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HISTORY: The first crossbows appeared in China as early as the 4th century BC, and were quickly adopted as weapons of war. By 209 BC, the Chinese army had over 50,000 crossbowmen. The crossbow’s principal advantage lay in the simplicity of its operation. One aimed and fired it much like a modern handgun, and it did not require the years of practice which were necessary in order to master other bows such as the English longbow. 
| As you can see, the outputs of these two weapons are similar. Of course, not many compound bows are as fast as the Bowtech Allegiance, and some crossbows are even faster than the Horton Legend HD175. Yet the point remains the same, a crossbow's output is much closer to that of a modern compound bow than it is to any type of gun. LENGTH OF THE POWERSTROKE: Crossbows generally come in much heavier draw weights (usually 150-185#) than compound bows. So it would be logical to assume that more power-in means more power-out. But wait! If you remember the work=force x distance formula from your High School Physics class, you know that how far is just as important as how hard. Crossbows have a comparatively short powerstroke (the distance the bow's string is drawn back). Most crossbows have only a 10-14" long powerstroke vs. a men's compound bow which typically has a 18-23" long powerstroke. So while the crossbow stores up more energy per-inch of powerstroke (because of the heavier draw weights), the compound bow makes up for it by drawing back a lighter weight, but over a longer distance. EFFECTIVE HUNTING RANGE: Much like a high-power compound bow, a modern crossbow can easily launch an arrow (bolt) more than 1000 feet. Under the right circumstances, that projectile could still be lethal at the end of that range. Unfortunately, firing a crossbow up into the air isn't a very effective way to hunt, nor could anyone accurately predict where such an arrow would land. So maximum launch distance really has nothing to do with determining your weapon's "effective hunting range". An effective hunting range is the maximum distance that you can reliably use your weapon to accurately, humanely, and  ethically harvest big-game. The answer isn't absolute (for any weapon), as shooter skill-level and hunting conditions must be factored-in as well. YOUR SKILL & ETHICAL STANDARDS: Ultimately, the final answer is up to YOU. A crossbow bolt is surely lethal at 50, 75, perhaps even 100+ yards, but only if you can control it. With a little practice, an average crossbow shooter will be able to place shots accurately out to 30 or 40 yards with little regard for loss of arrow trajectory, changes in ground elevation, or compensation for wind conditions. But if you expand that range to 75 or 100 yards, precision becomes much more difficult, and you'll need extraordinary skills to reliably control your shot-placement. So if you're new to crossbow shooting, you may find that your first season's effective hunting range is only 30 yards, but with repeated practice you may be able to expand that range to 40 or 50 yards (or more). The bottom line is....as a responsible bowhunter, it's up to YOU to decide when to shoot and when not to shoot. You must set your own ethical standards, based of the limitations of your skill and your equipment. It's up to YOU to make good choices in the field, and never risk missing or wounding an animal. HARVESTING BIG GAME: Hunting with your crossbow comes with many of the same challenges and rewards as hunting with a compound bow. You'll still need to get in close, you'll still need to wait for a clear broadside or quartering-away shot, and you'll need to place your shots precisely behind the shoulder. And like every bowhunter, you'll hope for a clean pass-thru and a good blood-trail for a quick recovery. Your new crossbow will provide you with sufficient power to harvest any North American big-game species. And with good broadhead selection and perhaps a little luck, your new crossbow will surely put meat on the table. But your ultimate success or failure will pivot on your ability to use your weapon in conjunction with your wits. INDUSTRY RATINGS FOR CROSSBOW SPEEDS: While you're shopping for your new crossbow, here are a few final things to consider. Some crossbows are advertised with rather impressive "test" speeds. But beware.....a crossbow's actual arrow velocity is all relative, particularly with regards to the arrow's total weight and testing methodology. Light arrows (bolts) go faster - heavier arrows go slower. That's the way it is with any bow (crossbow, compound, or traditional). Unfortunately, crossbow manufacturers do not necessarily follow the same testing standards when it comes to rating their crossbows for speed. Some manufacturers clearly state how their arrow speed data is obtained, others do not. In fact, there is no clear "industry standard" for providing an apples-to-apples comparison among the various crossbow manufacturers - like we see with compound bows and IBO Speeds. It's up to the individual crossbow manufacturer to rate their own bows by their own methods. And since SPEED SELLS, some crossbow manufacturers may try to gain an advantage by advertising ridiculously optimistic speeds - speeds which might be impossible to reproduce with a typical 420 grain bolt. AFFECT OF ARROW MASS ON ARROW VELOCITY: If your new crossbow is capable of launching a 420 grain arrow @ an honest 305 fps, then it's possible to estimate the speed you'll get with a lighter or heavier arrow. If we assume the bow's total KE output remains constant, we can use our archer's KE formula (KE = mv²/450240) to find arrow velocity given a known arrow mass.
For the record, heavier arrows (bolts) tend to make bows slightly more efficient, lighter arrows (bolts) tend to make bows slightly less efficient. So our original assumption that "KE output remains constant" isn't perfectly sound. However, we'll not attempt to split that hair here. For the purposes of this illustration, the difference would be negligible. |