How to Quiet a Crossbow

Producing over twice the power of compound bows, crossbows can generate a substantial amount of noise when fired. Tuning a crossbow to shoot with as little noise as possible dramatically increases a hunter's chances of success. A quite crossbow will often allow multiple shots at the same animal without spooking other animals in the area. As sound is nothing more than vibrations traveling through the air, the way to quite a crossbow is to address the source of the vibrations.

Things You'll Need

  • Crossbow string slicers
  • Limbsavers
  • Bowstring wax
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Instructions

    • 1

      Install bowstring silencers. String silencers are constructed of soft rubber and designed to wrap around the string at the point where the limbs and string come into contact. While many variations are on the market, all string silencers work on the principle of dampening the vibrations of the bowstring when the crossbow is fired.

    • 2

      Place limbsavers on the crossbow. Limbsavers, also constructed of soft rubber, attach directly to the limbs of the crossbow to dampen the vibrations of the limbs. As with string silencers, many variations of limbsavers exist for crossbows with either solid or split-limb design. Solid and spilt limb models of limbsavers are not interchangeable between the two limbs types, so select the appropriate type of limbsaver for your crossbow.

    • 3

      Rub a small amount of bowstring wax well into the fibers of the bowstring with your fingers. A waxed bowstring will be less prone to having its individual strands separate from wind resistance when shooting, causing fewer vibrations.