9 replies to this topic

[Cereal]

Hello,

I have always shot compound bows and an iron sight shotgun for gun season.

I just switched over to crossbows this year.. Barnett Predator-with the 5 reticule scope

I went to the store and purchased Red Hot HV high velocity carbon arrows... figured why not buy the most expensive arrows      they must be decent


so i have a problem when shooting the crossbow at a distance... sighted in at 15 yards for my first line
27 was about 2nd line
40 was 3rd line

but once i started getting to 40-60 yards (not planning on shooting a deer that far), i was starting to get about 6" off center of the target to the right

what can be done to bring this on center without messing up my scope sighted in for closer range, which i will be hunting

sorry, basically i am new to scopes and dont know what must be done... re mount the scope or try to shim the scope slightly?

any input is appreciated

[jdmax]

Make sure your horizontal lines are parallel with the the deck of the bow. This is what i have seen with ballistic ple reticles on rifles. If they are not, the farther down you go you would also move right or left.

[vaguru]

How whas the wind?  Wind will affect the flight more at distance than it will up close.  As stated previous, make sure the crosshair is plumb, square and level with the bow.  Make sure you are not canting the bow also.  All of this will cause shots to become off center for windage at longer ranges.

[Cereal]

there was no wind...  and it has done this a couple of times on multiple days now. Never had a chance to shoot 50 yards until this weekend as i recently got the xbow, so not much time to shoot but will definatly be able to start soon.

Any tips on making sure crosshair is really straight?   I mounted myself and knew it would be important so i eyeballed it... just hard trying to picture a way to plumb the crosshair to be perfect..

and canting the bow?   i am going to go search what that is right about now

[vaguru]

The way I mount scopes on crossbows is relatively easy.  I place the xbow in a gun vise, or a notched cardboard box, so the bow can't move.  I then take a torpedo level and place it on the riser or rail and set so it is level.  Looking through the scope, I find where it views a wall, and place a piece of paper with a dark line drawn on it horizontally.  I make sure the line is level.  Then rotate the reticle until the horizontal part of the crosshair  is parallel with the line.  Done, plumb, square and level.  After tighening the scope rings I double check for parallel.

You can use the motar seams on your block wall, after checking they are level, instead of a piece of paper.  The vertical seams can also be used with the vertical part of the crosshair.  Either way, much more accurate tha "eyeballing".

Canting is holding the bow out of level.  Allowing the stock to tilt either right or left, causing the crosshair to rotate.  The intersection of the reticle will still be "true", but the bottom references will be either right or left causing horizontal impact change along with vertical change.  If you have trouble holding the bow level, there is something you can do.  Put a level on the bow somewhere you can see it while shooting (without changing your stock weld).  Just move your eye to view it and adjust your hold for cant.  As a quick reference whil hunting, remember that most all trees grow straight up towards the sun.  Hold your vertical crosshair parallel to the trees, this will be close.

Hope this helps.

[Cereal]

well, i just got my x-bow to sit level... front to back by resting on the arrow rest
then leveled across the limbs

i then took the scope off and leveled the scope mount... which doesnt sit level side to side
but it does front to  back

anyways... my "eyeball" of the scope originally was close i must say.. but wasnt perfect

so i rotated my scope slightly counter clockwise... which explains that the lower crosshairs were slightly off center to the left... causing my shots to pull to the right the further out i shot

so i HOPE this solves my issue

i am also going to go buy a small stick on Level and mount it behind my scope to prevent "canting"   i used to have a level on my compound bow site... which makes sense to have if i am shooting up to 40-50 yards... want to eliminate all possibilities of error

so i must say thanks to all and hopefully this weekend i can get time for some long range shots and hopefully all will be well


and i plumbed the vertical and horizontal lines by using the casing around a window in my house, which i leveled first and they were so i think i did a good job... better than before thats for sure

[Guide Girl]

vaguru said:

The way I mount scopes on crossbows is relatively easy.  I place the xbow in a gun vise, or a notched cardboard box, so the bow can't move.  I then take a torpedo level and place it on the riser or rail and set so it is level.  Looking through the scope, I find where it views a wall, and place a piece of paper with a dark line drawn on it horizontally.  I make sure the line is level.  Then rotate the reticle until the horizontal part of the crosshair  is parallel with the line.  Done, plumb, square and level.  After tighening the scope rings I double check for parallel.

You can use the motar seams on your block wall, after checking they are level, instead of a piece of paper.  The vertical seams can also be used with the vertical part of the crosshair.  Either way, much more accurate tha "eyeballing".

Canting is holding the bow out of level.  Allowing the stock to tilt either right or left, causing the crosshair to rotate.  The intersection of the reticle will still be "true", but the bottom references will be either right or left causing horizontal impact change along with vertical change.  If you have trouble holding the bow level, there is something you can do.  Put a level on the bow somewhere you can see it while shooting (without changing your stock weld).  Just move your eye to view it and adjust your hold for cant.  As a quick reference whil hunting, remember that most all trees grow straight up towards the sun.  Hold your vertical crosshair parallel to the trees, this will be close.

Hope this helps.

This is excellent vaguru! Thanks for posting this. Your the man!

[SPECIALIZED]

Thanks for the post,a reminder for me,sometimes guilty of canting.

[rt2bowhunter]

I use a door faceing  or window trim and go off the virt. cross hair post.

[bucknbill]

now after reading Vaguru,s post i gotta go back and check mine, just makes me wonder how close i eyeballed it......... great tip!!!  thanks