After investing several years' time and logging hundreds of hours in a tree stand in pursuit of a trophy deer, a magnificent buck finally presents a fine shot opportunity. You take careful aim and shoot. It's a clean miss. Unfortunately, this scenario is a real-world experience for many hunters. Taking a good shot with either a gun or a bow and then missing is one of the most disappointing aspects of hunting whitetails.

Before getting out in the woods with a crossbow this year, make sure you practice often and know which broadheads shoot best in your bow.

Usually this can be avoided by spending more time preparing yourself and your equipment for that exciting moment. Working knowledge of your equipment can be acquired from the Internet, through books and magazines, or through people who provide first-hand knowledge of their personal experiences.

The crossbow, like any hunting weapon, requires practice in order to yield consistent results. And that practice should be more than just shooting arrows. It should also provide an opportunity to test your equipment and get working knowledge of the variables that can cause accuracy problems.

CHECK YOUR ARROWS
Before releasing a shot, determine if all of your arrows are straight. If you cannot check them with a machine, place each one on a flat surface, such as a table, with the fletch hanging over the side. Then roll the arrows one at a time while watching the movement of the nocks. If you note a wobble, the arrow will not shoot straight. Next, roll them again and observe the area where the shaft makes contact with the flat surface. If the arrow is bent, you will be able to see the bend because the arrow shaft will not lie flush against the flat surface.

COCKING CONSISTENCY
Cocking a crossbow is a procedure that can often cause accuracy problems. If the bow has a mechanical crank, there is rarely a difficulty. However, many crossbows are cocked by hand, which can cause a variation in the position of the nocking point. To eliminate the problem, observe where the string is placed when the bow is cocked correctly. Then take a felt pen and mark the string on each side where it makes contact with the rail.

Thereafter, make sure the marks are aligned properly when cocking. Any change in alignment will definitely affect accuracy.

A very important point you need to remember is that a crossbow is a bow that shoots a heavy arrow. Even though the initial arrow velocity is faster than most vertical bows, it will lose speed and kinetic energy more rapidly because of the weight that is being carried.

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