How Long Can You Leave a Crossbow Cocked?

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How long can you leave a crossbow cocked? This is a question that many crossbow hunters have. The answer, however, differs slightly from brand to brand and model to model. In most cases, you can leave a crossbow cocked for up to 12 hours without any problems. There are, however, a few exceptions.

And to be on the safe side, always check your crossbow manual. Contact their product support if there is no information about how long you can leave the crossbow cocked.

To make things easier for you, here’s what we found out about some of the most popular crossbow brands.

CenterPointArchery Crossbow

How long can I leave my CenterPointArchery Crossbow cocked?

According to the FAQ page of Centerpoint, it is not recommended to leave their crossbows cocked longer than 8 hours. 

“It is safe to keep your crossbow cocked while you are hunting in a stationary position. For personal safety reasons, do not stalk or walk to or from your hunting location with your CenterPoint Archery crossbow cocked. Do not keep your crossbow cocked for more than about 8 hours.”

Source: https://www.centerpointarchery.com/support/faq

Ravin Crossbows

How long can I leave my Ravin Crossbow cocked?

According to the FAQ page of Ravin, it is not recommended to leave their crossbows cocked longer than 8 hours. Ravin was bought by (Velocity Outdoor) CenterPoint – hence the identical wording. 

“It is safe to keep your crossbow cocked while you are hunting in a stationary position. For personal safety reasons, do not stalk or walk to or from your hunting location with your Ravin crossbow cocked. Do not keep your crossbow cocked for more than about 8 hours.”

Source: https://ravincrossbows.com/faq/

Excalibur Crossbows

How long can I leave my Excalibur Crossbow cocked?

According to their Knowledge Base, “…it is not a problem to leave your crossbow cocked for an entire day” they also say, “…please uncock your crossbow overnight or between hunts for safety.”

I tried to find an answer in the FAQ section of the Excaliburs website. I couldn´t get an answer right away. But after some clicking through their knowledge base, I found this answer. 

Mind you – it’s from 2014 – I created a new account and submitted the question again. I’ll update this page once I receive an answer. 

Source: https://excaliburcrossbow.com/warranty/

TenPointArchery Crossbows

How long can I leave my TenPointArchery Crossbow cocked?

TenPoint recommends not leaving your crossbow cocked for longer than a 24-hour period. 

“Your crossbow has been designed to be cocked during an entire day of hunting without needing to discharge or de-cock it, however, we strongly recommend discharging or de-cocking the crossbow at the end of each day.”. 

Source: https://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/faqs/is-it-safe-to-leave-my-crossbow-cocked-for-long-time-periods/

Barnett Crossbows

How long can I leave my Barnett Crossbow cocked?

Barnett suggests it would be good practice to let the bow down every 4 hours – and leave it uncocked for about ½ hour. 

“It is safe to keep your bow cocked while you are hunting in a stationary position. FOR PERSONAL SAFETY REASONS, DO NOT STALK OR WALK TO AND FROM YOUR STAND WITH YOUR BOW COCKED. We do recommend that if you break from your hunt that you let the bow down to the un-cocked position by shooting a target arrow into a safe backstop. It would be good practice to let the bow down every 4 hours relax it for about ½ hour. If ending your hunt without having taken a shot, it is recommended you keep a practice arrow at your camp to fire the crossbow safely into a target.” 

Source: https://www.barnettcrossbows.com/faqs

read.. crossbow poundage for hunting

WickedRidge Crossbows by TenPoint 

How long can I leave my WickedRidge Crossbow cocked?

They recommend not leaving your crossbow cocked for longer than a 24-hour period. 

WickedRidge redirects directly to TenPointArchery. So the advice is basically the same: 

Do not leave your crossbow cocked for longer than a 24-hour period. 

Source: https://www.wickedridgecrossbows.com/

Killer Instinct Crossbows

How long can I leave my Killer Instinct Crossbow cocked?

Killer Instinct recommends not leaving their crossbows cocked longer than 12 hours.

Source: https://shop.killerinstinctcrossbows.com/frequently-asked-questions/

PSE Archery Crossbows

How long can I leave my PSE Archery Crossbow cocked?

Source: https://psearchery.com/contact-pse/

I couldn´t find anything on their website. So I did send an email. I´ll post their answer here as soon as I receive it. 

Mission Crossbows

How long can I leave my Mission Crossbow cocked?

Source: https://missioncrossbows.com/contact/

I couldn´t find anything on their website. So I did send an email. I´ll post their answer here as soon as I receive it.

Overview

Crossbow Brandmax duration to keep crossbow cocked
Center Point Archerymax. 8 hours
Ravin Crossbowsmax. 8 hours
Excalibur Crossbowsmax. 12 hours
TenPointsArchery Crossbowsmax. 24 hours
Barnett Crossbows max. 4 hours
Killer Instinct Crossbows max. 24 hours
PSE Archery Crossbows waiting for feedback
Mission Crossbows waiting for feedback

read.. How Does A Crossbow Arrow Compare To A Conventional Arrow

Alexander Knobloch

Hi, I'm Alex, the owner of BowAddicted. I've been shooting recurve bow since 2019 and recently got into string walking. I'm passionate about archery, the outdoors, and my kids. This journey has had its share of ups and downs, but the moments spent outside with friends and family are truly worth it. Feel free to get in touch!

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