How Far Can A Crossbow Shoot? Complete Guide 2023
Hunters are always in search of a crossbow that can shoot at long distances with power. While some target archers also need to look after that for competitions. How far a crossbow can shoot depends on various factors. This includes the features of a crossbow, its velocity, style of archery, and also the performance of the scope you are using with it.
Many new crossbow models are being made to shoot with more power, giving a range of distances that a hunter can shoot at with them. So while buying a crossbow, you should consider these factors to understand how far you can shoot with it.
Also, it matters how practiced you are and how well you can handle a crossbow with certain specifications such as the draw weight, draw length, and heaviness of the crossbow.
In this article, you can read about the aspects that affect the speed of a crossbow, the effective ranges of a crossbow, and how they can be improved.
More: Crossbow Maintenance
How Far Can A Crossbow Shoot? Effective Range
Even a beginner or an amateur archer needs a bow to shoot as far as 40 to 50 yards. Therefore, it is considered the minimum acceptable range of a crossbow.
Typically 40 to 50 yards is also the range at which the bow can shoot any animal with sufficient power. And that is also acceptable for hunters. But for target archery, a bow with better range is required as you have to shoot at further distances with speed. It can be as far as up to 500 yards. You can find quite reliable crossbows for this purpose.
To determine how far a crossbow can shoot with power, you need to know its fps. A good crossbow usually shoots at 300 to 400 fps. They are reliable for hunting and can shoot up to 400 yards quite effectively. Still, a crossbow’s shooting range is affected by various factors.
Factors Affecting the Effective Range of a Crossbow
There are several factors that can affect the range of a crossbow. Some of these are also on the part of the archer himself and not the crossbow. We have discussed all of them in detail below:
1- The angle of shooting
Although a lot might not care about it and shoot the target at the angle, they can hit it perfectly, but it impacts the speed of a bolt shooted by a crossbow.
A bolt shooted at an angle of 45 degrees will have the highest effective range for maximum distance. If you shoot the bow higher or lower than 45 degrees, it will drop at a distance less than it can by shooting at 45 degrees.
2- Draw weight
Any bow with a higher draw weight can shoot an arrow with more speed as it will have more energy stored in its string. Therefore, professionals prefer a crossbow with a good draw weight. But what’s more important is that the bow also has a suitable draw length for you and also that you can handle its draw weight with ease.
Back then, there were not any crossbows with a range of draw weight. But today, a lot of models offer a range of draw weights so that you can set it up to be suitable for you.
For estimation, changing the draw weight by 5 pounds will increase or decrease the speed of shooting the arrow by 8 to 10 feet per second, depending on other factors.
3- Arrow’s weight
It’s quite obvious that the weight of the arrow will affect how far and with what speed it goes. Arrows having more weight will require more kinetic energy to cover more distance.
So it means you need a higher draw weight to shoot the arrow with more power. The increase in the weight of the arrow will decrease its velocity and speed. As calculated, an arrow that has 10 grains higher weight than others will have a 3 fps less velocity compared to them.
4- Speed of the bolt
As mentioned above, a heavier bolt or arrow has a lower velocity. So it means that the speed of the bolt is another important factor to consider while estimating how far a bow can shoot.
Not only do you have to consider this factor as one factor, but you also understand the effect of other factors on it to estimate how far a crossbow can shoot an arrow correctly.
For calculating the speed of a bolt, multiply the distance of the bolt from the ground by 2 and divide it by the acceleration of gravity.
5- Effect of wind
As a hunter or even target archer, you might have experienced this before; even if you hit the target with full potential, sometimes it doesn’t hit the target with the expected energy due to the wind around.
Even minimal wind can affect the speed of a bolt or arrow when it is in the air. So, even if you have correctly estimated the speed of a bolt, keep in mind that it can be a bit more or less. Not only does it affect the speed of an arrow, but it can also change its direction a bit, and you can miss the target.
How to Improve the Range of a Crossbow
Although the factors mentioned above can be problematic, you don’t have to worry about them as there are various solutions and tips to improve the range of a crossbow.
Usually, beginners do not know these ways and thus find it difficult to hunt or practice hitting targets. We have discussed each of them in detail below:
1- Quality of the bolts
As discussed, the speed and weight of the bolts matter a lot. Not only that, the bolts should be made of high-quality material and have reliable fletching for accurate shooting over a long distance. Aluminum, carbon fiber, and fiberglass.
Nowadays, the most high-quality bolts are made from carbon fiber. Also, Besides that, a bolt should be suitable to use with the model of your crossbow.
2- Good scope
To shoot far distances, you need to have a clear and sharp view of your target. As hunters might need to shoot an arrow one after another, they don’t only need a good crossbow but also a high-quality scope with the best optics, which will allow them to view and make a shot instantly.
Therefore, don’t neglect the specifications of the scope and look for the best and most reliable ones for yourself. For hunting, a night vision scope is preferred to view clearly both day and night. While choosing a scope. Look for one with a magnification power of almost 10x to 12x for a sufficiently magnified and wide view.
The lens should not be so big that it makes the bow heavy for you to carry around. Look for scopes that have the optics with the latest technologies for your crossbow. And also, a scope having more reticles is more beneficial for shooting over more distance.
3- Broadheads
Even the broadheads of the bolts that you choose also affect the performance of the range of the bow. It is better to get a fixed blade broadhead as it has better penetrative power and is much sturdier than the mechanical broadhead. It is reliable for accurate shooting for longer distances and does not break down easily. Still, you have to ensure they are compatible with your bolts.
4- Keep practicing for longer shoots
Yes, longer shoots also need more accuracy and power on the archer’s part. If you are a beginner hunter or target archer, keep practicing for longer shoots.
Ask any professional archer friend to teach you the tips and techniques for more accurate shoots. You can also go on hunting trips with them and learn there so that you don’t face any problems when you go alone.
But if you are practicing at home, you can use the 3D targets that look like animals. It will help you better understand which part you have to shoot the animal. Keep increasing the distance of the target to shoot farther once you are practiced shooting at a particular distance.
5- Maintain your crossbow
To upkeep the performance of your crossbow, you for sure need to keep it as good as new. Besides cleaning it to protect it from dust and dirt, there are various products you can use to maintain your crossbow.
The most important thing is to keep it lubricated to prevent friction. For this, rail lubes are available for lubricating the rails. It would definitely help with the smooth and accurate shoot and keep the range of the bow consistent.
For the strings and cables, you can use wax so that they remain smooth and do not cause the arrow or bolts to go out of their course.
Lastly, keep the nuts, screws, and bowstring tightened so that they don’t affect the accuracy of the shoot. A loosened nut or screw can cause the bow to break down, while a loosened bowstring can cause the arrow to go out of the course and prevent it from wobbling.
Conclusion – How Far Can A Crossbow Shoot?
Long story short, a crossbow can shoot at a distance depending on the quality of the bow and arrow. Also, it depends on how different factors affect the range of the crossbow. But as there are several ways to improve the range of a crossbow, and you can find a number of best quality crossbows for higher ranges depending on your budget, it is not much of a problem for professional archers.
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