There is a short answer and a real answer. The short answer is: leave it cocked for as little time as you practically can, and never past the limit in your own manual. The real answer is that the limit is not the same for every bow, and understanding why lets you make a sensible call on a long hunting day instead of guessing.
What actually happens when a crossbow stays cocked
A cocked crossbow holds the string, cables and limbs at full draw. That is exactly the load the bow was built to take for the instant of a shot, but holding it there for hours is different from taking it for a second. The string and serving creep, the cams or limbs sit under sustained tension, and on some designs the exposure quietly accelerates the wear that a manufacturer's shot-count rating assumes is spread over normal use. None of this is catastrophic in an afternoon. Over days, it shortens the working life of consumable parts and, at the extreme, can affect how the limbs return to spec.
What each type allows
The single biggest factor is whether your bow can be de-cocked safely without firing a bolt. Bows that cannot be de-cocked mechanically force you to shoot a discharge bolt to unload, which makes people leave them cocked longer than they should just to avoid the hassle. Bows with a built-in de-cocking crank remove that friction, and their makers tend to allow much longer cocked windows as a result.
| Bow type | Common guidance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget compound (Barnett, CenterPoint, Killer Instinct) | De-cock at the end of each day; many manuals cap it around 24 hours | No easy de-cock; string and cams take the most sustained stress |
| Premium with de-cocking crank (TenPoint ACUslide, Ravin) | Can stay cocked for days, some for weeks per the maker | Safe, controlled de-cock removes the reason to leave it loaded |
| Recurve (Excalibur) | Tolerates being left cocked longer than compounds | Simpler limb geometry, no cams or cables to creep |
Treat that table as a starting point, not a rule. The numbers vary model to model, and your manual is the only source that matches your exact bow. If a manual gives you a figure, that figure wins over any general advice, including this page.
The de-cock question is the real decision
If your bow has no de-cocking mechanism, every unload costs you a bolt into a target, and that is precisely why cheaper bows attract the habit of leaving them cocked overnight or between sittings. Resist it. The alternative is not to leave it loaded but to carry a dedicated discharge bolt and a small backstop, so unloading is quick enough that you actually do it. On bows with an integrated crank de-cock, unloading takes seconds and there is no excuse to leave the bow under load between hunts.
Whatever the time limit, unload only by firing a discharge bolt into a target or by using your model's built-in de-cocking device. Releasing the string by hand is how people break bows and lose fingers. Follow the exact method in your manual - it differs by model.
A routine for a full hunting day
Cock on the ground before you climb, hunt the sitting, and de-cock before you pack up. If you are hunting morning and evening from the same stand, a bow with a crank de-cock lets you unload between sessions with no drama; a bow without one is a judgement call, and staying inside 24 hours with a healthy, well-waxed string is the conservative line most budget-bow manuals draw. What you should not do is leave a bow cocked in a vehicle or a garage for days between trips - that is the scenario that turns a consumable string into a premature replacement.
Does leaving it cocked hurt accuracy?
Indirectly, yes. A string that has crept unevenly under long tension can shift the way it sits on the latch, and an uneven string start is the same thing that makes inconsistent cocking hurt groups. The bigger accuracy cost is usually the temptation to skip proper string maintenance because the bow is always loaded and ready. Ease of loading and unloading is part of why we weight it in our scoring, and it is a real reason models that are pleasant to handle, like the Barnett Recruit XP, earn their place. If you want the mechanics of loading done right in the first place, our guide on how to cock a crossbow covers the consistent method that keeps groups tight.