Newsletter - National Field Archery Society

Crossbow cocking aids proposal
Following the proposal made by Chris Cox to allow the use of cocking aids for crossbows in NFAS, Chris Aston
wrote the following article in response. The committee has decided to share this information with all members
ahead of the upcoming AGM...
Exact wording of proposal:
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Crossbow Cocking Aids - Proposal from Chris Cox
Delete the following words the rule Crossbow (XB)
“No cocking aid, other than a foot stirrup is permitted”
Simply deleting these words wouldn’t be enough. The proposer needs to define which type of cocking aid he
wants to be permitted under the proposed XB rule change. This will open-up another area for debate as to
which type of cocking aid is best suited for use in competitive field archery.
Add the words to the rule Crossbow (XB)
“Crossbow bolts must not weigh more than 500grn”
If we do the maths, a 500 grain bolt at 300 fps will generate around 100 ft/lb of KE at the “muzzle”. Under
the existing XB rules a 175lb crossbow shooting a 400 grain bolt generates 80 ft/lb KE (manufacturer’s figures)
– which experience has shown is already near the limit of the stopping-power of a part-worn layered
foam target butt.
What are the benefits of your new proposal?
A cocking aid reduces the risk of personal injury to the Archer, reducing the physical strain of cocking. It
also eliminates the risk of finger injury through unlatched string slipping off the fingers.
Learning to shoot a crossbow should be treated like learning to shoot with any other type of bow i.e. start off
with light equipment, learn the techniques and gradually build-up the strength needed to handle heavier draw
weights.
There is little risk of injury providing the beginner is adequately instructed in crossbow handling techniques
by a competent person and he or she is using a draw weight that they can cock (and un-cock) by hand without
undue strain.
It’s likely that even experienced archers will struggle to master crossbow handling techniques if they don’t
start with a light poundage crossbow (e.g. 90 to 125lbs for adults, 40 lbs for under 18s).
On the subject of draw weights, there is no real need to shoot a heavy draw-weight crossbow. The 2011 and
2012 3D Championships were won with 125lb crossbows – with scores equal to those of the winning compound
limited archers.
It arguably improves accuracy which in turn improves safety.
By Chris Aston
Using a cocking aid will improve the accuracy of a crossbow because it ensures perfect string alignment. It
also reduces the cocking effort by around 50%.
Using a cocking aid improves safety? – Possibly, but only by lessening the likelihood of a miss-fire caused by
an archer not being strong enough to handle their equipment safely, or in other words if the archer is overbowed.