Laws relating to crossbow shooting?

[h4344]

So I am probably gonna pick up an entry level crossbow here in a few weeks and was wondering if there were specific restrictions on where you could target practice with them here in Washington?

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[IOM]

Check with a local Archery range in your area. As for shooting outdoors, there are no real laws on the books unless your hunting. Just following the safety guidlines as you would with a firearm for shooting.

Give Archery World a call.

Good luck.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

No restrictions on where to practice with them..other than obvious safety practices...Or maybe a local ordinance , depending on where you live...
Hunting with them however:
It is illegal to hunt big game with a crossbow during Archery season...you can hunt with it during modern firearm season...
It is illegal to hunt big game with a crossbow of less than 125 pounds and a trigger safety that doesn't work
Broadheads can not be dull and less than 7/8 inch wide...
These and more rules are in Washington's Big Game Regulation booklet
Andy

 

[AK0perator47]

No restrictions on where to practice with them..other than obvious safety practices...Or maybe a local ordinance , depending on where you live...
Hunting with them however:
It is illegal to hunt big game with a crossbow during Archery season...you can hunt with it during modern firearm season...
It is illegal to hunt big game with a crossbow of less than 125 pounds and a trigger safety that doesn't work
Broadheads can not be dull and less than 7/8 inch wide...
These and more rules are in Washington's Big Game Regulation booklet
Andy

What Andy said

 

[Elf]

I believe the above is true as far as state laws go, but also keep in mind that the county or city may be more restrictive.

For example in Clark County, there are both restricted shooting areas (which includes bow and arrow, Sec. 9.12.026) as well as the "no shooting near habitation" code (Sec. 9.12.030):

Except as provided in Section 9.12.040, it is unlawful for any person to discharge any pistol, revolver, shotgun, rifle or any other firearm or device fired or discharged with explosives, or airgun or air rifle or bow and arrow, at any place within the unincorporated territory of Clark County which is not done in a reasonably safe manner and at a reasonably safe distance or direction from any building capable of being occupied by people or domestic animals or any public park or officially designated recreational trail, which distance shall in no event be less than one hundred (100) yards for airguns, shotguns and bows and arrows, and two hundred (200) yards for all other firearms [...]

The laws don't explicitly mention crossbows, but I would guess it would fall under "bow and arrow." So legally, at least 100 yds from the next nearest building/park/trail, excepting if you have permission from the owner. However whether anyone would enforce it is another matter.

Restricted shooting areas can be viewed as an overlay in the Clark County GIS Maps.

Again all of the above is specific to unincorporated Clark County; other counties or cities may be restrictive in different ways.