Uncategorized Archives - BowScanner https://www.bowscanner.com/category/uncategorized/ Best Bow Guides and Reviews Tue, 25 May 2021 22:22:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://www.bowscanner.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/cropped-LogoMakr-6HA5G5-32x32.png Uncategorized Archives - BowScanner https://www.bowscanner.com/category/uncategorized/ 32 32 HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST CROSSBOW BOLT WEIGHT https://www.bowscanner.com/how-to-choose-the-best-crossbow-bolt-weight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-choose-the-best-crossbow-bolt-weight Tue, 25 May 2021 22:18:55 +0000 https://www.bowscanner.com/?p=6217 Crossbow bolts come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but how can you tell which bolt is best for your bow? Related Article: Best Crossbow Bolts

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Crossbow bolts come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but how can you tell which bolt is best for your bow?

Related Article: Best Crossbow Bolts

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10 Best Maintenance Tips For Crossbow Longevity https://www.bowscanner.com/10-best-maintenance-tips-for-crossbow-longevity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-best-maintenance-tips-for-crossbow-longevity Sat, 22 May 2021 20:48:38 +0000 https://www.bowscanner.com/?p=6177 Have you ever noticed areas of your crossbow that needed to be tuned up, but didn’t know exactly what to do? Maybe you’ve been shooting your bow all season and feel that you should clean it up before ending the hunting season. Or, maybe it’s the beginning of shooting season, and you know your crossbow …

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Have you ever noticed areas of your crossbow that needed to be tuned up, but didn’t know exactly what to do? Maybe you’ve been shooting your bow all season and feel that you should clean it up before ending the hunting season. Or, maybe it’s the beginning of shooting season, and you know your crossbow needs to be looked over before you go back out and shoot.

If any of these sound right to you, you’re going to love this 10 best maintenance tips for your crossbow page.

Whether you’re looking for tips to keep your crossbow working well before, during, or after hunting season, these top insights always work no matter the time in the season.

Wipe it with a cotton cloth

The first step is to spray water on a cloth and wipe the crossbow down to remove dirt, dust and debris.

I use water instead of cleaning agents to insure that the coating on the stock and limbs do not have a reaction, which might cause flaking or peeling.

A cotton or microfiber towel is favorable because these materials will not scratch your bow.

When doing so, make sure to wipe under and around the string, around the trigger and at the areas where dirt easily collects.

How to clean a crossbow

Tighten nuts, bolts, and screws

Each shot fired from a crossbow puts the bow through a lot of force and pressure. Parts of the bow, such as the nuts, bolts, and screws will naturally loosen.

Use the two tools below to quickly and easily tighten the necessary parts of your bow.

 

Tools for Crossbows

Apply oil to steel parts

Keeping your crossbow well lubricated will help prevent rust during the off season.

In particular, apply this lube to the parts of the bow that are made of steel, such as the nuts, bolts, and screws.

We all know how amazingly fast rust will find its way onto our tools and equipment. Maintain a schedule for keeping the bow lubricated to make sure that rust doesn’t cause other damages to your bow.

When it comes to lube, you want to use crossbow lube. Lubricants made for other materials can cause the dipped paint on your bow to flake and peel.

There are multiple types of crossbow lube on the market, but I always stick with TenPoint’s lube.

Apply oil to the Dry-fire inhibitor, cam bearings, axles, and trigger

Before cleaning the larger parts of the crossbow, make sure your bow is set to the safety position.

Apply a drop of oil to both sides of the safety slide through the window in the trigger box.

In order to make sure the oil spreads evenly, move the safety mechanism back and forth multiple times.

Next, apply a drop of oil to the string latch that’s located in the trigger box and use that same back and forth motion to correctly lube the string.

From here, we will apply oil to the dry-fire inhibitor. To do this, put a drop of oil on the left and right side of the bow’s dry-fire inhibitor wedge, which will be located just below the steel pin.

From here we’ll move onto applying oil to the two cams. To do so, simply apply oil to the top of each cam where the bearings pass through the axle.

To finish off, apply a cotton swab to wipe away excess dirt, grease, and oil from the bow.

Wax your string

Both cold and hot weather are brutal on a crossbow’s string. Weather conditions can severely shorten the length of the string’s lifespan.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. Waxing your string properly will ensure your string lasts longer and performs stronger.

In order to wax your string properly, take the lid off the wax container and rube the lube stick up and down the string while making sure to cover the sides of the string as well.

Clean the flight rail

Dirt and debris will collect in and around the flight rail, and you’re going to want to clean this area of your crossbow.

Dip a q-tip into water and move the q-tip through the rail, making sure to clean the sides very  well.

Then, grab your cotton cloth and wipe off any remaining debris that you still see.

How to clean a crossbow

Check cut-out and other hard to reach areas

Oftentimes, crossbows will have difficult to reach areas, like where the handle meets the shaft.

Many crossbow models have cut outs, where the company took metal out, leaving a hollow place, which is great to keep a lightweight set up, but a place that needs to be clean.

For this area, take more q-tips, and your cloth and make sure to get inside with the q-tip and around with the cloth.

Clean the scope

Start by removing the lens covers from the scope and checking for dirt and debris.

To clean your scope, you’re going to want to use purified water with a drop or two of dish detergent.

I recommend this mixture because dish soap is non-alcoholic, which will keep the coating on the optics safe.

This time, dip a cotton ball into the solution and gently rub the cotton ball onto the scope lens.

Use both a dab and twist to properly lean the optics. Next, take a dry cotton ball and gently go over your scope to ensure that  no water or soap is left behind.

Clean and lubricate the cocking mechanism

If your crossbow has a detachable cocking mechanism, such as the Acudraw, take off the device.

If this option isn’t available to you, you will still use the same process that comes next.

First wipe dry with the cotton rag. Then, take a cotton ball and dip it into the water and soap combination. Gently wipe around the edges and inside to mechanism the best you can.

After that, apply a small amount of oil to the device and move it around in side-to-side and up-and-down movements to get the oil all around the device.

When it’s time to put the cocking mechanism back on the bow, make sure you get the nuts and bolts tight.

Use a case

The best way to keep an unused crossbow well maintained is to keep the bow in a case.

There are hard cases and soft cases that will protect your bow.

Plus, if you’re looking for a new case, and want to make sure to get the best crossbow case for you, read our in-depth article about crossbow cases directly below.

Conclusion

Did you know that a crossbow can easily last a decade or longer?

The bows we buy, plus the equipment it takes can get expensive. It’s best to maintain your crossbow to get the longevity out of the bow.

Hopefully you found value in this article, and if you feel I missed another way that you use to keep your bow shooting well, please leave your comment down below!

BowScanner

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Best Tips for Tree Stand Hunting https://www.bowscanner.com/best-tips-for-tree-stand-hunting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-tips-for-tree-stand-hunting Thu, 20 May 2021 21:14:16 +0000 https://www.bowscanner.com/?p=6158 Whether you’ll be hunting from a climbing tree stand, a hang-on tree stand, or a tripod ladder, safety and technique will help you get the shot you want and stay safe doing it. Here are my top tips for hunting with a stand. BowScanner Have the right stand There are lots of products on the …

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Whether you’ll be hunting from a climbing tree stand, a hang-on tree stand, or a tripod ladder, safety and technique will help you get the shot you want and stay safe doing it.

Here are my top tips for hunting with a stand.

BowScanner

Have the right stand

There are lots of products on the market, and many are very well made. When it comes to making sure you have the right stand for you, consider the following aspects:

  • Your weight
  • The weather conditions
  • The height you like to shoot at
  • Whether or not you’ll be hunting alone or with another person

Have the right Equipment

Believe me, I can hunt during the day, night, summer, winter, rain, shine, sleet and snow. When I’m hunting, life is right. And if you’re like me, we just need to make sure you’re prepared for whatever weather conditions you’re going into.

In order to make sure your trip doesn’t land in the emergency room, always make sure to have the following safety equipment with you when hunting from a tree stand:

  • Safety rope
  • Harness tether
  • Ladder or climbing sticks
  • Safety radio or cell phone
  • Hunting gear

Prep-check your stand

It’s easy for me to grab my equipment, toss it in my truck and off I go.

Prep-checking your equipment is a good way to remember all the things you need, while making sure that all the things are set and ready to go.

A simple check of the bow, examining the string, trigger, and body will allow you to make sure your bow is in the right condition before heading out.

Pick the right height

The deer are less likely to see you the further up on the tree you go; however, that strategy allows for an easier injury if things go wrong.

The main thing to keep in mind is that you should go as high as you feel comfortable going. I know guys who don’t break the 15 foot mark, and I know guys who go beyond 25 feet.

Personally, I like to keep it around 20 feet.

Pick the right Tree

The more covered up you are, the better.

Pick trees that still have leaves on, if that’s possible.

For another hunting hack, latch on to a tree with foliage next to it from other trees and brush.

All of these concepts allow you to stay covered better so the deer won’t see you.

Consider the sun and time of day

Hunting in the morning is a different hunt than hunting in the evening, and definitely different than hunting at night- although I’ve never hunted from a tree stand at night.

When choosing your tree to climb, remember the sun and the time of day you’ll be hunting. Will the sun be in your eyes? Will you get sunburned? Likewise, if the sun is going down, you may want to be in the sun to grab that last hour of warmth.

Make sure to keep the sun and time of day in mind when selecting your climbing tree.

final Hunting Hacks

Along side getting set up in the brush and leaves, consider wearing a full-body leaf suit. This works best in cold weather, because they get warm. Yet, if you’re hunting when it’s hot out, wear camo gear.

Products mentioned in this article

Be prepared and get the best hunt in that you can. Here are the products mentioned in this article that will help you find success the next time you use a tree stand for bow hunting.

Related Articles

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Crossbow Shooting Frequently Asked Questions https://www.bowscanner.com/crossbow-shooting-frequently-asked-questions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=crossbow-shooting-frequently-asked-questions Thu, 29 Apr 2021 02:17:51 +0000 https://www.bowscanner.com/?p=5775 Everything you wanted to know about crossbows in one single page.

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Your crossbow questions answered

Crossbows are complex weapons. We want to be able to shoot them at optimal speed and accuracy, and at times, questions arise. When they do, we want to be the first site you think of to find your answers.

Our hope is that we will comprise a list of all the most frequently asked questions for our fellow bow hunters.

If there’s a question that we haven’t answered yet, post it in the comment section at the bottom of the page. We’ll make sure to get to it as soon as we can.

Cheers hunters!

BowScanner

Why do I have to wind the crank back three times after cocking a crossbow with ACUslide?

If you don’t ease the tension, your arrows’ accuracy will be compromised. This will affect down-range and long-distance accuracy.

Therefore, we wind the crank back after cocking the bow to relieve the tension from the cocking strap.

What does it mean for a crossbow to be presighted?

Purchasing a pre-sighted crossbow means that the crossbow’s scope has already been sighted. This means that the workers at the factory have done the work for you, so that the expectation is that you can take the bow out of the package, go directly to the target and shoot within six inches of your target at a 20 yard distance.

Do I need to shoot with broadheads to test the accuracy after I've sighted in?

Yes! Always test-fire your crossbow using broadheads to make sure the grouping accuracy is zero’d in where you’d like it.

We do this because the broadhead’s shape is different than the field point’s shape and there is a possibility for producing different results.

What's the best type of target for my crossbow?

Having the proper target for your crossbow and for your needs is crucial.

Different model crossbows shot at different speeds and it is critical that you find a target that will stop the arrows shot by your bow.

Also, there are different targets for shooting field points vs. broadheads.

Check out our review to get a complete list and breakdown for the best crossbow targets.

There are 3D targets that are designed specifically for bow hunters. These make good practice for hunting.

Lastly, if you’re looking to make an at-home target, check out this Best DIY Archery Backstop.

How far can I shoot my crossbow?

Depending on which scope you’re shooting with, crossbows can accurately shoot up to 100 yards.

The ethical hunter understands, however, that crossbows do not shoot like rifles and should only be used to kill game from 50 yards or closer.

How do I safely decock my crossbow?

If your crossbow came with or you purchased a device to help you decock your crossbow by unwinding the crossbow, it will be a safe and easy process.

If your crossbow does not come with a decocking device, the safest way  to decock is to shoot it at a tree or discharge bag.

Here are two of our favorite decocking devices for your crossbow. Make sure they fit your specific bow.

What do I do if my crossbow was left in the rain?

Use paper towels or cloth towels to soak your crossbow up as soon as you can.

Then, use cotton balls to get in the hard to reach places.

What I like to do next is use a leaf blower and really get the bow dry.

To avoid rust, use WD-40 and then apply trigger lube inside the string slot.

How can I best take care of my crossbow?

Crossbows are able to last for nearly a decade if taken care of properly.

First, always use a crossbow case when you’re not using it.

Next, always make sure you use this string lube before you go out shooting. This helps maintain a healthy strength and flexibility to your string. This is not only safe for you, but also helps maintain the life of the bow.

When you’re finished shooting, use a rag to wipe away any excess lube or string or other material that may be attached to the bow.

Avoid excess water on the bow. You can of course shoot in the rain, but try to keep the bow as dry as you can.

How often should I change the strings on the crossbow?

If you’re maintaining the string well using lube, we recommend changing the string every two years.

How do I choose the best bolts for my crossbow?

Choosing the best bolts for your crossbow involves checking the speed at which your bow shoots. This matters because you’ll want to find the best bolt weight to shoot for your bow.

Also, you’ll need to consider which nock is best for your style of shooting.

There are four styles of nocks, which include flat, half moon, half moon hybrid, and then there’s lighted nocks, which are pretty sweet.

Different bolts also come from different materials, which affect the speed and length of life of the bolt. Carbon bolts are awesome, but go ahead and check the Best Crossbow Bolts page to find what’s right for you.

Is hunting from a treestand safe?

Hunting from a treestand is an amazing experience. It feels primal being up in the tree, and there’s really nothing like it.

Any veteran tree stand hunters will tell you that safety is very important.

We recommend practicing before the day you’re going out for the hunt. That being said, hunters have been using treestands for a long time. As long as you follow the directions printed on the stand that you purchase, treestand hunting is highly recommended!

Selecting the best hunting treestand is critical to safey. There are a lot of factors, such as weight and mobility that play an important role in selecting the best stand for you.

We highly recommend reading this article.

In case you’re looking for a more minimal approach, which there are times that it’s just easier and more free feeling, read all about hang on tree stands.

Yet, if you’re still not convinced that you’ll be getting into the tree, the best alternative are the tripod hunting stands.

Which Nock to use with your crossbow?

Each crossbow model will specify which nock is best for your particular crossbow.

However, it is good to know the difference between the kinds, so you can get a better feel for which you might like the most.

As y0u can see from the picture to the right, there are four different kinds of nocks. These include, flat, half-moon, half-moon hybrid and lighted.

Different kinds of crossbow bolt nocks

How to safely position your hands when shooting

How to safely shoot a crossbow

As you can see from the images on the left, in order to safely shoot a crossbow, the most important aspect is to place your hands and fingers below the rail.

This style eliminates the chance that your finger will be cut when shooting.

How to test for trigger safety?

Always follow these steps to test for trigger safety:

  1. Pull the trigger only to fire the crossbow.
  2. Never pull the trigger unless you intend to fire the crossbow.
  3. Manipulating the trigger is a bad practice.
  4. Never partially pull the trigger. If you partially pull the trigger, reset the safety by recocking the bow and checking for safety bounce back.
  5. Visually verify your safety is in the white or “safe” position when you engage or reengage your safety. Check for bounce back.

How to safely cock your crossbow

Cocking your crossbow inaccurately is the surest way to shoot inaccurately. With any crossbow, if the bowstring is not centered on the string-latch when cocked, the crossbow will not shoot straight. Follow these steps to ensure accuracy

  1. With the underside of the crossbow facing your legs, place your foot far enough into the foot stirrup to keep it from slipping out when you draw the bowstring.
  2. Bend over the crossbow, grabbing the bowstring on both sides of the barrel using all four fingers of both hands.
  3. Slide your hands flush against the sides of the barrel.
  4. With your index fingers against the side of the barrel to guide you, and with a secure grip, start pulling the bowstring toward the string slot in the trigger box. While you begin to lift, simultaneously transfer as much of the lifting effort as you can away from your back and onto your legs. As you pull the bowstring inside the string slot, you can see and hear the safety slide click from FIRE (red) -to- SAFE (white) and also hear the string latch click as it engages the bowstring.
  5. Check to make sure the string latch – and not the DFI – is holding the bowstring. Remember, the bow will not fire if the bowstring is being held by the DFI. Also check to make sure the safety knob is in the SAFE (white) position before proceeding to load an arrow
How to safely cock your crossbow

How to properly mount a scope to my crossbow?

Here is our favorite video on how to properly mount a scope to your crossbow:

How do I correct my bow string after accidentally shooting it into my Dry-Fire Inhibitor?

In order to re-cock your bow and free the string from the DFI (Dry-Fire Inhibitor), you will need to reset the string onto the string latch.

There isn’t a one-method-fits-all approach, because it will depend on your particular crossbow model.

However, each crossbow comes with an owners manual that will detail the step-by-step technique to reset your bow string.

Should I inspect my crossbow each time before taking it out shooting?

Yes, and here are the places to have a look at:

Make sure you inspect the string. You will want to add lubrication to your string each time you go out to shoot.

Next, inspect the cables, trigger, and bow frame. Look for damaged parts or fraying cables.

Are light or heavy arrows better?

Both a light and heavy arrow has its advantages and disadvantages.

For example, if you’ll be shooting during a windy day, the heavier arrow will provide more power to penetrate the wind, whereas a lighter arrow will shoot faster.

To get a full run-down about bolts and arrows, check our page about the best bolts.

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How To Shoot A Turkey With A Crossbow [Exact Placement] https://www.bowscanner.com/how-to-shoot-a-turkey-with-a-crossbow/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-shoot-a-turkey-with-a-crossbow Fri, 16 Apr 2021 18:26:21 +0000 https://www.bowscanner.com/?p=5585 How to shoot a turkey with a crossbow

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Shooting a turkey in the right place will execute the kill you’re looking for.

Plenty of times, I’ve gone turkey hunting, shot the bird right where I was aiming, but it got away. What’s the deal with that?

This article will explain in detail exactly where to shoot a turkey with a crossbow to get the best results, a clean kill, and help you protect that tasty meat you’re going to have at dinner.

What goes Wrong?

When a bow hunter places the shot at the turkey where they aimed, but the turkey gets away, there are a few common and simple solutions to help you not make that mistake in the future.

First, don’t use bolts, use these broadheads.

Placement is definitely important.

Oftentimes, the turkey’s natural shape and definition make it difficult for us hunters to shoot at the vital areas. Their legs are thin, their features distort their shape, and if their in full strut form, it’s nearly impossible to get a correct shot off.

Finding the sweet spot

Did you know that a turkey’s vitals are only about the size of a softball? Compared to that of the average deer, who’s vitals are basketball-size, that’s about one-third of the target size.

Turkey’s are harder to shoot than they might look. They don’t fly well, they don’t run well, yet I’ve seen plenty of times where bow hunters miss their mark when it comes to turkey hunting. This is a strange but true phenomenon.

Nevertheless, learning the placement of where you can shoot a turkey to get the clean kill that you’re looking for is simple and will help you get the turkeys you aim at in the future, so let’s go!

Turkey Targets

Practicing your hunt before the action happens in the field can accelerate your hit score. I recommend to all my fellow bow hunters to have multiple kinds of archery targets.

Best 3d turkey target for archery is the Delta McKenzie strutter Turkey
Best Turkey Target

Best Turkey Hunting Placement for Bow Hunting

Back Facing

If the turkey’s back is to you and you are looking to get your shot in at this time, go ahead and shoot a hole in one.

best place to shoot a turkey with a bow
best place to shoot a turkey with a bow

Side Facing

If the the turkey is showing its side to your position, aim an inch below the beard a and right about three inches.

Front Facing

If you are presented with a turkey that is facing you from the front side, aim just below its beard right in the center of the chest piece.

best place to shoot a turkey with a bow
best place to shoot a turkey with a bow

Quartering

If the turkey is quartering in the field, you’re going to want to shoot it into the front of the chest. Aiming slightly to either side is ok.

Best Broadhead for Turkey Hunting with a crossbow

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Affiliate Disclosure https://www.bowscanner.com/affiliate-disclosure/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=affiliate-disclosure Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:19:42 +0000 https://www.bowscanner.com/?p=5547 Hi Folks, BowScanner here. I’m writing to you because it’s important for me to be transparent that BowScanner.com is a website that strives to  provide the best, most accurate, and most useful information about outdoor-related products, and crossbow products in particular. Because of this importance in transparency and accuracy, I added the following to let …

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Hi Folks,

BowScanner here. I’m writing to you because it’s important for me to be transparent that BowScanner.com is a website that strives to  provide the best, most accurate, and most useful information about outdoor-related products, and crossbow products in particular.

Because of this importance in transparency and accuracy, I added the following to let you know that this website may use affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product from a link provided by this site, I may make a commission on that purchase.

It’s also important for me to let you know that the price of the product does not change for you.

FTC Disclosure Compliance Rules

In 2015, the Federal Trade Commission released their new rules for Disclosure Compliance.

These rules are set in place to ensure that readers or viewers of web media are aware if the blogger or publisher is sponsored, endorsed, or partnered with a different company. The readers need to know if the content publisher is making money by sharing a link or product.

In compliance with the FTC guidelines, please assume the following about links and posts on this site:

Any/all of the links on bowscanner.com are affiliate links for which I receive a small compensation from sales of certain items.

Purchases are made on external affiliate company websites: when a reader clicks on an affiliate link located on bowscanner.com to purchase an item, the reader buys the item from the seller directly (not from BowScanner).

Amazon and/or other companies pay BowScanner a small commission or other compensation for helping to bring customers to their website.

Prices are exactly the same for readers whether they purchase is through an affiliate link or a non-affiliate link. Clicking an affiliate link and clicking a non-affiliate link does not change the price or anything else for the visitor.

BowScanner uses two main types of affiliate programs:

1. Amazon affiliate links.

Bowscanner.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, as well as to other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.

If you click a product affiliate link and buy the product, then I will get a percentage of the sale or some other type of compensation.

Again, prices are not different if you use these affiliate links. You will not pay more by clicking through to the link. These links are not “pay per click.”

What about sponsored content?

I do not write sponsored posts. I want to provide authentic, un-biased information. However, if a company would like to publish sponsored content on BowScanner, I will disclose this clearly in the beginning of the post.The bottom line is that I only recommend products I use myself or that I would recommend to family and friends.

Your purchase helps support my research efforts. Thank you very, very much! I appreciate you!

BowScanner

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