Archery Equipment

The crossbow has been known in Europe since before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, and is a small, man-portable version of the Roman-era ballista. During the more than one thousand years of its existence, the crossbow has gone through a steady evolution. The earliest crossbows were drawn by standing on the bow and pulling the string to the catch by brute force. The later, medieval crossbows, meant to have at least a chance of penetrating the high-quality plate armor of the period, had draw weights as high as 300 or even 500 pounds, and needed to be drawn with a complicated mechanical crank or cranequin. In the early 16th century, Hernan Cortes and his conquistadors used light crossbows cocked with a ‘goat’s-foot lever’ during their war with the Aztec empire, alongside early firearms. After this time, use of the crossbow gradually faded, until its use was revived for hunting in modern times.

The Cobra Bows 150-pound Crossbow is an excellent example of a no-nonsense modern crossbow meant for the target range and for hunting. Fitted with the usual curving steel bow, horizontal strut, and a modern rifle stock with a pistol grip and trigger, this crossbow is made mainly out of fiberglass and aluminum, keeping its weight down to a fairly manageable 5 pounds. The string length is 27”, and the draw weight of the bow – as its name suggests – is one-hundred fifty pounds. The weapon fires bolts which are slightly too small for broad-headed hunting arrows, however.

The 150-pound Crossbow includes iron sights, a scope, and a laser. The iron sights come installed on the crossbow and must be removed in order to attach the other equipment. This, unfortunately, is a considerably more rigorous process than fitting the string to the bow, and you would be prudent to allocate plenty of time for changing to the scope, since it is not easy to remove the iron sights. The scope gives 1.5x magnification, and does not have adjustable zoom, but is sturdy and serviceable.  However, you can adjust the scope for windage and elevation, and lens caps are also included to keep its lenses scratch-free when not in use.

The laser is of considerably higher quality than the scope, and is of rifle grade. Like the scope, it can be adjusted for both windage and elevation, and features an on-off switch. This helps to compensate for the lack of adjustable zoom on the scope, since it allows you to accurately check your aim at the speed of light.

The crossbow is quite accurate and users report that they can easily get a 2” arrow spread when shooting at a target at a distance of 100 feet. The advantage to a crossbow, of course, is that it can be held ready to fire almost indefinitely – even a compound bow with a good let-off cannot compete with a crossbow in this regard. You should uncock and probably unstring your crossbow when it is not in use, to avoid long-term stretching and compression of materials, but when you are in the field, it is possible to keep your crossbow cocked and ready for hours if needs be.

The Cobra Bows Crossbow is a good example of a cheap but effective update to the thousand-year-old weapon that has been used successfully in both hunting and war. With the included scope and laser, it is quite accurate within normal ranges, and the 150-pound draw weight ensures that it can drive its bolt at an IBO speed rating of 220 feet per second. This is enough to exceed most recurve bows and compete with the middle range of compound bows, proving that this time-tested design is still able to hold its own in the modern hunter’s or target shooter’s arsenal.

The modern archery enthusiast has a choice between several different weapons with which to target shoot or hunt, and the application of modern materials and engineering to these timeless designs has created a number of different approaches to the basic function of projecting an arrow accurately from the string.

Recurve bows are made in a fashion similar to hunting and war bows made for thousands of years, although with contemporary improvements such as fiberglass layering on the limbs, arrow rests, and carefully-designed strings using modern materials that ensure the maximum IBO speed rating. Compound bows use cams, laminated or uncut fiber limbs, and complex mechanics to fire an arrow with great accuracy and little strain to the user. And crossbows apply the centuries-old principles of this weapon system to the modern era with rifle-style stocks, laser sights, and similar conveniences.

The Horton Explorer HD 150 Red Dot Crossbow is a strong, accurate hunting crossbow that makes use of the ancient crossbow design and upgrades it to the modern era with materials, sights, and various other flourishes of archery technology. The crossbow is solidly sized and built, but not extremely heavy, since it is used largely in the manner of a rifle – the overall length of the weapon is 30 inches, its weight is 7.4 pounds, and the draw weight, as its name declares, is 150 pounds.

The bow limbs on the Horton Explorer are laminated for extra strength, and this, combined with the 150-pound draw weight and machined aluminum alloy wheels, gives the crossbow an IBO rating of 270 feet per second, which places it well above all but the most powerful compound bows. The crossbow is powerful enough to use for hunting white tailed deer, elk, and black bears, and can probably be used for heavier game as well with a broad head hunting arrow. Grizzly bears and African game may well be within its capabilities, as well. The crossbow uses a 20” bolt.

The effective range is in excess of 60 yards with a skillful, well-practiced archer, though much shorter ranges are advised for most users until they have built up their aim with experience. A shot with this crossbow is strong enough to blow through a deer’s body completely at close range, ensuring a fatal hit as long as placement is correct.
The Explorer HD 150 includes many other features meant to make shooting with it easier and more effective. The safety catch has an ambidextrous release, while the sight can be rapidly adjusted for range using the “Dial-a-Range trajectory compensator” built into the weapon. The trigger has a smooth pull and a good pull weight and let-off for easy, comfortable shooting. Finally, the crossbow includes a three-dot red laser sight called the “Mult-A-Range.” This sight is fairly accurate but may fog up in light rain. It can be replaced with single-dot laser sights if desired, though a single-dot sight is not included.

The package also includes a three-bolt quiver that attaches to the Horton Explorer crossbow and three practice bolts. The quiver’s attachment to the crossbow is extremely flimsy, however, unlike the rest of the engineering on the weapon, which is very tough and rugged. The quiver attachment is likely to break off quite quickly – although this will not reduce the functionality of the crossbow itself.

Several accessories on the market can help you get even more out of your Horton Explorer HD 150. A good fitted crossbow case will help to keep the weapon safe, clean, and dry when it is not actually being used, although the crossbow is very well made and will last for many years if you clean it carefully after each expedition. A crank cocking device is also very helpful given the draw weight of the bow. Lubricant wax will help it function better, and a spare string is never out of place. But, generally speaking, the Horton Explorer is a powerful, accurate, very sturdy crossbow with a good pull weight on the trigger, a decent laser sight, and moderate maneuverability because of its weight and size – a good crossbow for any type of sportsman interested in archery.