Crossbow firms keep refining accuracy. Several years ago, ads targeting groups at 100 yards provoked strong concern. Today, the web shows crossbows capable of placing three arrows inside a 5-inch circle at that distance. To be fair, advances in compound bow technology have increased so that compound users may practice at extreme distances, more for fun than for practicing on an animal. In many cases, crossbow technology outgroups the shooter such that shooting a 3-arrow group at 20 yards from a rest is bound to bust a nock or create a Robin Hood, fun but expensive.
Test Your Skill
Practicing with a crossbow is much like practicing with a compound bow. It’s important to begin with a very controlled accuracy test, including a rest for a crossbow. The initial goal must be to shoot tight groups at close range and move farther away from the target to see if arrows expand their impact. Deploy the same techniques as taught for firearm accuracy: controlled breathing, consistent trigger pressure, and a steady aim. At longer distances, a 3-inch group should be the maximum. Once arrows exceed this parameter, it’s time to make that your maximum distance, hone your shooting skills, examine equipment choice, or both.
Progress to Broadheads
Once your target points group well at 40 or 50 yards, it’s time to test their impact against your choice of broadhead. Use the same arrow setup and shoot a broadhead first, followed by a target point. A couple of repetitions will show how well your broadheads will group without chewing up expensive gear. This regimen also allows you to experiment with various braodheads to see which group the best.
The Broadhead Sighting Option
Some braodheads will not fly like target points, yet impact very consistently. An option is to sight in your broadheads instead of target points. The downside of this option is the expense, since you will quickly wear out your foam target and/or burn through broadheads, especially if you shoot expandables. Exceptions are Grim Reaper, Rage, and fixed heads that can be resharpened. Grim Reaper Broadheads have a spring retention system, and you can test the blades after practicing by seeing if they snap back into position. Eventually, they will wear out, yet the reusability saves big bucks in practice sessions, and always use “first timers” for hunting.
The Duck Factor
I once sneaked within 55 yards of a bugling elk. I drew back and released my 60-pound compound, watching the arrow arc directly toward its heart, when suddenly the bull jumped ahead of the arrow. I was so astounded by this that I asked my guide to shoot at the camp target with my bow while I hid behind a tree near the target. Sure enough, as the arrow approached, the feather fletching was clearly audible. The release of a compound bow can cause a deer to duck an arrow at longer range, yet I have not had that experience with crossbows between 360-440 fps, even with deer that are alert and looking at me.
