Hunting is popular for a multitude of reasons. Some do so because they enjoy the meat provided from animals such as deer and elk. Filling up the freezer with venison steaks can be a nice treat and keep a family well-fed for a long time.
On the other side of things, there are plenty of hunters who partake for the sport. There is the thrill of the hunt: tracking an animal in its natural habitat, waiting until their guard is down, and lining up the perfect shot.
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Different Options for Hunting Bear
Part of the fun of hunting is doing so in a specific way. The vast majority of hunters use a rifle of some sort. This is because of the ability to instantly kill the animal, preventing it from suffering or even getting away. Rifles come with a multitude of accessories, such as scopes, that can make seeing targets from great distances a lot easier.
It is quite common for hunters to use tree stands to settle in without being seen, using their scope and other tools to find and bring down their prey. This means finding the best crossbows for hunting bear.
Bow Hunting
There are also bow hunters. Some hunters believe that bow hunting is the truest form of hunting that there is as it is what our great ancestors before us did. There are natural limitations to bow hunting – having to carry extra arrows in your quiver, among other things – one of the most important being the strength of the shot.
Bow hunting is a viable way to hunt most animals, but it may present challenges when hunting larger animals. You need the adequate torque and arrow speed to ensure that you put the animal down instead of leaving them to suffer.
Finally, there is the method of using a crossbow. Crossbows are very similar to traditional bow hunting in a lot of ways. The biggest difference is that one is automatic while the other requires pulling back and firing.
Crossbows deliver a certain amount of torque already, meaning you can save your arms and get a stronger, faster shot at the target. Not having to pull back can be hugely beneficial, especially over a long day. No need to worry about tired arms with a crossbow.
Can You Hunt Bear with a Crossbow?
For the uninitiated, there is some question about whether or not you can hunt bear using a crossbow. Given that plenty of hunters use the more traditional bow for large game hunting, it is more than accommodating for bear hunting.
Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to crossbow use. It is all too easy for something to go wrong because of the increased torque and speed involved. Exercise caution whenever using a crossbow.
The Best Crossbows Around
Just like any product out there, not everything is created equally. There are differences in performance and available accessories that can have you leaning one way or another. The goal is to find a bow that you are comfortable with so that you can bring down the big game.
Bear Archery Trek 380 Crossbow
There are a couple of things to look for when buying a crossbow. For starters, it has to be lightweight yet powerful. But the most important thing that 90% of hunters will look at first and foremost is the price.
Although price should not be the only driving factor behind your purchase, it is understandable that budgets have to be maintained. We would all like to buy the best of the best but that can get pricey pretty quickly.
The bow is lightweight at just under eight pounds and has a 185-pound draw weight, perfect for hunting bears. It delivers a strong, powerful, lethal shot and comes with a few things of note: cocking rope, quiver, scope with functioning eye, and so much more. Even if you are an amateur bear hunter, this will help you feel like a pro in no time.
BearX Saga 420
A little more expensive than the aforementioned option, the BearX Saga 420 is a fine crossbow for bear hunting. It is a little heavier than the Trek 380, but it folds in places for easier storage and delivers speeds up to 420 FPS.
Even better, it comes with an accessory kit that includes a scope, four-bolt quiver, cocking rope, rail and string lube, and more. The superior power and speed is definitely something to consider when hunting larger game such as bear.
With an adjustable grip and adjustable butt stock, you can make this gun as comfortable as ever. All of which means a better shot when the time comes.
Bear Archery Cruzer G2
Another offering from Bear Archery, this is hands down one of the most lightweight options on the market today. For those who don’t want to lug around a heavy weapon, the three-pound weight is perfect to suit those needs.
Perhaps best of all is that any adjustments can be made with an Allen wrench. That means making quick adjustments in the field where those sorts of things can mean the difference between a victory and a defeat.
Despite the smaller size and lower weight, this crossbow delivers the power.
It can hit up to 315 FPS, flying at faster speeds than even the Trek 380. That means delivering the fatal blow to larger animals without having to take on a much larger bow.
With EnduraFiber limbs, it means more controlled power in the shot as well as a suppression of noise as well as vibration. When you have less interference, it means a cleaner, more accurate shot on the whole.
Finding the right crossbow comes down to testing out the different offerings and finding which one feels most comfortable. Comfort with a crossbow is crucial because if you don’t feel comfortable in your shot, it can permeate into your actions.
Hunting bear offers a world of dangers more than some of the other animals you will find. But if you want to walk out the victor, it starts by having the right crossbow.
