Crossbow maintenance tips Taking good care of your weapon is vital to ensuring the longevity of the strings and inner workings, along with a consistently high-quality shooting experience. Crossbows may seem like simple beasts to those that are newer to handling them, but in fact, there are lots of different things that need attention and care. If you’ve just picked up your first crossbow, or want to refresh your knowledge of the best practise for taking care of your weapon, then read on to see our top tips for crossbow maintenance. Before conducting any maintenance on your crossbow, please make sure that it is uncocked and unloaded. This seems obvious, but it cannot be stressed enough as you could cause yourself or someone else serious injury.

Pay Attention to the Strings

Very much the necessity for a crossbow, fully functional strings that are in good condition will make your shooting experience an enjoyable one. Firstly, you’ll want to do a visual evaluation of your strings every time you head out to shoot. You should be looking for any strings that are beginning to fray or that are showing signs of wear. If there are any cut strands on the cables, then you will want to get those replaced before shooting your crossbow. Once you have completed your initial visual assessment, you’ll want to apply some special wax to the strings. Be careful to avoid the centre serving as this could cause a build-up of wax in the trigger box and cause misfires or prevent latching. When applying wax, use your fingers to rub it into the strings to ensure that there is no residue left before shooting. Regardless of how often you head out to shoot, we would suggest replacing your crossbow strings every two to three years to ensure that your bow keeps firing at its very best.

Flight Rail Care

While maintaining your crossbow, remember to lubricate the flight rail to ensure smooth shots and minimal friction. This will also extend the life of your bow’s centre serving. To do this effectively, add a couple of small drops of high-quality flight rail lubricant to either side of the flight rail and rub it along the length using your finger. This should be done every 75 to 100 shots. When carrying out this task, remember not to use too much lubricant as this can cause damage to the centre serving. Additionally, do not use grease or petroleum-based lubricants as this can cause a build-up of dust and grit, ruining the trigger mechanism.

Trigger Box

You’ll also want to take care of the trigger box using a similar lubricant to that on the flight rail. It’s essential to keep this section of the bow dry with the occasional drop of lubricant added, such as either side of your safety switch on both sides and the closed end of your trigger string slot. Additionally, lubricate any visible mounting bolts, to reduce corrosion and damage from the elements.

Structural Checks

You’ll want to check the structural integrity of the bow each time you take it out, making sure there are no broken parts or missing pieces. Additionally, we would suggest checking the tightness of all bolts on the weapon every 50 – 100 shots to ensure that none are coming loose.

Clean The Scope Lens

If your crossbow uses a scope, then make sure to regularly check for dust and dirt and clean when necessary. We suggest using dedicated lens cleaning wipes as these will not leave residue on the scope and give a crystal clear finish, removing any fingerprints in the process. Tissues and almost anything non-specialised for lens cleaning can be surprisingly abrasive!

Clean and Remove Dirt

Finally, give your crossbow a general all-over clean, removing any dirt or grime on the flight rail or the body. If you have just been shooting in wet weather, you should also dry your bow, using absorbent towels or cloths for the body and a hairdryer for the trigger box. You can also spray some WD-40 into the trigger box to displace any moisture. Just remember to re-lubricate with your chosen trigger lube after! For more tips on maintaining your outdoor equipment, make sure to check out our blog here! You can also find a great range of crossbows, air rifles and other outdoor equipment on our online store! Featured image sourced from: TenPoint Crossbows