Yes, a crossbow can kill a deer. It is important to use the correct arrows and bolts when hunting with a crossbow, as the wrong ammunition can cause the animal to suffer. A well-placed shot with a crossbow bolt will kill a deer quickly and humanely.
What Are Crossbows?
A crossbow is a bow mounted on a stick with a mechanism that holds the drawn string. The crossbow was originally designed for use by infantry to shoot arrows over walls or other obstacles in Siege warfare. Crossbows can also be used for hunting. Crossbows vary in power, but most are capable of killing a deer when used correctly.
Best Crossbows For Deer Hunting
Our team at safaritour.com.ng has tested and reviewed a handful of the best crossbows for deer hunting and here they are:
CenterPoint Sniper 370 Crossbow
This might come as a surprise to some, but Crossman is the brand behind the CenterPoint Sniper 370-Crossbow. This begs the question, is Crossman as good in making crossbows as making BB guns?
This is the question I sought to answer when I bought this one.
This bow is not the lightest out there; it is 7.9 pounds. Furthermore, when uncocked, it measures 21.6 inches wide and 18 inches when cocked. Thus, it is also not the smallest crossbow.
Nevertheless, I was pleased that it comes with a shoulder strap that makes it easy to carry. In addition, I was impressed with the performance of this crossbow with its firing speed of 370 Feet Per Second with a 13.50-inch power stroke.
To put this into perspective, the firing velocity of this bow equates to 128 ft-lbs of kinetic energy, which is more than enough to take down a grizzly.
Being such a powerful bow, I was not surprised at its draw weight of 185 pounds. Moreover, I was not surprised at how difficult it can be to cock this bow.
Fortunately, Crossman throws in a rope cocking device into the package. Apart from the last device, the package also came with three 20 inch bolts, a multi-reticle, and illuminated scope.
Pros
- This is one of the most powerful bows I have ever used.
- Comes with a fully adjustable stock and forearm
- There is an illuminated scope attached to it.
Cons
- It is relatively heavier compared to others.
Specification
- 185 draw weight
- 4X32 illuminated scope
- 370 Feet Per Second velocity
- Four arrow quiver
- Three 20 inch carbon bolts
- Aluminum rail
- CNC machined cam system
- Quad limbs
VERDICT
From this CenterPoint sniper 370 crossbow reviews, it is apparent that the bow is powerful enough to take down some of the largest game that inhabits the North American forests. Pricing under 300, this crossbow is one of the top-notch crossbows.
Barnett HyperGhost 405 Crossbow
The Barnett HyperGhost 405 is one of Barnett’s accurate and powerful crossbows, and for good reasons. Similar to all the other bows on this list, this Barnett is pretty solid on its performance.
It can dish out up to 138 ft of pounds of kinetic energy thanks to its 405 FPS of firing velocity. And comes with a blazing power stroke of 16.3 inches. Also, the draw weight is 185 pounds. This bow requires a rope cocking tool to cock.
Also added to this package is a Premium 1.5 x 5 x 32 mm Illuminated Scope that greatly improves the accuracy of this bow. For safety reasons, when you cock the Barnett ghost, it goes straight into the safe mode, and then you have to put it to fire. Another thing is it’s ambidextrous, and anyone can use it with both hands, left or right.
Pros
- Comes with an insert where you can install a hand-crack cocking tool
- The bow comes with Premium 1.5 x 5 x 32 mm Illuminated Scope
- It comes with a side-mount quiver.
Specification
- Quick detach quiver
- 405 Feet Per Second firing velocity
- 7.7-pound weight
- 185 draw weight
VERDICT
This Barnett ghost crossbow has all that a hunter needs. In this regard, this crossbow is best for hunting deer. Also, it makes a good bow for target practice. If you are looking for accuracy with power, then get this recommended crossbow under thousand bucks.
