Leaving Crossbow Cocked... for how long?

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  • JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    I finally took the plunge and swapped a pretty nice extra 30/40 for what I think is a pretty serious Crossbow with crank in VG condition. Crank was mandatory for me because of age and back.

    I got a Barnett Ghost 400 w/ a center stand rest type of thing and scope.

    QUESTION IS..... how long can I leave it cocked without shooting the decocking arrow I bought for it. Will it harm it if I left it cocked for weeks on end?
     

    CanDoEZ

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 23, 2008
    2,591
    SoMD
    I finally took the plunge and swapped a pretty nice extra 30/40 for what I think is a pretty serious Crossbow with crank in VG condition. Crank was mandatory for me because of age and back.

    I got a Barnett Ghost 400 w/ a center stand rest type of thing and scope.

    QUESTION IS..... how long can I leave it cocked without shooting the decocking arrow I bought for it. Will it harm it if I left it cocked for weeks on end?

    Good bow, but definitely not a good idea to leave cocked any longer than a day. Strings will stretch if left in tension for long periods of time.
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    If I remember correctly, the instructions for my Ravin said something to the effect of, "It's ok to leave it cocked all day while hunting, but you probably shouldn't overnight."

    I don't know much about crossbows...but the Ravin can be uncranked. Have you looked for instructions...maybe yours can too? :shrug:
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    If I remember correctly, the instructions for my Ravin said something to the effect of, "It's ok to leave it cocked all day while hunting, but you probably shouldn't overnight."

    I don't know much about crossbows...but the Ravin can be uncranked. Have you looked for instructions...maybe yours can too? :shrug:

    Uncranking would be great BUT since I got it at a hock shop.... no directions. I'm hoping I don't shoot my eye out or decapitate myself.
     

    CanDoEZ

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 23, 2008
    2,591
    SoMD
    Uncranking would be great BUT since I got it at a hock shop.... no directions. I'm hoping I don't shoot my eye out or decapitate myself.

    Here's a general Barnett manual. There are lots of Youtube videos as well.
     

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    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    If you get something like a rinehart broadhead target, no decocking arrow is needed. If you get an even cheaper bag target, you can swap the broadhead bolt on your xbow for a field point bolt and then discharge all that pent up tension.

    A thought..... couple bags of commercial topsoil.... it's more like mulch than soil.

    Will wax work on the rail?
     

    llkoolkeg

    Hairy Flaccid Member
    A thought..... couple bags of commercial topsoil.... it's more like mulch than soil.

    Will wax work on the rail?

    All I have personally ever used to wipe down my rail is cheapo automotive silicone spray on a rag but I wax the heck out of my string pretty regularly so it does leave wax residue on the rail with most any usage. I haven't tried the topsoil technique myself because I use a 350fps xbow with carbon bolts and 150gr broadheads but your xbow is even faster. I must use cheapo topsoil because it often has rocks and sticks to be found within it and I fear damaging my expensive bolts and broadheads which to date I have only lost/damaged 3 of...one lost forever on a high shot over a string-twang-ducking 8-point, one embedded in a sawhorse while sighting in with broadheads on a rinehart missed by an inch-high pulled shot and another that was damaged because I thought the field points I'd just bought were also 150gr and they ended up being 125gr, which led to me anticipating an erroneous impact point.
     

    gmkoh

    Active Member
    Feb 26, 2013
    327
    Annapolis
    The Morrell Yellowjacket final discharge target is relatively inexpensive (less than $20 on Amazon, about the same at bass pro I think) small and effective. When I hunt with my xbow, I carry one in my truck with an extra field point tipped bolt discharge into it after I get back to my truck.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,063
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    The Morrell Yellowjacket final discharge target is relatively inexpensive (less than $20 on Amazon, about the same at bass pro I think) small and effective. When I hunt with my xbow, I carry one in my truck with an extra field point tipped bolt discharge into it after I get back to my truck.

    +1 I slide it under my bench seat in the back of my supercab. I have an extra arrow with field point that shoots 1.5" wide at 20 yards for some reason and I painted blue testors paint around it like cresting so I never put a broadhead on it.
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,153
    be careful how much you lube the rail, if you put too much on you can push that lubricant back into the trigger assembly and gum it up
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,884
    Pasadena
    The strings are under constant tension. My old compound bow finally broke after 12 years without being restrung. Leaving it cocked puts tension on the firing mechanism which isn't good. Always leave your crossbow in a safe condition. Buy a junk bolt and just shoot it into the dirt to de-cock it.

    Also it's a good idea to replace your string every 3 or so years. Before my string broke my velocities were pretty crappy after the new string was installed the velocities went way up. I used my old pins and my 1st shot at 30yds was about 4' over the top of the target, I lost that arrow to the woods.

    Bow string are replicable and should be as regular maintenance.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,812
    Anyone who uses a cocking string to cock their xbows should and can just as easily uncock them using that same string. For the year I had to hunt with a xbow, I never had to uncock by shooting a bolt.
     

    akalma

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 24, 2008
    718
    МоКо
    Anyone who uses a cocking string to cock their xbows should and can just as easily uncock them using that same string. For the year I had to hunt with a xbow, I never had to uncock by shooting a bolt.

    I don't think it is easy with Barnett's safety where trigger works only with bolt in the firing mechanism.
     

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