When you’re a beginner with a crossbow, the entire process can feel a little scary to you, but nothing is scarier than learning how to load the bow. The fact that there are several ways to do this can make it even more nerve-wracking, but the fact is, once you learn a few tips to load the bow properly, it becomes much easier to do. Naturally, it also takes some practice, but before we get into the specifics of which crossbow is the easiest to load when you’re a beginner, let’s take a closer look at the art of loading the crossbow itself.
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The Three Ways of Loading a Crossbow
Essentially, there are three ways you can successfully load a crossbow, and they are:
- Using a crank system. You can purchase a crank system separately, but they also come with certain high-end crossbows currently on the market. The crank system can reduce your draw weight by roughly 90%, making the process of loading your bow a whole lot easier.
- Cocking it manually with your hands. With this option, you simply put your foot in the bow’s stirrup and bend over the stock. This isn’t always the easiest step, in part because its success depends on your size and even the draw weight.
- Using a rope-cocking device. With this device, you’ll use a two-handled rope that is attached to the string so that the amount of pull you have to put into drawing back a string is reduced. This enables the amount of pull to be reduced by roughly 50%.
When all is said and done, most experts agree that the crank system is the easiest way for a beginner to load a crossbow. This is a good tip to remember when you’re trying to find the easiest crossbow to load because you have little to no experience with this tool. Crossbows are like any other hunting tool, meaning some are easier than others to work with. For this reason, it’s good to know (1) a little more about them, and (2) which ones are recommended for beginning crossbow hunters.
The following crossbows are great for beginners because they are easy to load and easy to use.
The Bear X crossbow has a draw weight of 150 lbs. and kinetic energy (KE) measuring 103 ft.-lb. It has a very compact design that beginning crossbow enthusiasts love and it can shoot at a speed of 350 FPS (feet per second). Its ATA (axle to axle) size is 18 inches, and thanks to this fast speed, not to mention the high-quality components it uses, it is both easy to maneuver and enables your hunt to go much faster than it would otherwise.
Finally, when you want a bow that has everything you need to start using it immediately, this crossbow is definitely one to consider. It comes with a 4×32 scope, rope cocking device, 20 inch Headhunter arrows and a light weight quiver. Not only is it easy to draw, but it also has great balance, which is yet another feature that can make loading and using this crossbow a piece of cake.
This is a lightweight, super-easy-to-use crossbow that weighs just over 6 lbs. and has an ATA size of 22.6 inches uncocked and 19 inches when it’s cocked. It is accurate and easy to both load and shoot. In addition to these features, the Wicked Ridge RDX 400 crossbow is perfect for both hunting and for archery, not to mention being one of the safest crossbows on the market today.
The Wicked Ridge RDX 400 is a great crossbow for beginners because it comes with many items that bow hunters look for, including a three-arrow quiver, 100-grain practice tips, and a scope and cocking mechanism. Its integrated cocking mechanism even has a self-retracting rope, which reduces the draw weight by a full 50% and makes it much easier to operate.
With a 187-lb. draw weight and KE of 140 lbs., the Barnett Whitetail Pro STR crossbow is extremely efficient and even offers a nock sensor and a 3-lb. zero-creep release. The components are all made out of heavy-duty stainless steel so that it lasts much longer, and it has a FPS speed of a whopping 400. It is super easy to load and operate, and you’ll certainly enjoy the speed of this crossbow as well.
The bow also comes with a lightweight quiver, two 20-inch arrows, a scope, and a rope-cocking device, as well as some wax to keep the strings usable and make them last a lot longer.
This lightweight crossbow has a 405 FPS speed and a draw weight of 175 lbs. It has a trigger pull of 3.5-lb. and comes with a quiver, scope, three bolts, and some string suppressors. As far as ATA size is concerned, the Killer Instinct crossbow has an ATA size of 18.5 inches uncocked and 14.5 inches cocked. If you’re a beginner and looking for a bow that is both easy to learn on and affordable, this is the crossbow you want.
This crossbow is also ready to go as soon as you get it out of the box, which is yet another feature that beginning bow enthusiasts love about it.
The Barnett Hunter II crossbow not only works great but looks great as well. It has a sleek design and shoots at 350 FPS. It also has a draw weight of 165 lbs. and features a frictionless trigger allowing for accurate ans smooth shots every time. This crossbow provides a pull that makes it super easy to maneuver. It comes with everything you need to start using it right away, and even though it is lightweight and easy to use, it is still a very sturdy crossbow that was built to last for many years to come.
For beginning crossbow enthusiasts, there’s nothing better than finding a bow that is easy to load, easy to use, and affordable. If this is what you’re looking for, the products mentioned here are a great place to start