It’s embarrassing to say, but the first time I fired a crossbow, I had to ask someone to show me how to re-cock it. I watched the person use a cocking rope, yet when it was my turn, I couldn’t figure it out.
That was a while ago. Now, after 1,000 subsequent repetitions, I have the process down fairly well. Thanks to the school of hard knocks, I’ve even learned a few tricks to make the process easier. Here’s how to make sure this critical piece of equipment works best for you.
First, have an extra. If your bow came with a cocking rope, buy an extra. If it wasn’t standard equipment, buy two. Just imagine the frustration you’ll feel if you reach your favorite hunting stand and forgot your cocking rope? Even if you can load the string with your bare hands, you risk accuracy contamination.
Next, cut the rope to fit your bow. It should loop through the cocking groove on the stock and have just enough length to snugly attach to the string. With a snug fit, you can store the rope with the bow to avoid losing it. Most one-size-fits-all after-market ropes may be several inches longer than needed. You can still cock the bow with this extended length, yet you’ll quickly find that the loop easily slips out of the cocking groove. If you fail to notice this detail, the string will rest against the safety mechanism or the rear of the scope mounting bracket, placing lots of stress where it’s not designed to be handled. This can easily happen in the dark on a hunting trip and can severely damage your bow. By fitting the rope to your bow, you’ll cock your bow more safely and effectively.
Finally, make sure that you cock your bow with the string hooks in the proper direction, either facing up or down. This varies according to model, but you want to have the hooks ride along the barrel of the crossbow and not jump onto the rail. Buy a roll of red tape and mark the right handle of your cocking rope. Think of “red” and “right” and you’ll cock your bow properly every time and avoid the frustration of frequently reversing the hooks. These small steps can eliminate big problems.
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