Knowledge Base

Pistol Crossbow Buying Guide

Pistol crossbows are a great entry level product to get you started in the world of crossbows.

In this guide, we are going to give you a general overview of what to expect when it comes to owning and using a pistol crossbow.

Who Are They Targeted Towards?

Pistol crossbows are great for people who have never used a crossbow before or those who may have an injury or disability and don't have the strength usually required for a larger, more powerful crossbow.

They are great for beginners due to their price and simplicity. You don't have to break the bank when buying a pistol crossbow and our lowest priced model which we sell is the Anglo Arms Gekko which retails at around £15.

This is good because it means you don't have to spend loads of money deciding if you want to continue the sport or not. It also gives you a great foundation to build from as you will learn the ins and outs of how crossbows work which you can apply to a more powerful crossbow in the future.

How Powerful Are Pistol Crossbows?

Most standard pistol crossbows on the market have a draw weight of 50lbs or 80lbs however there have been some recent advancements in the crossbow world and you can now buy a 'hybrid' pistol crossbow which dramatically increase the power.

In countries where it is legal to hunt, a pistol crossbow would be able to take down small animals such as squirrel or rabbits.

If you don't think you are that strong, we would recommend choosing a crossbow that has a draw weight of 50lbs or 80lbs. Some good recommendations are below:

• Anglo Arms Gekko 50lbs Pistol Crossbow
• Anglo Arms OP-360 80lbs Pistol Crossbow
• Hori-Zone Redback Deluxe 80lbs Pistol Crossbow

Self Cocking Mechanism Of A Pistol Crossbow

Most pistol crossbows have some sort of 'self cocking' mechanism built in. As these crossbows are so small you can't use a traditional cocking rope to pull the string back. With pistol crossbows you use the cocking lever built into the handle to cock the crossbow which looks like this:

As you 'snap' the handle of the crossbow backwards, the lever will hook onto the string, pulling it back and successfully cocking the crossbow. This makes it a lot easier to cock than traditional crossbows.

Most crossbows also have an anti dry-fire feature which prevents you from accidentally shooting the crossbow. When you cock the crossbow, the safety switch will automatically turn from off to on. Locking the trigger and securing the arrow.

Assembling Your Pistol Crossbow

Pistol crossbows are very easy to set up as they typically have less parts than a regular full size crossbow. The only difficult step of assembling a pistol crossbow is putting the string on. This can be quite tricky if you don't have a crossbow stringer or a friend to help as you have to bend the limbs to fit the string.

Some pistol crossbows do come with a 'limb block' feature which means that the string and limbs come as one unit so you don't have to mess around putting on the string.