Is a 'crossbow' really a bow?

Answer 1

Crossbow
For practical purposes, yes, a crossbow is really a bow. It uses a short arrow, technically called a bolt, by means of the spring action caused by releasing the tension on the crossbow's limbs. The "bow" of the crossbow is called a "prod".

It differs from a traditional bow however, in that it can be drawn before it is needed and kept ready to use for a considerable period of time. Holding a "regular" bow, such as a self-bow, longbow, recurve, or compound bow at full draw for any length of time may not be feasible, depending on draw weight. Traditional bows (recurves, longbows, etc), unlike modern compound bows, often do not have sights while modern crossbows do; this, coupled with the fact that it doesn't cause a lot of strain on the shooter to hold the crossbow at a full draw, makes it easier for an unskilled individual to use the weapon. The crossbow can be cocked either manually by simply pulling the string back, or by mechanical means - which means handicapped persons can use crossbows in those states which allow their use. Most crossbows sold today have about the same arrow speed as compounds: about 330 - 350 ft/sec.

While the crossbow is a bow, it offers a great advantage over Traditional bows. It should also be noted, so does the modern compound bow. In the 1970's there was a debate whether or not compound bows should be allowed for hunting. State-by-State, compound bows were allowed, and today more than 80% of all bow hunters use compound bows; this is an approximation, of course, as the use of Traditional bows (and arrows) has been increasing. Overall, the acceptance of compounds has been good for Archery. Now with more and more crossbows being sold, crossbow hunters are asking why they can not also be included in the archery season, because compounds and crossbows have such similar performance.

The answer to that question is that the modern crossbow is so easy to use; some claim that it is more like using a rifle than a bow. Modern crossbows tend to incorporate the camming (the "wheels" at the ends of the bow-limbs) which makes the compound bow easier to use than Traditional bows.

The Chinese developed a repeating crossbow, where a new bolt would drop onto the rails of the crossbow each time the string (called a "cable", due to its thickness) was pulled back to the "ready" position (cocked, ready to use). The real trick would be to keep the bolt-hopper loaded - and have each bolt facing the correct direction in the hopper.

During the Middle Ages, the crossbow was taken to sometimes extreme designs. Weapons such as the Arbalest and the ballista are basically over-sized crossbows. Of course, crossbows were also slightly simpler in design back then; see the weblink ("Torneo della Balestra") under "Related Links" for some photos of (possibly)the oldest-surviving Crossbow Society in the Modern World.

Persons interested in hunting with (modern)crossbows should contact The American Crossbow Federation, Box 251, Glenwood, MN 56334

Answer 2

A crossbow is essentially a upgraded bow. it uses a string that pulls back a bolt with a lot of stregnth so it can fly farther, go faster, and hit harder. The Crossbow was invented in ancient China, but the Greeks and Romans used the crossbow design when making ballistas and scorpions. or a bow with a cross!!