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Crossbow Aiming and Hunting Techniques
- Always cock your crossbow consistently in the same place. Failure to do so can lead to off setting of your site. Marking your string while it is at rest with two marks on either side of the stock should remedy this problem.
- The accuarcy of the arrow is two dimensional. The proper combination of arrow and broadhead is needed.
- The smaller the broadhead the better the accuracy, in general.
- The task for the arrow is to correct any play the broadhead might introduce to the flight. It accomplishes this by spinning. A slight offset with straight clamps works very well.
- Trajectory is the key to any good shot. Remember most shots are under 20 yards. There's no point in shooting past that because the variation in the shot will vary too much for any regular sized target or game.
- Assuming you set your site at 20 yards then your trajectory will be one or two inches high at fifteen yards, and two or three inches low at twenty-five yards.
*Note: Care should be taken when shooting from a tree stand since the crossbow stock will kick in a upward direction. Make sure the area around your crossbow is clear of any limbs or other objects before firing.
History of the Crossbow
Literary and physical evidence suggest that the crossbow originated in China during the 4th century BC, though a type of crossbow called the gastraphetes may have been independently invented in Greece at about the same period. It wasn't until the 10th or 11th centuries AD that the crossbow became a significant military weapon in Europe. It passed from general military service in the 16th century, but its use for hunting and target shooting has continued to the present day. The most of following chronology is abridged from GUIDE TO THE CROSSBOW by Paterson:
| 341 BC | Earliest reliable record of crossbow use at battle of Ma-Ling in China. |
| 228 BC | Earliest crossbow artifact, a bronze lock mechanism from the tomb of Yu Wang. |
| 0-100 AD | Heron of Alexandria describes gastraphetes. |
| 300-700 | Roman carvings of crossbows. |
| 385 | Vegetius mentions crossbows in DE RE MILITARIA. |
| 1066 | Crossbows introduced to England by Normans. |
| 1096 | Anna Comnena describes Norman crossbows. |
| 1100-1200 | Composite crossbow lath appears. |
| 1139 | 2nd Lateran Council interdict forbids use of crossbow among Christians. |
| 1192 | Crusader victory at Jaffa aided by crossbows. |
| 1314 | Earliest reliable record of steel lath. |
| 1346 | Genoese crossbowmen defeated at Crecy by English longbowmen. |
| 1373 | Earliest illustration of cranequin. |
| 1503 | First of many English laws restricting possession and use of crossbows. |
| 1550-1600 | Firearms replace crossbows in most Weatern armies. |
| 1860 | Photographic evidence from Chinese shows repeating crossbows still used there as military weapons. |
| 1939-45 | "Arrowspeed" crossbow used by Austrailian commandos in Pacific Theatre. |
| 1945-1975 | Crossbows employed by Montagnard peoples and US special forces during Vietnam conflict. |
| 1960?-present | Crossbows used to shoot anesthetic darts for capturing and treating wildlife; also used to obtain tissue samples from marine animals for obtaining genetic information. |
Crossbow Terms
| ARBALIST | Latin language term for crossbow, derived from arcuballista (also spelled ARBALEST). |
| ARMBRUST | German language term for crossbow which is often preferred in international circles. |
| ARROW | Synonym for bolt which is preferred by some modern crossbow manufacturers. |
| BACK | Side of bow or lath facing target. |
| BALLISTA | Roman seige engine similar to oversized crossbow. |
| BARREL | Section of the stock between the latch and lath; sometimes used as synonym for track. |
| BARRELED CROSSBOW | Crossbow having a tubular barrel rather than a track; used to shoot balls, usually of lead; synonym for slurbow. |
| BASTARD STRING | String to brace a crossbow for installation of bowstring; synonym for bracing string. |
| BELLY | Side of bow or lath facing shooter. |
| BELT HOOK | Metal hook(s) attached to belt to aid cocking. |
| BENDING LEVER | Hindged lever to aid cocking; pushes string back using lugs or a ring mounted at front of crossbow; provides mechanical advantage of about 5:1, varying with lever length. |
| BINDING | See BRIDLE. |
| BOLT | Short projectile for crossbow resembling arrow. |
| BOLT CHANNEL | See TRACK. |
| BOW | See LATH. |
| BOW IRONS | Metal fittings used to secure lath to stock; usually tightened with metal wedges. |
| BOWSTEEL | Steel lath. |
| BOWSTRING | String used on all archery weapons to transfer force from bow to projectile. |
| BRACED | Position of bowstring when mounted on bow or lath, but not cocked. |
| BRACED HEIGHT | Distance between braced bowstring and belly side of riser, measured from the bowstring's center. |
| BRACING STRING | See BASTARD STRING. |
| BRIDLE | Binding, usually of twisted sinew cord, used to tie lath to stock on medieval crossbows. |
| BULLET CROSSBOW | Crossbow designed to shoot bullets; generally used in reference to double-string types. |
| BUTT | Rearmost portion of crossbow stock; also refers to earthen mound used in long range target shooting, and as a general term for backstop. |
| CATCH | See LATCH and SAFETY. |
| CENTER-SHOT | Bow or crossbow lath designed so that the arrow/bolt passes through its center; center-shot crossbows often have two separate limbs. |
| CLEAN DRAW | See POWER STROKE. |
| CLIP | Spring used to retain bolt to cocked crossbow prior to shooting; usually made of horn or metal. |
| CLOUT | Long range archery shooting. Modern practice uses a horizontal target 15 meters in diameter outlined with flags; scoring is determined by measuring distance from center. |
| COCK | To draw bowstring from braced position to latched position. |
| COCKING LUGS | Metal protruberances on crossbow for anchoring bending lever, cranequin or goat's foot. |
| COCKING PEG | Peg required to set some crossbow trigger mechanisms prior to cocking. |
| COCKING RING | Metal ring bound to the front of the lath to anchor bending lever. |
| COCKSCOMBING | Method of serving sometimes used on loops of crossbow bowstrings. |
| COMPOSITE | Combination of materials used to construct lath including horn, wood, sinew and baleen. |
| COMPOUND | Modern lath construction using cables and eccentric pulleys. |
| CORD AND PULLEY | Cocking aid consisting of cord with ends attached to crossbow butt and user's belt running through a pulley attached to bowstring; provides mechanical advantage of 2:1. |
| CRANEQUIN | Cocking device using rack and pinion; can provide mechanical advantage of about 145:1, varying with size and number of teeth. |
| CROSSBOW | Archery weapon consisting of a lath mounted to a rigid stock, having a mechanical means to hold and release the drawn bowstring. See also ARBALEST, ARMBRUST, BARRELED CROSSBOW, BULLET CROSSBOW. |
| DOG'S FOOT | See GOAT'S FOOT |
| DOUBLE STRING | Complex form of bowstring designed to launch round projectiles from crossbow; has leather pouch at center to hold ball. |
| DRY-FIRE | To release cocked bowstring without projectile; term borrowed from firearms. |
Deer hunting humor: he shot at me
He's about 5'3", wearing a red jacket, smells of beer and he shot a gun at me.
Possum Hunting Back in the Day
Possum Hunting Back in the Day
Back in the day, in Alabama, before our modern day ways of entertainment, people in the South participated in the sport of possum hunting. It was usually a family affair that included the children and neighbor children with Dads and Granddads.
As it has been passed down to me, possum hunting was not very hard to learn. Mostly walking through the woods following a couple of dogs waiting for the dogs to “tree” a possum. The most important part of possum hunting was the sense of community, the coming together and having a good time. The possum was the catalyst, the reason behind it all. Once the possum was treed you could see the possum with lights. Sometimes it took a while to catch up with the dogs.
Some hunters would bring the possums back home, skin them and cook them up. My family still talks about baked possum and sweet potatoes even though it has been a few generations since anyone in my family ate a possum. It was lean times back then and any extra meat helped the family from going hungry.
When the dogs found their possum it was easy to find them. You just followed the barking because they would raise a ruckus. When you got to the tree, you had to try and get the possum out of the tree. My Granddad told me there were two ways to get a possum out of a tree. The way was to try and throw rocks and pieces of wood at the possum and try to knock him out of the tree. If that didn’t work they would have to climb the tree and physically push the possum out of the tree. Much of the time the Possum would "sull up", that is they would roll up in a ball and play dead. They were not generally aggressive. But every once in a while there would be an angry possum. There were great tales of family members trying to get that possum out of the tree with them not falling out of the tree. Sometimes the possum won and sometimes the hunter won. Possums have alot of teeth.
The hunters always brought with them a "gunny sack" which was usually a canvas sack for carrying possums home. When the possum had made it to the ground another hunter would pick them up by the tail and put him in a gunny sack. They would round up the dogs and go looking for more. There were times that possum hunting was lean and they would walk for several hours and come home empty handed.
Back when my Granddad was a boy there was not much entertainment like today. My Grandad was born at the turn of the century. The turn of the 20th century not the 21st century. There was no TV, Radio, internet or cell phones. People had to depend on themselves for entertainment. Families did more together. In my family Possum hunting was a great time and provided much entertainment. Possum hunting brought the family together created life time bonds. There was fun to be had with it. Maybe, if people would go possum hunting now instead of watching the TV, obsessing about Facebook or texting their friends they would be better off and have a lot more fun. But thinking about it…. I doubt it. DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE TEETH……
Back in the day, in Alabama, before our modern day ways of entertainment, people in the South participated in the sport of possum hunting. It was usually a family affair that included the children and neighbor children with Dads and Granddads.
As it has been passed down to me, possum hunting was not very hard to learn. Mostly walking through the woods following a couple of dogs waiting for the dogs to “tree” a possum. The most important part of possum hunting was the sense of community, the coming together and having a good time. The possum was the catalyst, the reason behind it all. Once the possum was treed you could see the possum with lights. Sometimes it took a while to catch up with the dogs.
Some hunters would bring the possums back home, skin them and cook them up. My family still talks about baked possum and sweet potatoes even though it has been a few generations since anyone in my family ate a possum. It was lean times back then and any extra meat helped the family from going hungry.
When the dogs found their possum it was easy to find them. You just followed the barking because they would raise a ruckus. When you got to the tree, you had to try and get the possum out of the tree. My Granddad told me there were two ways to get a possum out of a tree. The way was to try and throw rocks and pieces of wood at the possum and try to knock him out of the tree. If that didn’t work they would have to climb the tree and physically push the possum out of the tree. Much of the time the Possum would "sull up", that is they would roll up in a ball and play dead. They were not generally aggressive. But every once in a while there would be an angry possum. There were great tales of family members trying to get that possum out of the tree with them not falling out of the tree. Sometimes the possum won and sometimes the hunter won. Possums have alot of teeth.
The hunters always brought with them a "gunny sack" which was usually a canvas sack for carrying possums home. When the possum had made it to the ground another hunter would pick them up by the tail and put him in a gunny sack. They would round up the dogs and go looking for more. There were times that possum hunting was lean and they would walk for several hours and come home empty handed.
Back when my Granddad was a boy there was not much entertainment like today. My Grandad was born at the turn of the century. The turn of the 20th century not the 21st century. There was no TV, Radio, internet or cell phones. People had to depend on themselves for entertainment. Families did more together. In my family Possum hunting was a great time and provided much entertainment. Possum hunting brought the family together created life time bonds. There was fun to be had with it. Maybe, if people would go possum hunting now instead of watching the TV, obsessing about Facebook or texting their friends they would be better off and have a lot more fun. But thinking about it…. I doubt it. DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE TEETH……
Deer hunting humor - oh deer
Deerest Hunter,
I know you've longed to find this post. There is plenty of deer hunting humor on the internet, and we want to put some of it together for you to enjoy. If you like to laugh you should LIKE us on Facebook.
Did you stop counting after your "limit"? No? Well then you are a true hunter and can keep enjoying this post.
Now CALMLY go by and grab a new Hunting knife.
If you've got a better caption, and you probably do, leave it in the comments. What would you say to the vegetarian?
Parenting done right. This kid is going to grow up to be awesome. A new grown-up crossbow would be nice too.
Oh the perils of Deer hunting. I'm pretty sure this Bear has claimed this as his Deer Hunting area. Would you be willing to test him on that?
If this sign is not only not too graphic for you, but you find it hilarious - you are a worthy hunter.
Pigeon's beware.
What I would have loved even more is the photo right after this one. His face would be. PRICELESS.
Women bow hunting. NICE.
Hot huntresses get a big thumbs up from us.
Home on the Prairie: First Pheasant Hunt
Extremely-Sharp.com reached out to Richard Cockrell of Rock Ridge Outfitters to write about his first Pheasant Hunting trip. He graciously agreed to tell us all about it. Read his story below about this great trip to South Dakota.
Home on the Prairie
My first and most recent hunting trip took me from my home in Youngstown, Florida to Geddes, South Dakota. There I met Joel Vasek owner and guide of Missouri Valley Guide Service. I was joined by my stepson Jeremy and my fellow working companions: Dan, Mickey and Steve. Steve is a long time friend of Joel and together they planned a top notch hunting trip for the next three days. Let me say that the MVGS lodge is a first class operation with all the amenities anyone could ever ask for, and we did not have to want for anything. The meals were all included in our stay, and you could not ask for better service than what we received.
The first morning out the weather was dreary with light snow flurries that turned into a misting rain. Despite the weather the hunt was on! For my stepson and me the weather was a big change. When we left Florida it was 85 degrees. Now we were in South Dakota in weather that was topping out at a mere 27 degrees. After a tasty breakfast we all got our hunting gear together and prepared to load up on a converted (short) school bus for our ride to the hunting fields. The hunts took place in cut corn fields, milo fields, and some natural cover. This year the pheasant population was supposed to be 60% less than last year but this was not to be the case for us. Joel was able to put us on and abundance of pheasants both hens and roosters. However, you can only harvest the roosters.
We tackled each field in the grand tradition of pheasant hunting. A few hunters (generally the bravest) stand at the end of the fields they are known as the blockers. The other hunters will drive through the fields to the opposite end they are known as the walkers. The walkers along with the dogs flush up the pheasants and with any luck the pheasants will flush up between the walkers and blockers. Hunters shout out “Roosters!” or “Hens!” and the shooting begins. With some luck a pheasant will plummet to the ground and the dogs are sent to retrieve them.
All three days were filled with plenty of hunting action. The second and third day the weather cleared and the hunting was spectacular. You could have not asked for anymore hunting action than we were able to experience. If the percentage of pheasants were down it must have been elsewhere. In our case we all got our pheasant limits all three days.
I have to say that pheasant hunting has become my favorite type of hunting now. I have hunted for deer, quail, turkeys, ducks and now pheasants. The hunting action, the dogs working and the fellowship of my stepson and co-workers was the make of a exciting hunting trip. I’m hooked!
Let me say that Missouri Valley Guide Service has a great reputation, impeccable service and outstanding pheasant hunting. I highly recommend them and I commend Joel for having a first class operation. We are already booked for this time next year, and I can not wait to be back there.
What is your favorite kind of hunt? Where do you like to hunt?
Hunting and Fishing is the Life for Me
#GetOutdoors with Extremely-Sharp.
Hunting and Fishing is the life for me and always will be. There is something about being in nature that I think speaks to our soul in a way that nothing else can. I've heard it said that the human spirit needs time in land that is untouched by man and I know that for me that is true.
These photographs are for any of you who love to GET OUTDOORS. That is the message of the Extremely-sharp life...#GetOutdoors.
My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks that I am.
Check out our Camping and Survival gear.
Some Anglers just have too much time on their hands...
Aromatherapy for hunters.
Teddy Roosevelt quote - No, I'm not a good shot, but I shoot often.
Teddy Roosevelt's thoughts on gun control. [smile]
Do what you love, love what you do.
I can not look at this photo without a touch of jealousy, wanting to be there fishing. What is it about fishing that brings so much peace? It's like yoga, but you get to kill something.
One of the worlds greatest mailboxes.
How often do you think this house gets robbed? | Self defense items for protection
Would you take this shot? Hunting while standing on a horse
There is range hunting...and then there is standing on a horse range hunting. Could you do it?
Got horsepower? This fishing boat is awesome.
Oh hi, is this your boat? I brought beer, can we be friends? | Fillet knives
This right here is why we love our hunting dogs. They love to fish and hunt as much as we do
If you love camping, hiking, fishing, hunting... just exploring the great outdoors - we would love for you to visit our family owned and operated website and get some gear for while you are out on your adventure. Extremely-sharp.com is an e-commerce website out of Alabama that was started by two brothers who have a love of the outdoors and sharp objects. If you want to support small American businesses, shop our website. Our prices are low and you'll be supporting family owned business.
Zip Ties, Cable Ties, a Survival Must
Seasoned survivalists know that our gear does not have to be expensive. What we want in our gear is functionality. We want our gear to be effective. If you have spent some time out in the woods you know you can't do without duct tape. Duct tape is an essential and the cost is minimal. Another essential in my pack are zip ties also known as cable ties. They are primarily used by electricians. However, they make great fasteners. Mostly designed for one time use. Cable ties are a must. They are essential for survival, backpacking and Bug out bags.
Cable Ties
There are so many useful things you can do with a zip tie. They are lightweight, and cheap. A perfect item to throw in as part of your camping gear, into your survival kit, or even incorporate them into your everyday carry gear, these Zip Ties should be something that you don't leave home without.
Black ones are the best because they do not weaken when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. Keep different sizes with you in your pack for different jobs. I keep the 1/16'" and 1/8" wide 10" to 12" long ties. They seem the most useful. They take a second to apply, almost impossible to break, or cut.
You can buy reusable cable ties but I have found the one use cable ties work the best.
Buy American made ties, stay away from china made ties. China made ties tend to snap.
When you are in a survival situation you never know when you’ll need to fasten something, strap something down or tie some up. Zip ties have a million uses. Almost anything that needs to be held together can be held by zip ties. Your imagination is the limit.
I have used ties to:
- Attach items to my pack
- Secure a light fixture overhead on a tree branch
- As emergency shoe laces
- Lost a button once and a cable tie worked as a replacement
- Drawn two belt loops together as a quick belt
- Lashed a knife to a pole for a spear
- Building survival shelters
- Used two cable ties to repair the shoulder buckle on my pack:
My Fixed Pack Buckle
- Used ties to make a snare for catching prey
- Secured a tent in place
- Hold wooden poles together
- My zipper pull snapped off my jacket and I replaced it with a tie
- In my garden for tying tomatoes and cucumbers
- Cable ties allow for one-handed fastening due to their design, which for me having only one arm comes in handy
I have heard of people using ties for:
- Tying trousers down in tick country
- Handcuffs when needed
- As a tourniquet
- Wrapping together ropes and hoses
- Boaters using ties for depth markers
- Used to hold a splint in place
- Securing a heavy duty plastic crate to an ATV
There are many uses for these lightweight, but effective fasteners. The next time you are getting ready for the trail or putting your bug out bag together, remember your cable ties.
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