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Transporting a Scorpyd Crossbow

How you legally transport your Scorpyd crossbow is governed differently in nearly every state, so check your regulations. Most states require that crossbows be transported in a closed case, in the uncocked position. Scorpyd requires that your crossbow be in the uncocked position before transporting it in or on a moving vehicle. The reasons for this are safety and longevity. All crossbow limbs are under a tremendous amount of tension while cocked, and any contact with a hard object can easily damage the limbs. Nearly all damage to the edge of a bow limb is caused by the limb striking a hard object, and it doesn’t have to be a hard impact to cause the damage.

As you carry your crossbow to your favorite hunting spot, here are some important things to keep in mind. The safest way to carry your bow is uncocked. In the uncocked position, there is much less stress on the limbs, strings, and cables. In the event you were to fall down, there is much less likelihood of damage to your crossbow, or injury to yourself or others. You can carry your crossbow with two hands, as if you were still hunting, or sling it over your shoulder.

I am going to talk safety for a minute, and this goes for ALL crossbow makes and models. If your bow is cocked, it is stored energy. ALWAYS have your safety on until you are ready to shoot. Use extreme caution, and make sure you have adequate visibility, traction, and a good trail. Do not walk into rough brush with your crossbow leading the way. You could damage your string, or worse. Do not carry your crossbow while loaded with an arrow. Don’t carry any crossbow over your shoulder while it is cocked. You know that hitting a branch can cut your bare skin, it can do the same thing to a bow string. PLEASE BE SAFE.

Your Scorpyd crossbow should be discharged at the end of each hunting session. Keeping your crossbow cocked for long periods of time will void your warranty. Again, do not transport your crossbow in or on a vehicle while it is cocked.

Accessorizing a Scorpyd Crossbow

Accessorizing your Scorpyd is as simple or complex as your wishes. You may opt for the most basic accessories, or go all out and have the ultimate crossbow package!

Optics

Scorpyd owners are using all types and brands of scopes. Some opt for the most basic single crosshair scope. Many people take advantage of an illuminated and speed adjustable scope, while others use an adjustable mount, such as an HHA Optimizer Speed Dial, and a variable power scope. Many even use Trijicon, Swarovski, Vortex, and Zeiss to top off the world’s best crossbow. Unlike conventional crossbows, Scorpyd Crossbows are smooth shooting, with very little shock or vibration.

Arrow Selection

DO NOT SHOOT GROUPS! Shooting a damaged arrow that has previously struck by another arrow can cause the damaged arrow to explode. DO NOT SHOOT GROUPS!

Selecting the right arrow is more important than any other decision you make once you purchase your Scorpyd. The use of high quality arrows is a must. A 200-250 spine stiffness is preferred, as the arrow will recover much quicker coming off the bow, and will help increase accuracy at longer range.   Scorpyd has worked with Industry leaders to come up with the best arrow choices for our crossbows.  If it says Scorpyd SPEC Arrows, you know that the arrow is engineered to deliver optimum performance for the task at hand.  Scorpyd SPEC GoldTip Laser III are custom engineered to be a great choice for most every hunting situation.  A stiff spine coupled to a custom weighted insert offers great speed and accuracy.  The Scorpyd SPEC BlackEagle Executioner fletched with AeroVane II vanes offer even greater precision and accuracy.   For the ULTIMATE Arrow choice, there is no option other than the Scorpyd SPEC AeroBolt II by Firenock.  All Scorpyd Crossbows are capable of 1″ groups at 100 yards (this depends on the arrows and the shooter), but most shooters do not require this type of accuracy, so pick the arrows that fit your situation.

An arrow weight of 400 grains is required for all Scorpyd Crossbows that are factory rated above 340 f.p.s. The use of 100 grain points is just fine. You do not need to use heavier tips for more K.E., Scorpyd has plenty to spare! For the ULTIMATE arrow, we recommend AEROBLT II, made by Firenock.

Nock Selection

DO NOT USE FLAT NOCKS!

USE OF THE “Q” NOCK IS REQUIRED WITH ALL SCORPYD CROSSBOWS.  This nock snaps onto the bow string, just like on a vertical bow, and insures proper function of the ADF.  This nock also insures that the string stays in contact with the arrow.

All Scorpyd Crossbow arrows come with “Q” nocks. These nocks actually snap onto the bowstring, just like a conventional arrow nock on a vertical bow. Use of any other type of nock may void your warranty. If you want to use illuminated nocks, there are only 2 that Scorpyd authorizes, and this is due to the extreme performance that our crossbows deliver. Firenock offers a premium lighted nock with a lifetime guaranty, and the lighted circuit fits right into the “Q” nock. The other lighted nock is made by Luminok, and you must use the capture style version of the Luminok.

The use of half moon, or crescent, nocks does work , but IS NOT recommended. If these nocks are not indexed incorrectly, the bow string may go under the arrow and partially dry fire the crossbow. THIS IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY.
DO NOT USE FLAT NOCKS!

Broad Head Selection

Scorpyd and our customers have tried many broad heads over the years. We have long known that using the wrong broad head will diminish the accuracy of the bow, and sometimes even cause some broad heads to not function properly. The unprecedented speed of some of our crossbows causes most fixed blade broad heads to “plane” off course. The fixed blades are fighting the vanes, which causes unacceptable performance. The only fixed blade we currently recommend is the RamCat. As for mechanical, we have had the best luck with the Rage Crossbow head and the Rage Extreme, both with the locking collar. We also have had great success with RamCat Broad heads.

Slings and Quivers

Most conventional style quivers will work on a Scorpyd crossbow. We suggest a quick detach quiver, and no quiver is better than Scorpyd’s own quiver called “The GRIP”, currently available. When picking the right sling, you must ask yourself what is most important to you. Is your priority finding one that is the most comfortable while carrying the crossbow, or the easiest sling to remove once you get to the stand? Some slings can answer all of your needs, such as Limbsaver or Slogan custom slings.

SHHHHH! Quiet Please

Your Scorpyd Crossbow is already the quietest and smoothest crossbow you can get, but some of you want to take it to the extreme. Scorpyd offers vibration and noise killing products from BowJax and Limbsaver. You can put vibration dampers on the riser, limbs, stirrup, and barrel. All Scorpyd crossbows come with string stops, which help stop string vibration. Now available are Scorpyd’s Patented SDS String Dampening System. These are spring loaded dampers with a Titanium piston which allow the string to decelerate smoothly instead of “smacking” a rigid stopper.

Sighting in a Scorpyd Crossbow

Sighting in your new Scorpyd Crossbow is very easy to do, so long as the correct procedure is followed. It is best to use a bench rest or a gun vise, as these will quicken the procedure. If a bench or rest is not available to you, make sure that you have a way to steady the crossbow. Make sure that the area you are using to shoot your crossbow appropriate, that your target is adequate for your crossbow, and that there is nothing behind the target that can be damaged or harmed if you miss the target. If you shoot indoors, make sure that you have at least 3″ thick solid plywood behind your target, as a wall will not stop the arrow from going all the way through, potentially injuring someone on the opposite side.

Mounting your Scope

Mount your scope as shown in the owners manual. For maximum accuracy, it is critical that the scope is mounted perfectly square, that is that the vertical and horizontal lines in the bow are aligned correctly.

Bench Rest Sighting Procedure

Before you cock your crossbow, get your setup ready. Make sure that your crossbow will fit in, or on, the device you are using. Sight through your scope and align your center crosshair with the target, making sure that where you aiming your crossbow will hit the target you are shooting at.

Cock your crossbow, put on the safety, and place the crossbow in the vise or on the bags. Visually inspect the area around your crossbow to make sure that there are no obstructions that may be struck when the bow is shot. You must hold the crossbow with both hands, one hand on the pistol grip, the other holding the forearm. WARNING: Keep all body parts and foreign objects out of the flight path of the string and limb movement path. Do NOT roll your front hand up on the side of the barrel while holding the cocked crossbow! If you are unsure about the impact point of the first shot, shoot at a distance of 10 yards.

Fine tuning your scope is just like you would do with a rifle scope, chase the arrow. You do this by aiming the crosshairs at the exact same spot on the target that you shot at, and move the crosshairs to the point of impact of the arrow. This is where the vise comes in handy. It will hold the bow for you while you adjust the scope. Remove your arrow, and now back up to 20 yards and shoot again. Adjust your scope as needed, until you get the point of impact where it is in the bullseye. NOTE: remove your arrow after each shot OR aim at a different spot on the target, otherwise you will damage your arrows by hitting the arrow in the target with a followup shot. This should only take 3-4 shots.

When using the variable speed scope, you will center your first crosshair at 20 yards. Adjust the speed dial on your scope to the speed your crossbow is shooting. After zeroing in at 20 yards, back up to 40 or 50 yards. Use the appropriate crosshair (3rd or 4th) and shoot 3 times at the target. (aim at different spots) Ideally, your arrow will hit in the correct spots, for a tight “group”. If this is not the case, you will need to adjust the speed dial on the scope. If your point of impact is low, turn the speed dial to a slower speed setting, if your point of impact is high, turn the speed dial to a higher speed setting. Adjustments should be made in approximately 10 f.p.s. increments. Return to 20 yards to insure that you are still dead on with your first crosshair, then go back to 40 or 50 yards and check for correct speed setting.

Always make sure that you practice at the distances you plan on hunting at. Don’t assume the the point of impact is where the scope is set.

Sighting in Without a Bench Rest

The procedure is the same, except that you will need to determine a comfortable way to steady the crossbow. Make sure that you keep all body parts and foreign objects out of the way of the string path and the limb movement path.

Troubleshooting

If your point of impact at 20 yards is dead on, but your longer distance shot is to one side or the other, this is usually an indicator that your scope is not mounted square. If you are consistently impacting to the right of the bullseye, rotate your scope counterclockwise, and clockwise if you are hitting left of the bullseye. NOTE: use only a very little amount of rotation when making these adjustments.

Operating a Scorpyd Crossbow

All Scorpyd Crossbows come with a printed manual and a dvd. You can also find segments of the dvd on how to use you crossbow on Youtube. Please pay strict attention to all safety precautions, and if you do not understand how to use your crossbow, DO NOT USE IT until you do. Below is a helpful list of making sure your shooting experience will be safe and enjoyable.
1. READ MANUAL
2. Watch DVD
3. Understand how your Anti-dryfire and trigger mechanism operate.
4. Follow ALL safety precautions at ALL times. Do NOT have an arrow loaded in the crossbow unless you are in the act of hunting, or ready to shoot at a target. Remember that a cocked crossbow is stored energy.
5. Overcome your urge to see how tight of a group you can shoot, you WILL damage your arrows. Pick multiple spots on the target to shoot at. This will prevent damage to your arrows, as well as make it easier to remove arrows from targets.
6. Inspect your arrows and nock before each shot. Make sure that the nock is indexed correctly, and that it is not cracked. ALso flex the arrow. This is critical! Shooting a damaged arrow can result in injury or damge to your Scorpyd Crossbow.
7. Inspect strings and cables frequently. Some wear is normal.
8. The only safe way to unload a Scorpyd Crossbow is to shoot it.
9. Use only accessories recommended by Scorpyd.

Some common questions are:

Q. Can I keep my Scorpyd cocked overnight?
A. NO! You should discharge your crossbow at the end of each hunt. You should not transport a cocked crossbow, it is even illegal in some states.

Q. How should I carry my crossbow?
A. The best way to carry your crossbow is one hand on the pistol grip, and the other hand on the forearm, especially if the crossbow is cocked. You may also use a shoulder sling to carry your crossbow, but do not carry a cocked crossbow over your shoulder.

Q. Can I de-cock my Scorpyd Crossbow?
A. No, you must shoot your crossbow to unload it.