Things that are original and innovative are often kind of tough to figure out when they’re first introduced. A lot of people took years to warm up to the idea of a VCR or a microwave oven, or a personal computer.
The Pioneer Airbow is kind of like that. What it does and how it works is unique and remarkable, but what exactly is it? Is it a crossbow? Is it an airgun? It’s actually neither, though on a sliding scale, the Airbow is closer to an airgun. Its odd, futuristic, polymer appearance doesn’t help clear things up either.
Since its introduction earlier this year, several states across the country have addressed the Airbow and some have given it a place in existing hunting seasons as more people get a chance to use it, discover its advantages and what it could mean for the future of hunting.
The good folks at Benjamin, a Crosman brand, sent me an Airbow package to test out. Having no real experience with modern airguns, I was a little skeptical of the arrow-shooting contraption’s usefulness as a hunting implement, but it didn’t take long to put those concerns to rest. The biggest reason? The thing is just plain fun to shoot, and it’s frighteningly accurate.
How It Works
What does a bow of any kind—long, compound, cross—do? Simply, it pushes an arrow with a string. The arrow—or in the case of crossbows, the bolt—is engaged by the string at the nock on the rear of the arrow, propelling the arrow forward.
By David Maccar