An open door for gun dealers.

What does this mean for gun dealers? It's time to wake up and smell the profits. First, consider that you don't have to handle Form 4473 to sell a crossbow, even though one of the main selling points is hunters shoulder crossbows like a rife--and crossbows have triggers. This greatly reduces the "learning curve" in introducing hunters to crossbows. Plus, many of your customers are looking for a way to extend their hunting season.

In addition, despite rumors and controversy to the contrary, crossbows are no more efficient than compound bows, according to Dance.

"The hunter has to do everything he has to do when he uses a compound bow. No more deer are being taken with crossbows than with compound bows, and hunters don't get any unfair advantage. The only difference between a compound bow and a crossbow is that the crossbow is already cocked," Dance said.

Many archery dealers, however, refuse to sell crossbows.

"There are still many archery dealers that resist selling crossbows at a time when it would be a huge economic boost to them," said Dave Robb, TenPoint's director of marketing.

This leaves the door wide open for gun dealers to reap the profits. Not only will you pick up older bow-hunters whose shoulders no longer will let them pull a compound bow, you'll also get younger hunters who want to hunt with every kind of weapon they can.

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"We have one customer who hunts with a recurve bow, a compound bow and a crossbow," Dance said. "He said, 'I live in the state of Virginia and I pay my taxes, and I want to hunt with what I want to hunt with.'"

Obviously, your sales will begin with crossbows themselves. But it won't end there--you'll have an opportunity to sell everything regular bowhunters buy, including many things your gun hunters already use.

"You can sell tree stands, camo clothing, scent elimination products and scent attractant products," Robb said. "Anything the regular bowhunter uses, the crossbow hunter also needs.

"Plus, crossbows have their own unique accessories," Robb continued. "Your customers will need quivers, crossbow cases and high-margin cocking mechanisms that they can buy either preinstalled or aftermarket. We also have a monopod system that hunters can attach to their crossbows. Selling crossbows opens up a tremendous market."

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Robb said one reason gun dealers hesitate to sell crossbows is their concern that they won't be able to provide service for their customers.

"The learning curve for crossbows is really short," Robb said. "First, crossbows don't require any tuning. You have to change strings and cables, do some lubrication and make sure the screws are tight, but beyond that, there isn't much that a firearms dealer needs to learn about."

Even the broadhead issue isn't as complex for crossbows as it is for recurve and compound bows.

"We recommend expandable broad-heads because you don't have a planing problem with them," Robb said. "They're just like practice points. But you probably should invest in an arrow straightener. And I certainly would invest in a bow press capable of handling a crossbow so you can re-serve bows and change strings and cables."