NEW TREESTAND CROSSBOW HUNTERS, PLEASE REMEMBER.

curmudgeon · Post by **curmudgeon** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:08 am

Treestand Hunters, Say you don't get a shot on opening day, or even if you do and you have recocked and reloaded, and your waiting to get down. PLEASE remember to remove the bolt from your crossbow before lowering it from your treestand.

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 3:37 pm

Keep your wits about you. I check to make sure my bolt is pushed all the way back onto the string routinely (5-10 minutes), even when sitting still. It can't hurt!

I remember reading a post (here i think) about a guy who began to uncock his bow by hand not realizing the bolt was still in it.

Luckily he had a buddy to help him cock it again before he put it through his foot.

You can never be too careful!!!!

striper · Post by **striper** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 4:26 pm

I feel like all of us who shoot Excaliburs have bolts with damaged fletchings. If you shoot at the same point on the target without removing bolts already fired, It won't be long before you have a bolt perfect to use for unloading your bow before roping it down from the stand. Just remove your good bolt from your bow , replace it with the damaged bolt you keep in your quiver, and fire it into the ground. The only problem is that you need to carefully mark where you shot as the bolt will penetrate 10-15 inches into the ground. Why hand lower a cocked bow? Unloading the bow by firing it also gives you a good chance to check your aiming point while you are in the woods. Striper

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:00 pm

We are all individuals, and for whatever reasons develop different habits. From my ladder stand it's extremely difficult to cock a crossbow because the ladder rails block the foot platform to a narrow width. I have to cock the crossbow on the ground before I raise it to that stand. My other stand I can cock it in the stand, so I raise it un-cocked. From either stand I unload it by shooting an arrow into the ground before lowering it. I never carry it with the shoulder sling when it's cocked. This system may, or may not work for you. I'm not suggesting it's the only way, or even the best way, it's just what I've practiced so long it's an unconcious safety routine. That's what we all need to develop! Find a safe way of handling the crossbow and follow the routine until the actions become automatic!
BTW - kind of off the topic, but certainly safety related. One more thing I like about the Excalibur design is the manual safety. It becomes a habit to flip the safety on as soon as the string latches into the claws and you release your grip from cocking the crossbow. I've seen automatic safties fail to move to safe when the crossbow was cocked gently. So another habit of mine is to feel the safety is on with my thumb, as well as visually comfirm the position before I take my foot out of the stirrup!

curmudgeon · Post by **curmudgeon** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:04 pm

All good advice, I'm just afraid some new xbow hunters may get excited or overtired being in a tree all day and forget to shoot or remove the bolt before starting to get down. Some stay in there until it's pretty dark.

GREY OWL · Post by **GREY OWL** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:46 pm

Better yet............. uncock the xbow in a deer.

Grey Owl

striper · Post by **striper** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 11:03 pm

I am so paranoid about pulling a cocked bow up to my stand WITH the safety on that I put a heavy rubber band around the stock and then over the safety to ensure that it will no be accidentally tripped off if it hits the trunk or a limb on a nearby tree. Nothing in life is certain, but I think this really further reduces the chance of an accidental discharge while pulling up a cocked bow to a treestand. Striper

CaptainCharles · Post by **CaptainCharles** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 12:18 pm

striper wrote:I am so paranoid about pulling a cocked bow up to my stand WITH the safety on that I put a heavy rubber band around the stock and then over the safety to ensure that it will no be accidentally tripped off if it hits the trunk or a limb on a nearby tree. Nothing in life is certain, but I think this really further reduces the chance of an accidental discharge while pulling up a cocked bow to a treestand. Striper

I hook my pull rope at the back of the stock, not the cocking stirrup, so it is always pointing down when I pull it to me...Of course, there is no bolt in it either,,,,,

Basel · Post by **Basel** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 12:23 pm

I also use an old bolt to uncock my bow. To limit penetration into the ground, place a washer that is lager that the diamter of the field point on the point thread. This works well.
Basel

chessy · Post by **chessy** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:34 am