Posted: 11/26/2012 1:28:58 PM EDT
| I am not a bow hunter but some of my friends are and after shooting the bows with them quite a bit I had the idea that a decent compound bow especially one of the newer shorter bows set up with quality equipment and a few dozen arrows with various heads, especially some of the bludgeon tips for dispatching small game would be a great addition to the arsenal. What say the SF group? Good idea? It could also be a possibility for defense if remaining silent was necessary (this would be a good ways down the list of uses though)....do any of you guys have a bow as part of your plan/preps |
| Well a bow is a great idea and yes I do have one somewhat in my preps but I bow hunt as well. Bows are like cars, they are expensive and every year a new model comes out and therefore the one you just bought becomes worth less and less. Id suggest do not buy a new bow. (looking to spend 4-500 on the bow itself) If you buy a used one, 1 not as huge of investment and typically (depend on make model) can cost more than half then a new bow. 2. buy many arrows and bargain hunt for arrows. This biggest thing for using a bow you need to practice a lot. and with practicing alot you will break at least a couple pretty quickly. Try find used uncut arrows. Many mom/pop place usually have a bucket and sell them 2 bucks a pop (very good deal) well thats my 2 cents |
| I'm eyeballing the Matthews z7xtreme because of the speed and compactness, its a 2 year old bow so I should be able to find a good deal on one, get a new string put on it and buy some arrows, I have a '92 model High country and always shoot it with my buddies that hunt and I hunt occasionally just not a big hunter...thanks for the input |
| There are a ton of really good bows out and about on craigslist,pawn shop, or online. If I were specifically going for self defense or limited bowhunting, I would get a longer compound and use my fingers or a takedown recurve. Recurves are very light and will adapt to a wide variety of wood and aluminum arrows. You can shoot almost any head you want on them also, including .38 shell casings for blunt tips..I have been using a recurve / longbow for many years now. I aquired a take down Impala recurve specifically for packing out and for bowfishing.... |
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There are a ton of really good bows out and about on craigslist,pawn shop, or online. If I were specifically going for self defense or limited bowhunting, I would get a longer compound and use my fingers or a takedown recurve. Recurves are very light and will adapt to a wide variety of wood and aluminum arrows. You can shoot almost any head you want on them also, including .38 shell casings for blunt tips..I have been using a recurve / longbow for many years now. I aquired a take down Impala recurve specifically for packing out and for bowfishing.... I understand the using your fingers part but why a longer compound? Just because they are harder to torque off target? Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't a recurve be weak compared to a modern compound? |
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I like the simplicity of a stick with a string on it; http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq126/Powerkicker/SBBow.jpg?t=1353854545 Stick bow, long bow, or recurve would be my choice. Less stuff to go wrong. Modern compound are usually fired with some kind of release; which would be another source for failure; as opposed to shooting with fingers for old school bows. Shooting with fingers doesn't work too well with compounds because the axle to axle length is generally too short; the > where the arrow is knocked is too sharp and it doesn't work well. More things can break and go wrong with the cams and sights; instinctive shooting can be practiced... Higher arrow speed require more exact specs than an old wood arrow for a primitive bow too. |
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Quoted: Quoted: There are a ton of really good bows out and about on craigslist,pawn shop, or online. If I were specifically going for self defense or limited bowhunting, I would get a longer compound and use my fingers or a takedown recurve. Recurves are very light and will adapt to a wide variety of wood and aluminum arrows. You can shoot almost any head you want on them also, including .38 shell casings for blunt tips..I have been using a recurve / longbow for many years now. I aquired a take down Impala recurve specifically for packing out and for bowfishing.... I understand the using your fingers part but why a longer compound? Just because they are harder to torque off target? Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't a recurve be weak compared to a modern compound? Modern compounds shoot their arrows faster than recurves or longbows, but to do so they use much lighter arrows. Traditional bows are generally used with heavier arrows, which while slower, carry more momentum. My Quest Rogue is easy to shoot and a fine hunting bow, but it's complex. I wouldn't want to rely on it if TSHTF. If I need to rely on a bow if TSHTF, it'll be along the lines of either this 50# Chinese horsebow:  ... or 50# hickory longbow:  |
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Olympic field archery is shot at 80 yards, english long bows would pierce armor of the time at 200 yards. Hunting range will be much less, and depend on your abilities.
Compound bows require lots of maintenance. Cables and strings need to be replaced from time to time. Many bows need to be "timed" to make sure the wheels are turning over together. Limbs do wear out and sometimes de-laminate, this doesn't always have anything to do with age or use. Complicated sighting systems and arrow rests will fail much more frequently than the shelf on a recurve will. |
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I would go with recurve just for the fact that you can make your own arrows and not worry about them shattering on you. Harder to learn on, and requires more effort to draw and hold, but still cooler I think.
Compounds are great though if you have the equipment to keep it tuned and do string and cable work on it. |
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It can't hurt to have any kind of bow in your armory. There is some good advantages to a bow that you don't get with a most firearms, very quiet, reusable projectiles, fishing setups. I have an old compound in my stash and I am on the hunt for a crossbow now too.
I have even seen a guy blow up a truck with just one arrow 
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It can't hurt to have any kind of bow in your armory. There is some good advantages to a bow that you don't get with a most firearms, very quiet, reusable projectiles, fishing setups. I have an old compound in my stash and I am on the hunt for a crossbow now too. I have even seen a guy blow up a truck with just one arrow
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/13/133446/2335980-600px-Rambo3-Bow01A_super.jpg Is Stallone left handed? |
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It can't hurt to have any kind of bow in your armory. There is some good advantages to a bow that you don't get with a most firearms, very quiet, reusable projectiles, fishing setups. I have an old compound in my stash and I am on the hunt for a crossbow now too. I have even seen a guy blow up a truck with just one arrow
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/13/133446/2335980-600px-Rambo3-Bow01A_super.jpg Is Stallone left handed? don't know. But with that grip, he's about to get some serious wrist slap. |
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There are a ton of really good bows out and about on craigslist,pawn shop, or online. If I were specifically going for self defense or limited bowhunting, I would get a longer compound and use my fingers or a takedown recurve. Recurves are very light and will adapt to a wide variety of wood and aluminum arrows. You can shoot almost any head you want on them also, including .38 shell casings for blunt tips..I have been using a recurve / longbow for many years now. I aquired a take down Impala recurve specifically for packing out and for bowfishing.... I understand the using your fingers part but why a longer compound? Just because they are harder to torque off target? Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't a recurve be weak compared to a modern compound? Longer axle-to-axle lengths allow comfortable use of fingers. At full draw on a longer compund bow(40"+ATA length), the angle formed by the draw string isn't as acute/sharp. This prevents pinched fingers and makes for a more accurate shot with fingers Conversely, the shorter ATA length of most modern compounds isn't conducive to comfortable or accurate finger shooting. They still make longer ATA compounds for finger shooters, you just have to compare ATA lengths. With that being said, you can still shoot fingers with a short ATA bow. I've done it with mine and it works well enough. On a field range (targets from 15' to 80+yards) it wouldn't work well for my scores. |
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Olympic field archery is shot at 80 yards, english long bows would pierce armor of the time at 200 yards. Hunting range will be much less, and depend on your abilities. Compound bows require lots of maintenance. Cables and strings need to be replaced from time to time. Many bows need to be "timed" to make sure the wheels are turning over together. Limbs do wear out and sometimes de-laminate, this doesn't always have anything to do with age or use. Complicated sighting systems and arrow rests will fail much more frequently than the shelf on a recurve will. English long bows had draw weights estimated to be in excess of 100lbs draw. They are alos long and unwieldy. English long bow archers fired from a more or less static line. But like you say, for simplicity sake it's hard to beat a "stick" bow. A modern recurve takedown would be my first choice for a survival-oriented stick bow. |
| The recurve has limited range, but is very quiet, light in the hand and can shoot a variety of arrows. In a pinch you can use dowels, cane, or sticks. They use aluminum shafts too which can be picked up pretty reasonable and stored. Any old broadheads can be used too. I have a lot of guys that find their old aluminum shafts from time to time and give them to me as they all use the latest gadgets and carbon arrows. I have a stash of multiple spines and lengths, can use a pipe cutter or hacksaw in a pinch to cut them to length. Glad the OP brought this topic up....Might be checking my local pawn shops for another tool... |
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It can't hurt to have any kind of bow in your armory. There is some good advantages to a bow that you don't get with a most firearms, very quiet, reusable projectiles, fishing setups. I have an old compound in my stash and I am on the hunt for a crossbow now too. I have even seen a guy blow up a truck with just one arrow
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/13/133446/2335980-600px-Rambo3-Bow01A_super.jpg Is Stallone left handed? He actually IS a southpaw. |
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OK guys, I've read this thread, and here is my take. Compounds will outlast a wooden bow, if taken care of. A wooden bow will last a long time too, but moisture may be an issue, and you may need to oil it if unsealed. Fiberglass will last forever really. Either will work though, but a compound will probably put more meat on the table, and it's easier for newbies to shoot if the same drawlength(ish). The stickbow has the advantage there, anyone that can pull it, can shoot it, but it's less powerful with shorter draw lengths. Care of a compound is minimal. String wax, and lube very rarely. I'm shooting a 2004 Hoyt, I've never lubed the bearings, and the string every few years. Still good, still accurate and powerful. My release is about as old, zero maintenance. I've sent the same carbon arrow through 4 deer with the same head (slick tricks) into rocky sandy soil. Resharpened the blades, and the same arrows and heads are still in my quiver. They were this evening while I was hunting. Still good groups with same arrows and heads out to 40 yards. Everything spins true. You will eventually lose arrows. They are not easily replaced. Dowel rods and such will not make decent arrows for any bow, whether longbow or compound or whatever. About the only thing I can think of that will make a decent arrow is shock-cord from a tent, and it will be very heavy and slow. good bowfishing arrow though. Dowels will blow apart from even a weaker stickbow. A 30#ish stickbow might be able to shoot dowels, or cattail shafts (native american favorite). You can shoot lots of compounds with finger. I did for over 20 years. There are plenty of 40"+ ATA bows that will do well to shoot fingers. I've even seen guys shooting tiny bows (23" even) with fingers at 3D shoots.
As for string life, they last a long time. If you can make a flemish string for a longbow, you can make one for a compound, or cables for that matter. The more shots at targets (to stay proficient, and you tend to break more arrows target shooting), the fewer shots at game you have. You need to practice, a lot, with a stickbow to stay proficient. Not so much with a compound with release and sights. After seven years without shooting a shot, I broke out my bow and shot this at 25 yards (I was shooting for each spot), and shot 3 deer for the freezer that season, my first in seven years. I have two in the freezer this year with same bow and arrows: 
Just my take. |
| Manowar, you took the thoughgts out of my head, to me the benefits of a compound bow seem much higher, and I know guys who shoot a bow 1000s of times before any real maintenance is required and I wouldn't shoot it a lot because I am already pretty proficient with one. Also a solo cam bow like Matthews requires no cam timing. I'm going to get one soon and a few dozen arrows and various tips |
| Cheap bows on craigslist. Especially now as archery seasons are closing for different states, and bowhunters are selling older bows to get the newest stuff. I have a Jennings lightning in my basement from 1984 that I killed my first deer with. I can't give it away. I shot it with fingers, aluminum arrows, and a solid cut on contact head. It's slow, heavy and noisy (not really, but by today's standards, meh. By 1800's standards, it's a miracle. Deer have no idea what century we're in). It will kill anything in North America out to 40 yards if you do your part. I've never done any maintenance. It still works fine. You can get a 10X better bow on craigslist for a few buck (under $100), just look for one that comes with arrows of the correct spine. You really need to know about this stuff for it to work well. Research it if you don't know about arrow spine, because some fudd might be selling a bow with a bunch of arrows because it wasn't accurate (for him because he had arrows that are too stiff/weak). Any modern bow will "robin hood" arrows (shoot right into the back of the previous arrow) off a machine rest at 25 yards all day long. Let me know if I can help more. If you know your drawlength, that'll help. |
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I got bow fever back in the summer and found a Mathews Switchback on a local online classifed's site. There are tons of good used bows on there all the time.
I just built a 8' x6' back stop on a rolling frame so some of us can shoot in the church gym at night after work! |
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Rob78, thanks for the good info on shooting without a release, that would definitely take some practice for me A clean release takes practice. I shot fingers as a kid and used to compete against other kids using releases. Lots and lots of arrows downrange and I got good with a shooting glove. My thought is, if you shoot well with a release, in a pinch you could harvest a game animal at close range using fingers. Shooting spots for score would take much more practice. |
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Cheap bows on craigslist. Especially now as archery seasons are closing for different states, and bowhunters are selling older bows to get the newest stuff. I have a Jennings lightning in my basement from 1984 that I killed my first deer with. I can't give it away. I shot it with fingers, aluminum arrows, and a solid cut on contact head. It's slow, heavy and noisy (not really, but by today's standards, meh. By 1800's standards, it's a miracle. Deer have no idea what century we're in). It will kill anything in North America out to 40 yards if you do your part. I've never done any maintenance. It still works fine. You can get a 10X better bow on craigslist for a few buck (under $100), just look for one that comes with arrows of the correct spine. You really need to know about this stuff for it to work well. Research it if you don't know about arrow spine, because some fudd might be selling a bow with a bunch of arrows because it wasn't accurate (for him because he had arrows that are too stiff/weak). Any modern bow will "robin hood" arrows (shoot right into the back of the previous arrow) off a machine rest at 25 yards all day long. Let me know if I can help more. If you know your drawlength, that'll help. Yep. Bowhunters and most of my field archery buddies are gearqueers. They have to have the newest stuff. Makes purchasing a 1 or 2 yr old setup much easier and cheaper. High quality pin sights and rests are expensive. I bought my SpotHog 5 pin setup off another 3D shooter for $110...would've easily cost me $250+ to pick up the same thing new. |