If you are in the market for a new hunting crossbow, right now is the perfect time for you to consider pulling the trigger on your crossbow purchase. The crossbows for sale on the market today have many technological advancements not previously offered on older models, which may help you to be more successful in the field this fall, like safe and silent cocking and de-cocking, range finding crossbow scopes, extremely narrow bow assemblies and ultra-compact profiles. Additionally, purchasing your new hunting crossbow now allows you enough time to get acquainted with the new crossbow and properly sight-in and practice before hunting season starts. Perhaps the biggest reason you should consider going ahead with your purchase right now is that many dealers and retail locations currently have crossbows in stock, but that will likely be short-lived as the demand created in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic has continued throughout 2021, with no decrease expected any time soon. 

Reason 1: Today’s crossbows are far more technologically advanced than crossbows of the past. 

Is the width of the bow assembly on your crossbow so wide that it makes it difficult to carry through the woods without getting caught on branches or brush? Is your crossbow so heavy to carry that you’re exhausted by the time you get to your stand? Do you carry a rangefinder to your stand, and do you use it to range an animal right before you take a shot? Do you have to shoot your crossbow to unload it? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you should look at some of the new crossbows and crossbow technologies available on today’s models. 

Crossbows have become considerably smaller over the past few years, both in overall length and in the narrowness of the bow assemblies when cocked. Some manufacturers now offer crossbows that are only around 26-inches long overall, that weigh in as little as 6 pounds, and that are as narrow as 5.8-inches axle-to-axle when cocked! These size and weight advancements have revolutionized the crossbow hunting experience by making it easier to carry a crossbow into the woods without being burdened by excessive weight and without giving up the key advantage of stealth. 

Some of the most exciting and revolutionary technological advancements to crossbows have arrived in the crossbow market over the past two years, including de-cocking systems and range finding crossbow scopes. If you must shoot your crossbow at the end of the night to de-cock it, you know how inconvenient this can be. You must make sure you take a target with you to your hunting location to discharge your crossbow bolt or you must shoot a practice bolt into the ground, which more-times-than-not results in a broken, unusable crossbow bolt. This can get expensive. However, crossbows now exist that allow for totally silent cocking while at the same time allow for totally SAFE de-cocking. This type of crossbow de-cocking system can be a real money-saver since you do not have to shoot a crossbow bolt at all to de-cock the crossbow. 

If you’re still carrying around a rangefinder with you in the woods, you’ll be happy to know that there are a few new range finding crossbow scopes on the market that allow you to leave your rangefinder at home. These crossbow scopes have revolutionized the crossbow optics industry and are the most sought-after crossbow optics for 2021. However, not all crossbow scopes with built in rangefinders are the same. Some range finding crossbow scopes allow you to range the animal to determine the distance and then you use that reading to determine which dot or line to use for your shot from the scope’s multi-line or multi-dot reticle. There’s even a digital range finding crossbow scope now available that presents an automatically drop-compensated dot for you after obtaining your range distance. Regardless of which type of range finding crossbow scope you purchase you will gain the significant advantage of eliminating the extra movement required when using an external rangefinder. 

Reason 2: You still have time before season to learn how your new crossbow functions and to practice with it. 

One of the most popular myths about crossbows is that you do not need to practice with them to be an effective hunter. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you’re in the market for a new crossbow, you still have enough time left at this point to familiarize yourself with assembly, cocking, essential maintenance, and arrow requirements for your new crossbow before heading to the woods to hunt. You also have enough time to spend practicing with the crossbow during multiple shooting sessions, so that you can develop an effective shooting routine which will help to make you a better shot and a more successful crossbow hunter. If you delay your crossbow purchase and wait until a week or so before your season starts to “pull the trigger,” chances are good you won’t have enough time to get fully acquainted with your crossbow and you will not be completely comfortable when it comes to cocking, loading and shooting it in the field. As an ethical and safe crossbow hunter, you owe it to yourself and to the animal to understand how to properly use your new crossbow as well as how to shoot the most accurately with it. 

Reason 3: Crossbows, arrows and broadheads are in stock now but will likely sell out quickly in the coming weeks.

Thankfully, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have entered a new phase, as many locations that were closed have now reopened. One of the unanticipated effects of the pandemic is the never-before-seen level of demand for all types of hunting equipment, including firearms, ammunition and archery equipment. The widespread economic disruption created by COVID-19 is still being felt in the marketplace in 2021, despite the re-opening of many countries across the world. Since most crossbows are built from parts that come from a variety of different parts makers located in different parts of the United States and the world, most crossbow companies are dealing with supply chain delays that have limited their ability to build and ship their finished crossbows. If you were to check most crossbow manufacturers’ websites today, you will find that almost all of them are operating on a preorder-only basis and some require up to a 12-week lead time to build and ship their crossbows, even to their local dealers. If you were looking to buy one of these crossbows to use during this year’s hunting season, you are probably already too late in your decision to buy because some or all of your archery season may be over by the time you actually receive the crossbow. 

However, a few crossbow manufacturers have weathered the supply-chain driven delays by sourcing additional parts makers over the past six months and are still building and shipping crossbows with a relatively quick-turnaround. When you visit your local crossbow dealer to check what’s in stock, you will quickly figure out which manufactures these are. However, don’t be fooled by the supply of stock in the store. The prime time for most consumers to buy crossbows for hunting begins now and lasts through the first couple of weeks of archery season. Whatever supplies are in stock now will quickly be depleted over the next several weeks, so, if you delay your purchase even by just a few weeks, you will find yourself without any purchase options at all. Bear in mind that this potential supply shortage also applies to crossbow accessories, crossbow bolts and broadheads, so be sure to plan your purchases accordingly.