Ranger, that is what I do as well, have my thumb point down the stock towards the target I want to hit. The trouble is that not all stocks are the same, some are more shallow than others. Like I mentioned, the newer Excalibur stocks are a little deeper and more inclined to eliminate the the ability of getting part of the hand into the path of the string then their orginal wooden stocks. When I struck the thumb with the string, it was from the base of the thumb forward, like a glancing blow. Very thankful that it was a glancing blow and not a dirrect hit.

This thread is a very good topic for all crossbow shooters to read. IT opens up some peoples eyes to some danger that they would never even have thought about. Just be aware of your crossbow and the possible dangers.