TOW
Senior Member
BEARING THE CROSS
BY DON ZAIDLE
"Anyone, regardless of experience, can pick up a crossbow and go kill a deer."
"A crossbow is as accurate and deadly as a rifle."
"A crossbow has a much greater range than a compound."
"A crossbow is much more powerful than a compound."
"All of the above gives a crossbow hunter an unfair advantage."
If you believe any of the foregoing statements, I'd bet a post hole against a panful of cornbread that you are a hardcore bowhunter and have never fired (let alone hunted with) a crossbow in your life.
Since the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department legalized crossbows in 1997 for the general deer season, the anti-crossbow rhetoric has heated to *habanero* intensity. We wanted to find out how much of it was true, and how much myth. Unbiased answers were hard to come by. Ergo, we (actually, I) got hold of a couple of crossbows and performed a series of comparisons.
To establish my qualifications, I have messed with bows of varying degrees of sophistication since I could walk. My first "serious" bow (as opposed to those spindly wood laths packaged on cardboard backing featuring silk-screened Indians and two wooden arrows) was a stout *bois d' arc* limb strung with a length of trotline cord. Arrows painstakingly whittled from willow limbs and fletched with chicken feathers flew amazingly true. Thirty-eight Special pistol cases provided blunt "field points." The blade from an old pocket knifed served as my single broadhead. I actually managed to pot a cottontail with the latter, and promptly made a short-lived quiver from the tanned hide.
My first real bow was a 40-pound Martin recurve purchased from Buddy's Hardware in Lake Worth, Texas. I later acquired a Bear Blacktail Hunter--my first compound. My last compound was a Browning Nomad (wooden riser, 70-pound draw) from whence issued 33-inch 2219 Easton XX75 arrows fitted with Bodkin three-blade steel broadheads. I since moved on (reverted?) to a custom 60-pound longbow measuring 66 inches strung, and cedar arrows tipped with Zwicky Black Diamond Delta broadheads.
From age six to present (none of your business), rifles ranging from .22 Long Rifle to .375 H&H magnum have dented my pocketbook and anatomy in varying degrees of carnage. My "all around" rifle is a .300 Weatherby Magnum, my "medium" handgun a S&W Model 66 .357 Magnum with 4-inch barrel. In between, I have played with black powder smokepoles ranging from .36-caliber "squirrel rifles" to .60-caliber "buffalo rifles."
The point is, I know my bows, my guns, and my handguns. The one thing I did not know was the crossbow, which placed me in a position to evaluate it from a diverse range of experience and neutrality.
With my bona fides established, here is what I learned in my tryst with the Evil Crossbow.
Actually, that "evil" bit accounts to more than mere poetic license. In 1139 A.D., Pope Innocent II declared the crossbow "evil," calling it "deadly and hateful to God and unfit to be used among Christians." On the other hand, the weapon was tacitly acceptable for killing non-Christians.
They were deadly in the extreme, but cumbersome to carry and slow to fire. A skilled longbowman could loose six arrows to the crossbowman's one.
Though similar in function and appearance, modern crossbows differ greatly from the ancient war weapons. They are much lighter, sleeker, and of considerably less draw weight. Although some states restrict minimum and maximum draw weight of hunting crossbows (usually 125 and 200 pounds respectively), Texas restricts only the minimum at 125 pounds. That sounds like a lot, but even at 200 pounds the shorter stroke of a crossbow yields arrow speeds only in the 300 fps range--about the same as an overdraw compound.
The two crossbows I tested (a Horton "Legend SL" and Tenpoint "Magnum X2") were 175-pound compounds. I took them to David's Outdoors in Weatherford, Texas, where owner David Park helped me chronograph arrow speeds. (By the way, David's Outdoors is actually a bow shop that just happens to carry other outdoors stuff--but no crossbows--and is well worth a visit. Call 817-594-0821 and tell David or Cameron Hale I sent you.) I averaged the speeds of three shots each with aluminum and carbon arrows measuring 20 inches and weighing 425 grains, total six shots per bow. The Tenpoint averaged 308.66 fps, the Horton 283.66 fps. There was no difference between aluminum and carbon.
Those are "muzzle" not downrange velocities. Arrow speed drops quickly over range as evidenced by the shaft's looping trajectory, which is why most modern crossbows have built-in range compensators. (Though equal at the muzzle, carbon arrows retained slightly more downrange velocity.) At the target, retained energy (the stepchild of momentum that provides penetration) is about the same as a heavier arrow delivered at less speed from a 65-pound conventional compound. In other words, no real advantage. (I did put one errant arrow through a tree limb, a feat accomplished several times in the past with a compound.)
Accuracy-wise, crossbows are on par with compounds set up with sight pins, string peep, and mechanical release. Because I already knew how bows work, I was shooting 4-inch crossbow groups at 20 yards within two hours after sighting in. On the second day, I got my first "Robin Hood" (splitting one arrow with another), so gradually backed off to the 50-yard mark. At that range, average groups ballooned to 6 inches. (The maximum effective hunting range recommended by crossbow makers is 40 yards.)
Note that I shot all those groups from a benchrest--the one thing you can do with a crossbow that you cannot do with a conventional bow. This presumed "advantage" should not be construed "unfair" anymore than should lighted sight pins, stabilizers, or a string peep aperture. All serve to improve accuracy and help insure a quick, clean kill. To criticize shooting from a rest when possible is hypocrisy.
Shooting offhand, I would not attempt to take game beyond 30 yards--the same personal limit I use with a conventional bow. Steadier hands might consistently make 40- or even 50-yard shots at game, but such apple-skewering William Tell-types are rare.
I knew the crossbows I tested were much noisier than most compounds, but I didn't realize how much until I shot alongside a compound shooter. The poor guy actually flinched and ducked for cover when I let loose. He said he thought "the contraption had come unwound." Although I did not go to the extreme of enlisting a sound level meter, I would guess the average crossbow is twice to three times louder than a compound.
Another deterrent to a quick second shot is the contortion of motion when cocking a crossbow. To hand cock, one must possess a sufficiently hirsute chest to place his foot in the cocking stirrup, grasp the string with both hands, and pull it back until the trigger catches, taking care to apply equal pressure to both sides of the string lest accuracy suffer.
Once cocked, the arrow is loaded into (actually, "onto") the "barrel" or guide rails. Bear in mind this involves "dead-lifting" a minimum 125 pounds. My bows were 175-pounders. As part of the testing, I asked random and sundry acquaintances (including the UPS man) to cock the bows. Half could, half could not.
For those unable to cock by hand, crossbow makers offer a variety of mechanical cocking devices. One type is a hand-cranked winch attached to the stock. Another is a compound lever--a modern version of the "goat's foot." A cocking strap is another option. By hand or with mechanical assistance, cocking a crossbow involves a lot of motion and noise.
Unless the hunter is 100 percent hidden, he might as well bang a drum and send up a flare. Like the black powder hunter, the crossbowman gets only one shot.
Another presumed "advantage" that I consider a detriment to accuracy is the ability to use a telescopic sight. I group much better with a peep-and-pin arrangement, or a non-magnifying optical sight like the Millett Redot that came with the Tenpoint. I suspect this is because I overcompensate for movement exaggerated by telescopic magnification. Whatever the reason, telescopes are not for short range shooting and hence out of place on a short-range weapon like a crossbow.
There is a lot more to this crossbow business than space permits discussing.
Just remember the following:
- A bowhunter using a peep sight does not have to worry about consistent anchoring.
Neither does a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter using a mechanical release does not have to worry about consistent release or plucking the string.
Neither does a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter using a hand sling does not have to worry about torquing the bow.
Neither does a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter using an overdraw system can attain arrow velocities near 300 feet per second.
So can a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter must estimate range accurately to shoot accurately.
So must a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter's maximum practical range is 40 yards.
So is a crossbow hunter's.
- A bowhunter must practice regularly and meticulously maintain his equipment to remain accurate.
So must a crossbow hunter.
A crossbow is neither evil nor magic. It is simply another hunting tool that falls somewhere between conventional bows and muzzleloaders in terms of accuracy, lethality, and effective range. Its use is by no means unethical, nor does it afford any great advantage. Moreover, it is a metric ton of fun to shoot.
We all have our little crosses to bear....
BY DON ZAIDLE
"Anyone, regardless of experience, can pick up a crossbow and go kill a deer."
"A crossbow is as accurate and deadly as a rifle."
"A crossbow has a much greater range than a compound."
"A crossbow is much more powerful than a compound."
"All of the above gives a crossbow hunter an unfair advantage."
If you believe any of the foregoing statements, I'd bet a post hole against a panful of cornbread that you are a hardcore bowhunter and have never fired (let alone hunted with) a crossbow in your life.
Since the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department legalized crossbows in 1997 for the general deer season, the anti-crossbow rhetoric has heated to *habanero* intensity. We wanted to find out how much of it was true, and how much myth. Unbiased answers were hard to come by. Ergo, we (actually, I) got hold of a couple of crossbows and performed a series of comparisons.
To establish my qualifications, I have messed with bows of varying degrees of sophistication since I could walk. My first "serious" bow (as opposed to those spindly wood laths packaged on cardboard backing featuring silk-screened Indians and two wooden arrows) was a stout *bois d' arc* limb strung with a length of trotline cord. Arrows painstakingly whittled from willow limbs and fletched with chicken feathers flew amazingly true. Thirty-eight Special pistol cases provided blunt "field points." The blade from an old pocket knifed served as my single broadhead. I actually managed to pot a cottontail with the latter, and promptly made a short-lived quiver from the tanned hide.
My first real bow was a 40-pound Martin recurve purchased from Buddy's Hardware in Lake Worth, Texas. I later acquired a Bear Blacktail Hunter--my first compound. My last compound was a Browning Nomad (wooden riser, 70-pound draw) from whence issued 33-inch 2219 Easton XX75 arrows fitted with Bodkin three-blade steel broadheads. I since moved on (reverted?) to a custom 60-pound longbow measuring 66 inches strung, and cedar arrows tipped with Zwicky Black Diamond Delta broadheads.
From age six to present (none of your business), rifles ranging from .22 Long Rifle to .375 H&H magnum have dented my pocketbook and anatomy in varying degrees of carnage. My "all around" rifle is a .300 Weatherby Magnum, my "medium" handgun a S&W Model 66 .357 Magnum with 4-inch barrel. In between, I have played with black powder smokepoles ranging from .36-caliber "squirrel rifles" to .60-caliber "buffalo rifles."
The point is, I know my bows, my guns, and my handguns. The one thing I did not know was the crossbow, which placed me in a position to evaluate it from a diverse range of experience and neutrality.
With my bona fides established, here is what I learned in my tryst with the Evil Crossbow.
Actually, that "evil" bit accounts to more than mere poetic license. In 1139 A.D., Pope Innocent II declared the crossbow "evil," calling it "deadly and hateful to God and unfit to be used among Christians." On the other hand, the weapon was tacitly acceptable for killing non-Christians.
They were deadly in the extreme, but cumbersome to carry and slow to fire. A skilled longbowman could loose six arrows to the crossbowman's one.
Though similar in function and appearance, modern crossbows differ greatly from the ancient war weapons. They are much lighter, sleeker, and of considerably less draw weight. Although some states restrict minimum and maximum draw weight of hunting crossbows (usually 125 and 200 pounds respectively), Texas restricts only the minimum at 125 pounds. That sounds like a lot, but even at 200 pounds the shorter stroke of a crossbow yields arrow speeds only in the 300 fps range--about the same as an overdraw compound.
The two crossbows I tested (a Horton "Legend SL" and Tenpoint "Magnum X2") were 175-pound compounds. I took them to David's Outdoors in Weatherford, Texas, where owner David Park helped me chronograph arrow speeds. (By the way, David's Outdoors is actually a bow shop that just happens to carry other outdoors stuff--but no crossbows--and is well worth a visit. Call 817-594-0821 and tell David or Cameron Hale I sent you.) I averaged the speeds of three shots each with aluminum and carbon arrows measuring 20 inches and weighing 425 grains, total six shots per bow. The Tenpoint averaged 308.66 fps, the Horton 283.66 fps. There was no difference between aluminum and carbon.
Those are "muzzle" not downrange velocities. Arrow speed drops quickly over range as evidenced by the shaft's looping trajectory, which is why most modern crossbows have built-in range compensators. (Though equal at the muzzle, carbon arrows retained slightly more downrange velocity.) At the target, retained energy (the stepchild of momentum that provides penetration) is about the same as a heavier arrow delivered at less speed from a 65-pound conventional compound. In other words, no real advantage. (I did put one errant arrow through a tree limb, a feat accomplished several times in the past with a compound.)
Accuracy-wise, crossbows are on par with compounds set up with sight pins, string peep, and mechanical release. Because I already knew how bows work, I was shooting 4-inch crossbow groups at 20 yards within two hours after sighting in. On the second day, I got my first "Robin Hood" (splitting one arrow with another), so gradually backed off to the 50-yard mark. At that range, average groups ballooned to 6 inches. (The maximum effective hunting range recommended by crossbow makers is 40 yards.)
Note that I shot all those groups from a benchrest--the one thing you can do with a crossbow that you cannot do with a conventional bow. This presumed "advantage" should not be construed "unfair" anymore than should lighted sight pins, stabilizers, or a string peep aperture. All serve to improve accuracy and help insure a quick, clean kill. To criticize shooting from a rest when possible is hypocrisy.
Shooting offhand, I would not attempt to take game beyond 30 yards--the same personal limit I use with a conventional bow. Steadier hands might consistently make 40- or even 50-yard shots at game, but such apple-skewering William Tell-types are rare.
I knew the crossbows I tested were much noisier than most compounds, but I didn't realize how much until I shot alongside a compound shooter. The poor guy actually flinched and ducked for cover when I let loose. He said he thought "the contraption had come unwound." Although I did not go to the extreme of enlisting a sound level meter, I would guess the average crossbow is twice to three times louder than a compound.
Another deterrent to a quick second shot is the contortion of motion when cocking a crossbow. To hand cock, one must possess a sufficiently hirsute chest to place his foot in the cocking stirrup, grasp the string with both hands, and pull it back until the trigger catches, taking care to apply equal pressure to both sides of the string lest accuracy suffer.
Once cocked, the arrow is loaded into (actually, "onto") the "barrel" or guide rails. Bear in mind this involves "dead-lifting" a minimum 125 pounds. My bows were 175-pounders. As part of the testing, I asked random and sundry acquaintances (including the UPS man) to cock the bows. Half could, half could not.
For those unable to cock by hand, crossbow makers offer a variety of mechanical cocking devices. One type is a hand-cranked winch attached to the stock. Another is a compound lever--a modern version of the "goat's foot." A cocking strap is another option. By hand or with mechanical assistance, cocking a crossbow involves a lot of motion and noise.
Unless the hunter is 100 percent hidden, he might as well bang a drum and send up a flare. Like the black powder hunter, the crossbowman gets only one shot.
Another presumed "advantage" that I consider a detriment to accuracy is the ability to use a telescopic sight. I group much better with a peep-and-pin arrangement, or a non-magnifying optical sight like the Millett Redot that came with the Tenpoint. I suspect this is because I overcompensate for movement exaggerated by telescopic magnification. Whatever the reason, telescopes are not for short range shooting and hence out of place on a short-range weapon like a crossbow.
There is a lot more to this crossbow business than space permits discussing.
Just remember the following:
- A bowhunter using a peep sight does not have to worry about consistent anchoring.
Neither does a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter using a mechanical release does not have to worry about consistent release or plucking the string.
Neither does a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter using a hand sling does not have to worry about torquing the bow.
Neither does a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter using an overdraw system can attain arrow velocities near 300 feet per second.
So can a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter must estimate range accurately to shoot accurately.
So must a crossbow hunter.
- A bowhunter's maximum practical range is 40 yards.
So is a crossbow hunter's.
- A bowhunter must practice regularly and meticulously maintain his equipment to remain accurate.
So must a crossbow hunter.
A crossbow is neither evil nor magic. It is simply another hunting tool that falls somewhere between conventional bows and muzzleloaders in terms of accuracy, lethality, and effective range. Its use is by no means unethical, nor does it afford any great advantage. Moreover, it is a metric ton of fun to shoot.
We all have our little crosses to bear....
BALONEY
.......... 
