“Crossbow season prep, you say? The season is half over!”
That might well be the case in your state. For others, the season may still be looming large. Whatever the case, one of the distinct advantages of picking up a quality hunting crossbow is that it offers an extremely short distance between “I’m not ready yet,” and “Let’s do this.”
If you need to shift into high gear in order to get out there and enjoy what the remaining crossbow season hunting has to offer, here are a few tips to help ensure a successful time afield.
Maintenance
String inspection and waxing: Most crossbow strings hold up remarkably well, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. Check the string and cables for overall condition, looking for any fraying or exceptional wear. Before each season (and periodically throughout the season), it’s good practice to wax the strings and cables with a quality string wax. Just rub some wax onto the strands and run your fingers back and forth along the string so that the wax soaks into the fibers.
Rail lubrication: A lot of heat and friction is generated as the string rides along the crossbow rail, which is why it is important to lubricate the rail with a light oil. This protects the camo finish on the rail (if present) and will prolong the life of your string serving. Place a drop of oil on each rail and spread it with your fingers between the trigger box all the way to the riser. It is important to use a proper oil, not a petroleum-based gel, to prevent gumming up the serving and trigger mechanism.
General lubrication: Be sure to follow your crossbow manufacturer’s recommendations for trigger box lubrication. Most at least require a drop of oil be placed in front of and behind the safety selector, and a small amount of oil on exposed bolts can go a long way toward preventing rust. Ditto for the crossbow axles. Again, follow your manufacturer’s recommendations.
On a side note, if you get caught in foul weather and your trigger box becomes soaked, you may want to spray it with WD-40. This is a water-displacing oil that will remove water from those hard-to-reach places and help prevent rust build-up on delicate trigger assemblies.
Cocking mechanism: Here again, check your manufacturer’s recommendations for maintaining your cocking mechanism. Lubricate where suggested and be sure to apply some wax to the cocking rope. You don’t want this item to break midway. If there are obvious signs of wear, it’s time to replace it.
Tighten down: Using the proper-size wrench or tool, depending on your crossbow model, check all the essential attaching hardware to make sure they are secure. Bolts and screws can come loose over time. Pay special attention to the cocking stirrup bolts and make sure they are tight.
It’s also a good idea to check the tightness of your scope mount. Some crossbows can induce a lot of vibration when released, causing bolts that were not properly secured to back out over time. Check the mounting bolts along the rail, as well as the scope ring screws, to ensure they are correctly torqued.
Replace your battery: If you use an illuminated crossbow scope, we recommend replacing the battery at the beginning of each season. It’s a small, inexpensive item that you don’t want to fail when you need it most.
Check Your Zero
Just as you go to the range to check your rifle’s zero before gun season, you should also not assume that your crossbow’s scope has held its zero since the last time you shot it. Not all scopes are created equal, and sometimes a bump is all it takes to knock things off-kilter. Start by shooting field points at all distances, then check your broadhead flight and adjust accordingly.
Broadhead Tuning
To get your broadhead and arrow combination to group as tight as possible, it is recommended that you spend some time shoot-tuning or group-tuning your hunting arrows. This will ensure that all your arrows have the tightest possible point-of-impact group and you’ll know that each arrow you use will fly true to the target. For a detailed understanding of how to do this, check out this article.
Learn from Past Lessons
Remember sitting in that tree stand last year with your crossbow shouldered, waiting for that buck to step into your shooting lane? If so, you probably also remember how difficult it can be to keep a crossbow in the shooting position for even a short amount of time. Maybe the same thing happened to you while you were sitting in a pop-up blind. Whether in a tree or on the ground, experience tells you that crossbows demand a solid rest to ensure a lethal shot. Now is the time to address those issues.
There are several supports that work well for crossbows. An adjustable bipod or monopod is the choice for many hunters who work it from the ground. For stabilizing your crossbow in a tree stand, a padded shooting rail works great, or you can opt for a compact monopod, such as the SteadyEddy model. We like the diversity of this one because you can use it in a tree or on the ground. It also works for still hunting in situations where you must take a standing shot. This monopod allows you to prop it against your waist to achieve a three-point support.
Brush Up on the Fundamentals
Finally, don’t grab your crossbow from the nail it’s been hanging on for the last 10 months or so and head for the woods. Spend some time target shooting in different positions—especially those that mimic the kind of shots you typically encounter in the field. Shoot while kneeling, sitting on the ground, prone and standing, and practice shooting uphill and downhill. Learn what positions work for you and which ones to avoid. Knowing this ahead of time will ensure you avoid getting stuck in a bad shooting position when the moment of truth arrives, or it will give you confidence that you can make a shot from an uncomfortable shooting position. Whatever the case, it pays to know before you go.
Hunting with a crossbow offers many advantages, such as a longer hunting season and the chance to put an extra deer in the freezer. Best of all, it doesn’t take months of practice to do it. As long as you spend a small amount of your pre-hunt time to get everything in working order and you’ve done a bit of practicing to become reacquainted with your crossbow, success comes down to simply getting out there and enjoying your time in the woods.
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