Are you an avid hunter and are looking for one of the best hunting crossbows for sale? But before you start searching for them, you must know about the different types of crossbows and most importantly what should you actually look for in a hunting crossbow. 


Because if you do not know what are the features of a good crossbow and how each one of those features facilitate you during hunting, then there are very good chances that you might end with a totally wrong crossbow or you will end up buying the one that looks pretty enough but is not that effective when it comes to hunting, which is also wrong.

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Some of the most important features to look for in hunting crossbows for sale are accuracy, draw-weight, cocking mechanism of the crossbow and of course the speed of the crossbow with which it shoots the projectile and hits the target. 


However, before we indulge ourselves in a detailed discussion of these feature, let us first see what crossbows actually are and what is their history.


What is a Crossbow?

A crossbow is quite similar to a bow or we can say that it is a modern version of the conventional bow which our ancestors used. A crossbow is actually a ranged weapon that has a bow like structure which is designed on a tiller also known as the frame of the crossbow. 


A crossbow shoots projectiles known as bolts just like a bow shoots arrows. We all know that for a bow to shoot an arrow, the archer must pull the strings of the bow with his fingers, however, in case of a crossbow, the archer only has to pull the string of the crossbow into a lock and then pull a trigger which releases the lock and the bolt too. 


So, yes you are thinking right, a crossbow has a more efficient mechanism and requires less physical effort from the archer than a bow.


History of Crossbows

Crossbows are known to be originated and used for the first time in China somewhere during the 4th century BC. Crossbows were even used in wars and battles at that time as a weapon. 


The Chinese men were well trained and they had almost no trouble in aiming these crossbows and hitting the targets with precision and accuracy. However, the use of crossbows expanded to the Europeans somewhere around 11th and 12th century.


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Essential Features of a Good Crossbow

The following are the features that a good crossbow should have and which you must know if you want to buy a hunting crossbow for sale and want to choose the best one out of the huge variety of crossbows for sale available in stores.


1- FPS (Feet per second)

FPS means that how much kinetic energy does the crossbow generate to reach the target and take it down. A good crossbow should have sufficient amount of FPS to shoot up to a distance of 40 yards at least. 


People mostly shoot up to 30 yards during practice but when you are out in the field, it is better to have a crossbow that can shoot up to 40 yards at least. And for shooting up to 40 yards at least, you must have a crossbow featuring a FPS in between 250-300 as this range of FPS is generally considered decent and good.


2- Scope of the Crossbow

Aiming properly is one of the crucial task of hunting and a good scope is imperative for that. A good scope should at least feature three reticles or dots. Scopes come with crossbows for sale and although they are detachable and you can always change them, it is better to buy good scopes with the crossbows right away.


3- Weight of the Crossbow

This feature is one of the most essential features of the crossbow. When it comes to the weight of a crossbow, you should consider buying a crossbow that is compact and is light in weight. The reason for this is pretty obvious. 


Carrying a heavy crossbow can prove to be such a hassle especially during hunting. So what’s the purpose of buying a heavy crossbow when you cannot even carry it around with you or to pick it up and shoot, as a matter of fact. 


So, yes always buy a light-weighted crossbow which requires less space as well. The standard weight for a good crossbow is considered to be approximately 5.5 pounds.


4- Cocking Mechanism of the Crossbow

A crossbow is all about its mechanism. The cocking mechanism of a crossbow should be reliable and efficient. It should not make much noise because too much noise will just scare away your prey and will make things worse for you. The cocking mechanism of a good crossbow is smooth, dependable and most importantly noiseless.


5- Bolt of the Crossbow

A bolt also known as a quarrel is the projectile of a crossbow. Some of the crossbows for sale come with bolts, however, others do not and you have to buy the bolts for them. Also, remember that bolts that are light in weight fly faster. 


However, it is also a fact that different crossbows require differently weighted bolts. You should not use a underweight bolt nor should you choose a overweight bolt. Both scenarios will affect the performance of your crossbow so it is mostly recommended to choose bolts depending on the model of the crossbow you are using and its type as well. 


And it is even better if you buy crossbow that comes with bolts and this provides you samples for future selection of bolts as well.


6- Customer Reviews and Ratings of the Crossbow

People rely so much on reviews and ratings of a product. Even if we like the features of a product and we like its design as well, we find it badly rated or reviewed and we start having second thoughts about it. Isn’t that so? Well, it is for me! 


I always read customer’s reviews and view their ratings before buying a product especially an expensive one and trust me, a good crossbow is if not too much, but a decent amount of dollars and you wouldn’t want to take risk on that hard earned money of yours. 


So, always look for reviews and ratings of the crossbow you want to buy and specifically read about the description of the user about the features of the crossbow i.e. about its tested arrow velocity, speed, quality and bolts. 


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This will prove to be useful to you, trust me. The above-mentioned six features should always be ensured whenever you are out buying for a hunting crossbow and are making your selection from various crossbows for sale.