Crossbow bowstring positioning systems are provided. In one aspect of the invention a crossbow bowstring positioning system has a crank housing supporting an axle and positioning a first connector at a front facing surface of the crank housing, a length of rope connected between two separated points on the axle; a bowstring connector joined to the length of rope and connectable to a bowstring of the crossbow, a mounting having a buffer tube mount mountable to a buffer tube of a crossbow; and a crank operable to rotate the axle to control an extent to which the rope is wound onto the axle and a position of the bowstring connector relative to the axle. The crank housing and mounting can be readily assembled in a small space and an efficient manner while providing paths through which a force experienced by the axle during use can be resisted.

An index-finger-type archery release includes a release head, a hook pivotally mounted to a front end of the release head, and a trigger holder also pivotally mounted to the body that engages and resists pivotal movement of the hook while drawing a bowstring. A trigger attached to the body extends from the release head and is pulled by the archer, causing the trigger holder to pivot away from the hook and enabling the hook to pivot and release the bowstring. After release, the archer manually pivots the hook back to its starting position. A snap action of the trigger holder signals the archer that the archery release is again ready to draw a bowstring.

A crossbow is provided with a silent crank-cocking device including a shaft extending through a positioning sleeve, reels, a housing, a bushing, covers, a shaft sleeve, limiting pieces and a clutch wrench. A crank is connected to an end of the shaft. The reels are connected to two ends of the shaft. The housing receives the bushing, which includes a hole and clutch slots. The covers are connected to both ends of the housing. Rollers are located in the clutch slots. The limiting pieces are arranged on two ends of the shaft sleeve. The clutch wrench includes a portion connected to the rollers in the housing and another portion extending from the housing.

An archery release is communicatively coupled to one or more motion sensors to detect the duration from an archer taking an aim up to the release of the arrow, and can measure the archer's unintended, inadvertent movements during this time period, so as to assess the stability of the shot.

A crossbow is provided with a reciprocating linear rack and a locking linear rack, wherein a traveler having a pawl for each linear rack is engaged by the reciprocating linear rack to move rearward relative to the locking rack, thereby moving the traveler to a drawn position. A cocking lever is hand operated by the user though a plurality of cycles to move the traveler, and captured bowstring to a fully drawn configuration. A trigger mechanism engage the traveler in the drawn configuration and selectively releases the bowstring from the traveler. A bow assembly is provided, wherein the bowstring wraps about a front edge of opposing rotatable members, to be longitudinally located in front of a portion of power cables. The bow assembly includes a power cable on each side of the stock, and thus the power cables do not cross a longitudinal axis of the crossbow.

A handheld pull tension archery release includes a handle containing a finger opening having an axis arranged normal to a plane containing the handle, a ring sear assembly arranged in the handle, and a bail connected with the handle for rotation about an axis parallel to the opening axis. The bail is configured to grip a bowstring. When the ring sear assembly is actuated, a ring sear arranged in the housing rotates about the finger opening axis from a hold position engaging the bail to a release position releasing the bail to free the bowstring and fire an arrow. Rotation of the ring sear is in response to pull tension on the bowstring and actuation of a thumb trigger connected with the handle.

A crossbow may have a cocking mechanism that includes a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. The winch assembly may be used to move the trigger mechanism to simultaneously move the bowstring from an un-cocked position to a cocked position.

A crossbow may have a de-cocking mechanism that includes a trigger mechanism, a trigger latch mechanism and a winch assembly. The winch assembly may be used to move the trigger mechanism to simultaneously move the bowstring from a cocked position to an un-cocked position.

A bowstring release having a handle, a jaw, and a sear. The jaw is configured for drawing and releasing the bowstring. The sear includes a plurality of settings for adjusting the rotation of the handle at which the jaw releases the bowstring. While the bowstring is in the drawn configuration, the jaw and the sear are slidingly coupled and the jaw slides along a surface of the sear while the release is rotated. The bowstring is released when the jaw and the sear de-couple.

A bow release apparatus includes a wrist strap, a body comprising a bow string keeper and a trigger system for releasing a bow string held in the keeper, and at least one elastic band interconnecting the body and the wrist strap. A method of using the bow release apparatus includes fixing the bow string of a bow to the bow string keeper while the bow is drawn by an archer to cause the body to slide along his/her hand to contact the trigger with the stationary trigger finger to actuate the trigger, or hold his/her trigger finger adjacent the trigger of the trigger system to voluntarily actuate the trigger of the trigger system after the bow is drawn to release an arrow from the bow voluntarily.