Bow International #60 - The National Crossbow Federation of Great

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