Crossbow ?

**Tony uk** · 12-22-2007, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by FVR

With that crossbow, couldn't hit the side of a barn. I'll stick with snares and an atlatl.

Well, unless it's a can of beer, I can hit that beer.

What if the ber is non-alcoholic bad tasteing walmart brand 1 cent per can cheapo knock-of-nigel stuff ?

**Rick** · 12-22-2007, 12:06 AM

Beer is beer. I remember, oh about 16 or 17 years old, Old Stag, PBR, Schiltz, Old Mil, Shopwell Premium, Schnaifer, Premium ABC just to name a few. (I mean, who names their beer ABC?) Some of it might have even been worse that the 1 cent per can cheapo knock-off-nigel stuff. You could almost fill your cigarette lighter with some of it. Lord knows the next morning saw blue flames.

**Tony uk** · 12-22-2007, 12:28 AM

That sounds like what we call Asda Price stuff (The supermarkets own brand that they sell made from..............HELL KNOWS, Gasoline probily) also we have Buckfast, purposely designed to get you drunk

**Rick** · 12-22-2007, 12:36 AM

Oh, man. I laughed out loud. That was pretty good and way too close to the truth. I had an uncle that was an ex-Marine and ex-Army. Served in the Pacific (Marines) and in Korea (Army) and would drink anything. I mean anything. Hair tonic, after shave, anything. If the ingredients said Alco...that was as far as he read. The bottom got tipped on the spot. God rest his soul.

**canid** · 12-28-2007, 09:54 PM

yeah that crosbow would not be sufficient to confuse a chickadee. as designed in the link, it is not meant to be fletched, is not decently powered and is pictured with a blunt bolt. i doubt it has the power to seriously stun anything over a few Oz. at a few feet.

i would recomend a field expedient self-bow of at least 45lb draw if i where going to recomend a home-made bow at all. bowhunting is a serious art, and bowyering is generaly a highly skilled endeavor. even a diy selfbow for hare would require practice to make and will grneraly require a supprizingly high draw weight to get a decent cast from inferior materials which you might not have the time to prepare, dry, etc.

for most large game, bowhunting requires superb stalking skills to achieve the ranges required for reliable take. for small game, a suitable bow is not unrealistic, or even all that dificult with a little practice, but is not practical for most people. a cross-bow is less so. this is just my take.

the problem with a crosbow improvised from natural materials is that you must first improvise a servicable bow, then improvise a stock with a safe and reliable trigger mechanism and then reliably attatch the two. unless you are physicaly unable to draw and hold a bow of suitable weight, it is making an already challenging project more involved and complicated.

trigger mechanisms aren't all that hard to figure out but what will you make them from? home crosbow design is probably better suited to hobby than survival.

please don't take this too criticaly, it's just my advice and experience.

**Sarge47** · 12-28-2007, 10:49 PM

(R. Lee Ermy voice) "Welcome Canid, Now get your scrawny back-side over to the "introductions" thread and tell us a bit about yourself or you can drop and give me 20...Morels that is!

(BTW, like your signature.

)

**FVR** · 12-28-2007, 11:05 PM

if i where going to recomend a home-made bow at all. bowhunting is a serious art, and bowyering is generaly a highly skilled endeavor. even a diy selfbow for hare would require practice to make and will grneraly require a supprizingly high draw weight to get a decent cast from inferior materials which you might not have the time to prepare, dry, etc.

for most large game, bowhunting requires superb stalking skills to achieve the ranges required for reliable take. for small game, a suitable bow is not unrealistic, or even all that dificult with a little practice, but is not practical for most people.

Grasshopper, must build bows to make a statement like that. It's correct.