How Long Can You Leave a Crossbow Cocked?
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By James Holbert · Explained Archery
Most crossbow makers say to decock at the end of the shooting day, not to leave it cocked overnight or in storage. A few hours cocked during an active hunting sit is normal and within what most manuals allow. Days, weeks, or leaving it cocked in a vehicle is not, and it stresses the limbs, string, and trigger long after the tension should have come off.
Quick answer
How long you can leave a crossbow cocked comes down to three rules that hold across almost every brand:
- A few hours is normal. Cocking in the morning and hunting through a sit, then decocking at dark, is what most manuals describe as acceptable.
- Never overnight. No major manufacturer recommends leaving a crossbow cocked while you sleep or between hunts.
- Never in a vehicle or in storage. Heat, vibration, and time all add stress to a bow that has nowhere for that energy to go.
Your specific model may have a stated limit in its manual, so check that first. If it says nothing, treat "a few hours of active use, decocked by end of day" as the safe default.
What happens if you leave a crossbow cocked too long?
| Time cocked | What happens |
|---|---|
| A few hours (a hunting sit) | Normal use. Limbs and string are designed to hold this load for a working day. |
| 12 to 24 hours | Added stress on limbs and string. Some manufacturers treat this as a safety risk, not just a wear issue, since a compromised string or limb is more likely to fail on the next shot. |
| Days to weeks | Limb fatigue, string and cable stretch, and trigger sear creep. Draw weight and accuracy can shift, and warranty coverage may not apply to damage from prolonged cocked storage. |
General pattern across manufacturers. Your manual is the final word for your specific model.
Cocked versus cocked-and-loaded: is there a difference?
Cocked means the string is drawn back and held by the trigger mechanism, with the limbs under full load, but no bolt on the rail. Cocked and loaded means a bolt is seated on the rail and the safety is the only thing between the trigger and a shot. Both put the same mechanical stress on the limbs and string, but a cocked-and-loaded crossbow is also a loaded firearm-equivalent in terms of handling risk. Never carry a cocked-and-loaded crossbow with the safety off, never point it anywhere but downrange or at game, and treat every cocked crossbow, loaded or not, as ready to fire.
Most hunters cock the crossbow at the base of a tree stand or before entering a blind, then load a bolt only once they are settled and the safety is confirmed on. Loading later rather than earlier reduces the time spent carrying a cocked-and-loaded crossbow through brush, over fences, or up a ladder, which is when most accidental discharges and falls happen.
How to decock a crossbow safely
Decocking removes the stored energy from the limbs without a hard dry fire. The right method depends on your model.
What dry firing does to a crossbow
- Sends the full stored energy of the limbs into the crossbow itself instead of a bolt.
- Can crack or delaminate limbs, snap strings and cables, and damage the riser or rail.
- Can send string or cable fragments toward the shooter at high speed.
- Voids the warranty on nearly every crossbow model.
- Is never an acceptable way to decock or unload a crossbow, even in an emergency.
If you are unsure how to safely remove tension from your crossbow, stop and consult the manual or the manufacturer before you improvise. See the dry firing guide for how the same failure plays out on compound bows.
How to store a crossbow between sessions
Store the crossbow uncocked. Wax the string on the schedule your manual recommends, lightly lubricate the rail with the rail lube supplied or specified by the maker, and keep the crossbow out of direct heat, such as a car trunk or an uninsulated shed in summer. Heat softens string wax and can warp synthetic stocks, and repeated heat cycling is a common cause of premature string stretch. Check the string, cables, limbs, and trigger safety before every session, and confirm the crossbow is unloaded before you put it away. If you use a decocking device, follow the manual's inspection interval so the mechanism stays reliable.
Between hunting seasons, an uncocked crossbow can sit for months without issue as long as it is kept dry and out of direct sunlight. Before the next season, restring or re-wax as needed, check cam timing on a compound crossbow, and shoot a few bolts to confirm point of impact before you rely on it again.
What do manufacturers say about cocked time?
Wording differs by brand and even by model within a brand, so this table is a general summary, not a quote from any single manual. Always confirm against the manual for your specific crossbow.
| Manufacturer | General guidance |
|---|---|
| TenPoint | Instructs decocking after the hunting day or shooting session ends, using the crossbow's built-in decocking mechanism where equipped. |
| Ravin | Instructs decocking at the end of use, typically by firing a bolt into an approved target since most Ravin models do not include a mechanical decocker. |
| Barnett | Instructs decocking after each use and lists dry firing and prolonged cocked storage as causes of damage not covered under warranty. |
| Excalibur | Instructs decocking after use, and its recurve-limb models can be decocked with a rope through the barrel by design, which is specific to that limb type. |
This is a general pattern across the industry. Read the manual for your exact model before you rely on any specific number of hours or a rope-decocking method.
Related guides
These guides cover crossbow handling, maintenance, and setup once you have decocking sorted out.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most common cocked-crossbow questions.
How long can you leave a crossbow cocked?
A few hours during active hunting or shooting is normal for most crossbows. Decock by the end of the day, and never leave a crossbow cocked overnight or in storage.
How long can a crossbow stay loaded?
The same limits apply as cocking alone, plus the added handling risk of a bolt on the rail. Keep the safety on, point it in a safe direction, and unload it as soon as the hunt or session ends.
Can I leave my crossbow cocked in the truck?
No. Vehicle heat and vibration add stress on top of the cocked tension, and manufacturers do not recommend transporting a crossbow cocked.
Is it bad to dry fire a crossbow to decock it?
Yes. Dry firing sends all the stored limb energy into the crossbow instead of a bolt and is a leading cause of cracked limbs, broken strings, and voided warranties.
Can I decock a crossbow by hand?
Only if your manual specifically describes a manual let-down procedure for your model, which is uncommon on modern compound crossbows. Excalibur's recurve-limb crossbows are a documented exception that can be rope-decocked by design.
Does leaving a crossbow cocked damage the string?
Yes, over time. Extended cocked time stretches the string and cables and speeds up wax loss, which changes point of impact and can eventually lead to string failure.
References
These sources support the guidance on this page.