Crossbow. Is it really necessary?

[devonarcher]

as a shtf hunting weapon ( hunting with a bow is illegal in uk ) a bow takes some beating . look at the alternatives to a bow . shotgun= range 40-50 yards . noisy , fire it once and all the game within half a mile will dissapear , plus its difficult to gain a licence for one and even if you get a licence then birdshot is all you can use without an fac . so a shotgun isnt a great deal better than a good airgun . airguns= range 40-50 yards. lacking power so as far as game goes its rabbits and birds but ammunition is cheap and they are reasonably quiet . slingshots = range 10 yards try getting to within ten yards of a rabbit and see if you can even hit it much less kill it with a slingshot as they are inherently innacurate .depend on a slingshot for survival and youll likely starve and the last thought you have before you croak will be why the hell didnt i get a better tool . bows = range 50 yards ( depending on target) silent and ammo can be re-used . in the united states a good bow will take down any game animal found there up to and including bears moose and bison. in a shtf scenario the availability of any game in the uk will decrease rapidly due to the numbers of people hunting for survival .slingshot anyone ???????? but the same rule applies to any weapon used for shtf survival .....make sure your first shot is the only one you need

[devonarcher]

a shotgun has limitations too first of which is the police dont like giving out licences. second in a defence situation birdshot ( the only cartridge available in uk without an fac ) can be stopped by a wet duffel coat at 50 yards and on a single barrel gun reload time is an issue and air pistols and catapaults are useless

[C4tch]

a shotgun has limitations too first of which is the police dont like giving out licences. second in a defence situation birdshot ( the only cartridge available in uk without an fac ) can be stopped by a wet duffel coat at 50 yards and on a single barrel gun reload time is an issue and air pistols and catapaults are useless

You can buy buck shot in the UK without a FAC. A duffel coat won't stop that...


C

[Plymtom]

The original question of Crossbow being necassary, like all our preps one would hope not, but for an off the shelf weapon most people could get reasonably good with one, quicker than any other form of archery, or catapult, and anyone can buy one now, that is the main advantage.

[devonarcher]

agree with plymtom that the crossbow is easier to become proficient enough with for most peoples needs as opposed to an upright bow but then my friend can hit a football at 100 yards with a compound upright bow so the key to effective use of any bow is practice

[bigdan]

a shotgun has limitations too first of which is the police dont like giving out licences. second in a defence situation birdshot ( the only cartridge available in uk without an fac ) can be stopped by a wet duffel coat at 50 yards and on a single barrel gun reload time is an issue and air pistols and catapaults are useless

id really be interested to see that !! ive taken wild boar in australia with bb shot and their breastplates and skin are a lot tougher than a wet duffle coat, and you can buy bb loads in england too.

[Reservior]

a shotgun has limitations too first of which is the police dont like giving out licences. second in a defence situation birdshot ( the only cartridge available in uk without an fac ) can be stopped by a wet duffel coat at 50 yards and on a single barrel gun reload time is an issue and air pistols and catapaults are useless

id really be interested to see that !! ive taken wild boar in australia with bb shot and their breastplates and skin are a lot tougher than a wet duffle coat, and you can buy bb loads in england too.

Notice bigdan said "at 50 yards". Shot from a shotgun is running out of steam at 30 yards.

[bigdan]

/

[bigdan]

really reservolr !! running out of steam at thirty yards ? if your ever in sussex please pm me and we will go up the downs and have a session with a shotgun to see what it can do at various ranges. threre is a no more versatile tool than a shotgun and no better game getter, a bit noisy yes but it makes up for that with usability and its over whelming" leave me alone and go away factor "

[C4tch]

With large buckshot it's not running out of 'steam' at 50 yards. The bigger problem is the spread of the shot. If you have a proper choke in the right gun it is utterly deadly at 50 yards. The key is to ensure you pattern your specific gun with the shot you want to use. I think being hit with 6 out of 9 5mm balls at 50 yards would be absolutely devastating... The trick is hitting the target

But on the topic of xbows, I can get 2 if not 3 arrows out of my bow in the time it would take me to reload my Xbow. At 30 to 50 yards I am very close with both. Having said that, a properly set up xbow is much easier to hit with if you have no experience or cant practice much... My Xbow is far more noisy to shoot as well, with the bow being near silent. Something to think about.


C