Target Practice With a Crossbow

Hello All!

I just received a crossbow for Christmas Its an Excalibur Vixen 2 with a red dot scope. Not only am I thoroughly excited but CANNOT wait to start target practice.

I am new to the world of crossbows and need some advice about targets. What to purchase or make?
I eventually plan on going white tail hunting with it, and I will be using the carbon quivers.

I'm wanting to know what type of target to use, can I build my own? What should I build it out of, hay bales? I have seen some targets made to look like deer, some that are huge cushions etc.....but for target practice which is best.

I would appreciate all thoughts

Thanks...

Hay bales are excellent backstops if you have them around. Do not shoot at trees. Arrows ricochet unpredictably when shot at trees. Cotton bales are also great. If you use thin paper targets, put them on bales or at least in front of a berm that will stop the quarrel/arrow's flight. Crossbows are great fun, did you get a scope?

reply to post by DarthMuerte


Hey thanks. Yes I have a pine forest behind my house so thats great info to know about. I did get a Tru Glo 30mm red dot scope...(present)

I currently do not have any hay or cotton so this is a project I would have to do by scratch.... or wallet lol

It's been a few years but I had a target that was filled with wood strip/shavings that I used with my xbow. If the arrows were penetrating too far, you could wet it and the fibers would swell and be more resilient. Worked great, they recommended it where I bought the bow and I got it there.

I don't have a solution for this but my biggest problem with target practice was knocking the fletching off the arrows that were already in the target. The bows are really accurate and you can stack up a lot of arrows right an top of each other. They sort of recoils backwards which is a little strange at first but not too big of a deal and, keep your fingers away from the string! Have fun, they're a good piece of gear to have.

I have not tried with a crossbow, but for arrows I used to fill cardboard boxes with sand and put those boxes inside bigger boxes then fill the spaces between the two with scrap cardboard. Be careful with the crossbow, it might go all the way through. It should give you a good place to work from though.

reply to post by Starwise


It depends on how many pounds of pull it has.....
Don't go for the heavier bolts, try the light ones first.
They will tend to spiral clockwise from the bow, so you will have to get accustomed to using it at a set distance, otherwise your bolt will just bounce off a buck.
Not that i am pro-hunting, i hate it, but if you are going to do it, do it right.

reply to post by DarthMuerte


Good one.
Bolts are expensive, you don't want to break them all on trees
I once fired a crossbow with 160 pounds--it put a pencil clean through an oak tree, not something to fool around with.

How to tell how many pounds of pull it has? My paper work says 150 lbs draw weight, is that it? It states 285 fps. It is designed for smaller frame people, aka females and youth

Originally posted by Starwise
How to tell how many pounds of pull it has? My paper work says 150 lbs draw weight, is that it? It states 285 fps. It is designed for smaller frame people, aka females and youth

Yes, that is the pull. The 285 fps is feet per second, how fast the quarrel travels. 150 lbs is a dangerous weapon, not a toy. Be very careful. It is just as dangerous as any gun. You can take down a deer or a two legged wolf with it easily enough.

Hang on to it, mine got confiscated as being 'lethal weapons' which they are of course...
75 lbs of pull is enough to kill someone,,,,,,

reply to post by Starwise


traffic wardens.

reply to post by lacrimosa


Don't tempt me

reply to post by DarthMuerte


I'm an expert marksman but a novice with the bow I am hoping I can transfer skill to the bow, mostly just for sport....

reply to post by Starwise


Probably the biggest advantage a xbow had back when it was a high tech weapon is that it was easier to shoot accurately than say a long bow. Other than getting used to the drop, you won't have any trouble.

Talk to some people who use them. When I bought mine I was going to buy arrows made by the same company as the bow. I was told they were garbage and that they would make me arrows that worked well for them and the cost was about the same or maybe even less. I have no complaints with what they sold me.

Mine was 150lb too and it was a good 'woods bow'. Short and handy with enough oomph at closer ranges.

I found some really good youtube videos on how to make some targets... looks like a great start. I like the huge box of old clothes idea.....Free

The best targets are the ones that stop your bolt or arrow at the point not by squeezing the shaft as it enters (that sounds so wrong). You can get target bags that you fill yourself with old clothes etc that do the same job as an expensive target. The biggest range of targets in the UK is here outdoorhobbies.co.uk... but you can buy the cheap fill yourself bags on ebay for as little as £4.99

Hay bales. Choose the cheap kind (like Coastal), usually about $8 a bale (at least here in the South).

Two deep for safety. Just pin paper targets against them. Cheap, functional, and won't tear up your bolts.