II. The most powerful crossbows with a draw weight of over 200 pounds include high-quality and reliable models from the manufacturer Barnett.

REMEMBER THE ACCESSORIES

Arrows, usually in the number of 3 to 5 pieces, are usually part of the crossbow package. For bows and crossbows, arrows are just consumables and it is highly likely that the first flight will be its last, because it will break, bend or otherwise be damaged when it hits the target.  If you are buying a crossbow, we recommend that you buy at least 10 spare arrows.

Another important accessory to crossbows is special targets and bag targets for crossbows, which stop the arrow and at the same time do not even damage it.

For example, a suitable case or wax for lubricating the string will extend the life of your crossbow 

Crossbows offer