How to Cock a Crossbow – Crossbow Loading Methods

Crossbows have been around for hundreds of years. Unlike a bow and arrow, crossbows don’t need an awful lot of skill in order to be used effectively. This means that more people could learn to use them in a shorter period of time compared to a bow and arrow, which could take months or even years to become adequate with, by comparison. This means that once we were able to mass produce them, they became a staple of armed conflict in almost every part of the world, making large-scale combat and siege scenarios an even more strategic endeavor than they were before. If you’ve never used a crossbow before, the thought of loading a bolt can be a bit perplexing, so let’s have a look at the types of crossbows that exist and a couple of ways you can go about cocking them efficiently and safely.

How to Cock a Crossbow

When learning how to cock a crossbow, you’ll inevitably get a feel for what type of crossbow suits you best, as different types of crossbows require different means of loading and cocking them. The type of crossbow you choose will typically relate to how much effort and strength you’re willing to expend every time you’d like to fire a bolt, so it’s a scenario of input vs. output.

The effort isn’t the only thing you need to consider when choosing a means of cocking your bow, though. Everyone has physical limitations, and if you have a pre-existing injury or a disability that prevents you from putting too much strain on/using a certain part of your body, then you might want to consider using one of the many aids available for cocking your crossbow.

When cocking a crossbow, you are essentially creating and storing tension in both the limbs and bowstring of the crossbow.

However, unlike with a bow and arrow, you won’t be holding your bolt at full draw with your hands, and you will essentially have to draw the bow back to full draw every time you use it. This means that if you release the bowstring before can be locked in place by the string latch, it will result in dry fire. This can cause some serious injuries and extensive damage to your bow’s components.

Hand Cocking

When it comes down to it, there are three ways of cocking your crossbow, all of which vary in effort and can be different from bow to bow. The first is hand cocking, which basically means pulling your bowstring back by hand until it sits comfortably in the latch.

This method can vary in effectiveness depending on the draw weight you’ve got going, as well as the type of crossbow you’re cocking.

Rope Cocking Aid

The second method that can be used to cock your bow involves the use of a rope cocking device, which is essentially a drawstring that you pull on, which in turn pulls the bowstring back to lock it in place. There are loads of these to choose from, from really high-end ones to really basic ones, but they’re all there to ensure you don’t break any fingers trying to cock your bow.

Integrated Cocking Aid

The third way to cock your bow doesn’t really have much to do with you. If you’re lucky (or just a savvy shopper), then you’ll spring for a bow that has an integrated cocking device. Basically, you won’t have to use your hands or a rope cocker as the bow has a mechanism that allows you to cock it using a lever on the body of the bow, which is pretty cool and really convenient.

Using Your Foot

As a disclaimer, we do not recommend using this method to cock your crossbow as it can result in serious bodily harm and potentially damage your crossbow. In an emergency though, a crossbow can be cocked by sitting down and using the heel of your foot to cock the bowstring back into the latch.

Just be sure that you have the strength to do so without tearing a muscle.

Cocking a Crossbow: A Guide

As we mentioned previously there are many ways to go about cocking your crossbow. The method you choose typically depends on the type of crossbow you’re using and your personal preference. You could try out each method to find out which one suits you best as archery stores typically have display models for you to peruse before purchasing. Here is a short tutorial showing you what you should do when cocking a crossbow when you encounter each cocking method.

How to Hand Cock Your Crossbow

Hand cocking a crossbow is hands down (no pun intended) the fastest way to cock a crossbow especially when you’re out in the field. Hand cocking your crossbow is easy, you’re basically just pulling the bowstring back into the latch until you hear the click, at which point you should be ready to shoot your bolt.

The problem with hand cocking your bow is that the possibility of dry firing your bow becomes higher, which can be quite dangerous for you, your bow, and those around you. Dry firing is when a bow is fired without an arrow/bolt being loaded. Why is it dangerous? Well, crossbows store a lot of potential energy, and if that energy isn’t transferred into the bolt but back into the bow, it can cause serious damage.

How bad could it be? Well, most crossbows these days are capable of firing an arrow at 300 feet per second, which means they store an incredible amount of energy. When that energy is reintroduced back into the crossbow it can cause damage to the slider, rails, limbs, and bowstring, and may result in the bow exploding.

If so, the shrapnel produced by this explosion could result in serious injury to you and anyone in the immediate environment.

Hand cocking isn’t something that many archers do these days thanks to the availability of cocking aids, and who could blame them? Sure, you could use gloves to draw your bowstring back, but you’d still need to accept the full draw weight of the bow, which could result in repetitive strain injuries over time. This being said, if hand cocking works for you, don’t let anyone dissuade you from doing so.

How to Rope Cock Your Crossbow

Using a rope cocker for crossbow cocking is probably the easiest and most cost-effective way to go about things aside from using an integrated cocking mechanism. Rope cockers are sold by many archery brands and their price can vary according to brand and quality, but they all fulfill the same purpose and most of them can be used interchangeably regardless of brand or bow type.

Rope cocking devices are basically stretchable or retractable ropes with a composite hook at each end. The middle of the rope rests on the back end of your bow while the two ends are stretched forward and clamped to two equidistant parts of your bowstring. You then pull the part of the bow resting at the back of your bow toward you drawing the bowstring back until it is locked in place and activating your safety mechanism to prevent it from jumping out.

This method of cocking your bow is one of the easiest as it quite literally cuts the draw weight of the bow in half through the use of a pulley mechanism. This ensures that you are able to draw your bowstring back quickly and with minimal effort, but it can get annoying due to the fact the rope cocker needs to be attached correctly every time you use it.

The key to using a rope cocker effectively is to ensure that you stay patient throughout the process. Failing to do so can result in dry fire or loading your limbs unevenly, resulting in damage to the bow upon firing. Thankfully, any damage resulting from this will probably only have you replacing one limb, which is relatively inexpensive in the grand scheme of things.

How to Use a Mechanical Cocking Device

Originally, mechanical cocking devices were designed as something that could be bought and then attached to your crossbow as an aftermarket part, but these days you can purchase crossbows that have an integrated mechanical cocking device. These don’t so much reduce the draw weight needed to cock the bowstring, but instead, implement a different method of cocking your crossbow to reduce the effort needed to cock it.

How do they work? Essentially a mechanical cocking device is a crack attached to the butt of your crossbow. By turning the crank handle, it draws the bowstring closer and closer until it is locked in place, at which point you can load your bolt and engage your target. This being said, cocking devices don’t work nearly as quickly as rope cockers, and depending on the brand and type of crank you’re working with they can be quite noisy.

Here’s what you should do when cocking a crossbow when using a cracking device. Ensure that the mechanism attached to your bowstring is secure, then slowly and methodically turn the handle until the bowstring has been secured in its latch. You should hear a little click, at which point you should stop cranking to avoid over-cocking your crossbow.

All of this should be done while your crossbow is face down to ensure that you have maximum leverage over your bow during the cranking process. Once the crossbow is fully cocked, load your bolt and engage your target. If the shot feels good, all that you need to do is repeat the process and remember to check the condition of the crank and bowstring attachment during maintenance.

How Do You Uncock a Crossbow Safely?

If you were to end up in a situation where you have to uncock your crossbow, you might consider dry firing it. Dry firing is never the answer to uncocking your bow, it will damage your crossbow and possibly you in the process. So, how do you go about uncocking a bow safely if you can’t simply allow the bowstring to fly?

Well, depending on the brand and the type of bow you’re using there might be a specific way to go about this so remember to check your bow’s instructions before trying anything else. Most bows though can be uncocked simply by firing a bolt into some nearby soil or using a special type of bolt designed to uncock demonstration bows.

If you have the luxury of using a crossbow with a cranking mechanism, then all that you need to do is turn the crank handle in the opposite direction, which should slowly and safely dissipate all of the tension in the bowstring and limbs. Again, never dry fire your crossbow or bow and arrow for that matter as the results could be disastrous.

Now that you know why cocking a crossbow correctly is important, some of the different methods and mechanisms you can implement to cock a crossbow, how to use them effectively, and how to safely uncock your crossbow, it’s time for you to get out there and put your newfound knowledge to the test. Remember to avoid dry firing as far as possible and to maintain your crossbow regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Load a Crossbow?

Wondering how to load a crossbow? All that you really need to do is ensure that you safely and evenly pull back your bowstring until it is safely secured in its latch. Next, take your bolt and slide it into the flight groove and engage your target. This is how to load a crossbow safely without risking dry fire or unequal bow tension.

What Is a Crossbow Pull Rope?

Wondering what a crossbow pull rope is? It is also known as a rope cocking device, which is used to minimize the effort needed to draw and cock your bowstring. These are an affordable, readily available, and fast alternative to hand cocking your bow.

Is a Crossbow Better Than a Regular Bow?

This is difficult to answer. While a crossbow has a greater draw weight compared to a conventional bow and arrow the power stroke is much shorter. The power stroke refers to the full draw distance between the bowstring and limbs of either weapon, which makes the ballistics of a conventional bow superior, subjectively speaking.

What Should You Do When Cocking A Crossbow?

What should you do when cocking a crossbow? When cocking a crossbow, you should always ensure that you have equal tension on both the limbs of your bow and that your cocking device has been connected to your bowstring correctly.