Going Vertical

Vertical Crossbows are finally gaining acceptance in the archery community. So, what’s the big upside to going vertical?

by Richard Baimbridge

The history of crossbows goes all the way back to the 7^th Century BC in ancient China, and marks a major shift in warfare technology. Since that time, the weapons have undergone countless evolutions, from pistol-mounted crossbows to repeat-fire crossbows (including one invented by none other than Leonardo DaVinci), as well as triple-bow crossbows and even grenade-launching crossbows used by French forces in WW1. Then, of course, there’s the modern carbon fiber hunting crossbows with mounted scopes that have become so popular recently.

Yet, interestingly, the one thing that all of these crossbows have in common going back over almost 3000 years, is that they’re all horizontal – which is strange, considering that the bows on which they were based are all vertical.

It wasn’t until the 1990s (as far as I can tell, though it’s impossible to say that someone, somewhere hadn’t already done it) that people began toying with the idea of vertically-oriented crossbows. The most well-known of those experiments, if not the first, was former heavyweight boxer and hunter, Jerry Goff, down in Saucier, Mississippi.

Goff suffered from serious shoulder injuries (presumably from his boxing career) that prevented him from pulling back a compound bow. So, he invented the “Draw-Loc” system in 1995. A few years later, he integrated the Draw Loc onto a crossbow with vertical limbs, as opposed to the traditional horizontally-oriented limbs of most crossbows of the past…well, 3000 years or so.

He called the resulting invention an “In-Line Bow”, noting that it was quieter and safer to use with his Draw-Loc system than traditional crossbows. A year after releasing the original Draw-Loc trigger designs, Goff’s company, Hickory Creek, then introduced a Bullpup model that did a better job of balancing out the weight of the bow. After that came the Mini In-Line Vertical – a more versatile bow, suitable for a wider variety of shooter sizes.

The benefits of a bow like this are that it’s easy to cock and load, even for women and children, or people who (like Goff) have shoulder issues or arthritis, thanks to the easily adjustable poundage (between 100-150lbs). Of course, it has rope-cocking and crank options, as well. It shoots standard arrows rather than crossbow bolts, and the ergonomics and orientation of the bow are simply phenomenal.

Designed to feel a lot more like a gun, it has a comfortable cheek weld and allows for things like shots leaning against a tree that’d otherwise be impossible with a typical crossbow. Weighing in at just 6 pounds, it’s lightweight, compact, and super easy to take-down and pack into a backpack, while shooting an impressive 325fps with 23-inch 380 grain arrows. It also comes optics-ready, with a scope that’s good enough to get the job done.  

These bows are well-made, dead quiet, and extremely accurate. You can even shoot them single-handed like a pistol. A lot of guys hunting from saddles have had great success with them, though the grip also allows for mounting directly onto a tripod for standing shots. They come in right-handed and lefty versions, and at around $850, the price is fairly reasonable.

Recently, I’ve started to see more and more people talk about these bows and embrace them. There are also some other companies starting to make their own versions of vertical crossbows, like the Ravin R18, an extremely impressive piece of technology that looks almost like something out of a science fiction movie — and one that’ll set you back around $2000. The R18 is beautifully-designed and boasts some outstanding specs, hitting speeds of over 400fps, with easy draw, stable flight, state-of-the-art optics, and an ultra-compact lightweight system.

Yet there’s still a lot of push-back against these bows from some people – ironically, not unlike the resistance that normal crossbows faced themselves from the bowhunting community not so long ago, before eventually finding their place.

If you go onto archery forums or read some of the comments on the Ravin R18 YouTube videos, you’ll see some brutal take-downs (pardon the archery pun), like this one: “Before long, someone will pull the trigger on their rifle with a string and call it a bow.”

And I can see where they’re coming from… But as Albert Einstein once said, “It’s all relative”…

From the perspective of a traditional barebow hunter, today’s ultra-advanced compounds are also pretty suspect. But aside from possibly being scorned by the “traditional” bowhunting community (which I guess now includes “traditional” crossbows), some game wardens have also taken issue with vertical crossbows, with a few hunters reporting they don’t meet the definition of a “crossbow” in their jurisdictions. More often than not, though, that’s just a particular game warden misinterpreting archery regulations.

Still, the debate over where the line in the sand is for archery isn’t likely to end any time soon. My philosophy (for what it’s worth) is “You do you.” I don’t think modern hunters in ScentLok camo clothing, with the latest apps and precision scopes and what not have much room to criticize others for what equipment they choose to use.

And you never know what kind of injuries or physical conditions people have that might be preventing them from using a compound bow or what have you.

Besides, if you think about it – despite almost 3000 years of history, vertical crossbows are actually more “traditional” than horizontal ones, since they’re finally facing the right direction (from a bow’s perspective). And, in the end, all I care about is what works best.  

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