The Modern Crossbow

by Terry Stewart

  Crossbow strings should be well and thoroughly beeswaxed, with the loops and centre stoutly served with a strong whipping. The centre serving should be 4" long and equidistant on each side of the stock. With target crossbows a good idea is to bind the exact centre of your string over the serving with a few turns of brightly coloured cotton thread. This will ensure an even placing of the bowstring when in the cocked position, the cotton marker coming between the forks of the release latch for every shot, and will also indicate if any lateral movement has occurred in the bow. It is essential for accuracy that your bow is at all times positioned exactly central in the stock. As your latch cover is directly above the latch fork, it is necessary to have a small perspex or glass circle in the latch cover to look through at the centre serving around the latch.

  It is essential to ascertain that your bow is properly braced, and any stretch that may show in your string after use should be taken up by twisting the string a few turns in the direction of the original twist. If a string breaks on a self wood or composite bow the chances are that the bow will smash as the limbs continue to travel forward with no string to halt them. An alloy bow may break, a steel bow should not, but in any case an extra strain is placed and must be avoided. Variation in fistmele will affect the bow's performance and may also damage the bow.

  Do not be tempted to use a string that is too short for your bow, as this will reduce the bow's cast and may smash or fracture your bow limbs breaking your strings at the same time. With commercially-made crossbows the makers will inform you of the correct bracing height, this should be strictly observed at all times.

  When you go out shooting, always carry a spare bowstring with you. They are no trouble to carry if the butt plate of your crossbow has a recess into the butt to take the spare string, similar to those seen on army rifles to carry the pull-through and oil bottle in. The butt plate has a small hinged flap that opens and closes with a flick of the finger: a safe dry place to keep your spare string, and somewhere you will not forget it.

  Composite crossbow bows with recurve tips are best strung with the assistance of a bracing string. This string is slipped on to an extra pair of outer bracing nocks 1/4" out from the true nocks which are 1/2" in from the extreme tips. It is then a simple matter to slip on the true string.

  For straight ended bows of light draw weight the following method of stringing is easily done and no bracing nocks are necessary.

  Slip one bowstring loop over the bow tip and slide it in a few inches towards the centre of the bow. The other loop is now placed around the bowstring nock at the opposite tip. The crossbow butt is now placed on the ground between your feet, hold the bow tips firmly in each hand, one hand in position to slide the un-nocked loop out towards the string groove. Apply downward pressure on the bow limbs to flex them and, at the same time, slide the un-nocked bowstring loop along the limb until it slips into the nock at the tip of the bow. Be sure that the bowstring is firmly in position before you release your grIp. Should the bowstring stretch slightly after it has been shot a few times it may be shortened by unnocking it and twisting the string a few turns in the direction of the original twist.

  Some years ago I devised an alternative method of stringing steel alloy, or fibre glass bows of moderate poundage; the method being as follows.

  Place the crossbow butt against your abdomen, in the position you would assume when about to cock the bow.

  Now turn the crossbow until the bow limbs point vertically up and down, the butt plate across your abdomen.

  Place one of the bowstring loops firmly in the lower bow nock and rest this bow-tip on the ground, keeping the butt in contact with your abdomen by slightly flexing your knees.

  Grip the upper bow limb with your left hand a few inches below the nock, holding the free end of the bowstring in your right hand just below the loop.

  Flex your knees further using the weight of your body against the butt to bend the lower bow limb against the ground.

  Now pull the upper bow limb towards you with the left hand, slipping the bowstring loop over the nock with the right hand.

  Make sure you don't trap the fingers of your left hand between the bowstring and the bow limb.

  The combined pushing' weight of your body, carefully controlled, and the 'pulling' action of the left hand makes this a simple method of stringing most bows of moderate poundage, though I do not recommend this method with composite bows in case you damage the bow tips.

  Modern steel bows are seldom any thicker than 1/4" resulting in a rather sharply angled bow nock than is usually seen on a bow of thicker material. This, together with a steel bow's tendency to recoil, may cause severe wear on the bowstring at the loops. To overcome this, a string loop reinforcement in the form of a fine leather washer placed over the nocks, between the bow tip and the string loop, will effectively prevent damage to the string loops.

  Chapter 10

  CROSSBOW AND ACCESSORY COSTS

  When purchasing or constructing a crossbow you will wish it to be a fine one, and therefore it is advisable to purchase the best you are able to afford, and this does not necessarily mean the most expensive. I have seen some very good crossbows by amateur makers for as little as £8 to £9, and others at about twice the price that were not half as good. Both types of course were not made by the same person. Do bear in mind the advice given in the earlier section on How to choose your Crossbow and your choice should not be too difficult.

  If you are considering constructing your own crossbow, be sure to use the best materials you can obtain, and spare no pains during construction.

  A good hunting crossbow to simple design will cost from around £15 to £20, and a more de luxe type with safety catch, adjustable trigger pull, inlaid stock, etc., may cost up to £30 if it has a composite bow. Good target crossbows vary from about £25 to £30, or up to and over £40 for a de luxe model. How much you pay will depend on where you purchase your crossbow, or who made it, therefore the prices stated will be used only as a guide to costs. If the sum of from £15 to £30 would seem rather expensive, bear in mind that at least seventy-five per cent of the costs on a custom hand-made crossbow is attributed to labour, and it does take very many hours of careful workmanship to produce a fine crossbow.

  The material costs of a good crossbow, if building it yourself, need not exceed £5, and that is using very good materials. Time expended may be from 12 to 20 hours or more, depending on what tools you have available and your ability to use them. Patience, good workmanship, and a keen eye for detail are important, and there is no doubt that anyone with a good standard of wood and metal working ability will be able to construct a good crossbow, provided his efforts are tempered with a little patience.

  We come now to crossbow bolts and their costs, and as mentioned in an earlier section, these are perhaps more important to be of good quality than your crossbow. You will shoot quite well with first class bolts from a not-so-good crossbow, but the finest crossbow will never be able to shoot badly made bolts accurately.

  For a start I should advise a box of a dozen wood practice bolts until you become accustomed to your crossbow. These are reasonably priced at around £2 to £3 for the dozen, and will be ideal for your first practice shots. A superior set of practice alloy bolts may be purchased in sets of eight, from between £3 to £4 the set, and for competition match shooting a set of alloy bolts matched in weight and balance will cost from £5 to £6.

  You may wish to make your own bolts, and this will reduce your costs to that of material only, piles, shafts, fletchings, cresting paint and a small tube of adhesive for affixing the vanes to the shaft.

  A quiver, while not essential for target work, is certainly convenient, as keeping bolts in your pocket will eventually wear holes through the pocket linings of your trousers. A good cheap quiver, ideal for holding target or small game bolts, is the leather pocket quiver that fits neatly into the hip or side pocket of your trousers. This quiver will hold comfortably 8 bolts for target use and will
accommodate up to about a dozen blunt bolts for small game hunting. You would perhaps prefer a side quiver for your target bolts.

  These are usually a tubular shape in leather, costing about £2, or may be purchased in a flat style with a separate compartment for each bolt in your set, this type being a little more expensive, probably from £3 to £3 10s. If you prefer to make your own quiver, it is simple enough to make up a cheap replica in canvas or rexine at a cost of only a few shillings.

  For hunting, your quiver must be silent, and positioned where it is not liable to snag or catch on bushes, etc. For this reason, I prefer the hip pocket quiver; the bolts do not rattle about when in it, and are held firm in the quiver by its pressure against your hip. It is also protected by the body and will not snag on bushes. The slight disadvantage may be that the amount of bolts you carry is limited to about a dozen blunt bolts if hunting small game, or if carrying broadheads a maximum of six. If carrying a few of both types it is difficult to tell what bolt is what by touch as you will not see the butt end easily without twisting well round. This would not be the case if the bolts' butt ends were out to the right, as they would be at a target shoot using a hip quiver in the right hip pocket. When hunting, this tends to let bolts pull out on branches, etc., so I point the butt ends when hunting to the left side well behind my back. This keeps the bolts free from all obstructions, yet it is an easy matter to draw one from the quiver. The maximum of six broadheads in this type of quiver is quite adequate for big game hunting, as you will not expect to lose six broadheads (let's hope); besides, I doubt if you will ever get six shots at big game all on the one hunt. The same applies to small game blunts; if your quiver holds a dozen blunts, that is enough for a day's hunt and provided you only fill your hip quiver with any one type of bolt at a time, either blunts or broadheads. you will probably find this quiver the best for hunting.

  So far we have mentioned crossbow bolts, spare string and quiver -- these being the essentials. You need not buy another thing. The following are useful and may be acquired from time to time when finances permit. A stout canvas carrying case with sling will protect your dismantled crossbow when not in use and is convenient for taking your crossbow to matches, etc. These cost around £3 depending on quality, or perhaps you may prefer a stiff fibre carrying case, very similar in appearance to a long slim suitcase, in which you can store your crossbow, bolts, quiver, and any other accessories you may require: these cast around £4.

  When shooting at regulation targets, bolts are at times abominably difficult to spot on the target face, especially at ranges over 60 yards, and it is impossible to correct your shots if you do not know where some of them hit. For this reason you may care to add the luxury of binoculars or a monocular to your accessories. These vary in price considerably, but do take into consideration the weight factor when making your purchase.

  On comparing the essential costs of what is required for you to commence shooting the crossbow with the costs of commencing other sports, I find that it is no more expensive to shoot with the crossbow than to start any one of a dozen other sports, and in fact is a good deal cheaper than many.

  Chapter 11

  LOADING THE CROSSBOW, AND SAFETY

  The very powerful medieval hunting and military crossbow was bent mainly by mechanical means, windlass, lever, cranequin, screw, etc., and the less powerful crossbows bent by hand with the assistance of single or double foot stirrup to hold the stock firmly against the ground, while drawing back the string, using the full power of the back and arms.

  Today's modern crossbows do not require the power to discharge a heavy bolt or quarrel with sufficient force to penetrate plate or chain mail as did the medieval crossbow, and so are of a moderate poundage, quite easily drawn by hand without mechanical assistance. The following may be used as a guide to the poundage you may comfortably draw. The average man will comfortably cock poundages up to 80 lb. though much depends on the individual's strength, and to some extent the condition of the muscles of the lower abdomen, as the butt may cause some abdominal discomfort when attempting to cock very high poundages. A very strong man will be able to cock poundages of upwards of 100 lb. to around 150 lb. without mechanical aid.

  Most target crossbows with draw weights averaging 45-55 lb. are easily cocked by any man and most women, though if the ladies experience any abdominal discomfort, this may be overcome by employing a light foot stirrup for assistance, though this will naturally add some weight to the extreme fore-end of the stock. An alternative method is to use a metal footplate fitted with a small hook; this footplate is laid on the ground at the shooting line and on it you place one foot. A small ring attached to the fore-end of the stock is then placed in the hook and the string drawn back. After cocking the crossbow the ring is disengaged from the footplate hook and you may load and take aim with no extra weight on the stock's fore-end other than the small metal ring, the weight of which is negligible.

  The following method is that by which the modern crossbow is usually cocked.

  Place the butt firmly against your stomach, then, gripping the bowstring with both hands close to each side of the stock, pull back evenly until the bowstring is well under the latch cover and securely caught in the release mechanism. When properly cocked, a sharp click may be heard. When cocking the weapon the last few inches, brace your thumbs firmly against the stock directly behind the latch cover). This will greatly assist in the cocking. Some crossbows are specially fitted with a shaped block to fit the thumbs to assist leverage when cocking the bow.

  Cocking the crossbow

  After your crossbow is cocked, you are now ready to place the bolt in position for discharge. After the bowstring is in the cocked position around the latch, replace the left hand along the underside of the stock to the forehand position you will grip when shooting, keeping your fingers below string level. The butt should remain in the cocking position against the lower abdomen with the stock directed towards the ground just ahead of you. With your right hand draw a bolt from the quiver, holding it below the fletchings at about the level of the cresting. Place the bolt firmly on the groove with the cock feather set in the slot. The cock feather is identified by being a different colour to the others on the shaft. Slide the bolt back under the latch cover until the rear end passes between the forks of the release latch and touches the bowstring. The bolt, being lightly gripped by the bolt clip under the latch cover, will not fall out if the crossbow is pointed vertically up or down.

  Do not move the stock about during the loading operation. At all times keep the stock directed just ahead of you at the ground. It often surprises me how many beginners let the stock wander in all directions during this simple action of placing the bolt in position; and the number of times the loaded crossbow ends up pointed at the nearest spectator, usually me, is not surprising but horrifying. Even though you are to the side of and behind the shooter, where any spectators should be, there is always the one who will turn to the side when loading and end up with crossbow loaded, finger on the trigger, pointed at someone standing at the side.

  After loading the crossbow, place your hands in the correct hold positions, with the index finger along the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

  Every possible safety precaution should be observed when handling the crossbow during loading and shooting, at all times bearing in mind that it is a lethal weapon. There is no such thing as a 'toy' crossbow.

  Of all accidents caused with firearms, ninety-nine per cent are caused by carelessness. Never yet have I heard tell of an accident, fatal or otherwise, with the modern crossbow, so if there ever is a first one do not let it be you who caused it. If I may be permitted to state the obvious, never point your crossbow at another person; also, if game hunting be sure to consider the area behind your quarry in case of a miss. If your crossbow is fitted with a safety catch, make proper use of it by keeping on safe until you are ready to shoot.

  At times I have been asked if I did not think the crossbow to be a dangerous weapo
n to be lying around in case a child may lay hands on it. From that point of view the crossbow is probably the least dangerous of weapons. A child may be able to load and close the chamber of a rifle, pistol or shotgun, but I have yet to see the child who could even string a modern crossbow let alone cock it. You would not leave a cocked crossbow lying around if for no other reason than because it would be harmful to the bow. For the same reason your crossbow would certainly be unstrung when not in use if not completely dismantled. It is most unlikely indeed that any child could come across your weapon and be able to place it in the cocked and loaded position.

  Chapter 12

  STANDARDS OF SHOOTING AND CROSSBOW ROUNDS

  How accurate is the crossbow? Naturally, much depends on the skill of the user and the design and quality of his crossbow and bolts. However, the crossbow's potential accuracy is quite extraordinary. At the American National Meet in 1955 Paul Eytel of America made six golds at 50 yards on the regulation 24-inch face. This was a very close group indeed; not only did all six bolts group inside the 4-3/4" diameter gold at 50 yards, but five of the six bolts grouped within a radius of 1-1/2". A grouping of six bolts within a 6-inch radius at a distance of 30 yards is average, though with some practice you may expect to do very much better than this. In fact, crossbowmen dislike shooting groups at 30 yards due to the danger of splitting bolts with close grouping, so at 30 yards you may expect to do a six gold end quite regularly, providing your shooting style is consistent.