Horton General Crossbow - Manual (Page 5)

5
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.
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).
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, two-
piece biodegradable unloading shaft, which decomposes in or on
the ground over time.
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.
Slide your index fingers along the barrel.
4
DFI (Dry-Fire-Inhibitor).
5
Make sure the trigger’s safety is in the forward, FIRE position (forward, toward
the red dot) before cocking your crossbow.
1
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.
2
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.
3