Good Ol' Bow n Arrow?

[beer999]

I like the idea of cross bow it would be easier to fire accurately any sites you know of where I can purchase. Any advise on choice. Any licencing requirements? I have epilepsy so no chance of a gun licence of any type. How good are they as in what would they pierce. Like them as I don't drive and easier to keep out of site. As don't want to cycle round with bow or air rifle sticking out of my pannier bags. Would they strip down small enough to fit in a pannier bag?

[Plymtom]

There are loads of threads covering this but

I like the idea of cross bow it would be easier to fire accurately any sites you know of where I can purchase. Any advise on choice. Any licencing requirements? I have epilepsy so no chance of a gun licence of any type. How good are they as in what would they pierce. Like them as I don't drive and easier to keep out of site. As don't want to cycle round with bow or air rifle sticking out of my pannier bags. Would they strip down small enough to fit in a pannier bag?

Yes they can be accurate, sites yeah plenty, choice .... for a cyclist none get a catapult a simple theraband fork catapult can be very accurate, delivers more power than a legal air rifle and fits in your panniers no messing about, there's an idiot around these parts due in court one day soon for hunting deer in public woods with a crossbow, caught (by the armed response unit) after a woman walking her dog allegedly spotted a deer running around with a bolt in it's head, crossbows aren't silent so hunting with them if it were legal wouldn't be easy, and would they strip down... no better than an air rifle would.

I take it your Epilepsy is mild? I've seen people having episodes if that's the right term who wouldn't want to be riding a bike when it happened, and pardon my ignorance would the exertion of cycling and the fact that you would be operating machinery also be a risk? I suppose anything can be a gamble which the individual may be able to balance, again forgive my concern, cycling in traffic remains one on of the most scary things I've had a go at, more so when I had my son as a baby in a seat behind me (though for him if he could remember probably the most fun) I was acutely aware of how vulnerable I/We were, but if it's something you've always done, don't let me put you off

[lonewolf]

in a SHTF situation compound bows, cross bows and air rifles can all fail and break down, if you cant fix it" in the field" so to speak they'll be worse than useless, a long bow can be made from natural materials found all around and is simple in its construction and use, a simple long bow type bow can be made in about 4-5 hours .

[mallie99]

in a SHTF situation compound bows, cross bows and air rifles can all fail and break down, if you cant fix it" in the field" so to speak they'll be worse than useless, a long bow can be made from natural materials found all around and is simple in its construction and use, a simple long bow type bow can be made in about 4-5 hours .

Correct... BUT... If you have an air rifle, crossbow etc then you'd be an idiot not to take and use it while you can. By your very words, it takes 4-5 hours to make a bow. At the time when you should be building a camp or something.

Beyond that, I think it would be useful to know how to make a bow etc, because as you say the kit could fail and without spare parts you cannot repair it.

[lonewolf]

I'm just saying, compound bows, cross bows and air rifles have a certain life span, then they break down, parts wear out and its not always possible to have spares of everything-if we did we'd have to have a warehouse for all the stuff we need -so knowing how to make a simple but effective bow is a skill which would come in useful further "down the line"-which is one reason why I did the course last year.

[mallie99]

we're both saying the same thing then

[lonewolf]

we're both saying the same thing then

probably

[arslongavitabrevis]

You make them out of old skis and two bolts and a bit of wood.. very effective, costs about £2.30 for the whole bow depending on what the guys at the tip want for ski's and you can vary the draw weight from 20 to 80 lbs depending on how much of the ski you cut off. can be done with a chisel and a drill, although obviously mo' tools, mo' bow. Mine takes down and fits in a roomy trouser leg or sleeve if so required, at about 25 lb untill I build up the muscle groups. although arrows tend to be too long to hide under clothes...comfortably anyway.

[DustyDog]

For what it is worth, if someone is coming for your, lets say food supply when TSHTF then they may think twice if they see an arrow flying towards them. Imho, a Good ol' Bow n Arrow is just one more string to your bow (pun intended) when it comes to self and home defending, It is useful for defense and possible food harvesting.

[Plymtom]

For what it is worth, if someone is coming for your, lets say food supply when TSHTF then they may think twice if they see an arrow flying towards them. Imho, a Good ol' Bow n Arrow is just one more string to your bow (pun intended) when it comes to self and home defending, It is useful for defense and possible food harvesting.

Arrows - moving targets that could be shooting back here we go again, you need to be Johnny Rambo, and Robin Hood, and preferably have a good few merry men with you, can you cover all sides of your home at once? Archery like many other things are great fun and could become a useful skill, but in the immediate aftermath of a SHTF scenario I believe you are refering to I suspect little more use than Origami, and a legal minefield to discuss with intend to defend or hunt before hand, have a good read, get a feel for the place and the subjects, we've thought and talked alot of them through, (not that revisiting is a bad thing) and generally archery needs lots of practice to be as good as some hope to be.