A lot of preppers don’t see the point in archery. We have guns, after all; why bother with a weapon we all associate with the Wild West, the 7th Cavalry and Indian warbands circling a wagon train? Archery is old-fashioned, it takes some skill and guns are more accurate, more powerful and easy to use. Why bother with archery?
Well, archery is definitely old. In fact, archaeologists think bows were the first machines ever invented by humans. Until the bow was invented, the only way to launch a missile was to throw it. A bow let a hunter or warrior store energy, then release it rapidly; an arrow could travel much further, and hit much harder, than a thrown rock or spear.
A bow is a simple machine – it’s basically just a spring – but a powerful and effective one, and technology has made it even better. A modern compound hunting bow can bring down any wild animal in North America. It’s more accurate than most handguns and quieter than a suppressed one.
You don’t need the technology, though. A traditional longbow with a 40lb draw weight is a bit less accurate than a compound, but it will take a deer – and, beyond 20 yards or so, its accuracy edges ahead of handguns too. It’s also light, and needs almost no maintenance. Best of all, you can make one yourself.
Are Bows Practical For Preppers?
Yes, guns are great if you have them, but if you don’t – or you’re out of ammo – you’re basically stuck. Archery is different. Anyone with some basic woodworking skills can make a bow, and ammunition for it is even easier to produce. If you find yourself in a survival situation without a gun, you can arm yourself with a bow.
Even when guns are available, bows have a lot to recommend them. There are a few laws restricting what kind of bow you can own. US laws on bows mainly regulate where you can use them and what kind of equipment can be used for hunting; in general, bows aren’t considered offensive weapons unless they’re used to commit a crime.
Even in anti-gun states like California, all bows are usually legal to own. If you have one and practice with it regularly, you won’t just get a great upper body workout; you’ll have a valuable survival skill.
Related: Self-Defense Weapons That Are Illegal In Your State. Do You Have One Of Them?
Archery is also quiet. Even the noisiest compound bow is much quieter than a suppressed firearm.
This means you can practice or hunt without disturbing your neighbors, and when you’re hunting the sound of a shot won’t scare off all the game within a few hundred yards.
Ammunition is reusable. Unless an arrow hits something hard or gets lost, you can keep using it. Every time you fire a gun you’re expending a limited resource, but aim your arrows carefully and they’ll each serve you for hundreds of shots.
Bows aren’t as accurate as a rifle, but at intermediate ranges, they beat handguns. If you have a pistol or even a shotgun, and you get into a fight with an archer a hundred yards away, you’re probably going to lose.
So there are a lot of reasons to consider archery. Let’s have a look at the options:
Compound Bows
The most modern type of bow, compound bows use eccentric cam wheels and a figure-8 cable to adjust the draw stroke. When a compound is almost fully drawn the cams at the end of each limb roll over and the force required drops off sharply. This is called “let-off” and it can make a huge difference.
A 60lb bow with 50% let-off only needs 30lb of effort to hold it at full draw; this makes it much easier to aim. In some modern bows let-off can be over 80%. Compounds are also compact and can be left permanently strung. On the downside, they’re more expensive, heavier and need special tools to change the string.
Recurve Bows
There’s a huge range of recurve bows available, from traditional Asian horse bows – compact, powerful and lightweight – to modern takedown models that can be fitted with advanced sights and broken down to fit into a small bag.
Recurves can be very accurate – that’s what Olympic archers use – and some are very powerful. More modern designs can be heavy, though, unless you’re willing to pay for exotic lightweight materials.
Flatbows
Sometimes called American longbows, these are semi-traditional bows that can either be three-piece takedowns or, more often, “self-bows” made from a single billet of natural or laminated wood.
They’re light but quite long – often more than five feet.
On the other hand, they’re relatively light and easy to maintain, and very high draw weights are available.
English Longbows
English longbows are extremely long – it’s rare to find one under six feet, and many are over six and a half.
They’re difficult to learn to shoot accurately, their deep D-shaped cross-section means the effort needed to draw one rises alarmingly after the first few inches, and their enormous length can be a nightmare in the woods. They’re not for the faint-hearted.
On the other hand, they can be made in truly awesome draw weights – well over 150lb – and they’re the easiest to make yourself. English longbows are great at throwing very heavy arrows that can punch through thick hide, bones and even soft body armor.
For most preppers, a takedown recurve is the best balance between simplicity, power and accuracy, but if you don’t mind learning how to maintain one a compound is an excellent weapon, and longbows have their uses too.
Making A Bow
Anyone can make a simple bow. Just cut a straightish branch with a lot of spring in it, carve a notch at each end and fit a string. A bow like that won’t have much power, but with some practice and stalking skills it will knock down birds and small game.
Related: The Easy and Practical DIY Snares to Catch Small Wild Game
With some basic woodworking skills you can do a lot better. Split a larger branch into quarters, and carve a bow from it with the sapwood forming the “back” of the bow (the side that faces away from you) and the denser heartwood forming the “belly”.
Tillering is the process of shaping a bow so it bends in an even curve, with no stiff or weak spots; you can make a tiller from a piece of timber with some notches cut into it.
A big notch at the end holds the bow; a series of smaller ones down the side lets you draw the string back and hook it into one, so you can step back and check the shape the bow is bending into.
Suggested image – Tiller
If you can’t find proper bowstring material you can make a string from any strong, hard-wearing cord. Fishing line, parachute cord or even woven sinews all make workable bowstrings. Cut angled grooves near the end of each limb to hold the string.
Arrow shafts can be made from straight-grained dowel, or lengths of split board planed down to a roughly circular cross-section. Young, straight branches also make good shafts if you season them. Cut a nock in one end and reinforce it with a tightly bound cord, then add three fletches made from split-wing feathers or heavy plastic sheet.
Sharpen the other end to a point and harden it in a fire, or cut triangles from an old can, hammer them flat, split the tip of the shaft and glue or bind the metal in place.
Whether you buy or make a bow, practice with it to build strength, speed and accuracy. If you’re camping in the woods try making a bow as you sit by your fire at night. Your first couple will probably be terrible, but you’ll soon learn how to choose the right wood and carve it to release the weapon hidden inside.
A good bow is still a very useful survival tool, and the ability to make one gives you a huge advantage when you’re alone and unarmed. Humans have been using bows and practicing archery for at least 18,000 years, and there’s a reason for that; they work. Yes, a gun is usually better than a bow, but a bow is a lot better than nothing – and most of the time it’s good enough.
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Raven have you any real world experience with a modern bow? Please post your own real world hunting or archery trial shoots.
I have taken deer with both a Recurve Bow and revolver. Range I was willing to take the shot about the same. Tracking effort about the same.
I ‘d rather not bring a bow to a gunfight but I ‘d not assume the pistoleer will always survive the skirmish.
The fight in the man and his skills with his weapons counts. In archery trials hitting a human torso sized at 100 yards is expected. Real archers can do MUCH better. Soft body armor does not stop a razor broad head, I’ve Tested that fact.
Also as a practical reference in a SHTF situation capping off a shot will draw unwanted attention for quite a large area. A shot = Dinner?
Finally I also found Bowfishing quite fun and productive. It is so productive that Game Laws limit its use.
oh look someone took out a comment they didn’t like….
100 yards with a bow isn’t practical on a deer yet alone taking a risk shot with a human is a bit much. Can we also avoid using “fun things professionals did with bows either. One you’re not them and its a moot point.
Effective and ethical deer hunting ranges are inside of 40 to 50 yards max….. with a good compound bow. (yes i hunt with mine and no i don’t care if your great uncle curves bullets or shoots a dime at a 1000 yards either.
I think the its a important tool to have in the box and can be useful. (i would mostly use it for hunting purposes but i suppose if your inside that 50 yard mark it would work on humans) Just inside that range is pretty much anything goes.
Raven,
I haven’t touched a bow and arrow since high school gym class so I have zero experience. I looked at the costs for cross bows plus all the accessories. Even the arrows are quite pricey!
When you have shot your arrow out in the woods and have retrieved it, is it still usable? Is it feasible to do repairs on a broken arrow to make it usable again? I would imagine replacing the feathers is easy enough but any more than that, I am not sure of.
depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. primitive vs modern setups….. its not as simple as the writer of this topic word vomited it out.
It does take a level of skill that i don’t even have or bothered with…..
I have a 400# crossbow with plenty of everything…..Just another tool in the shed, very accurate to 200 feet…I have a bipod on mine to maximize accuracy.
Don’t even know why I’m bothering because I already know the answer – do you EVER have anything to say that’s positive or, at the very least, not snarky? Write SOME better articles or STFU.
I own 2 cross bows one has a scope and as you say is only good for 40 to 60 yards accuratly depending on a lot of variables..
But in a fight if you want to go unseen such as your group is being attacked and your group is using guns. The perps are in a good cover positions then you can use a bow that is quiet to take out a few but only if you know woodsmanship. Thing is the applications for bows differ then that for other weapons. Each weapon no matter if it is a gun, bow, spear, knife or frying pan has it uses under the conditions set by the fight.
Now I own varius weapons cross bows, AR15, 12 guage, 243, 308, 30-30, 17Hmr, 9mms and 22s, Each of these can be used in any combat situation, if that is all you have with you at the time. But The prefeered weapon is the one you preffer to use for that situation which you will never have lol. Reason is if your are out hunting with your cross bow and some one starts a fight with you say during a shft then all you have is this cross bow and maybe a hand gun then that is what you have to fight with. So what I am saying when a fight starts you will most likely not be where your perfered weapons is. So it is best to train yourself to fight with all your weapons not just your favorites.
He said that a homemade bow was more accurate at a handgun past 20 yards. When I lived in California I belonged to an archery club. Every year we had a competition with with the local hand gunners. It was great fun but the hand gun guys always won. So I’m not buying it. Archery tackle would have its place, but more effective than a hand gun? Not a chance.
Remember friends. Ignore Raven.His goal is to upset you.
Now Ron, aren’t you being a little hard on Raven? I find his comments are great at getting my blood pumping.. almost better than cardio. As irritating as he is, and with his ability to do EVERYTHING better than anyone else, I look forward to his comments as much as any comic strip. Almost everyone posting here has the ability to improve everyone’s prepping knowledge. Learning to identify the self-aggrandizing BS from a pompous windbag saves valuable research time.
Clearly your mother dropped you at birth…..
but go ahead and give a worthy reply of how effective you are with a compound bow.
Around the courthouse we had a meme for experts. An expert was a guy from out of town with a Cross pen. A nationally known expert was a guy from out of town with a Cross pen and an attache case. An internationally known expert was a guy from out of town with a Cross pen, an attache case and a three-piece suit.
I always heard that an expert is any Damn fool, a long ways from home.
Actually, I am much more effective with my recurve and long bows than with a compound, since I have both of the former and none of the latter. And if I practiced with it a bit, I am pretty sure I would be even more effective with my new crossbow but I will wait until warmer weather to do so. That is one of the drawbacks of primitive bows – they are affected by temperature, humidity and storage conditions, as are the strings. They require a modicum of care and maintenance. Additionally, they require a certain amount of practice, much more so than picking up a rifle or shotgun, (although the more you practice with your long gun, the better you get with it, as with any skill) and a development of muscles and technique. If you have been an avid swimmer all your life, you will find that you probably have the requisite muscular strength in your back and shoulders. If you have been a couch potato all your life, you are looking at an uphill battle.
Some government agency did a study many years ago and concluded that the historical reenactment groups that study the pre-gunpowder eras will outlast the groups that study the eras since the development and use of gunpowder and firearms in warfare. The major reason is because of being able to easily replenish their ammunition supplies without needing advanced technology and machinery. In other words, arrows are easily produced with hand tools. Gunpowder requires specialized materials and equipment. Basically, the more primitive the final product desired, the easier it is to produce with limited resources and equipment.
For preppers, that means that archery, tomahawk or ax, spear and knife throwing and atl-atls are handy weapons to have the materials and skills to produce and use. Just some more tools to keep in your personal toolbox. That is why I recommend finding a Medieval, Rendezvous, French & Indian War, Revolutionary War or Blue & Grey (Civil War) reenactment group to play with and learn from. Most of them love teaching about their chosen time period and are just plain fun people to hang around with (and yes, as with any group, there ARE a few exceptions).
Sabel: Good advice. I like the Tarahumara manzanita bow. I don’t know how they processed the rawhide for the string, but, mostly because I can’t use it (shoulder problems) it’s still good after 20 years. But, I wouldn’t want to trust it, either, till it gets a new string. niio
I can see the flood of Emergency Room Victims now trying to fashion Home Made Bows & Bolts.
This craft is not for the Novice and Indians had Craftsman making them not just anyone.
Plmbr1 (interesting name BTW) the making of bows and their arrows isn’t that much more dangerous than using a circular saw. I don’t even want to talk about chainsaws and felling trees poorly.
That said nothing is idiot proof as reading my ER’s daily logbook would tell me.
Craftsmen have to learn somehow, thus there were “Novices” involved. Just saying, no offence.
True and if one I s motivated to be a bow wright, now would be a good time to apprentice to a bow wright to be ready for the apocalypse.
Raven do you lurk here just for the purpose of making disparaging remarks and trying to belittle everyone?
Maybe that bow isn’t effective at 100 yards, but speaking for myself have an arrow flying by or landing close by would make me think twice it I had only a handgun or shotgun, or was out of ammo.
Now as to the 40-50 yards… that ensures that you hit what you’re aiming at and usually is a kill shot. How far does your shotgun reach or most handguns? My 45 colt is very accurate at 50 feet but I have problems hitting accurately beyond 100 feet, even on a bench vice where it is held solidly. I sure would not like to go up against someone with a bow if I only had a handgun or shotgun.
Killshot…. most deer end up running and bleed out…. shotgun with slugs 100 meters isn’t hard to do…. Handguns (while not practical can be done but you might not like 17 rounds flying back at you for the one arrow you sent). Not to mention you can run the 100 yard gap in a pretty quick time and close that distance up.
Point to my post where i belittled someone…. I am sorry if the article wasn’t well written by someone with experience in the art of archery and they made up most of the data here.
I shoot compound and English longbow. I’m also an excellent combat pistol shot. At 100 yards I would much rather have a bow than a handgun.
Old soldier: every weekend somewhere in the country a group of shooters are regularly hitting targets at 25 meters, 50 meters, 75 meters and 200 meters. They are steel chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams.
Offhand I am as good with a two-handed hold on my revolver firing single action as I am offhand with a rifle. Past 100 yards I am better with a rifle. Some silhouette shooters are remarkably good at 200 meters. They will clean all five rams. In order to score it is not enough to hit the target, it must be hit squarely enough to knock it off the rail upon which it sits. It is quite frustrating to hit the target and see it turn but not fall over due to a misplaced shot.
Perhaps for the casual shooter who goes to the range once a year and burns through a box of ammo without regard to his shooting technique but just empties his mag without taking his firearm down from a shooting position through the whole mag may not be able to hit the side of a barn from inside it, but there are many pistol shooters who can easily hit a target and I mean a center mass hit at 100 yards. A famous gun writer no longer with us is on record killing a whitetail deer at a measured 600 yards. This was done in front of witnesses.
A famous FBI agent named Mann, while in the USMC during WWII, during the battle of Okinawa went forward to see what was holding up the advance, upon being told a Japanese sniper was the holdup, inquired as to the sniper’s general location, studied the area took aim with his service .45 Colt and dispatched the sniper. I don’t recall the distance. He was so well-known in pistol shooting circles that the Marine Corps had him in charge of pistol instruction at one of the training facilities. Before he got his desire to participate in combat.
All of that said, a man has got to know his limitations. I would suggest, though, if you can’t hit the target at 35 yards from a bench rested firearm, you need a lot more practice. NRA match pistol is shot at 25 yards and 50 yards. Master class pistol shooters will shoot a Colt.45 slow fire at 50 yards and put all ten rounds in the 10 ring. Matches are won by how many shots go in the X ring. And there are a lot of master class pistol shooters.
I am certainly not master class, but if I am shooting my favorite S&W .38 sp., with my favorite 148 gr. hollow base wadcutters, out of 10 shots at 50 yards, I will only have 3or on a bad day 4 in the 8 ring. The rest will be on the black. That is two hands, standing, slow fire from a cocked revolver. That is no where near master class. Of course I have over 5,000 rounds through that revolver which I have been shooting since 1965. It had a target hammer and trigger installed. Both are wider than normal and ribbed whereas a normal trigger is smooth. It also had an action job when first purchased to smooth up the trigger pull, so it is not completely just out of the box but the trigger pull meets NRA standards which I believe is no lighter than 3.5 pounds.
Actually, this is one of those extremely rare cases where Raven does have some legitimate points. The first error with this article is the title “The Only Things That Preppers Should Know About Archery” is the first clue the author has limited knowledge and experience. I am one of the very few in my family that are not avid bow hunters even though I do own a recurve and know how to properly use it, and even I know there is NEVER “The Only thing…” about anything concerning prepping and survival, including using and making bows, and making the arrows. You have to know how to select, season, and process the wood for both bows and arrows, how to fletch, how to devise and mount the heads, and so much more information I learned from the folks that successfully hunt deer and elk every year.
I recommend to sort through the information provided in the article and also research elsewhere to confirm if it’s accurate.
The author doesn’t pick the title.
as far as the bow vs. shotgun at 100 yards, both can reach that far (if the shotgun is using buckshot or slugs), but can you hit the target? In this situation you would have to immediately assess the situation, including terrain and cover, then decide what you should do. Are you skilled enough to successfully sneak in close enough to take out the target on your first shot? If not, I highly recommend you discretely move away as best you can and avoid the conflict.
There is a warrior “trainer” whose mantra is the most successful fight is the one you avoided. He highly recommends doing your utmost to de-escalate a situation which includes sneaking away.
In an end of the world scenario, with medical treatment very scarce or non existent even the most benign seeming wound can turn infected and lead to a miserable death. In a gunfight no matter your skill level remember the old aphorism about God created man. Mr Colt made them equal. Joe Klutz who barely knows which end the bullet exits just might have a lucky day and you might have been lowered to Joe Klutz’s level by having an unlucky day. It has been known to happen.
I started using a compound and a recurve bow this decade. I got pretty good at 30-40 yards with the compound bow. I was shooting 50 rounds per day (and losing an arrow per day) until… I tore both the inner and outer tendon on my right arm. I have been in physical therapy for a year (its free for us because a family member is the manager). My tendons are NOT healing correctly so I am banned from bow shooting. However; I am saving $ for a crossbow with a cocking assist. I know NOTHING about crossbows except that they are VERY VERY EXPENSIVE. I know I should not spend all that money. I could buy A LOT of bulk rice and #10 cans. But I really think we need a crossbow. My husband still has and still shoots his compound bow. We have guns and ammo… but I still think we need a crossbow. Feel free to talk me out of it 🙂
Tee LOL talk you out of it? Not my job:)
I’m sorry you’re not healing well. That must make many other tasks difficult.
Crossbows are a tool. If you need that tool you need it. Personally I would focus on avoiding repetitive injuries to your injured arm and heal up friend. 50 arrows a day, wow.
I’d NEVER talk you out of buying more food, nor ways to produce more :).
Heal up friend,, Winter is coming.
Thank you Michael. I think winter arrived here (west border of central Connecticut) today. I shoot subsonic rounds. I have a silencer on my .308 (that was a severe waste of time, money, and paperwork). We already grow enough fruits and veggies than we can ever consume. Our chickens produce more eggs than we can eat (we are increasing the number of birds this spring for a meat supply). Even our dog is sick of eggs. We have a few extra $$$ right now. An elderly family member that we were helping to support just inherited some land in Europe (he lives there) and he is selling that land. He will no longer need our contribution. He is 98 and still splits firewood by hand. He also makes 150 proof plum alcohol and he drinks a little (two ounces maybe) everyday.
So we will have the cash soon. Should we buy a crossbow with an assist? I have an autoimmune disease that sometimes just stops certain things from healing. The issue has been with me my whole life. I once broke the pointer and middle finger on my hand. The middle finger healed quickly and completely. The pointer took another 2 years to heal correctly.
Here is a story – we (husband and I) volunteer at the local food pantry. MOST of the customers prefer 4ice, beans, salsa, cereal. There were CASES of corned beef hash that was never distributed. The director told my husband to throw it in the dumpster. No one wanted it and the pantry needs the space. We now have 160 cans of corned beef hash in our safe room.
Tee why didn’t you like the suppresssor on the 308 ? should reduce the sound pretty well and eliminate most of the flash…… Might need ear pro still but that’s not to bad.
Tee, again the Crossbow is a tool.
If you’re thinking you need a much quieter hunting tool than you have go for it.
If you’re thinking of a Fishing Rig for it (can be very productive so much that Game Laws limit it to “Trash Fish”) then go for it. BTW I love Bowfishing and use the “Trash Fish for dog food and garden fertilizer “Teas”. It’s odd I’ve eaten Carp in Asia yet so far, I’m not interested here. That I suspect WILL CHANGE.
Hearing your successes in eggs and veggies can I suggest raising Rabbits for meat? A breeding trio and proper care will have you quite a productive USE for all those “excess Veggies”.
3 mistakes I’ve seen or done so please avoid.
1. Don’t buy a poor breeding stock, better to buy from a good breeder. BEWARE Rabbit People will adopt you LOL. Cheap rabbits eat the same amounts (if not more) for less production and birthing issues. They also get sick more often.
2. Don’t go cheap on the cages. It’s a one-time cost and well worth doing it right. Used cages need to be CLEANED, CLEANED, did I mention CLEANED? Most folks get out of rabbits because of poor breeding stock AND DISEASE. Their shelter requirements are few but the NEED THEM done right. Better to spend a little more for fresh wire or even whole cages if you want. PLEASE NO WOOD Frames. Cannot be cleaned properly, Disease.
2A Keeps your rabbitry free from “visitors”. I’ve had a little girl once visit with her sweet little Cocker Spanel. Dog didn’t DO anything, but it FREAKED out my Doe enough to eat her kits (proper name for young). That and the Bio-Hazard of unwashed hands handling other critters and such.
3 Learn what your Rabbits can Eat. They will eat many a toxic plant and abort their young or die on you. There is much you can feed them beyond Purina Rabbit Chow but PAY ATTENTION to what you feed and what “Visitors” TRY to feed those “Cute Bunnies.
Tee maybe your get a rabbitry AND a crossbow with a fishing rig 🙂
When I say Winter is coming I don’t mean the season, I’m well are what season it is friend. I mean MOAR Stupity from the Sockpuppets handlers and Dr. Nazi.
Winter is coming = get it now might not be available for any amount of dollars later.
sorry to hear about your injury… And yes a crossbow is an effective hunting device, as are many other contraptions. learning the crossbow is much easier than the other bows even when they are equipped with modern sights… We can always go back in time to see just how effective they can be. Follows is a comment on their overall use and effectiveness:
In 1139 the second Lateran Council banned the crossbow under penalty of anathema as a weapon “hateful to God and unfit for Christians,” and Emperor Conrad III of Germany (reigned 1138–52) forbade its use in his realms. But the crossbow proved useful in the Crusades against the infidel and, once introduced, could not be eradicated in any event.
http://www.britannica.com/technology/military-technology/The-infantry-revolution-c-1200-1500
So use it to hunt, but be careful to only use it in defense against infidels and unbelievers to avoid damnation!
But… will I be able to cock a crossbow?
Tee, I suggest you go visit an Archery Center with crossbows and a range to learn the answer to your question.
I suspect you’re not the first person with limited arm strength some in to ask about crossbow cocking aids.
Tell them what you want to do with it and they will help. Otherwise, I suspect there are Crossbow webpages with that information.
I just entered in my search engine about crossbow cocking assist and found the modern verson of the hand crake cocking system.
Tee:
Sorry your recovery isn’t going well, but keep up with the physical therapy – even if you don’t make it back to 100%, it does help. Talk to your therapist about additional exercises you can do at home when your “official” pt is over.
Be aware that you may experience residual pain, and you may have to limit your activities even after you’re “healed”. Your body has been hurt and especially if you’re over thirty it takes more time than it might if you’re twenty. Just keep up with it.
As far as the crossbow goes, you might be able to get a good condition used one for a bit less than buying it new. Just be sure the condition matches the price. Some come with a windlass, which might be a good option for you, as it means less strain on your damaged arm. (A windlass is a device that retracts the bow to the locking position by means of a hand wound crank. Think of the movie “Van Helsing”, or other similar movies.)
Crossbow bolts are usually shorter and heavier than traditional arrows, too.
Many of the current crossbows shot at over 400fps and are spot on out to 100 yards, practice and a good optic are necessary at this range of course. I’ve ‘played’ with my Ravin x-bow out to 150 yards but would not hunt with it, wind and the reaction time of the white tails would make the chance of a less than lethal strike very extreme. Yes they can be pricey but they are quite enjoyable to shoot.
Tee: Look around on-line and so on, and once in a while a crossbow comes up. I want one, as well, and bolts are easy to make from something like oleander. They dry iron hard, do not split easily and are very light. Very good for arrow shafts. A few leaves stuffed down a packrat burrow sends them running for someplace safer, like the bobcat, that’s how toxic the leaves are.
I wish I could still use the bows. One Longbow, one from kin in Tarahumara country, and a 25lbs I’ve had and used for decades.
Tee, over the last 15 plus years I’ve gone through multiple training courses and have used them in the field. As I’ve gotten older (currently 65) and with the aging process. Most of the bows mentioned in this article are for those in good shape and have the strength needed. Making a bow and/or arrows is a good refferancce and guidance on making a personal choice but would need further research to get it correct.
One ot this items that this article did not address is the crossbow. I’ve personally have moved to the crossbow from the compound bow. Which I have found and now realized that this was the correct move. Took a few training classes before my purchase: bow, arrows, varible arrow heads, scope with a laser, targets, accories and proper storage. One doesn’t need the most expensive but should get a reliable crossbow. Doing some research will get you on a correct path.
I no longer hunt for deer or bear any longer but got to the indoor shooting range 4-5 times a year just to remind myself what is need and keep the memory fresh. Plus i don’t have the expense of lossing as many arrows. Having a few extra crossbow strings and the like equipment to make your backup worth the cost. I no longer go through boxes of ammo for my rifles, handguns and shotguns at the shooting ranges. Don’t need to do this for various reasons: ammo cost, Covid, range cost and etc. but have gone to practicing in my own home with all three ddifferent weapns using dummy shells. Have also purchased the equipment for laser target shooting. Putting targets in various locations. Spouse can also enjoylearning this way. Putting lights with lasers on handguns and shotguns works really nice. But back to the bow and arrow topic: My choice is the crossbow with a variety of arrowheads. I can do my shooting practice in my backyard at times for the 60 foot distance and being able to get the muscle and memory refreshed.
Good luck and may your arrow flight be on target.
Should have proofread and did a better job of spell correct. WIsh this site had the spell correct similar to many other sites.
Tee
I know those types of injuries are painful and take a while to get back to where you were.
Ive had my biceps reattached on both arms and shoulder surgery. I finally got to where I could draw my bows.
Archery can be a valuable tool to provide for the table and to me is very enjoyable. I got my first bow about 60 years ago. GOOD GRIEF…DID I SAY 60 YEARS AGO??? that don’t seem possible. LOL…It was a little green fiberglass bow that was maybe 20# draw weight. There’s no telling how many arrows I launched from that thing.
I got my first hunting bow about 40 years ago. I still have it. It’s a Bear Black Bear recurve 45# draw weight. I bought it and 8 arrows used for $25. It still shoots good and is fun to shoot. The year I bought it I was able to harvest a little whitetail buck with a shot of about 7 yards.
I have other bows…a Martin Dreamcatcher recurve, a Martin Warthog compound, a PSE Mossy Oak compound and this year for my birthday, my son and wife gave me a Barnett Hyper Whitetail 410 crossbow. That crossbow is amazingly fast and accurate. It has a scope on it. My grandson was familiar with crossbows so he helped me and my son sight it in. We started shooting at a block target at 10 yards and worked our way out to 40 yards. We were able to shoot 2” groups at 40 yards with no problem. I wasn’t able to hunt much this season because of some health issues but I hope to more in the future.
My son and grandsons are very capable, experienced and successful woodsmen and hunters. They start practicing shooting their compound bows mid summer shooting a target out to 40 yards. It’s very common for them to shoot a 2” groups. Like the old saying goes…practice, practice, practice. They actually prefer to hunt with their compound bows than with a rifle. My son harvested a nice heavy 9 point whitetail deer with his bow with a 38 yard shot this season.
As for hunting with crossbows I believe people get over confident and equate looking through the scope on the bow with looking through a scope on a rifle and take too long of a shot. Just my opinion. Also a crossbow can get out of tune just like a compound. If they’re not checked periodically its easy to make a bad shot.
For me reloading is difficult at best even with the crank. It’s also time consuming…nothing like knocking another arrow on a recurve or a compound. If I get a shot with my crossbow I hope I make a good shot and make it count.
Being able to be in the woods and enjoy the outdoors is a blessing and very enjoyable and rewarding.
I hope you have a speedy and full recovery and you can back to archery and shooting your bow again real soon.
Funny how these very informative and useful forums that everyone on here signed up for, quickly turn into a chest-pounding contest with a loss of meaning to the supposed lesson. I would turn off comments for everything and let people either learn or suffer in silence over some BS with which they disagree. Either way, you came here to read this stuff so read it without the debate.
Cajun,
This article and all the comments encouraged me to do some outside research. What I found was there is a line of fishing equipment that has “Cajun” in the name. It seems that the equipment is for fishing in clear enough water to see through and aim with an arrow or spear. Have you ever used such a tool? If you have, what do you think of it?
sorry that the beta male inside of you gets upset when you read something that’s wrong.
Look its life….. and when poor information is given its up to people with the skill set to provide the correct response.
FWIW, one can correct misinformation or suggest that more is needed without being snarky about it. While tact has never been MY strong point (Dale Carnegie once punched me in the mouth), one can try to be more encouraging and supportive with criticism. As Red Green was fond of saying, “We’re all in this together.”
Sagebrush Lin Bowfishing is a lot of Fun and productive. Please see my comments to Tee about them.
Current game laws limit it to trash fish like carp, but I’ve eaten carp and the dogs love them. Ever hear of hush puppies LOL. Fish leftovers makes for excellent gardening fertilizer Teas. But be aware you are going to have other critters “interested” in that smelly stuff also.
Robert Frost said Good Fences make for Good Neighbors. Also true with Gardening, eh?
But then again, I call that hunting over bait for pest elimination 🙂
My mother (who left this earth in 1986) would regularly “plant” a few fish in her garden. She had the most remarkable garden because of the fish plus her other skills.
I read your comments to Tee. Very useful information. In fact, I am thankful that you do post often enough. You always have useful and logical information.
Sorry man the bow was not the first way to launch a missile. The spear thrower or ahtlatl (not sure of spelling) is older. A cupped stick that provided leverage for throwing of spears and darts. It was simple and could produce a lot of speed in the projectile. I am not dismissing Archery though. you are correct it can be a useful tool. Having used firearms, bows and tried to use an ahtlatl can say that a firearm is the easiest to use. If you have the time to practice I think archery is a good skill to develop. I have never mastered the ahtlatl for what it’s worth, but I have seen others use it quite well.
forgot shepherd’s sling, we all know the story of David vs Goliath
The slinger aka what david was, Was one of the most lethal weapon of his time. Skilled slingers could hit a moving bird and killing a man wasn’t even a hard task for most of them. The slingers where pre archers able to volley and strike men down in battle.
David wasn’t as weak as the sunday school stories make it out to be.
Birdman, don’t make your own stories here. Revelation warns about that.
1Sam 17.45 But Dawiḏ said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the Name of יהוה of hosts, the Elohim of the armies of Yisra’ĕl, whom you have reproached.
46 “?This day יהוה shall deliver you into my hand, ?and I shall strike you and take your head from you, and give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines today to the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the earth, so that all the earth know that Elohim is for Yisra’ĕl,
47 and ?all this assembly know that יהוה does not save with sword and spear, for the battle belongs to יהוה, and He shall give you into our hands.”?
David must have been pretty tough to be out there walking for miles over rough terrain with who knows what kind of footwear. He didn’t carry a bottle of electrolyte fueled water either. He was capable of protecting the sheep from predators with that sling shot and many a small knife. As you and many others have pointed out here, practice is what changes the game. David had a lot of practice.
Heartland America has a product called the Beeman Pocket Hunter, which is essentially a slingshot for firing arrows or bolts.
Has anyone used this? What did you think of it?
Here’s a link if you want to check it out.
https://www.heartlandamerica.com/beeman-pocket-hunter.html
it looks like a wrist rocket with a string to seat your bolt?
Sent for one. Looks OK, but by the time all was said and done, ouch that price. niio
Red:
Let us know how that works for you… like you said, it looks good, but if the concept were really sound it would be a common design by now, I’d think. Slingshots have been around since they vulcanized rubber, so I’m skeptical.
MissKitty, I have no experience with slingbows so searched for “Pocket Hunter” and it shows several videos of these type of slingbows. Before you buy please watch this video from a valid Central Oregon tester showing how it fails, and at the end he discusses some better options. I would not buy this slingbow.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Pocket+Hunter&&view=detail&mid=C1EEBDF843EC638BBA66C1EEBDF843EC638BBA66&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DPocket%2BHunter%26qs%3Dn%26form%3DQBFVBS%26sp%3D-1%26pq%3Dpocket%2Bhunter%26sc%3D8-13%26sk%3D%26cvid%3D905973E8A61049E88A2727BA0441F0ED
DZ:
Thanks!?
Ok children, everybody settle down now. Bottom line a weapon any weapon is better than no weapon. Nuff said.
LOL but you have to admit that the plethora of information is priceless
Some of you commentors are obviously the expert on many subjects. You would be doing yourselves a great service to at least try to correctly use proper spelling and grammar. Perhaps your credibility might go up a notch or two.
JM, this is a prepper blog, not a journalism blog, although it does make communicating the information easier to comprehend, spelling and grammar are secondary to providing valid factual information. Got anything to add concerning archery?
I kan ewes my wurds gooder than ewe
Your Mom’s:
It should actually read : Eye kan ewes mi wurds MORE gooder then ewe. LoL.
(Song)
Anything you can do I can do better
I can do anything better than you
[FRANK]
No, you can’t
[ANNIE]
Yes, I can
[FRANK]
No, you can’t
[ANNIE]
Yes, I can
[FRANK]
No, you can’t
JM: I’m a manuscript researcher and an editor. This is not a fight for a publisher, but a battle to save your life. Peace.
From experience. I did use a compound bow until I got a back problem. A good modern scoped crossbow within 50 +/- yards for hunting is good. From small animals to large. It is sorta quite, maybe sound will travel 200 yards more or less. You can get a good one for around $300 and up. Arrows for it run as little as $3 to as much as you want to pay. A cocking rope works for me quite well. If you have an injury or are somewhat weak then a crank on the stock works good. (have both) Just have to learn the way the crank works.
The scopes on crossbows can be a issue…. granted they’re designed for the shock of a crossbow firing… You should invest in something decent and not find the cheapest optic.
Good article. While I like bows and own several, I can’t draw them anymore thanks to a shoulder problem. A pellet gun (.22) is more by style, tho I want to make a crossbow. niio
In days of old it is said that Indians and their bow and arrow was superior to the gun. They could release at least three arrows to one gun shot. The time that ended was when the repeater rifle was introduced to the scene and the Indians were quick to pick up on it. That is one major reason Custard lost. Upon the battle field the empty casings of repeater rifles was on the Indians side. Custard’s men were using (if I recall correct) Spencer single shot rifles.
My martial arts sensei said it is not the martial arts that win the fight; It is the one who practices the most! But there is a dramatic difference between practice and the real thing.
I see a lot of you can shoot off a bench accuracy comments – you can not do that in a gun fight. One of the biggest things you must control in a gun fight is fight or flight. Once you got that under control, accuracy still isn’t the most important thing. You must also think of your safety. Again something that the sensei said was ” there were two of the worlds greatest knife fighter got into a knife fight. They both stabbed each other and dying there the one says – I killed you worser! ” Question is who won the fight? Answer neither!
Standing frigid in the center of the street at high noon and taking careful aim is not a good place and will get you killed.
Four things when fighting especially when weapons of any kind are used. This is adjusted for gun fire but is usually used with hand held weapons including knives.
1.Get out of the way – get under cover
2. deflect – with shots being fired in his direction, if bullets are flying by him he is subjected to fight or flight – also he is likely looking for cover
3. control – once he ducks take aim!
4. disarm. – shoot to kill
I was in the MC and in VN in the 60’s and was sniped at, ambushes in on the wrong side and mortar attacks. So I do know first hand about controlling ones fright and how it really tries to control you. I overcame and did my duty!
It is easy to put words on paper on what you would do – and no practice gets you really prepared for the real thing!
One more thing that is rarely discussed but is well known to the military. They have a hard time getting people to shoot at real people. Maybe my numbers may be off but it is like 30-40% of the Army are willing to aim and pull they trigger on a walking target. MC it is around 55-75%. The human urge not to kill another human is strong! Talk does not over co
me this urge, intestinal fortitude does!
Mike, Semper Fi, and you are Soooo correct, please continue to share more real world advice and wisdom.
Thank You, you earned true respect.
On Killing and On Combat are two books written by LTC Grossman, He did write about the issues with getting people to kill. However by Vietnam and the new conditioning program they had a higher rate around 90 percent from the 10 to 15 percent that you often found in ww2 or lower.
Custard made a few errors as well… He could of brought along a gattling gun with him and his aggorance got the best of him. Indians also used rifles as well. This was a huge advantage from the moment white men landed here. The tribes often teamed up with Us to go take on other tribes that would give them hell.
Nothing changed more things in history then the Rifle
MissKitty, I have no experience with slingbows so searched for “Pocket Hunter” and it shows several videos of these type of slingbows. Before you buy please watch this video from a valid Central Oregon tester showing how it fails, and at the end he discusses some better options. I would not buy this slingbow.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Pocket+Hunter&&view=detail&mid=C1EEBDF843EC638BBA66C1EEBDF843EC638BBA66&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DPocket%2BHunter%26qs%3Dn%26form%3DQBFVBS%26sp%3D-1%26pq%3Dpocket%2Bhunter%26sc%3D8-13%26sk%3D%26cvid%3D905973E8A61049E88A2727BA0441F0ED
DZ:
Thanks for the tip and the links!
A crossbow is the most easy bow to operate and effective to take down food or foe. Silent and deadly, if you need to eliminate ‘something’ quietly at a closer range. And yes, there are many types that are easily cocked, they are approved for handicapped hunters in many places.
They do not have to be very, very expensive; we got a nice one for my husband a few years back in the $300 range. He has gotten deer with it.
Your Royal Highness:
Added bonus: if you have deer in your back yard, you can shoot them without violating the “firing a gun in a residential area” municipal codes and smuggle them into your garage to process. No need to schlep out to the woods at 3am in 25°F weather and sit in a deer blind for five hours, peeing in an old coffee can.
Miz Kitty: You do know how to take the fun out of things 🙂 But, I always found it easier to just take the deer at 3AM than sit around. Wow, but I miss living in aggie country. niio
First, I want to thank you all for the information and support. I am overwhelmed by the way you all make me feel. Thank you.
@Raven – there is nothing WRONG with the sound suppressors on my .308s. I just expected less noise. Before the ‘can’ (all the cool kids call it a can), I ALWAYS shot my .308s and larger with a muzzle brake/flash hider. The sound suppressor only muffles the sound a bit more. I had to APPLY to the govt. I had to wait 10 months, and I had to give them $200 PER ‘can’. It was all just an exercise in BS. I gained NOTHING but longer gun cases (yet MORE $ spent). FOR ME, there is no practical use for a .308 sound suppressor. Subsonic rounds are better FOR ME.
@Michael – thank you for the rabbit suggestion. I am lucky to live in a community with many people who still farm or who grew up on farms. I have started the inquiry and my husband is on board. Thanks for explaining the “winter” comment. My grandpa used to say it to me in German… I cannot believe I forgot the context.
what model suppressor did you get ?
Raven, I got a Silencerco and a DeadAir. My co worker LOVES his Silencerco, but he has it on a .223. The darn supressors cost more than one would expect. However; my friend was reviewing them so I got a deal. I got dealt alright.
Tee it’s funny how many preppers I know remember their German Grandparents.
My Grandmother remembered Kristallnacht and how her family (once successful bankers) had to work on the NYC Docks to get a roof over their head. Grandfathers best job and the one he died doing was working at Coors in Golden CO. The old bull had to show he could throw the kegs with the young bucks as I heard it.
Grandmothers’ gardens, chickens, rabbits and compost piles were impressive. You WORKED when you visited her, but she fed you well 🙂
I wish I had asked her more about her old-world farming tricks.
Michael,
My grandparents were strong and resiliant. They left Germany because they where good, moral, people. Their farm fed us. They brought us to church and made us do our homework. When my mother took us back, we were not made to go to school and we never went to church. I miss my Oma and Opa more than most can understand
I saw someone build some great rabbit hutches out of metal shopping cart baskets, removing the wheeled under carriages They used a hand fit metal panel partition to cover the opening. Kept in a car port with nearby guard dog, they appeared to be a productive meat source for the family.
anonymous: Cool idea. Even a bear would have trouble getting thru one.
Down here, mid-lower desert, people are going back to courtyard pens, where rabbits are in a herd with buckets planted under a foot of soil (6 inch pipe going down to the bucket). This keeps them cool in summer. One woman ‘inherited’ a herd of rabbits. Someone moved out of town and just let their rabbits go. They moved into her yard and she fenced in the garden. They like food scraps and salt she gives them, but each morning go out to feed, then are back in the evening. Her husband live traps any they want for the table. niio
Red, I don’t quite understand the bucket system that keeps the rabbits cool. Are the rabbits underground also? Are these the 5 gallon buckets that come with lids? Are they something like Ollas? It sounds like a good plan to have something that keeps the animals with thick fur or feathers cooler in the summer.
Sage: The buckets have lids, yes. They’re buried at a slight cant with the pipe going up past ground level. How high depends on average rain. Wire for a pen needs to go 2-3 feet deep. Does love to dig. A thick mulch can be put over the soil for additional insulation in summer. After bunnies are mature, the bucket should be dug up and cleaned then buried again.
One old boy in Arkansas said it was cool, but they get too much rain. When he clear cut pines for saw logs, he pulled the stumps and piled them in the middle of a large pen, then let in the rabbits and some chickens. Hens go to the henhouse at night, and the rabbits have their warren. He said he has rabbits to predators, but few of them are willing to face an an angry doe in her burrow. Overall, it’s little work to produce a lot of meat. niio
Red,
Thank you for more of an explanation. I just remembered that my mother kept rabbits for a bit until she found that it was too difficult for anyone to butcher them. Inside their pen area, she piled up some thick branches into a haphazard pile with some dirt on top and the rabbits would burrow into the pile. The rabbits did seem to really like that wood pile.
Sage: Rabbitries started out in monastery courtyards. Rabbits dug their burrows and were easy to trap. what was old, is now. I like the in-ground rabbitry, allowing them to dig their own burrow, because the heat is so bad for them. A number of people allow rabbits free run to forage in allies and the brush. We have plenty of predators from hawks to a mountain lion, but it’s rare any disappear. Yeah, shocks me, too, but rabbits have a real good sense of survival or there wouldn’t be any rabbits left 🙂
It’s interesting to know that bows can still be recommended even if guns are widely used now. I can imagine how it might actually be an alternative for self-defense as well. So I would probably have the broken arrow guns that my dad have before fixed, and I will use it myself if needed in the future.
Mia: I like that. I bought an overprices slingshot that’s supposed to fire arrows, but nothing beats a crossbow for me. I have several bows and also have a damaged rotor cuff, LOL, so a bro is making me a crossbow. niio