Horton General Crossbow User Manual

OWNER’S GENERAL
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

NOTICE: Read this manual, along with
the warnings contained in it, before
assembling, cocking, loading,
or using your crossbow.

HORTON CROSSBOW INNOVATIONS™

1325 Waterloo Road

Mogadore, OH 44260-9608

330-628-9245

www.hortoncrossbows.com

ThIS MANUAL COvERS

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ............................................2

Introduction ....................................................................... 2

ANSI Standards ................................................................. 2

SHOOTING & TRIGGER SAFETY WARNING ....................3

Never Preload Your Trigger ................................................. 3

Shooting and Trigger Safety Protocol .................................... 3

GENERAL SAFETY .................................................... 3-4

COCKING & UNCOCKING YOUR CROSSBOW ............. 4-5

Cocking Safety ................................................................... 4

Manual Cocking Instructions (Legend Ultra Lite only)........... 4-5

Uncocking Safety ................................................................ 5

Uncocking Instructions ....................................................... 5

LOADING AND UNLOADING YOUR CROSSBOW .............6

Arrow Loading and Unloading Safety .................................... 6

Arrow Loading Instructions ................................................. 6

Arrow Unloading (Removal) Instructions ............................... 6

SHOOTING YOUR CROSSBOW .................................. 6-9

Hand & Finger Safety ....................................................... 6-7

Shooting Safety and Guarding Against Accidental Discharge ... 8

Shooting Instructions & Technique ........................................ 9

SIGHTING YOUR CROSSBOW .....................................10

Sighting Safety ................................................................ 10

Sighting the 4x 32 Multi-Line Scope ................................... 10

TREESTAND SAFETY ............................................ 10-11

ARROW SAFETY & SELECTION ...................................11

Arrow & Broadhead Safety ................................................ 11

Arrow Selection ............................................................... 11

Horton 20-Inch Carbon Arrow Specifications ....................... 11

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE & CARE

OF YOUR CROSSBOW .......................................... 12-13

Maintenance Warnings ..................................................... 12

Maintenance Procedures ............................................. 12-13

CROSSBOW TROUBLESHOOTING .......................... 13-14

STRING & CABLE ADJUSTMENT & SPECIFICATIONS ...14

RETURNING YOUR CROSSBOW FOR SERVICE .............15

NOTES......................................................................15

LIMITED LIFETIME OPERATIONAL WARRANTY..Back Cover

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Today’s modern crossbows, like firearms and other lethal
weapons, are dangerous if you use them improperly or unsafely.
We want you to enjoy shooting your crossbow, but to do so safely.

Whether you are an experienced crossbow shooter or have never
handled one before, CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE MANUAL and
its warnings before assembling, cocking, loading, or using your
crossbow. It explains your crossbow’s operation and handling and
warns of the potential danger, including property damage, death,
or serious personal injury that can result from using it unsafely.

Your safety and the safety of others requires that you always
remain aware of the danger inherent in handling a lethal weapon
and that you embrace the responsibility to yourself and others to
focus on the rules of safe operation every time you handle
your crossbow.

Format Note: As you read the manual from
cover-to-cover, you will notice that we repeat some of
the safety instructions multiple times. The hand safety
instructions, for example, apply when you cock, load,
unload, carry, and shoot your crossbow, so we restate
them again where we think it is important to do so - even
at the expense of being repetitious.

ANSI STANDARDS

This manual contains safety instructions preceded by the
following American National Standards Institute approved signal
words (ANSI Standards):

These signal words alert you to specific levels of hazard:

The DANGER signal word indicates a hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, will, without
doubt, result in death or serious personal injury.

The WARNING signal word indicates a hazardous
situation which, if not avoided, may result in
death or serious personal injury.

The CAUTION signal word indicates a hazardous
situation, which, if not avoided, may result in
moderate or minor personal injury.

The NOTICE signal word addresses safety
practices unrelated to personal injury.

In addition, generally we list safety instructions before
we present operational instructions in all sections of the
manual to emphasize their importance.

2

ShOOTING & TRIGGER SAFETY WARNING

NEVER PRELOAD YOUR TRIGGER

The bowstring engages or sets the trigger Safety when cocking
Horton crossbows. This is visually apparent by watching the
safety knob move from FIRE, the Red position, to SAFE,
the White position.

Never pull (preload) your trigger when the Safety is engaged to
test your Safety. Preloading the trigger is a dangerous practice
that has the potential to alter the alignment of internal
trigger parts.

Instead, test your Safety by pushing the safety knob as far as you
can in the SAFE or White direction. It should move approximately

1

⁄16 of an inch and then bounce back or spring back the same
distance. This “bounce back” means the safety is engaged. If
there is no “bounce back”, the safety is not engaged and you
must re-engage it by forcefully pulling the bowstring as if you
were cocking the crossbow. The bowstring corrects possible
misalignment and properly sets or engages the Safety.

SHOOTING AND TRIGGER SAFETY PROTOCOL

To avoid accidental discharge and possible
serious injury or loss of life, never put your

finger on the trigger until you are ready to take your shot.

To avoid an accidental discharge and possible

serious injury or loss of life, never move the
Safety to the FIRE, or Red, position until you are ready to take
your shot.

To avoid the potential for accidental discharge

and possible serious injury or loss of life never
pull (preload) the trigger for any reason, including testing your
trigger Safety, while the Safety is engaged or in the
SAFE/White position.

Be certain of your intended target and what is

beyond it before pulling your trigger. An arrow
can cause serious injury or loss of life even beyond its effective
hunting range.

This manual illustrates numerous ways you might

handle your crossbow carelessly or improperly.
Careless or improper handling could cause it to discharge
unintentionally, which could result in serious injury or loss of life.
Carefully read all of the safety advice contained throughout this
Owner’s Manual.

GENERAL SAFETY

Before shooting your crossbow, also read

Safety and Shooting Safety and Guarding Against
Accidental Discharge

page 6.

sell or loan your crossbow to another person.

involved. Take a hunter’s education and safety course. In fact,
most states require that you complete such a course prior to
obtaining your hunting license.

Some jurisdictions require that a crossbow be encased
during transport.

property damage and/or serious personal injury or death.

in the Shooting section beginning on

Always keep your manuals with your crossbow
and always make certain you include them if you

Before hunting with your crossbow, make sure
you are qualified and understand all of the risks

Check your local, state, or provincial regulations
regarding transporting a crossbow.

Failure to follow the safety advice and
instructions in this manual could result in

Hand & Finger

Always seek a doctor’s advice if you are taking

medication to be sure that you are able to shoot
and handle a crossbow safely. Do not consume drugs or alcohol
before or while using the crossbow. Your vision and judgment
could be seriously impaired, making your handling of the
crossbow unsafe.

Wear safety glasses when assembling, cocking,

loading, or shooting your crossbow to protect
your eyes from being injured if the limbs, bowstring, cables, or
cocking device cords were to break.

Your crossbow is a dangerous and deadly

weapon that is designed for hunting and target
shooting only. Do not use it for any other purpose.

Do not modify your crossbow or remove or

deactivate its safety features because doing
so could cause the crossbow to malfunction and could create a
dangerous situation.

Modifying your crossbow will also automatically

void your warranty.

When carrying a cocked (always unloaded)

crossbow, make sure the safety is in the SAFE
position (rearward, toward the white dot) and to avoid serious
injury, be careful not to place any part of your body in the release
path of the bowstring in case of an unintentional discharge.

3

When handling your crossbow in the treestand

or while carrying it when it is cocked, do not
grab or hold it by the barrel and fore-stock, thereby putting your
hand into the release path of the bowstring. If the bow were
to accidentally fire, the string will severely injure your hand or
possibly amputate one or more fingers.

discharge of a loaded crossbow could cause death or serious
personal injury. Storing a cocked crossbow can weaken it and
possibly break its limbs, string, and/or cables.

Do not transport your crossbow while loaded and
do not store it while it is cocked. An unintentional

COCKING & UNCOCKING YOUR CROSSBOW

COCKING SAFETY

Wear safety glasses when cocking your

crossbow to protect your eyes from being
injured if the limbs, bowstring, cables, or cocking unit cords were
to break.

When manually cocking your crossbow, grip

the bowstring securely with all four fingers of
both hands and do not relax your grip until the string passes the
Dry-Fire-Inhibitor (DFI) and engages the string latch. Otherwise,
you could severely injure your fingers or hands as you release the
string, and/or you could dry-fire the bow, potentially breaking the
limbs and causing severe injury or other property damage.

Be careful to use proper lifting techniques when

manually cocking your crossbow because you
could injure your back or shoulders if the draw weight is too much
for you to handle. Note: If the draw weight is too heavy for you to
cock your crossbow manually, various cocking aids are available
to make it easier, including the ACUdraw, ACUdraw 50, and
Rope-Cocker. These cocking devices have their own manual or
instructions. Read the manuals/instructions before using one
of them.

When cocking your crossbow with an ACUdraw

automated cocking unit do not over-crank it.
Stop cranking as soon as you see and hear the trigger-safety­knob slide from FIRE to SAFE and you hear the string latch
engage the string. If you continue to crank it beyond this point,
you can lift the trigger box out of alignment, damaging the bow;
and/or you can break the draw cords, sending the mechanism’s
string-claw flying, which may cause serious injury and/or property
damage. (See the ACUdraw Instruction Manual for complete
operating instructions.)

When cocking your crossbow with an ACUdraw

automated cocking unit, do not forget to return
the string-claw to its storage position prior to loading an arrow.
Otherwise you will “shoot the claw” when you pull the trigger,
which may cause serious personal injury and/or damage to your
bow from flying debris. (See the ACUdraw Instruction Manual for
complete operating instructions.)

Do not place your foot in the foot stirrup when

cocking your crossbow with an ACUdraw cocking
mechanism. In the unlikely event that the string-claw was to
break away from the draw cords, it could injure or possibly break
your foot. (See the ACUdraw Instruction Manual for complete
operating instructions.)

Do not attempt to manually cock the Storm RDX

crossbow. It is too narrow to cock manually, and
you will pinch and possibly injure your fingers if you attempt to
do so.

Once the crossbow is cocked, do not grab, hold,

or carry it by the barrel or fore-stock, thereby
putting your hand into the release path of the bowstring. If the
bow were to accidentally fire, the string will severely injure your
hand or possibly amputate one or more fingers.

When carrying a cocked but unloaded crossbow,

make sure the safety is in the SAFE position (the
rearward position, toward the white dot) to prevent against an
accidental discharge and possible serious injury.

If your crossbow comes with an ACUdraw,

ACUdraw 50, Rope-Cocker, or Dedd Sled cocking
mechanism, refer to the appropriate manual/instructions for
specific safety recommendations, operation, and instructions
before cocking it.

MANUAL COCKING INSTRUCTION
(FORWARD DRAW CROSSBOWS ONLY)

Cocking your crossbow inaccurately is the most frequent cause of
inaccurate shooting. With any crossbow, if the bowstring is not
centered on the string latch when cocked, the crossbow will not
shoot straight.

1. Before cocking your crossbow, move the safety knob into the

FIRE position (forward, toward the red dot). If you try to cock
your crossbow with the safety in the SAFE position (rearward,
toward the white dot), the string latch will not engage the
string. Instead, the DFI (Dry-Fire-Inhibitor) will catch and hold
the string, making it appear that the crossbow is cocked when
it is not. When the DFI – instead of the string latch – engages
the bowstring, you cannot fire the crossbow. When cocked
correctly, the bowstring will automatically set the safety and
the string latch will grasp and hold the string
(photos 1, 2, & 3).

2. With the underside of the crossbow facing you, place your foot

far enough into the foot stirrup that it will not slip out when you
draw the bowstring.

3. Grab the bowstring on both sides of the barrel using all four

fingers of both hands.

4

1

Make sure the trigger’s safety is in the forward, FIRE position (forward, toward
the red dot) before cocking your crossbow.

2

If you try to cock the crossbow while the safety is in the SAFE position (rearward,
toward the white dot), the DFI will hold the bowstring and the bow will only appear
to be cocked.

4

Slide your index fingers along the barrel.

5

3

When you cock your crossbow correctly, the safety will automatically move to the
SAFE position (rearward, toward the white dot), and the string latch will engage
the string.

4. Slide your hands together so that your index fingers are flush
against the sides of the barrel (photo 4). Note: The
ACRA-ANGLE barrel allows you to slide your index fingers
along the barrel without pinching them.

5. Using the sides of the barrel as a guide, and with a secure
grip, pull the bowstring toward the trigger assembly and
into its string slot until you hear the string latch and see and
hear the safety knob automatically move from FIRE to SAFE
(rearward, toward the white dot). Note: If you attempt to cock
the crossbow with the safety in the SAFE position (rearward,
toward the white dot), the string-latch will not engage the
string. To correct this problem, move the safety knob forward
to the FIRE position (toward the red dot) and firmly pull the
bowstring to engage the string latch and the safety.

DFI (Dry-Fire-Inhibitor).

UNCOCKING SAFETY

When uncocking (shooting) your crossbow, do

not allow your thumb or fingers to move above
the crossbow barrel’s flight deck or anywhere into the bowstring’s
release path because the string will severely injure or amputate a
finger or thumb when you pull the trigger.

Wear safety glasses when uncocking (shooting)

your crossbow to protect your eyes from being
injured if the limbs, bowstring, or cables were to break.

Do not attempt to uncock your crossbow by

hand or by using an ACUdraw, ACUdraw 50,
Dedd Sled, Rope-Cocker, or other mechanism because doing
so could cause you to lose control of the bowstring, possibly
resulting in serious personal injury.

UNCOCKING INSTRUCTIONS

The safest way to uncock your crossbow is to shoot it using
a practice arrow or an unloading bolt such as the TenPoint
Crossbow Unloading Bolt (CUB). The CUB is a single-use, two­piece biodegradable unloading shaft, which decomposes in or on
the ground over time.

6. Take a quick glance inside the string slot to make sure the
string-latch is holding the string. The more firmly you draw
the string back, the easier it is to cock the crossbow.
Over time, you will develop a drawing technique that will make
cocking the crossbow quite easy.

Reminder: All Horton crossbow models are equipped with a
DFI, which prevents the crossbow from dry-firing if an arrow is
not loaded (photo 5).

7. Check the safety knob to make sure it is in the SAFE position
(rearward, toward the white dot).

Do not dry-fire the bow. You need the weight of an arrow to
absorb the bow’s energy and to prevent damage to the bow.

If your state allows you to carry an arrow equipped with a
practice point while hunting, carry an old one in your quiver to use
when uncocking your crossbow. You can shoot it into soft,
rock-free ground or into a special-purpose unloading target that
you keep in your vehicle.

If shooting into the ground, aim at a point roughly three feet in
front of you. If you aim further out, you could bury your arrow and
not recover it.

5