How to Hang a Ravin Crossbow Safely

Safe Contact Points and Where Hooks Must Never Touch

Ravin crossbows are built differently than traditional hunting bows. They use a patented cam system where the cams (the rotating wheels at the limb tips) rotate over 300 degrees during the draw cycle. Because of this design, the wheel-to-wheel length (the distance between both wheel axles) is extremely narrow. The limbs, strings, and cables stay under immense mechanical pressure even when the bow rests uncocked. If you rest the weight of the bow against any of these moving parts, you risk twisting an axle or throwing off your cable timing (the synchronized, even turning of both wheels).

When cable timing gets thrown off, your bow stops launching arrows with consistent flight. The string pushes the arrow nock unevenly, which can cause erratic grouping or cause the string to derail off the track during a shot. Fixing bent cams or derailed cables requires specialized workshop tools or an archery pro shop bow press designed specifically for ultra-narrow limbs. Regular bow presses will crush or slip off a Ravin front end. To prevent costly repairs, you need to know exactly which parts of the frame can support weight and which parts cannot.

Here is a quick checklist of where hooks can and cannot make contact with your crossbow:

• Safe: The front foot stirrup. The stirrup (the metal foot loop at the front of the bow used when cocking) is bolted directly to the solid aluminum frame. It easily handles the weight of the bow.
• Safe: The underside of the buttstock. The rear composite stock is strong, rigid, and completely separate from any moving cables.
• Safe: The belly of the main frame. The bottom of the aluminum rail beneath the foregrip provides an even, stable resting surface for horizontal mounts.
• Unsafe: Cams and axles. The rotating wheels and their center pins bend under side-load pressure. Never hang or lean the bow by its wheels.
• Unsafe: Bowstrings and cables. Hanging the bow from any string or harness cable causes uneven stretch, strips protective serving thread, and ruins tuning.
• Unsafe: The scope body and turrets. The optic is meant to hold zero, not support eight to nine pounds of dead weight. Hanging a bow by the scope bends mounting rings and ruins your zero.
• Unsafe: The limbs. The limbs (the flexible arms that bend when drawn) must flex together naturally. Clamping or hanging hooks across the limbs creates localized stress fractures.

Before you mount any bracket or hook, check that the hook itself has thick rubber or vinyl padding. Bare steel or sharp aluminum brackets will scratch the finish of your bow frame and can create burrs on the metal foot loop over time. A smooth rubber coat grips the metal securely and prevents your bow from sliding off if the wall gets bumped.

How to Hang Your Bow Vertically by the Stirrup

Vertical hanging is the most popular way to store a crossbow in a garage, closet, or hunting cabin. It takes up very little wall width, keeps the bow upright, and lets the limbs float freely in open air without touching nearby gear. The front foot stirrup is engineered to hold a hunter's entire body weight while stepping down to cock the bow, so holding the bow's resting weight on a wall hook causes zero structural fatigue.

Follow these steps to mount and hang your crossbow vertically without damaging any components:

1. Locate a wall stud with a stud finder. A fully outfitted Ravin with a scope, quiver, arrows, and crank handle weighs between eight and ten pounds. Screw your wall hook straight into a wooden wall stud rather than relying on plastic drywall anchors that pull out over time.
2. Pre-drill a pilot hole. Drill a small pilot hole into the center of the wooden stud. This prevents the wood from splitting and ensures the heavy-duty hook screws in straight and tight.
3. Install a deep, rubber-coated J-hook. Thread a heavy screw-in utility hook or bicycle storage hook into the stud until the base sits flush against the wall. Choose a hook with an opening wide enough to accept the thick bar of the front foot loop.
4. Measure clearance from the wall surface. Your hook needs to hold the bow at least three to four inches away from the wall. This gap ensures that the rotating wheels and wide limb pockets never rub against the drywall or wooden siding.
5. Hang the bow by the center of the stirrup. Hold the bow by the main stock, lift it up, and gently slide the opening of the front foot loop over the hook. Lower it slowly until the hook supports the full weight of the bow.
6. Confirm the wheels hang free. Step back and inspect the front end from both sides. The cams and cables should hang in open air with nothing pressing against them from behind or beneath.

If you keep arrows stored in a mounted quiver beneath the bow, make sure the broadheads sit safely inside a covered hood. Hanging the bow vertically means the arrow tips point upward toward the ceiling or outward into the room depending on your quiver bracket. Keeping broadheads enclosed protects both your fingers and your bowstrings from accidental contact.

When taking the bow down from a vertical hook, use two hands. Place one hand on the foregrip and one hand near the buttstock, lift the foot loop straight up to clear the hook, and pull the bow outward. Never pull the bow outward before clearing the hook, as dragging the metal loop across the hook tip can scrape off rubber coatings or bump the string track.

Setting Up a Horizontal Wall Rack for Long-Term Storage

A horizontal rack is ideal if you want to display your crossbow over a workbench, inside a secure gun cabinet, or along a wide wall. It keeps the bow level, balanced, and ready for inspection. However, because a horizontal setup uses two separate contact points along the length of the bow, you must be very deliberate about where those brackets touch the chassis.

The primary rule for horizontal storage is to support the bow exclusively along the rigid centerline frame. One padded cradle should sit under the rear stock, just behind the trigger housing. The second cradle should support the belly of the barrel frame, positioned behind the front riser where the limbs attach. This setup cradles the solid skeleton of the bow while leaving both sets of limbs and wheels suspended in clear space.

Avoid using wide, unpadded gun racks designed for traditional firearms without modifying them first. Standard firearm brackets are often too narrow or use hard plastic that can scuff the metal barrel. Look for padded display hooks or adjustable wall mounts lined with closed-cell foam or thick vinyl. If you are building a custom rack from wood, cut generous U-shaped notches and line them with self-adhesive felt or dense foam weatherstripping.

Balance is crucial when placing the bow onto horizontal cradles. Because the front limb assembly and heavy steel cams carry significant weight, the front end of a crossbow naturally wants to tip downward. Place your wall brackets roughly twelve to sixteen inches apart to catch the balance point of the center chassis. If your brackets sit too close together near the trigger, the heavy front end will teeter and put unwanted twisting force against the rear bracket.

Climate control matters just as much as physical support during off-season storage. Never hang your horizontal rack near a radiator, wood stove, forced-air vent, or inside an uninsulated attic. High heat breaks down the wax on your bowstrings, causing them to fray and dry out quickly. Extreme heat can also degrade the resin inside the fiberglass limbs, softening the material and lowering your arrow velocity. Store the bow in a dry room with stable indoor temperatures to preserve string tension and limb strength.

If you are also comparing different compact designs for hunting blinds or ground stands, learning how different manufacturers position their frames can help you plan your storage area. For example, comparing modern options like a best TenPoint crossbow for hunting gives you a clear sense of how various compact limb systems balance on racks compared to narrow front-end platforms.

Hanging Your Crossbow in a Tree Stand During a Hunt

Hanging your bow while perched fifteen to twenty feet up a tree brings a completely different set of risks than storing it in your home. In a tree stand, the crossbow is cocked, an arrow may be loaded on the rail, and you need to lift the bow silently when game appears. Bumping a tree trunk with a cam can nick the metal wheel, damage expensive serving thread, or spook game with a sharp metallic clatter.

Follow these steps to hang your crossbow safely and securely while hunting from an elevated stand:

1. Screw a heavy bow hanger deep into the tree. Use an all-metal, vinyl-coated tree hook with sharp self-tapping threads. Screw the hanger all the way into solid wood until no bare threads show, eliminating any wobble under the weight of the bow.
2. Position the hanger on your non-shooting side. If you shoot right-handed, place the tree hook on your left side at chest or shoulder height. This allows you to reach out, grab the foregrip with your supporting hand, and transition into your shooting stance with minimal movement.
3. Hang the bow by the stirrup or a stock harness loop. Hook the padded tree arm through the front foot stirrup with the scope facing outward away from the bark. Alternatively, attach a heavy-duty tactical clip or paracord loop through the rear sling stud on the buttstock and hang the bow butt-up.
4. Verify generous clearance from the tree bark. The rough trunk of an oak or pine tree will chew through bowstrings and scratch cam coatings. Adjust multi-arm tree hangers so the limbs and rotating wheels sit at least eight to twelve inches away from the trunk and surrounding branches.
5. Keep the safety switch engaged at all times. Your crossbow safety must remain in the safe position while hanging. Never touch or release the safety until the bow is in both hands and aimed downrange at an intended target.

When you are hunting in freezing rain, sleet, or snow, watch out for ice accumulating around the hook and stirrup. Ice can make metal brackets slippery, causing your foot loop to slide off if the tree sways in heavy winds. A rubberized hook provides friction that resists slipping even when wet or frosted over.

If you use tight climbing stands or small hang-on platforms, space is always limited. Hunters who move between different mobile setups, such as using specialized compact hunting bows for tight blinds or narrow stands, know that gear management keeps you safe. Keep your tree hanger close enough that you never have to lean past the edge of your platform or loosen your safety harness to reach your bow grip.

When lifting the bow from the hook to take a shot, pull straight upward with a slow, controlled motion. Do not pull horizontally, or the foot loop can snag the hook tip and create an unexpected jerk that throws you off balance. Practice hanging and unhooking your crossbow while sitting in your stand during midday lulls so the motion feels smooth and natural before an animal walks into range.

FAQs

Can I hang my Ravin crossbow by the scope?

No, you should never hang a crossbow by its scope tube or mounting rings. The scope is a precision optical instrument designed to hold delicate lenses and crosshairs in exact alignment. Supporting the eight-to-ten-pound weight of the bow from the scope can bend the metal housing, strip mount screws, and completely ruin your zero.

Is it safe to store a Ravin crossbow cocked on a wall hook overnight?

No, you should always de-cock your crossbow using the cocking handle and de-cocking mechanism before storing it on a hook. Leaving the bow cocked overnight keeps hundreds of pounds of unnecessary tension on the limbs and string cables. Over time, that constant load can stretch cables, loosen timing, and present a serious safety risk inside your home.

Does hanging a crossbow by the foot stirrup bend the frame or change arrow flight?

Hanging the bow by the front foot stirrup will not bend the frame or alter arrow flight. The stirrup is made of heavy-duty metal bolted directly into the solid aluminum rail, engineered to withstand full body force during cocking. As long as your hanger is padded and the rotating wheels do not rest against the wall, hanging by the stirrup is completely safe.