A Buyers Guide to Crossbows

There are many different crossbows on the market, so today we’re going to be looking at a few of the very best, and comparing them to see what is the right choice for you.

Recurve Crossbows

First off is recurve crossbows. These crossbows operate much like traditional bows that have been turned sideways and mounted on a stock. The power of the bow comes from the tension housed within the recurve limbs that are drawn back with the string, and which are then released when the trigger is pulled.

Recurve crossbows have been used for centuries, and the advantage of them is that because the design is so simple, they are very easy to maintain and are unlikely to go wrong. Let’s have a look at some examples.

EK Archery Jaguar I

The Jaguar from EK is the ideal starter crossbow. With a draw weight of 150lbs, the crossbow is easy to draw, but will still produce velocities well in excess of 200fps. This means the bolt will fly nice and straight and be accurate enough for target shooting at around 60 yards. The maximum range is obviously much greater – 100 yards plus – but at 60 you should be able to hit a bullseye pretty consistently.

The crossbow is made from a mixture of aluminium and polymer, which keeps the crossbow light, but doesn’t sacrifice any strength. This makes the bow not only easy to transport and carry, but also eliminates fatigue whilst aiming, allowing you to stay more accurate for longer. The only complaint I have about the stock is that the butt is entirely polymer, with no rubber butt pad. This may increase strength, but it makes the crossbow a little uncomfortable to get into the right position.

The bow is equipped with basic iron sights and also sports a rail for red dots, scopes or other optics. It would have been nice for another rail somewhere that could hold a torch, but for the price I really can’t complain. This crossbow is available at £58.99 which is frankly a bargain; it will shoot twice as far as any sub 12ft/lb airgun, and is accurate to a tee.

Honestly, this crossbow is fantastic for the price; it’s just hampered by a lack of options and a slightly uncomfortable design. If, however, you can look past these niggles, you’ll end up with a very effective, if a little basic, target crossbow.

 

Barnett Recruit 150lbs

At almost four times the price of the EK, the Barnet had better be good to justify itself. Luckily, the crossbow is extremely well made and the build quality is apparent as soon as you pick it up. The crossbow feels both light and strong and is exceptionally balanced, making you want to draw it up to your shoulder almost instinctively.

The crossbow has a draw weight of 150lbs and also 65ft/lbs of muzzle energy. This makes the bow both easy to draw and also powerful enough to provide good range. The crossbow has a fantastically responsive, moulded metal trigger that houses a predictable let off that helps prevent you from “pulling” your shot.

In addition to the crossbow, the Recruit comes with a lightweight bolt quiver, three bolts, lube wax and even a red dot sight. There are much better quality sights available, such as the models by Hawke or Meopta, but to have one included with the bow is a nice touch. The bolts included with the bow are also not of particularly high quality, and, to be honest, the accessories included would be something I’d replace if I was using this crossbow day in day out.

The bow is also equipped with an anti-dry-fire system to prevent the most common way of bow breakages, and this makes the bow feel very reliable. The crossbow is able to achieve around 2” groups at 50 yards, pretty impressive, and I’m sure with a little training you could maybe get this up to 70 plus.

The Recruit is a good bow and definitely a step up in quality from the Jaguar, I don’t think it’s four times better though, especially when it comes to accuracy and power, which are almost identical.

Compound Crossbows

Compound bows use twin cams at the end of each limb to a) increase the bow’s power and b) to prevent tension being stored in the string when the bow is drawn, which minimises the risk of dry fire and breakages. Compound bows tend to be more expensive than recurves and take more maintenance.

EK Archery Blade

The Blade, from EK Archery, is their entry level model in the compound bow market, and is ideal for those looking for maximum power from a minimum price. The Bow comes with all the accessories you need to get started: 4×32 crossbow scope, cocking rope, 3-bolt quiver, 3 x 20″ aluminium bolts, and string wax, consequently making this crossbow a perfect choice for beginners.

I would advise against younger shooters using this bow, however, as even with the cocking rope provided, the Blade takes a fair effort to cock. Not too hard to be impossible, but one of those ones where everyone says they find it really easy, but you can see their face going a bit red and a few beads of sweat forming after each shot. No one likes to admit defeat, I guess. Now in and of itself, this is not much of a problem, but in younger hands I could see this leading to a dry fire if the rope isn’t cocked fully.

The blade has an extendable, M4-style stock that makes it suitable for people of all shapes and sizes, and the level of comfort has been greatly improved over the Jaguar with a moulded shape that fits neatly into the shoulder. The crossbow also shoots incredibly well. I’m impressed with EK’s ability to produce great performance from such inexpensive bows. The Blade is responsive and manoeuvrable in the hands, and will deliver tight and effective groupings at ranges of up to 60 yards.

A great starter crossbow that includes everything needed for a beginner to get into their shooting hobby.

Barnett Edge

The Edge is a serious piece of kit. One of the first things I noticed was how easy it was to cock. With a draw weight of only 135lbs and the bow’s cam’s greatly reducing tension on the string, the Edge is quick and easy to load up. Even after 20 or so shots, the Edge was nowhere near as hard on my arms as the Blade, and this will keep your aim straighter for longer.

This doesn’t mean that the crossbow is lacking power, however, and the Edge will produce a whopping 110+ ft/lbs of muzzle energy. Yeah, quite a bit more than I expected, to be honest. This makes the Edge absolutely in a league of its own when it comes to range, and the added power also helps keep the bolt straight in flight, adding to the crossbow’s accuracy. I have heard reports of the riser being slightly off centre with some crossbows, which makes them difficult to sight in, but my model was absolutely fine. I seem to have pretty good luck when it comes to these things.

The crossbow comes equipped with a variety of safety features, such as an automatic safety and an anti-dry-fire mechanism, and the crossbow also has all the usual accessories. The scope, in particular, is fantastic; it’s 4×32 with excellent clarity and coated lenses to help maximise light transfer in low light. It is certainly a step up from the plain tubes included with less expensive models.

Speaking of expense, the Edge is the most expensive crossbow I’ve tested here – by some margin as well – and I’m not really sure what it does to justify its price tag. It’s nice to shoot, sure; it’s easy to cock; and it’s very accurate. But actually, so is the EK, which is a fraction of the price. The build quality is good, but not exceptional, and although I was impressed shooting the bow, I would think long and hard before buying one for that amount of money.

Pistol Bows

These are like regular bows that instead of needing to be shouldered can be fired from a pistol grip. These bows are typically less powerful, though still more powerful than an airgun, and also smaller than a regular crossbow. The majority of these will feature recurved limbs, although there are a few compound pistol crossbows sneaking onto the market.

EK Cobra

The EK Cobra is perhaps the most popular pistol bow we sell, and the reason for this is clear: the whole bow costs just £17.99, including bolts.

The pistol bow is incredibly easy to cock, and features an ingenious system that pulls back the string by pressing a button and moving the stock back, which pulls two metal hooks backwards, cocking the crossbow. This system is great, as it’s easy to use and eliminates the need for fiddling around with the bow’s small strings; and it also prevents dry fire. In fact, it’s such a good system, I can see it spreading to other pistol bows if EK haven’t patented it.

The Cobra has a draw weight of 80lb and shoots exceptionally well for its size. The bow is equipped with iron sights that are adjustable, but there’s no rail for external optics. The bow is also equipped with safety, which must be pushed forward to fire, and the trigger of the bow is machined metal for added durability.

All in all, this pistol bow is very well equipped, and I can’t get over how cheap it is. At under £18, this crossbow is cheaper than half a tank of petrol or a meal out with the missus, and will be infinitely more fun than either of these. Honestly, this pistol bow is great, and, for the price, is one of the most fun items we sell.

Hopefully this has given you a few options to consider. Personally, I like the Cobra as it is still pretty powerful for a pistol and it is just so cheap!

Steph

Review: Buck Trail Blackhawk Recurve Bow

Our resident archery expert James Hancock gives his verdict on the Buck Trail Blackhawk….

From personal experience of these bows, having shot both the 30# and 40# versions, it is clear to me that the Buck Trail Blackhawk represents true value for money, and I can highly recommend them to any archer who enjoys traditional shooting at a very affordable price.

Long & Fast

The Buck Trail Blackhawk is an American style Flatbow made by Raven Archery. The overall length of the bow is a huge 68 inches, and this provides the shooter with a very long and smooth draw, which delivers an arrow to the target with great speed, but little hand-shock.

It is designed to be shot off the shelf, using either a leather pad or hair rest, and constructed from multiple wooden laminations, with clear glass over the limbs. This is in keeping with the traditional look of the bow.

My personal opinion on shooting this bow would be to use a style of shooting called “canting the bow”. This is where the shooter leans the bow so that the arrow is sitting on an almost “v” shape. This is a great technique, used by many bare bow archers because it is a quick way of moving the bow out of the archers line of sight, so he may line up the shot, as well as adding stability to the arrow and making it a lot easier to shoot the arrows quickly (snap shooting).

Available in Different Configurations

Available in both left and right handed and with a draw weight range from 30-50# this is a versatile bow which can be used for everything from field archery competitions, to hunting (as appropriate according to the law in your country). I think the draw weights around the 50# mark are much better to use, providing you are able to draw these, since the arch of the arrow isn’t as much as the weaker powered bows. This is because the higher the power, the flatter the trajectory of the arrow, which will make your shooting a lot more accurate than a bow which you have to aim well above the target at longer ranges.

buck-trail-blackhawk-1289
The Buck Trail Blackhawk, a versatile recurve bow

Arrow Selection

The best arrows to be shot with this style of bows to maintain its accuracy and smoothness would either be wooden or aluminium arrows.  My personal preference would be wooden arrows with feathers on them rather than plastic vanes, but an aluminium arrow would shoot well from these as well. Carbon arrows can be quite unforgiving to shoot due to their lightness and speed which is why they are better suited to more precision shooting such as with a recurve or compound with sights.

Personally I would make my own wooden arrows because there is great satisfaction when you have put in the time and effort into making something which looks quite often better than those you can just buy, and they shoot great! At Pellpax we can supply all the materials you will need to build your arrows from the wooden shafts themselves to the arrow points and feathers.

Essential Bow Accessories

A few more things to consider when purchasing this bow. There are certain accessories every archer will need to get at some point such as finger protection from the string, an arm guard again to protect you from the string, and a quiver to hold your arrows for you whilst you are shooting.

I would personally suggest that any beginner archer should use an arm guard until you have worked out a good enough technique to not need one (although the string can still catch you!). I don’t really like using arm guards, as I find if the string hits me then it’s a tough reminder that my technique is flawed, and I need to bend my arm more.

My personal equipment preference would be to keep with the traditional theme, and get a leather shooting glove rather than a tab. This is because they not only protect your fingers, but keep your hand warm when winter shooting, are easy to use, and they look great.

In terms of a quiver, I love to use a back quiver, much like you see in every Hollywood film where there is a bit of archery. Many people struggle to get their head around how to use one of these and end up chasing around after their arrows like a cat after their tail, so for beginners it may be better to go for a side quiver instead, which can simply click onto any belt.

In conclusion, found the Buck Trail Blackhawk to be excellent value, due to its sheer quality, and I would recommend it as great bow for entry level and intermediate archers.

If you would like to see our range arrows click here, and for arrow building materials click hereA lot more arrow-making supplies are available, so if you have anything in mind which you particularly need and cannot see on here, then please feel free to contact one of our staff and raise your enquiry.

We sell the Buck Trail Blackhawk, in a variety of configurations, at the low price of £112.99.  They can be found here. 

For all items suggested above, you can go to the head to the Archery Accessories section. And you can browse our entire catalogue, in our archery shop.

Compound, Crossbow, Recurve: Archery 101

Archery has a huge tradition in combat, hunting and sport, with special, historic ties to Great Britain.

It began life as a form of military weapon, and was used by armies and warriors around the world, notably by American Indians, the Chinese, and the English, famed for their longbows. We’d like to present for you here a quick guide to everything you need to know about Archery.

Archery has a huge tradition in combat, hunting and sport, with special, historic ties to Great Britain.

archery-472885_1280
Target Archery can be a competitive sport or a great leisure hobby

It began life as a form of military weapon, and was used by armies and warriors around the world, notably by American Indians, the Chinese, and the English, famed for their longbows. Pellpax is a major UK vendor of crossbows, bows and archery equipment which we have for sale, and we’re lucky to have experts on hand to help, too. We’re passionate about the subject, so we’d like to present for you here a quick guide to everything you need to know about Archery.

History

There is evidence of archery and bows being used as far back as 3000BC here in Great Britain, but it was after the defeat of the English in 1066 that successive kings worked to ensure that there was a steady supply of skilled archers amongst the ranks of our armies.

During different periods kings even went as far as to ban sports such as football, bowls, and in Scotland, golf.

The development of firearms lead to the gradual cessation of archery as a military necessity, but it was then revived as early as the 16th century for sport and competition. One of the earliest groups to do this was the Society of Archers at Scorton, formed in 1673. They run a competition with a prize known as the Antient Silver Arrow, which runs up to this very day.

Other societies and groups like the Toxophilite Society, 1781, and  1787 by the Royal British Bowmen, followed. The Grand National Archery Society, which is today known as the Archery GB, and is the governing body for archery in the United Kingdom, was formed at Liverpool in 1861.

SOURCE: ArcheryGB

Types Of Bow

There are several different types of bow. Here are just some of them, below.

Compound bow: This kind of bow has mechanical additions, such as pulleys, which assist the drawing of the bow. Usually, these aids are pulleys at the tips of the limbs.

Crossbow: A crossbow is a gun-like weapon where the limbs of the bow are at right angles to a stock, which carries a ‘bolt’, rather than an arrow. You can grab yourself a crossbow for sale from our huge range.

Longbow:  A bow made from one piece of wood, which has limbs that are rounded, and is around the height of the archer, thereby allowing a draw of over 5 feet (1 and a half metres). Often made of yew wood.

Recurve bowThis is a bow that has the end of each limb curving in an away direction from the person holding it. What happens is that the curves become straight as the archer draws the bow, and the tips go back to their original, curved state after the arrow has been fired. This adds extra speed to the arrow.

Reflex bow: In this type of bow, the whole of each limb is curved away from the archer.

Source: Wikipedia

Official Bodies & Clubs

The governing body of sport Archery in the UK is Archery GB. Their website is

You can find your local archery club by using the Archery GB Club Finder here.

Courses

There are a wide range of courses run up and down the country at different clubs. You can find details with you local club, and online at resources like Archery GB.

These include Personal Performance Courses, which are improver courses, which are for people who have been in the sport for at least 6 months and have their own equipment.

Organisations like 2020 Archery in London offer Beginner Courses, and longer, 5 Week Courses.

You can also do Coach and Instructor courses, which are organised in association with Archery GB. These include the Archery GB Instructor Award,

It is organised in association with Sports Structures Ltd. Full details here. You can also get to Level 1, Level 2, and County Coach and Senior Coach levels with Archery GB. Full details at their website.

 

You can check our our huge range and grab yourself one of our range of crossbows for sale, compound bows, recurve bows and archery accessories to buy, right here at Pellpax, and we deliver across the UK.