Crossbow Question

So you get to your stand, you [censored] the bow, put your bolt in and you’re ready to go. The question is, if you plan on hanging up the bow in your stand and leaving it overnight, does it damage the bow in any way to leave it cocked?

I would not leave mine overnight nor would I leave it cocked that long. But I’m new to xbows and others can answer better. Kmon I’m sure will answer and is always smart about any bows. I did a little research last year and it seems you shouldn’t leave cocked real long but I can’t remember how long that was.

Thanks freerange, I am literally asking for a friend that posed the question to me this afternoon. I told him that I had no idea but knew where I could find an answer.

You can leave it on the ready for basically a day hunt and should not hurt it but I would not do that too often. Definitely would not [censored] it for the morning hunt and not shoot it then leave over night to hunt the next day.

Those cables and strings will stretch when done that way and left too long can weaken the limbs. I have seen axel to axel measurement grow by over an inch on one that was left ready to shoot for a week. Lucky new string and cables got it back to close but it had still lost about 20fps even with new string and cables, timed correctly.

On my own crossbow If hunting all day I will leave it ready to rock but discharge it at the end of the day. if taking a break during the day I will shoot it then get ready for the afternoon hunt. My old Parker has lost about 10 fps in 15 or so years of hunting that way and has had 5 string/cable sets during that time. I hunt with it not just shooting for fun thought it is but to me it is mostly a hunting tool, verify zero and distance lines are on and go hunting.

There are discharge bolts or fairly cheap discharge targets that work for discharging a crossbow. Leaving it in an enclosed blind should not harm your crossbow if the rustable metal is protected and string well waxed.

Great info kmon1. Thanks and I will pass along.

I have two different Wicked Ridge bows and I am pretty sure they dont recommend being kocked ( getting around censors ) for more than a few hours at a time. I usually haul my target out on the ATV with me and just leave it where I park my ATV. At the end of each hunt I discharge a field tipped arrow into the target.

Definitely don't leave it cocked for that long, as mentioned above. For my crossbow, it was recommended not to leave it cocked for more than 2 hrs. I always discharged it into the ground with a field point after the hunt.

Ten Point recommends no longer than 24 hrs. I have read on an Excalibur forum about guys leaving their crossbows cocked for 3 weeks at a time with no issues. I have left mine for 20 hrs at a time. Not many people hunt for less than 3 hrs at a time.

Thanks again everyone

I always just shoot one of my old bolts into the ground (while checking the aim by shooting a leaf). I'm fortunate to have sandy soil so the bolt doesn't get damaged.

JR

I always take a decocking bolt and discharge mine after the days hunt. It puts to much stress on the limbs and stretches the string and cables to leave it drawn. JMO

I made a de-cocking bolt like one in this video. It works great so far. My bow shop said not to leave my new PSE Fang HD cocked for more than 7-8 hours.

What brand? I've left my Excalibur Matrix cocked for up to a week, several times a year and it works as it should, no issues.

They all work great till they don’t. No way you will really ever know what damage or how much you shortened the life of the bow or components on the bow. I’m never that lucky.

I would not recommend it, but.....

I have a very inexpensive off brand crossbow I bought dirt cheap on clearance. it was made by a company that did not exist very long. It is near identical to an Excalibur and that is what I was originally intending to buy when I got it. Figured I would shoot it a season or two and upgrade later. A few years later, I'm still shooting the clearance crossbow. I modified an Excalibur brand crank to fit mine, also bought on clearance, so it is easy to uncock therefore I have no excuse for leaving cocked, but....

Because it did not cost me much and I originally intended to upgrade soon after, I did not worry about babying it. It is a hunting tool. So I store it in my camper at the lease year round thus it gets subjected to all the high and low temps and humidity issues. When I am hunting, I leave it cocked all weekend, or week, or longer on some trips. Note I admit I have a bow as well and don't use the crossbow that often and not every day of a bow season hunting trip. When I am using it, I tend to leave it cocked laying on a table outside my camper day and night during the hunting trip. I will only bring it in if I know it is going to rain. I have often left it in a blind or hanging in a tree and cocked during the day between a morning and evening hunt. I have not had to adjust the sights in at least three years, maybe longer. Every time I check the sight in at the beginning of season or before a hunt, it has been dead on.

If I owned a nicer crossbow like the Excalibur I originally was going to buy, I would not treat it the same way. Until I do, I will continue to do my best to wear out the cheap knockoff I do have, so I will have an excuse to buy one.