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StringandStock

Cocking Aids

How to de-cock a crossbow

Three legitimate ways to unload a cocked bow, one of which requires a target in your pack. Plus the thing you must never attempt.

By Mike M.Updated
TenPoint Titan X De-Cock from TenPoint

The short answer

If your bow has a de-cocking system — TenPoint's ACUslide or ACUdraw De-Cock, or Killer Instinct's DSC decocker — backwind the handle and let the Auto-Brake hold it. If it does not, the only safe method is to fire a bolt into a target. Never attempt to backwind a crank whose maker does not publish de-cocking capability.

Method one: a de-cocking system

If your bow has one, this is the whole answer, and it is worth money for exactly this reason. Three systems on this site publish it:

  • TenPoint ACUdraw De-Cock. The listing describes pressing a button to move the trigger to de-cock mode, then backwinding. The Auto-Brake gear system means you can remove your hand at any point with no other action required and the handle stops in place.
  • TenPoint ACUslide. Silent cocking and safe de-cocking from the same mechanism: backwind the handle and stop at any point without fear of injury, damage or losing control.
  • Killer Instinct DSC Compact Decocker. The one aftermarket crank here that publishes de-cocking.

De-cocking with a system that supports it

  1. 01

    Unload the arrow first

    Remove the bolt from the rail before you do anything else. De-cocking with an arrow loaded is a loaded bow pointed somewhere.

  2. 02

    Put the bow in de-cock mode if required

    On ACUdraw De-Cock, a button moves the trigger to de-cock mode. Read your manual — the step varies by system.

  3. 03

    Engage the crank handle

    Seat it properly. A handle that slips halfway through is the failure you are trying to avoid.

  4. 04

    Backwind steadily

    Wind in the reverse direction at a controlled pace, keeping the rail pointed somewhere safe. On an Auto-Brake system you can stop at any point and let go.

  5. 05

    Confirm the string is fully forward

    Wind until the string is seated at rest against the limbs. Check visually. Then stow the handle.

Method two: fire a bolt into a target

Without a de-cocking system, this is the standard method and it means carrying a target. A small foam cube — the Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver is 12 in and 15 lb and rated to 450 fps — is the usual answer, or a dedicated discharge target.

Discharging safely

  1. 01

    Pick a safe backstop and direction

    The target, then earth behind it. Never the ground alone at a steep angle — a bolt can skip. Know what is beyond.

  2. 02

    Use a field point, not a broadhead

    Broadheads destroy bag and mesh targets and bury themselves in foam. Keep one field-point bolt in the quiver as your discharge arrow.

  3. 03

    Set up a real shot

    Close range, square to the target, both hands on the bow and fingers below the flight deck. This is a shot, not a formality.

  4. 04

    Fire, then confirm the bow is unloaded

    Check the rail and the latch. Engage the safety. Then retrieve the bolt.

Method three: a de-cocking bolt

Some makers sell a de-cocking bolt: a heavy, blunt arrow designed to be shot into the ground at a controlled angle to absorb the bow's energy without a target. Treat it as a maker-specific accessory and follow that maker's instructions, because the safe angle and surface matter. Where your manual does not describe one, do not improvise.

Why this is a buying decision, not a field skill

Firing a bolt to unload means: carrying a target in and out, climbing down from a stand with a cocked bow, setting up a shot at the end of a cold sit, and re-cocking if you turn out not to be finished. For some hunters that is a mild nuisance. For a hunter with a shoulder problem it is the harder half of the whole exercise.

That is why de-cocking features prominently in our rubric, and why the TenPoint Titan X De-Cock is our pick on best crossbows for a shoulder injury. The Titan 400 is the same bow without it, which makes the price of the feature unusually easy to see.

How long can you leave a bow cocked?

Makers generally advise against extended periods, and the practical limit is a day's hunt rather than a week. Leaving a bow cocked overnight in a vehicle is a bad idea for the string and a worse idea for safety. Check your own manual, because the guidance varies.

Frequently asked questions

How do you de-cock a crossbow without shooting it?
Only with a bow designed for it. TenPoint's ACUslide and ACUdraw De-Cock backwind the string with an Auto-Brake that holds the handle wherever you let go, and Killer Instinct's DSC decocker does the same. Without such a system, firing a bolt into a target is the only safe method.
Can you de-cock a crossbow by hand?
No. The limbs hold 180 pounds or more of stored energy and attempting to release it by hand, or by holding the string and pulling the trigger, is how people get seriously hurt. If the maker does not publish a de-cocking method, fire a bolt into a target.
What is a de-cocking bolt?
A heavy blunt arrow some makers sell for discharging a cocked bow into the ground at a controlled angle, absorbing the energy without a target. It is a maker-specific accessory — follow that maker's instructions on angle and surface, and do not improvise one.
Can you leave a crossbow cocked overnight?
Makers generally advise against extended periods, and the guidance varies by bow, so check your manual. A day's hunt is normal; overnight in a vehicle is bad for the string and worse for safety.
Do I need a discharge target?
If your bow does not de-cock, yes, and you need to carry it. A small foam cube works — the Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver is 12 inches, 15 pounds and rated to 450 fps. Keep one field-point bolt as your dedicated discharge arrow; never discharge a broadhead into a bag target.

Sources

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