What changes can we make to our lives to deal with the economic and energy crises ahead? Have you already started making preparations? Got tips to share?
Catweazle wrote:Keep us informed VT, I've always fancied a crossbow myself although not allowed to hunt with one in the UK.
What model did you get ? I'm thinking that a medium powered recurve type would be best for fun shooting over here.
I purchased a Barnett "Wildcat C6" 150 lb. draw weight and 320 feet per second arrow speed with 400 grain 20" bolts. http://www.barnettcrossbows.com/crossbo ... -dot-sight
Edit to add: This bow has an excellent safety system that trips on as you cock the bow and has a lever that gets engaged when you slide your bolt tight against the string. Unless you have a bolt properly loaded you can't let off the safety or dry fire the bow. Dry firing will damage the bow.
You can get recurve crossbows in any draw weight you desire.
One advantage they have is back yard practice doesn't alarm or annoy the neighbors like gunfire does.
I made myself some simple bows (30 and 45 pound or there abouts) last year which were fun to shoot, but recently got myself a 'proper' compound bow. Its only 25# but fun too and accurate. Also a lot less effort to pull back. It's made me want to get something more powerful so I can shoot further.
I can see crossbows being banned in the UK at some point. A compound bow less so.
Snail wrote:I made myself some simple bows (30 and 45 pound or there abouts) last year which were fun to shoot, but recently got myself a 'proper' compound bow. Its only 25# but fun too and accurate. Also a lot less effort to pull back. It's made me want to get something more powerful so I can shoot further.
I can see crossbows being banned in the UK at some point. A compound bow less so.
A longbow would be more powerful
To become an extremist, hang around with people you agree with. Cass Sunstein
Another fun target thing I've been doing is a sling (like David&Goliath). The first time I tried it, my stone went backwards! But it's surprising how quickly I got reasonably accurate with it. A bit of leather and some paracord, great fun while walking and fits in a pocket.
Snail wrote:I made myself some simple bows (30 and 45 pound or there abouts) last year which were fun to shoot, but recently got myself a 'proper' compound bow. Its only 25# but fun too and accurate. Also a lot less effort to pull back. It's made me want to get something more powerful so I can shoot further.
I can see crossbows being banned in the UK at some point. A compound bow less so.
A longbow would be more powerful
The best you can expect from a traditional long bow is about 175 feet per second arrow speed. You have to be in good physical condition to draw a long bow of 60 lbs. draw weight and hold it drawn while your target fiddles around on taking that last step that puts them into position for you to take the shot. Compound bows and compound crossbows use the wheels and pulleys to store energy and reduce the amount of strength it takes to hold the bow at full draw. When you draw a compound bow you can feel it get easier to draw as the cam wheels take up as much as 60 percent of the load. When you release the arrow the cam wheels unload giving back that stored energy and increasing arrow speed.
Of course you don't have to hold a crossbow back so your only limit is how good your cocking mechanism is. Some Medieval crossbows had draw weights so high they required a small winch to re-cock them. Great if your trying to pierce the armor plate of the enemies knights but not so good if your opponent is a mounted Mongol armed with a recurve bow that he can launch four arrows from before the fist reaches the target. A modern compound bow can have arrow speeds of over 350 fps. and compounds run well past 400fps with the top of the line bows. http://www.greenmanlongbows.co.uk
Last edited by vtsnowedin on 29 Aug 2016, 02:05, edited 1 time in total.
The draw length of our longbows is generally 28" and the draw weight is usually around 40 - 50lb though this can vary depending on the bow. Higher or lower draw weight bows can be ma
28" is not a very long bow IMO.
To become an extremist, hang around with people you agree with. Cass Sunstein
The draw length of our longbows is generally 28" and the draw weight is usually around 40 - 50lb though this can vary depending on the bow. Higher or lower draw weight bows can be ma
28" is not a very long bow IMO.
28" would be the length of the arrow not the bow. The bow would be about six feet long.
Extend your left arm out to the side and measure the distance from the root of your thumb back to the right corner of your mouth. That is your personnel maximum draw length. At full draw the tip of your middle finger should be touching the corner of your lips.
I use a 60lb Matthews Switchback, it has 80% "let off" ( the reduction in draw weight when at full draw ). For an average adult it's fine as you have a certain momentum that easily allows you to pull the 60lb until you reach the "let off". However, friends teenage kids ( even quite large ones ) have struggled to draw it.
If you can't draw it easily you are going to disturb any animal you are close enough to hit, so for smaller / slighter hunters it's not much use.
A crossbow is a different matter, you could load it and give it to your wife / kid, let them sit in a bush for a while
Catweazle wrote:I use a 60lb Matthews Switchback, it has 80% "let off" ( the reduction in draw weight when at full draw ). For an average adult it's fine as you have a certain momentum that easily allows you to pull the 60lb until you reach the "let off". However, friends teenage kids ( even quite large ones ) have struggled to draw it.
If you can't draw it easily you are going to disturb any animal you are close enough to hit, so for smaller / slighter hunters it's not much use.
A crossbow is a different matter, you could load it and give it to your wife / kid, let them sit in a bush for a while
The one I have just purchased tells you to not leave it cocked for more then four hours. All well and good.
The fact that the Millennials can't draw a bow or do a single pushup is disconcerting but I expect the usual number of them to step up to the plate when the S#*! hits the fan.
