Although the popularity of certain movies in the last few years has seen the rise in popularity of archery, crossbow target shooting has actually been an international sport since 1957, and this challenging and technically difficult sport has continued to develop and grow.
Often when people think of target shooting their first thoughts either go to archery with a bow and arrow of some description, or to riffle shooting, both of which are Olympic competition events. However, there are some definite advantages to learning and developing your abilities with a crossbow, whether or not you are interested in other styles of target shooting.
For Archery
If you currently use a composite bow then take the time to look at the differences between these and a crossbow, you can find some very helpful information on findyourbow.com, but one of the particular thing to pay attention to is the weight difference. This is not only in the physical carrying weight, but also in the difference between draw.
Although you may be quite used to your own bow, switching to anything new is going to take a period of adjustment, but this is made a bit easier when there are actually significant differences in aiming and draw techniques as you won’t unconsciously slip into old habits.
For Rifle Target Shooting
Making the leap may be surprisingly easy for someone used to target shooting with a rifle, as one of the advantages that most crossbow’s have is a sighting system which is often similar to those of rifles. Obviously, there is a learning curve as you learn to load and draw, however if you already have skill at aiming a rifle once you are over this learning curve you will really start to enjoy the bow & arrow experience.
If you’re planning on hunting with one, and it may surprise you to discover how popular this is, you will need to be aware of things like the noise level, however although composite users will often complain about how noisy crossbows are, shooters will usually find them quieter.
International Competition
If you’re the competitive type then you might want to set your sights, no pun intended, on the World Crossbow Championship’s which occur every two years. With two distance options of either 10 meters or 30 meters the competitions are highly competitive and accuracy is obviously tannamount https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_crossbow
There are obviously differences in styles between hunting, field shooting and match competitions, with variations in bolt or arrow, stock and loading.
You will also find several military forces around the world who are trained in the accurate use of crossbows.
Accessibility Of Crossbow Over Composite Or ‘Ordinary’ Bows
One of the biggest advantages is that they simply do not require the same physicality. This means if you have always enjoyed archery but are no longer in a position to exert the force required for a strong draw, then you can find automatic draw options that would allow you to continue to enjoy the sport.
This is also an advantage if you are in a wheelchair, as there is less annoyance with trying to find a good position to load, draw and fire. They also do not require the same hand strength.
Similar to learning to drive a stick shift manual car, it may provide extra control in the long run, but driving an automatic will still bring pleasure, get you to where you need to be, and you can focus all your attention on accuracy and technique rather than mechanics.
For Hunting
While you will generally still need a permit or licences to go hunting with a bow (like this), you will find that the hunting season is actually longer than for gun hunting.
Just as with using a gun, you will need different types for different animals, and you are best to discuss what you will be out hunting for when you go shopping, your hunting store will be able to give you the best advise about which model is going to suit you best. If you are buying in store you will also be able to test out the strength required to draw.
Crossbow hunting gained popularity because it was a little easier for women or older men, however because it puts skill above brute strength it is steadily increasing in popularity with a range of hunters.