Field Notes

Fitting a crossbow sling comes down to one decision made carefully: how much strap runs between the two attachment points, and therefore where the bow sits on your body when your hands are empty. Set that length so the bow rides clear of your hips and your seat, snug enough that it does not swing […]

A wicked ridge crossbow sling question is almost never really about the sling. It is about the whole day: getting from the truck to the stand, walking in with a pack on, raising and lowering the bow on a haul line, sitting for hours with the bow within reach, and doing it again in the

If you are looking at a barnett crossbow sling upgrade, the honest starting point is the strap already on your bow rather than the one in the shopping cart. Barnett is a long established mainstream crossbow brand, and like most brands in that space a lot of its bows reach buyers as part of a

Excalibur’s public identity is the recurve crossbow rather than the compound, and the recurve layout carries a wide, open limb span that dominates every carry decision you make. Width is what catches doorways, gates and brush, and it is also what keeps the bow standing off your back instead of lying flat against it. None

Ravin’s public identity is the reverse-draw layout and a notably compact, narrow frame, and that shape changes how a sling behaves more than most buyers expect. A narrow bow has less width to catch in brush and less hardware hanging out past your shoulders, but it also balances differently and wants the sling to sit

A useful crossbow maintenance kit is short: rail lube, string and cable wax, hex keys that match your bow’s fasteners, a torque driver if your manufacturer publishes torque values, spare nocks, spares for whatever cocking device you use, and something soft to store the bow in. That list covers almost everything a crossbow will ask

The short version on crossbow bolts weight: heavier total arrow weight carries more momentum downrange and generally penetrates better, while lighter total weight flies flatter and forgives a sloppy range estimate. Your bow’s manual sets a minimum total arrow weight, and that number is the one hard rule in the whole discussion. Everything above the