How to Make Crossbows: The Classic Crossbow

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The bow, or prod, is set into the nose of the forestock, and the two-piece trigger mechanism, cut from 1/4" plate steel, is pinned between the right and left flank pieces just below the receiver. Walnut stock inserts were trimmed and shaped to mate with the stock on either side of the shoulder extension.

Since the string does contact the barrel and is thus subject to friction, we added a pair of shoulder slides to the sides of the chase to reduce string wear and increase bolt velocity. Though these could also be made of walnut, we used Delrin (a Du Pont acetal resin) because it possesses an inherent lubricity.

Our crossbow's open sights consist simply of a front frame made of aluminum strap, and an alloy rear ring mounted to the receiver. Socket-head cap screws threaded into each of these brackets provide sighting beads, and the rear unit can be lowered or raised as necessary to zero the piece in at a specific range.

As far as we've been able to determine, a telescopic rifle sight is inappropriate on a crossbow for three reasons. First, the weapon's effective range is limited to 50 yards or so in all but an expert's hands, and at that distance, beads and the practiced naked eye should be sufficient. Second, a fired bolt's trajectory is such that, beyond 15 or more yards, its drop is enough to lower the point of impact many inches from the line of sight (see sidebar) ...and since most scopes are calibrated for rifles, the range of adjustment may be restrictive or the zeroing-in process tedious. Finally, a scope narrows the field of view and adds weight as well.

You've probably already noticed that our photos show two different crossbows. The first, detailed in this article, is a functional, no-gadget rendition that's not overly complicated to assemble, which should serve as a fine fieldpiece or target piece. The second is a multiuse version that has some interesting features, but for the most part it's best suited to range shooting or backyard "plinking." It sports a folding front handgrip, a removable shoulder stock extension (which allows the long arm to convert to a hand piece), and-no doubt the most practical feature of all—a positive trigger safety. (This last item, by the way, can be added to our standard crossbow if desired.)

Build the Crossbow Step-by-Step

You might be interested to know that we spent about $102 making our fieldpiece; that breaks down to approximately $14 worth of 1/4" aluminum flat stock (available at a scrapyard or a metals distributor); $8 in Delrin; $6 for the walnut billets; about $7 in assorted bolts, pins, and other minor hardware; and-here's the kicker—$67 worth of prod and Dacron bowstring.

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