Crossbows

In modern day, the crossbow has largely evolved into a weapon for sport and recreation, but it's fearsome medieval heritage has unfortunately given rise to some misconceptions. The most common misconception is that a crossbow has long-range capabilities like a gun. IT DOESN'T! While the crossbow is often shouldered and fired much like a gun, that's where the similarities end. In spite of the cool advances in modern manufacturing and machining, the crossbow is still a primitive weapon. Today, the average crossbow generates roughly 80 ft-lbs of Kinetic Energy. By comparison, a run-of-the-mill .30-30 hunting rifle generates over 1200 ft-lbs of Kinetic Energy. So if you intend to use your crossbow for big-game hunting and you expect it's range and power to be like a modern powder weapon, you will surely be disappointed.

Regarding range and accuracy, the modern crossbow is actually more similar to the modern high-performance compound bow.

Here are the current eBay listings for Crossbows:

Pistol Crossbow

Pistol crossbows may seem like cute little toys, but don't be fooled by their small size. These little powerhouses can pack a real punch at short ranges.

They usually have a draw weight between 50 and 80 lbs. and launch can bolts at up to 200fps. This makes them perfect for recreational target practice and for taking out the odd rat or pigeon. Obviously, for serious hunting you'll want something larger and more powerful, like a full-size recurve or compound crossbow, but that doesn't mean a crossbow pistol is nothing more than a toy.

Because of their reduced draw weight, pistol crossbows are easier to span, which makes them ideal for target practice and for use by younger shooter with proper adult supervision. Pistol crossbows are not as accurate as full size crossbows for the same reason that a pistol is not as accurate as a rifle. The shorter track simply isn't long enough to allow the bolt to develop a stable and highly accurate flight.

This doesn't detract from the fun that can be had with a pistol crossbow, you just need to understand their limitations before you buy one.

Here are the current eBay listings for Crossbow Pistols: