Hello Bernard!
Just a quick one to say Crossbows do not recoil backwards into ones shoulder, they recoil forwards. I noted a couple of times in the Thomas of Hookton books, you mentioned bruising to the shoulder, which is incorrect. Guns recoil that way, but not Crossbows!
The equal and opposite force with a Crossbow is the bowman’s body resisting the Crossbow’s desire to leap forward. If you think about it, when cocked, the Crossbow’s bow is under tension and, when that is released by the trigger, which way does the bow go? Yes, forwards, and it ejects the Bolt in the process. Left unrestrained by the bowman, the whole Crossbow would fly forwards as the trigger is pulled.
They main danger with a Crossbow is slicing off ones fingertips if the stock is not held correctly with fingers tucked out of the way of the string. If fingers project up into the rapid path of the bow string, then pink bits can get sliced off!
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Keith Harrison