Crossbow Beginnings STARTING OUT IN CROSSBOW SHOOTING Crossbows are a part of archery that many beginners courses don’t include – so what should you look for in a crossbow, if you want to give it a go? I f you want a crossbow to use at an archery club then choose a recurve crossbow that has a safety catch. Hunting-style compound crossbows aren’t accepted under current Archery GB (GNAS) or National Field Archery Society (NFAS) rules. To begin with go for a medium draw-weight crossbow – especially if this is your first crossbow. A 40 to 60lb bow limb (prod) is ideal for beginners – but experienced arhers could go for a 90 to 100lb prod, which would be suitable for competitive shooting. The majority of people who are interested crossbow shooting have probably started out by purchasing a very basic crossbow. The British-made Barnett Wildcat was the number one choice in the 1980s and 90s – not just in the UK, but also in America and many other countries. In fact, the Wildcat sold in its millions worldwide. Similar crossbows (you could call them “copy-cats”) are still on sale today, with British firms like Petron and Armex advertising their products in the shooting sports press. These crossbows are fine if you just want to learn the basics of equipment handling and shooting techniques. But in terms of build-quality, a basic recurve crossbow costing, say £100, is on a par with a basic fibre glass bow – of the type used by archery clubs to teach beginners. Experienced archers have higher expectations of their bows. And if you want a similar level of build quality in a recurve crossbow, the Excalibur Apex and the Horton Legacy are popular choices for target shooting. Both of these crossbows have well engineered safety triggers and adjustable sight mounts. The Excalibur Apex is specifically designed for target shooting and is available with 40 or 95lb limbs. The Horton Legacy is a more powerful recurve crossbow which comes in a range of draw weights from 125 to 220lb. But if you intend shooting with a GNAS club, it’s important to note that under GNAS rules, the draw weight limit for crossbows is 95lb. On the other hand, if field archery is your thing, then the NFAS don’t have a draw weight limit – but the crossbow’s arrow velocity must not exceed 300fps. In a basic crossbow you should also look for a foot stirrup to aid loading (95lb is a lot of tension!), and sight mountings that will permit the use of a variety of standard archery or rifle shooting sighting equipment. BOW INTERNATIONAL 35 035-036 Aston_rev3approved.indd 35 16/4/10 15:07:54 Beginnings Crossbow UK CROSSBOW LAW COMPOUND CROSSBOWS As with all other types of bow, you don’t need a licence to own a crossbow. However, there are laws governing the sale and use of crossbows in the UK. Hunting with any type of bow is illegal in the UK and under the Crossbows Act 1986 (amended 2006) it is an offence for a person under 18 years of age to have in their possession; a crossbow which is capable of discharging a missile or parts of a crossbow which together (and without any other parts) can be assembled to form a crossbow capable of discharging a missile unless the person is under the supervision of someone who is 21 years of age or older. The National Crossbow Federation (NCF) is the only UK based governing body which accepts compound crossbows. Formed in 1985, and currently affiliated with the World Crossbow Shooting Association (WCSA), the NCF organizes target shoots (mainly in the Midlands) and selects teams to take part in international crossbow championships. For more information check them out online (see contact details below). Top right: What makes up a basic recurve crossbow Top left: Barnett Wildcat – the crossbow that started it all Above left: Top-flight target crossbows cost around £1,500 – most shooters start out with a cheaper model Left: The Excalibur Apex is a popular choice with target shooters UK CROSSBOW SHOOTING Match-Crossbow National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) Web: www.nsra.co.uk Email: jpage@nsra.co.uk Target-crossbow National Crossbow Federation (NCF) Web: www.ncf-crossbow.co.uk Email: contact@ncf-crossbow.co.uk Archery GB (GNAS) Web: www.gnas.org Email: enquiries@gnas.org Field-crossbow National Field Archery Society (NFAS) Web: www.nfas.net Email: secretary@nfas.net INTERNATIONAL CROSSBOW SHOOTING International Crossbowshooting Union (IAU) Wed: www.iau-crossbow.org World Crossbow Shooting Association (WCSA) Web: www.worldcrossbow.com 36 BOW INTERNATIONAL 035-036 Aston_rev3approved.indd 36 16/4/10 15:08:00