I've been doing alot of thinking about purchasing a crossbow. As a secondary survival weapon. I can purchase a good brand not alot of bells and whistles for around $350.00. I have some extra scopes laying around and it would be set to go. My reason for thinking this is if needed it could be useful for operatios when silence is needed, could be used for hunting, the bolts can be reused, If worst came to worse a man could make his own bolts. Most of them are light weight you could strap to your pack plus used for hunting saves on ammo. So what you guys think?
If i didn't already have a couple of compound bows, this would be an item that i'd add to the list. I went with compound as if it ever wears out, I can use the full size arrows in a homemade bow. Silent hunting.
The only reason I wqs looking at crossbow is if done very little bow shooting and I think it would be easier for me to pick up on a crossbow being on a rifle type frame.
I have a few and they work well... none of mine are compound crossbows tho... I have a few spare prods and strings as well...
If you have a bunch of money to throw away($1,300),You could get a"Tac-15"from PSE.It's a crossbow that mounts to an AR lower. If it wasnt so damn expensive,it would be a pretty cool idea. Something to remember about any composite bow.They dont like extreme temperature changes.They are also worthless if allowed to freeze. Matt
Additional to hunting it is an excellent, relatively silent, devastating self defense weapon. Crossbows changed warfare. Longbow men required more training, the range was better, but the penetration value comparative to a crossbow was lower. Crossbows could punch through medieval plate armor, with the proper tips on the bolt (they were pyramidal, heavy metal tips). They could also punch through many of the chain mail armors worn as gambesons beneath the breast plate. Think punch through a stop sign and retain enough power to seriously maim or kill. While the fire rate of the crossbow is much lower, the effects were more devastating at closer "defender" ranges. Additionally, the weapon itself is more compact than many bows, and more or the shorter, lighter bolts could be carried. It is a good back up weapon to a rifle, as the dynamics and operation are so similar. If you buy one, spend time at an archery range or in a decent sized field (I recommend out of doors, more variables like wind etc.) practicing. A crossbow is, IMO, second only to a rifle in a list of preferred ranged weapons. Long bow users may argue they have better range and a much stopping power as a crossbow, especially when compound bows are factored in; however, the ease of use by a rifleman make these a righteous choice. There is nearly zero change to target acquisition, aiming, and discharge of the weapon. Cocking and loading take practice, especially if you want to fire off a quick follow-up shot. Again, YMMV. Opinions differ, and these are mine.
See that was my way of thinking like I said above I have done very little bow shooting and the crossbow is closer to shooting a rifle. Plus with the bolt being reuseable. Im sure with some of my tools I could come close to making extra bolts if needed. I have my Glock 26 for up close, My glock 19 and Springfield 1911 for defense, my Stag AR-15 for the fight and 12ga 870 for thump power then my 30/30. Im content wiith my weapon lay out. I just feel something missing and I think a good crossbow is it, with a few extra strings and bolts. Because we all know that when SHTF sooner or later ammo will run out for what ever reason. Im just wanting to cover every base.
CAVEAT: a longbow is FAR simpler to make. When constructing a crossbow, remember, the longer the arms, the more power you will have. Be mindful of pull length which determines trigger and firing mechanism placement as well as stock length. Consider also the strength of the crossbow user, and if needed add a foot stirrup on the front to assist with cocking. Some medieval crossbows were so powerful they required a hand crank to cock the bow. Home made crossbow #1:How to Make a Homemade Crossbow | eHow.com Home made crossbow #2: A much more "traditional" medieval crossbow. The plans (located near the bottom of the page) : Alchem Incorporated: Crossbow Parts
Don't know much about crossbows... once upon a time I had one of those little walmart special pistol crossbows... more of a toy then anything else... I could throw a bolt with more force... Naturally my bow of choice in my Mathews Z7 My advice, try before buy... buy used, it can save you a ton of money... If you do by used before you do go read this https://sites.google.com/site/grand...hings-you-should-know-about-buying-a-used-bow Edit to add... This is what a Z7 looks like
Bear in mind that a crossbow is WIDE rather than tall (like a longbow) or slender (like a rifle) and maneuvering room becomes a consideration. Yes, they come in compound configuration, which gains power, and generally wants (in the case of the really snorty ones) a crank. Crossbows are legal to hunt with here, and some of the guys have the crank type. The do recoil, too.
LOL,,,,When I was MUCH younger, 3rd grade or so Billy and I (yes his real name) made a X-bow with a leaf spring in his dad's barn. The plans were in Popular Mechanics. Made a bolt out of tubing and stacked some hay bales by the side of the barn. The bolt went though the bales, barn walls, stall walls and stuck in an oak tree.....couldn't pull it out so we cut it off with a hack saw, threw the X-bow into the junk pile and hoped his dad, my dad or any adult ever found out. Still haven't told my mom that one!!!! Nasty toy for us boys. Ever wondered how you survived your childhood?
there is currently a vortex crossbow on ebay... link is....here I have this one, have yet to actually shoot it more than twice, but it is very nice and Vortex is known for their great warranty eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices
There is even directions of doubling the power of a Wrist Rocket type slingshot and shooting arrows from it on Youtube. Works pretty well from all I've seen. This is one I intend to make even though I do have a crossbow. There is also a Youtube vid on makeing a 60# bow from PVC that looks good. Good luck. jim
A modern crossbow can be much narrower than one would think. If leaf spring material were used (metal arms), more energy can be stored in the more compact steel arms comparative to laminated wood or solid wood. Compounding the crossbow is complicated and is a very modern addition, requiring a lot of additional work. Recurve bows and crossbows give additional power in the recurve without adding length as well, in fact some recurve bows, like the Mongolian short bow, are exceptionally powerful, compact weapons (for the weapon type). the same technology can and has been applied to crossbows, making for a much narrower, more powerful weapon. The up side to this ancient technology is - it can be manufactured rather easily with common materials and a minimum of tools. Making crossbow bolts is also relatively easy. IMO this approximately $150.00 +/- recurve crossbow is a steal and a great starter crossbow. I have one, and fired many a bolt from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYPwYXMIJvs
Well, I haven't made or used one of these contraptions, but the broadhead is stuck thru a centering ring for guidance purposes, and given the positioning of the warhead forward of your hand, I don't see how a failure can do anything more than snap a rubber band toward your face. Could be wrong, as I've never used one, but that's how it looks. Best to be safe though no matter what is in use. jim
Before ya spend a lot of money on an expensive one I'd suggest one of these ,it well made and fairly accurate . http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MT5XAA/?tag=survivalmonke-20
I this this type of thread on many SF that I belong to and I say the same thing. Crossbows are NOT silent. I've owned two Excalibur crossbows and can tell you that they are louder than my compound bow. There are pros and cons to a crossbow just like everything else in this world. IMO, crossbows are very useful in the ground since you don't need to draw back the string since it's already "ready to go", but the big drawback is while walking into the woods the crossbow is vertical and gets caught on branches. If you really want a silent weapon...look at a 22LR suppressor with subsonic loads.
One of the reasons I was thinking of the crossbow is after SHTF sooner or later ammo will be like gold and hard to come by or impossible to get. As for a crossbow I have limited bow shooting skills and I think the crossbow would be easier to transition to.
