Crossbow rest?

[rachunter]

I'm going to be using my crossbow for the first time hunting this year.I'll be hunting out of a ladder or hang-on stand.I feel more comfortable shooting off a rest then free handed.I have one stand with a shooting rail,but want something i can use on the others. Anyone use a shooting rest or sticks in there stand?

[Nytracker]

Monopod with a tennis ball on the bottom works

[wolc123]

What crossbow do you have ?   I just picked up a Centerpoint Sniper 370, which is quite front-heavy and I would not care to use it without a shooting rail.  I still have my old Barnett Recruit, which does not have that issue, and is definitely what I will use now, if I hunt out of any of my 3 hang on stands.

  You dont get something for nothing though, and the price I pay with the Recruit is limited range (less than 40 yards for sure).  My hang-ons are all in spots where shorter shots are the norm.  My stands that are on the edge of food-plots or on open woods, where longer shots might be expected, all have 3 ft high rails, all around, similar to the upper box on my favorite, shown in the photo.  A 50 yard shot at a standing deer, with the front-heavy Sniper, should be a piece of cake from that.

A few times in the past, I have made shooting rails around hang-on stands by nailing combinations of 2x4's and branches.  That may be an option if your crossbow is real front heavy.  I did it for gun-season. 

I am in a shotgun only area and my primary gun (Marlin 512 bolt action, scoped 12 gauge) is quite heavy and handles very much like the Sniper. The Recruit is a lot closer to my secondary gun (Ithaca featherweight deerslayet 16 gauge pump).  That one handles like a dream and gets the call when I hunt out of a rail-less hang on stand during gun season.

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12 hours ago, wolc123 said:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by wolc123

[G-Man]

Most are very front heavy, a monopod with a wide foot at.bottom ( cane tip, ball, piece of wood ) helps.  I always ask people who are against x bows if they have ever shot one out of a stand... not quite the same as in a blind off a rail. . Wait till they come in behind you and you cnat use a rest or get xbow in good position to shoot....

[rachunter]

What crossbow do you have ?   I just picked up a Centerpoint Sniper 370, which is quite front-heavy and I would not care to use it without a shooting rail.  I still have my old Barnett Recruit, which does not have that issue, and is definitely what I will use now, if I hunt out of any of my 3 hang on stands.
  You dont get something for nothing though, and the price I pay with the Recruit is limited range (less than 40 yards for sure).  My hang-ons are all in spots where shorter shots are the norm.  My stands that are on the edge of food-plots or on open woods, where longer shots might be expected, all have 3 ft high rails, all around, similar to the upper box on my favorite, shown in the photo.  A 50 yard shot at a standing deer, with the front-heavy Sniper, should be a piece of cake from that.
A few times in the past, I have made shooting rails around hang-on stands by nailing combinations of 2x4's and branches.  That may be an option if your crossbow is real front heavy.  I did it for gun-season. 
I am in a shotgun only area and my primary gun (Marlin 512 bolt action, scoped 12 gauge) is quite heavy and handles very much like the Sniper. The Recruit is a lot closer to my secondary gun (Ithaca featherweight deerslayet 16 gauge pump).  That one handles like a dream and gets the call when I hunt out of a rail-less hang on stand during gun season.
. 
 

Mine is a Barnett raptor fx3. I’m keeping it in the 40yrd. range.


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[rachunter]

Thanks guys the tennis ball sounds like the way to go. The stand I plan on hunting has a rail, but things never work out so I have three others planned for back ups.


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[wolc123]

5 hours ago, rachunter said:

Mine is a Barnett raptor fx3. I’m keeping it in the 40yrd. range.


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I think the Barnett raptor is similar to the Recruit, and not nearly as front-heavy as the Centrepoint Sniper.  If so, you may be ok without a rest.  I had good rests for 4 of 5 bucks that I killed with my Recruit.   The only one where I did not, I rested my elbows on my knees, from a seat in a pop up blind, and that worked fine.

The Recruit is so well balanced that it is relatively easy to shoot offhand for shots under 30 yards.  I am looking forward to trying some corn field hunting with it that way this season, on windy days.

[Hock3y24]

primos trigger stick mono pod. works great and its easy to use.