Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - November 2022

CROSSBOW SAFETY TIPS

HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF AND OTHERS SAFE WHILE ON THE RANGE OR OUT HUNTING by Wade Middleton Crossbows have evolved both in features and speed in the past decade. During that time, I had a chance to spend time testing and hunting with the fantastic lineup of TenPoint & Wicked Ridge Crossbows. The lineup of crossbows for both brands ranges from entry-level price point models to top-of-the-line crossbows that can be outfitted with a variety of magnification accessories, such as the Garmin Xero X1i crossbow sight. When choosing from those two legendary brands, you will be sure to find a crossbow that fits your needs based on the model, price point, energy, and speed you want to put into the target. Once you choose a crossbow, get it home and open the box, you will notice it comes with a complete set of well-thought-out instructions that make it easy to set up and sight-in your crossbow. I suggest you read the directions first, then go back and begin to build your crossbow, set it up, and shoot it.

BE SAFE. DON’T ASSUME. This is why I said earlier to read the directions before starting to build your crossbow. Safety is something that we cannot reiterate enough on really anything. Always pay attention to the different safety components, do not assume! I’ve built a lot of different crossbows, and while all are similar, they all have different parts that you need to learn about and understand. Safety on anything you shoot is important and is no different when using a crossbow, giving your crossbow a good once over before using it is