Review Guidelines

Introduction

Our primary aim at Sharpshaft is to provide top-tier advice for crossbow enthusiasts of all types. From hunters to sports shooters, from beginners to experts, we strive to offer recommendations tailored to each user’s unique needs and experiences. Our foremost priority is safety, coupled with the selection of high-quality, reliable, and well-designed equipment. These guidelines exist to underscore our unwavering commitment to offering honest, accurate, and valuable information to our readers.

What We Do

Regulatory Advice

Crossbow and hunting regulations vary from state to state in the U.S., and our guide keeps these directives in mind when reviewing products. We consult state-level Departments of Natural Resources and other relevant entities to ensure our appliance advice aligns with:

• Legal purchase and ownership, ensuring that users can legally own or utilize a crossbow.
• Hunting season timelines throughout the U.S.
• Types of game that can be legally hunted with a crossbow.
• Required specifications for crossbows and bolts (arrows) used for hunting.
• Necessary safety precautions during transportation of crossbows.
• Mandatory hunter education requirements.

Reviews

While hands-on reviews form a part of our review process, we expand our approach to offer the most comprehensive feedback possible. We delve into extensive crossbow user reviews, participate actively in community discussions, consult industry experts, and take into account significant product feedback across the web.

Brand History

We pay close attention to the history of brands in our recommendations. With constant monitoring of brand recalls, manufacturing issues, and user feedback, we strive to recommend the best products from reputable companies with proven quality standards. For transparency, notices of product removal due to recalls or manufacturing issues are always included in our posts, such was the case with the lightest climbing tree stands after a recall from manufacturer X-Stand.

Quality & Safety

Ensuring that recommended products are high-quality, safe, and durable is paramount. Our checks predominantly revolve around the manufacturers’ information, our hands-on experience, expert insights, and collective user feedback.

Beyond these, we consider industry standards set by pertinent organizations like ASTM, ATA, and IBO for design specifications, material quality, overall safety, and performance capabilities.

• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM): The ASTM has a specific committee (F08) dedicated to sports equipment and facilities. These experts develop and establish agreed-upon international standards for materials, products, systems, and services used in these equipment and facilities. They certainly cover standards related to archery equipment within their guidelines.
• Archery Trade Association (ATA): ATA is perhaps the most directly involved organization in this regard. They develop, implement, and uphold standards for bowhunting and archery equipment. ATA provides an equipment standard guide, which manufacturers can use to ensure their products align with the safety and quality guidelines.
• International Bowhunting Organization (IBO): The IBO also sets equipment standards for competitive bowhunting events. While they primarily focus on regulating the sport, some of their standards trickle down to the manufacturing level.

Pricing and Positioning

At Sharpshaft, we understand that equipment costs can vary by user’s needs. Despite our inclination towards premium products, we ensure a distinct variety in our recommendations to cater to readers across different budget ranges without compromising the advice’s quality or usefulness.

Availability

While we value product availability, we never compromise quality for accessibility. The best products across categories remain our topmost recommendations, irrespective of their availability.

What We Don’t Do

Sponsorships

At Sharpshaft, we currently don’t accept sponsorships or paid product placements. This is a testament to our commitment to unbiased, accurate reviews. Any future changes to this policy will be clearly communicated to our readers for complete transparency.

Facts

In all our reviews, we guarantee the use of proven, reliable data. Our team upholds the integrity of information, ensuring no recommendation of unregulated or unsafe products and no maintenance of false claims.

Ethical Concerns

We are particular about the ethical implications of our recommendations. We prefer USA-made products due to confidence in their manufacturing standards. Nevertheless, we consider recommending foreign products if they meet safety standards and are leading choices in their niche.

Reviewing New Products

Reviewing new products, especially when limited data is available, can be challenging. Our approach involves a comprehensive analysis of product specifications, manufacturer reputation, professional consultation, market research, and potential product testing. We stay ahead of industry trends and bring our readers up-to-date information on the latest and potentially best products in the market.

At Sharpshaft, our review guidelines uphold trust, transparency, and the thirst for honest knowledge. We aim for nothing less than providing valuable content that guides you to the best crossbow and hunting experiences.