Entries tagged ‘bow crossbow’. Compound bows for hunting, their advantages and disadvantages

Or a crossbow in modern Russian realities is much less common than with a gun. The first reason is the high cost of equipment, and the second is the need to master the theoretical and practical part of the use of throwing weapons.

The choice between a crossbow or a bow will depend on the skills of the shooter and his personal preferences in hunting, which one is best suited for a particular type of hunting. Many hunting enthusiasts strive to at least try these types of weapons in action, because it is reliably known about the unforgettable sensations received in the process.

Features of hunting with a bow and crossbow

The ability to shoot a firearm does not give any significant skills in handling a crossbow or bow. Which one is best for each hunter, he must decide for himself. Mastering archery is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. However, good skill with a bow is achieved by practicing aimed shooting and attending instruction from masters.

Still, it is somewhat easier to switch to crossbow shooting for those who previously had experience using firearms. Good shooting from a gun will allow you to quickly adapt to aimed shooting with crossbow arrows and not feel much discomfort from changing outfits. If the shooter is completely without experience in shooting from throwing weapons, the game has an unsuccessful but traumatic hit from a bow, more likely to survive, which is better to use a bow or crossbow in this case, from the point of view of humanity should be taken into account.

In fact, this kind of hunting bears little resemblance to an entertainment event; it is rather an art and a matter of real hunters. In addition, hunting with a bow or crossbow is a real sports discipline, no less significant than similar sports with shooting from firearms.

Differences from hunting with firearms

Naturally, the main difference is the possibility of silent shooting, which will not scare away all the game within a radius of several hundred meters. In addition, shooting from a thrown weapon gives a completely different feeling than using guns. The hunter feels as if closer to his prey, in more complex and interesting conditions. Excitement in such a hunt is more reminiscent of that of distant ancestors. Absolute silence and unity with nature when tracking game and shooting itself can leave few people indifferent.

Questions about whether to choose a crossbow or a bow, which one is better suited, are decided depending on the type of fishing. For example, hunting for aerial targets is entirely the prerogative of the bow, the use of a crossbow for flying targets is impractical. Ground game can be equally effectively hit with both weapons, but the crossbow is more suitable for beginners or those who do not want to retrain for a long time after using guns. Archery, on the other hand, will require better developed skills, including taking into account the tension of the bowstring, the firmness of the hand, the correction for the wind, the skillful calculation of the trajectory of the arrow and the movement of the target.

Beginners should be advised to purchase weapons from the best company of crossbows and bows Ten Point, which is the leader among American manufacturers. It is also recommended to study the products of Horton, Megaline, Barnett, Excalibur and PoeLang

Designs and types of bows

The invention of the bow gave man the ability to remain out of sight of his prey and greatly increase his range compared to throwing weapons such as spears. The very first structural design of the bow was presented about 10 thousand years ago and turned out to be almost ingenious in its efficiency and simplicity.

The bow was an excellent example of a universal weapon for both hunting and war. Even ancient bows were capable of shooting several hundred meters and piercing enemy armor. The range of the arrow then depended not so much on the design, but on the physical data of the shooter.

Although the very first design has survived to this day unchanged, experts have created significantly improved versions that even the best Mongolian archers would envy. There are five main types of traditional, block, sports and children's.

Compound bows for hunting, their advantages and disadvantages

If we consider hunting from the point of view of the fascination of the process, then in response to the question of what is better for hunting, a bow or a crossbow, one can definitely answer - a bow with a block design. It has special mechanisms that are located on the shoulders of the bow. These devices partly assume the effort of pulling the bowstring, making this task easier for the shooter. Also, a compound bow is easier to transport and store than a traditional one. It is more compact and does not require removal of the bowstring for storage.

The first disadvantage of a compound bow is its cost. The basic model may not be very expensive, but the most popular use case is that the hunter will have to more or less regularly buy various modules (blocks) to suit his needs. There are also initially fully equipped models on the market, you can find them by the PKG marking in the title. The second disadvantage can be considered the need for excellent bow skills for effective hunting, as well as direct experience in the process itself.

Bow range and power

These parameters depend primarily on the design of the bow. Traditional models shoot at about 500 meters, and block models can launch an arrow at 1200 meters or more in planning mode. Russian legislation allows the use of compound bows with a bowstring force (i.e. power) of no more than 27 kg with an error of about 5%. This means that the maximum distance is in the region of 870 meters.

Designs and types of crossbows

Crossbows have become a kind of offshoot and continuation of the idea of ​​​​the development of small arms in the Middle Ages. Increased power and firing range have become their hallmark. By type, crossbows are divided into rifle, block and classic. The purpose of the devices is combat, hunting or sports. Also there are children's reduced models. If in the question of what is better, a bow or a crossbow for hunting, the choice fell on the latter, then you should take a closer look at the rifle models that have the largest weight, combined with increased power and range.

Pros and cons of crossbows in hunting

The crossbow is smaller than the traditional bow. If you choose based on what is better than a bow or crossbow, a photo of them nearby can help compare the dimensions of both designs. The path of the crossbow is close range, while the bow manifests itself better at long distances. The design of the crossbow allows the use of a sight with night vision.

If you have not yet been able to decide which is better, a crossbow or a bow, then you need to pay attention to the shortcomings of crossbows, namely:

  • the rate of fire of a modern crossbow, by virtue of its design, as well as a medieval one, is significantly inferior to the rate of firing from any bow;
  • slightly worse ballistics, which reduces the effectiveness of weapons at long distances;
  • less power with the same tension force;
  • faster bowstring wear with the same use.

Range and power of crossbows

The maximum allowable power or tension force of the bowstring of crossbows for hunting is about 43 kg. The shooting distance in this case can reach 60-80 meters when hunting a wild boar, if you use the best crossbows recognized in world sports. However, as a rule, shooting distances are a little more modest. A crossbow with a power of 43 kg will easily hit a deer at a distance of 40 meters.

The above facts and features of both types of throwing weapons will help you finally decide whether a bow or a crossbow is better in comparison for a certain type of hunting.

Crossbow vs bow

Since ancient times, man has sought to find a means by which he could confidently hit the target - on a hunt or in battle - from a long distance. It is believed that the bow was invented 2400 years ago and gained its widest use in the 11th century. For 500 years, until firearms appeared, crossbows were mainly used for protection, which were formidable military weapons. The crossbow was used mainly to protect various objects, such as castles and ships. In addition, he played a significant role in the knowledge of the properties of various materials and the laws of motion in the air. The great Leonardo da Vinci turned to the study of the principles underlying the shooting from a crossbow more than once.

The craftsmen who made bows, crossbows and arrows did not know mathematics and the laws of mechanics. Nevertheless, tests of samples of old arrows carried out at Purdue University showed that these craftsmen managed to achieve high aerodynamic qualities.

Archer and crossbowman from the time of the battle

In appearance, the crossbow does not seem complicated. Its arc, as a rule, was strengthened in front, across a wooden or metal machine - a bed. A special device held the bowstring stretched to failure and released it. The direction of flight of a short crossbow arrow was set either by a groove cut out at the top of the bed, into which the arrow was laid, or by two stops that fixed it in front and behind. If the arc was very elastic, then a special device was installed on the bed to stretch it; sometimes it was removable and worn with a crossbow.

When crossbows first appeared, not everyone accepted them, preferring a reliable bow. However, the design of the crossbow has two advantages over the conventional bow. Firstly, the crossbow shoots further, and the shooter armed with it in a duel with an archer remains inaccessible to the enemy. Secondly, the design of the stock, sight and trigger mechanism greatly facilitated the handling of weapons; it did not require special training from the shooter. The hook teeth, which held and released the string and arrow under tension, were one of the early attempts to mechanize some of the functions of the human hand.

The only thing in which the crossbow was inferior to the bow was in the speed of fire. Therefore, it was possible to use it as a military weapon only if there was a shield behind which the warrior took cover during reloading. It is for this reason that the crossbow was mainly a common type of weapon for fortress garrisons, siege detachments and ship crews.

Another nuance: the crossbow was invented long before it became widespread. Regarding the invention of this weapon, there are two versions. According to one, it is believed that the first crossbow appeared in Greece, according to another - in China. Around 400 B.C. e. The Greeks invented a throwing machine, the catapult, for throwing stones and arrows. Her appearance was explained by the desire to create a weapon more powerful than a bow. Initially, some catapults, which, according to the principle of operation, resembled a crossbow, apparently did not exceed it in size.

In favor of the version of the origin of the crossbow in China, archaeological finds of triggers made of bronze dating back to 200 BC speak. e. Although the evidence for the first appearance of the crossbow in Greece is earlier, written Chinese sources mention the use of this weapon in battles in 341 BC. e. According to other data, the reliability of which is more difficult to establish, the crossbow was known in China for another century earlier.

Archaeological finds indicate that the crossbow was used in Europe throughout the entire period from ancient times to the 11th-16th centuries, when it became the most common.

It can be assumed that two circumstances prevented its widespread use until the 11th century. One of them is that arming the troops with crossbows was much more expensive than with bows. Another reason is the small number of castles in that period. Castles began to play a historically important role only after the conquest of England by the Normans, which took place in 1066.

With the increasing role of castles, the crossbow became an indispensable weapon used in feudal strife, which could not do without fierce battles.

In the centuries after the appearance of the first crossbows, attempts were made to improve these weapons. One of the ways may have been borrowed from the Arabs. Arabic hand bows belonged to the type that was called composite or compound. Their design is fully consistent with this name, since they were made from various materials. A composite bow has distinct advantages over a bow made from a single piece of wood, as the latter has limited resilience due to the natural properties of the material. When the archer pulls the bowstring, the arc of the bow from the outside (from the archer) experiences tension, and from the inside - compression. With excessive tension, the wood fibers of the arc begin to deform and permanent “wrinkles” appear on its inner side. Usually the bow was held in a bent state, and exceeding a certain limit of tension could cause it to break.

In a compound bow, a material is attached to the outer surface of the bow that can withstand more tension than wood. This additional layer takes the load and reduces the deformation of the wood fibers. Most often, animal tendons were used as such material. The unusually high awareness of archery craftsmen about the properties of various materials can also be judged by what adhesives they used in the manufacture of bows. Glue made from the sky of the Volga sturgeon was considered the best. The variety of unusual materials used in archery suggests that many constructive solutions were achieved empirically.

Crossbows with compound arcs were common in the Middle Ages, including the Renaissance. They were lighter than steel bow crossbows, which began to be made at the beginning of the 15th century. With the same string tension, they shot further and were more reliable.

The advent of the steel arc in the Middle Ages was the zenith in the development of crossbow design. In terms of its parameters, it could yield only to a crossbow made of fiberglass and other modern materials. Steel arcs had a flexibility that no other organic material could provide before. The Victorian athlete Ralph Payne-Gallwey, who wrote a treatise on the crossbow, tested a large military crossbow with a bowstring tension of 550 kg, which sent an 85-gram arrow to a distance of 420 meters.

More powerful crossbows required reliable triggers. It should be noted that the triggers used by the Europeans, which usually consisted of a rotating tooth and a simple lever trigger, were inferior to the Chinese, which had an intermediate lever that allowed a shot to be fired with a short and light pull on the trigger lever. At the beginning of the 16th century, multi-lever triggers of a more advanced design began to be used in Germany. Interestingly, a little earlier, Leonardo da Vinci came up with the same design of the trigger mechanism and proved its advantages by calculation.

As for the arrow, its design matched the materials available at that time so well that its geometry was not improved during the period when the bow was considered the main weapon.

Often in peacetime, garrisons were stationed on the territory of castles, consisting mainly of archers armed with crossbows. Well-defended outposts such as the English port of Calais on the north coast of France had 53,000 crossbow bolts in reserve. The owners of these castles usually bought arrows in large quantities - 10-20 thousand pieces each. It is estimated that in 70 years - from 1223 to 1293? - one family in England made 1 million crossbow arrows.

Despite the new word of the crossbow in remote shooting, many have not let go of the bows from their hands. One of the hundreds of examples of the confrontation between the bow and the crossbow, and not in favor of the latter, is the battle of Crécy, which took place in August 1346.

The beginning of the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453) for Guienne, Normandy, Anjou and Flanders was successful for the British and foreshadowed an early victory for them. In June 1340 they won the naval battle of Sluys, gaining command of the sea. However, on land they were pursued by failures - they could not take the fortress of Tournai. The English king Edward III was forced to lift the siege of the fortress and conclude a fragile truce with the enemy. In an effort to turn the tide of events in their favor, the British government soon resumed hostilities.

Edward III crossed the Seine and the Somme, went north of Abbeville, where at Crecy, a village in northern France, he decided to give the French pursuing him a defensive battle.

The English king ordered his knights to dismount and send their horses over the hill where the convoy was. It was assumed that the dismounted knights would become the mainstay of the archers. Therefore, in battle order, the knights stood interspersed with the archers. The groups of archers lined up in a checkerboard pattern in five ranks, so that the second rank could shoot at the intervals between the first rank archers. The third, fourth and fifth ranks were actually support lines for the first two ranks. Describing the position of the British, the military historian Geisman in the "Short Course in the History of Military Art", published back in 1907? noted that it consisted of three lines: “the first battle of the combat unit of the Prince of Wales, consisting of a phalanx of 800 knights, 2000 archers and 1000 Welsh infantrymen, turned in front, having behind them the second battle of Northampton and Arondel, consisting of 800 knights, as a reserve and 1200 archers. After taking up a position, the arrows, advanced forward and to the sides, drove stakes in front of them and braided them with ropes. The third battle, under the command of Edward III himself, consisting of 700 knights and 2000 archers, formed a general reserve. In total, the British had 8,500-10,000 men; behind the wagenburg or "park", and in it all the horses, since all the cavalry had to fight on foot.

On the night of August 26, 1346, the French reached the Abbeville area. At 3 pm, Philip VI received a report from the scouts, which reported that the British were in battle order at Crecy and were preparing to fight. Considering that the army made a long march in the rain and was very tired, the French king decided to postpone the attack of the enemy until the next day. The marshals gave the order: "the banners to stop," but only the warheads followed him. Moreover, King Philip VI himself, seeing the British, lost his temper and ordered the Genoese crossbowmen to move forward and start the battle in order to deploy the knightly cavalry for an attack under their cover. However, the English archers outnumbered the crossbowmen, especially since the latter's crossbows were damp in the rain. With heavy losses, the crossbowmen began to retreat. Philip VI ordered them to be killed, which caused even more confusion in the ranks of the entire army: the knights began to destroy their own infantry.

Soon the French formed a battle formation, dividing their troops into two wings under the command of the counts of Alençon and Flanders. Groups of French knights moved forward through the retreating crossbowmen, trampling many of them. On tired horses, across a muddy field, and even uphill, they advanced slowly, which created favorable conditions for the English archers. If one of the French managed to get to the enemy, then he was stabbed by dismounted English knights. The spontaneously started battle proceeded very disorganized. 15 or 16 scattered attacks did not break the resistance of the British. The main blow of the French fell on the right flank of the British. It was here that the attackers managed to move forward somewhat. But Edward III sent 20 knights from the center to reinforce the right flank. This allowed the British to restore the position here and repel the attacks of the enemy.

From beginning to end, the battle on the part of the British was defensive in nature. They succeeded because they made good use of the terrain, dismounted the knights and lined them up with the infantry, and also because the English archers were highly trained in combat. The indiscipline, the chaotic disorder of the conduct of the battle by the army of Philip VI hastened his defeat. The only thing that saved the French from complete destruction was that the British did not pursue them. Only the next morning, Edward III sent his cavalry for reconnaissance.

The event is also significant in that the main force of the British - 9,000 soldiers - for the first time was mercenary infantry, which demonstrated the impotence of the cavalry in front of the English archers. The French lost 11 princes, 80 bannerets, 1200 knights, 4000 other horsemen, not counting the infantry, which exceeded the total strength of the English forces.

Of course, both the bow and the crossbow served their masters invaluably, but around the middle of the 13th century, black powder became known in Europe, and already at the beginning of the 14th century, according to the manuscript of the Oxford library, firearms appeared, which eventually completely replaced the bow, and crossbow.

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Making onions is a process that requires precise adherence to technology. Only in this case, you can count on a good result. With a well-made bow, you can send arrows straight to the target, while it must be powerful enough to hit the game, which as a result will become the prey of the hunter.

Taking on its manufacture with their own hands is primarily for those who already have experience in hunting with such weapons, however, with the right approach to business, anyone can cope with the task. Consider how to make a bow for hunting with your own hands, using materials and tools that are available to everyone.

Varieties of bows

The main parts of such weapons are the bow and bowstring. By design, bows can be divided into two main groups:

  • simple - for these models, the arc is made of one material - wood or PVC;
  • composite, or composite - the arcs of such bows are made of several materials.

The form is distinguished:

  • classic bows - the arc of such a hunting weapon has one bend, in a bent form it has a D-shaped appearance;
  • recursive - their arc bends three times and has an M-shape.

Also, bows can be divided into simple and collapsible. The arcs of the former are made from a single piece of material, while the latter consist of several parts.

From natural materials for the manufacture of composite arches, wood can be used - for the middle part, horn - for the inside, as well as tendons that are attached to the outside. This three-piece design provides the weapon with good elasticity, flexibility and power.

Today, in the manufacture of industrial collapsible bows, high-strength modern materials are used that have optimal properties - fiberglass and carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium alloys, and so on.

The device of such a weapon can be quite complicated, but making it yourself at home is a task that requires some experience, as well as a lot of time and effort.

With your own hands it is better to make a simple non-separable bow. With the right approach to business and the observance of technology, its accuracy and power will be enough for hunting.

Tools and materials

To make such a bow, you will need a minimum set of tools:

  • hacksaw;
  • plane;

To give the arc the desired bend, it is better to use a special slipway. It can also be made independently from a board and several bars.

To make a simple non-separable bow with your own hands, you need:

  • wood or PVC tube to make an arc;
  • strong rope, rawhide ribbon, wire, thick fishing line for making a bowstring;
  • thick rope or other suitable material for the handle.

While pulling the bow, his shoulders should bend, while the bowstring practically does not stretch.. The arrow is sent to the target precisely due to the force of the arc of the weapon, which straightens at the moment of the shot.

How to make a bow out of wood?

Consider how to make a hunting bow out of wood. The best material for this is yew - it was from it that the best examples of such weapons were made in the Middle Ages. However, it is difficult to get such a tree, so other species are usually used instead. It can be:

  • hazel;
  • juniper;
  • Rowan;
  • ash;
  • larch;
  • cedar.

A good bow rod should:

  • not have cracks, it is also better to select rods without knots, but the presence of a small amount of them on the surface is not critical, the main thing is not to try to cut them when processing the rod;
  • have a length of one meter to one and a half meters;
  • be dry;
  • be direct.

For the manufacture of a bow, you can also use several thin rods of the same length, while they must be securely fastened by pulling in several places with electrical tape or other suitable material. This option is suitable if you need to quickly make a bow in field conditions from what you can find at hand.

Wood harvesting

Harvesting wood to make a hunting bow with your own hands is better in winter, at a temperature of -10 degrees or a little lower. If you look for a suitable rod in the fall, you won’t have to wander through the snowdrifts in search. It is necessary to cut it off, while the length of the rod should be several tens of centimeters longer than the estimated length of the bow. This is necessary, since the ends of the rod may crack during drying.

Before making a bow, the wood needs to be dried for a long time, on average three months is enough. For this, a room with room temperature is suitable in which the bar must be hung.

At the same time, it is not necessary to remove the bark, and it is better to paint or varnish the ends, which will not allow moisture to evaporate, then the future arc will dry out evenly along the entire length. A rod that has a slight curvature can be straightened over the steam.

In field conditions, drying can be done quickly with the help of a fire, the main thing is to do it carefully, do not lower the wood too close to the fire and do not dry it out. Such an onion will be more fragile and less durable than dried at room temperature.

Making a bow from a wooden rod

When the rod is dried, it must be processed with a planer, while the shoulders should not become cylindrical, but flat. The arc of a simple collapsible bow does not consist of a single piece of wood or PVC, but of two separate arms that are attached to the top and bottom of the handle. The handle in this case is easiest to make from a wooden block or cylinder of suitable thickness. At the same time, in the central part they can be turned, making a comfortable grip under the arm.

If it is intended to make a simple bow with an arc from a single piece of wood, and not with two separate limbs, the rod in the middle should be left round in section.

It is important that the shoulders have the same length, width and thickness, only in this case the force on them will be distributed evenly, and the bow will hit accurately.

Then the workpiece must be given the desired shape - in the form of a simple arc or M-shaped. To do this, the wood is heated over steam and fixed for a while in a special slipway, which will fix the desired shape. Such a device can be made from a board by attaching several bars to it. It takes about a week to keep the bow in the slipway.

When the arc is ready, notches must be made at its end and the bowstring must be fixed. You also need to braid the handle. To get a reliable installation, the fixation points of the bowstring and the handle must be glued.

Making a bow from skis

Skis are a great material for making a bow bow, which often does not even need to be processed. Therefore, if there is a suitable pair available that is unusable, there is no need to harvest rods or look for other material. You can use both wooden and plastic skis, the second option is preferable.

To make a bow, you need to saw off the two ends of the skis of a suitable length, which will be the shoulders, and fasten them to the handle. The handle itself can also be made from skis by fastening the cuts of the desired length in several layers and processing them so that a comfortable grip is obtained. After that, you only need to fasten the bowstring, and the bow is ready for use.

The optimal length of the finished product is about 1.3 m. If a bow made from skis exceeds a length of 1.4-1.5 m, its power will be insufficient, since such a long arc cannot give the arrow sufficient momentum. Also, the shoulders should be narrow - so, in order to make an arc from wide skis, they must be turned from both edges.

Making a composite bow, each limb of which must be made from several different materials rather than one, is a more complex process. However, such a weapon is made according to the same principles as a simple homemade bow for hunting. If you approach the matter correctly, a bow made with your own hands will hit powerfully and accurately, and at the same time it will be able to serve for quite a long time.

A crossbow is a type of throwing weapon in which the bow is rigidly fixed to the stock in a horizontal position. This symbiosis allows the use of materials with a high coefficient of elasticity, thanks to which the crossbow became the first weapon with armor-piercing properties, as well as significantly increasing the effectiveness of shooting. You can learn how to use a "crossbow" much faster than a traditional bow.

You can classify a crossbow according to several parameters, but a combination of them gives a more complete picture of it.

  1. Structurally crossbows are recursive and block.
    • The former work solely due to the elastic force of the bow arms. They were called recursive for a double bend, which, when the bowstring is pulled, work in opposite directions - one for compression, the other for tension. Popular recursive models: Yarrow ( , ), etc.
    • The latter use the principle of a chain hoist - a system of blocks and cables passed through them to overcome the elastic resistance of the shoulders. Known block models: , and , , and .
  2. By appointment. Crossbows are hunting, sports, for entertainments.
  3. Type of ammunition used. Short arrows (from 16 to 21 inches), darts (from 8 inches or less), and steel balls, which are fired by crossbows-schnappers.

About what is more powerful and, in general, better for hunting and sports, a bow or a crossbow, how they differ from each other in comparison, we will describe below.

The video below will tell you which crossbow to choose, block or recursive:

Comparison with bows

So, a crossbow against a bow.

  • The main advantage of a crossbow is that it is much easier to learn how to shoot from it. For the reason that the shooter does not need to do two things at the same time - hold the bowstring and build a line of sight.

However, for this he had to pay with weight - together with the stock and the trigger mechanism, he weighs at least twice as much as a classic bow.

  • When pulling a crossbow, various devices are used. From the stirrup in which the foot is placed for holding, to mechanical tensioners. Thanks to them, you can use a bow that is much more resilient, strong, capable of throwing heavy arrows (bolts) with great energy and penetrating power. For comparison: the maximum pulling force for a hunting bow does not exceed 60 pounds - 27.3 kilograms, and for a crossbow, which has a recursive design similar to it, in the basic version it is 43 kilograms.
  • Crossbows can be equipped with optical sights - from collimator to diopter, which significantly increases the efficiency of shooting. In compound bows, the aiming line is built much more complicated, using a pip-site (a ring in the bowstring at the level of the shooter's eyes) and a scope scope. Classic and traditional bows do not have this set either. It takes a great deal of skill to get them on target, acquired through long hours of practice.

About the choice of a crossbow for underwater and ground hunting, sports and entertainment, read below.

How to choose a crossbow

In this case, knowledge of the basics of mechanics and Newton's laws will be of great help. and to begin with, we will find out which and how to choose a crossbow for hunting (eg for wild boar) and sports, what prices and reviews about certain models of weapons.

For hunting and sports

Let's say right away:

  • Firstly, hunting with the use of throwing weapons is prohibited in Russia.
  • Secondly, none of the freely sold models of crossbows has a pull force exceeding 43 kilograms. Even if its cost is close to one hundred thousand rubles, and by the manufacturer it is positioned as a hunting one. Anything above this value is subject to licensing as a military weapon.

The stopping power of an arrow, due to its mass and geometry, is comparable to a 20 gauge bullet. Usually hunting with smoothbore weapons takes place at distances of no more than 50 meters. Therefore, the term "hunting crossbow" refers to a weapon that is capable of throwing an arrow with such force that at a distance of 30 meters it almost does not lose strength and can fly another hundred. To do this, it must have special technical characteristics, the main of which are the course of the bowstring and the tension force. About the latter, we will assume that it is equal to the maximum permitted by law.

The stroke of the bowstring is the distance from the point where it crosses the upper edge of the forearm to the holding tooth of the trigger. It provides the duration of the force and sets the amount of energy transferred to the arrow. Directly depends on the span of the bow arms. For example, for a block crossbow, which is exactly capable of sending an arrow 100 meters and further, with a bow length of 61.5 cm, it is 37 centimeters. And the recursive Jaguar Interloper, which is used by many as a hunting weapon, has a bowstring stroke of 24.5 cm with a bow length of 67 centimeters.

The value of 24 cm should be remembered as the minimum, which distinguishes hunting and sporting weapons from recreational ones.

In a block crossbow with a shorter bow length, the bowstring travel is longer. This is due to the design features - a large coefficient of specific tension of the cable system, which accumulates the bulk of the energy for a shot, and powerful shoulders that can be bent without fear of breaking.

But the difference is not only this. The diagrams of the force impulse during the pulling and lowering of the bowstring of the recursive and block crossbows are mirror opposite. In classic recursives, the force reaches its peak when the bowstring is placed on the tooth of the fighting mechanism. And it is spent almost immediately after the descent. In blockers, there is a drop in effort by almost 70 percent, and it is consumed gradually, with an increase to a maximum at the moment the arrow leaves the guide. Therefore, the speed of an arrow from recursives does not exceed 60, for blockers it reaches one hundred meters per second.

  • Since the "blocker" has less force on the holding tooth of the trigger mechanism, it can be kept cocked longer without the risk of breaking the bowstring. By analogy with the gas spring of air rifles.
  • But recurve crossbows have an advantage: they are simpler and lighter - the MK-380 weighs 4.5 kilograms, and the Jaguar Interloper 3.1.

The part of the stock, which is called the fore-end, of a hunting crossbow must be metal.

  • Firstly, it allows you to make the bow block massive, damping vibrations and residual tension in the shoulders.
  • Secondly, a trigger mechanism is attached to it and it should not hang out, which affects not only safety, but also the accuracy of shooting.
  • In addition, deformation of the plastic guide when the bowstring is pulled is not ruled out.

Optical sights are necessarily installed on a hunting and sports crossbow, for which profile strips are used - Weaver, Picatinny, dovetail. Therefore, a recursive crossbowhaving a tension force of 43.4 kg and a bowstring stroke of 24 cm cannot be considered as a full-fledged hunting one. Its guide is plastic, and the sights are only external - the rear sight and front sight without fiberoptic filaments.

Sports shooting is less dynamic, but the requirements for results are higher. Remember the axiom that "the barrel shoots, but the stock hits." Therefore, choose models with adjustable shoulder rest and bullpup form factor, which are more balanced. For example, the model "", which is also equipped with other "goodies": a bowstring damper, an adjustment of the pressure force of the arrow bar, an adjustable Weaver bar.

This informative video will tell you what is better for hunting and sports, a bow or a crossbow:

Crossbows for fun

Any throwing weapon with a bowstring less than 20 cm can be considered recreational. First of all, these are crossbows in the “pistol” form factor. Man Kung companies produce a whole series with letters from to. All of them are recursive, but the body and guide are made of both plastic and metal. Their shoulder span is 42, and the length of the bowstring is 12.7 centimeters. Tension force 23 kilograms. Ammunition - short arrows (darts) with a length of 16.51 (6 inches) centimeters.

The effective firing range of them is no more than 15 meters, so they are not considered hunting, but at this distance a "toy" crossbow is deadly.

Schnepper crossbows that shoot steel balls stand apart. All shneppers are block, with a rifle stock. In any case, the ball does not fly further than 15 meters, so they are classified as entertaining weapons. Even if the length of the bowstring exceeds 24 cm, as in "".

Compact models are more common. Like the Tiger. Its arch span is 42.9 cm, and the tension force is 25 kilograms. In addition to steel balls, which are 8 mm in diameter, it shoots darts 6 inches long. Further than forty meters the dart does not fly. Known and , as well as .

Choice of arrows

Crossbow arrows are available in 14", 16", 18", 20" and 22" lengths. The recommended size is indicated in the instruction manual. It is acceptable to use a longer one. In any case, the shaft of the arrow must fit snugly against the guide along its entire length. Now they are made from the following materials:

  • carbon fiber - carbon fiber plus a binder;
  • aluminum - hollow with replaceable tips;
  • fiberglass (fiberglass).

Wherein:

  • For hunting, heavy arrows are used, flying slower, but having greater penetrating power. These are full-bodied carbon (the heaviest) and aluminum, suitable for hunting small game.
  • For sports, aluminum is used, and to a lesser extent fiberglass, which, due to their low weight, are highly susceptible to the action of wind.
  • Fiberglass, the lightest, are used for recreational shooting. In most cases, their use on serious crossbows is undesirable, since it is tantamount to a blank shot, leading to a breakdown of the weapon.

Hunting arrows for ungulates have a massive metal tip, often with several blades. For better stabilization, their plumage is longer. For hunting feathers and small game, a simple sharpening is enough.

Arrows for block crossbows have a deepening for a bowstring (moon nock) at the end. They have a two-tone plumage - a stabilizer, which differs in color, is installed in the groove of the guide.

This video provides an overview of different crossbow arrows:

In this article I will try to tell you how to make a bow out of wood with your own hands. The material for the bow was the Hazel. The selected trunk is knotty, crooked, but it is almost impossible to find a straight hazel.

You will need:

  • Swiss knife;
  • Barrel from Hazel;
  • Kevlar cord for bowstring;
  • Pencil (for lack of a pencil, I marked with charcoal).

We begin the process of making onions with our own hands by rough drying the wood. How it is done: the barrel is thrust into a metal pipe, which is dug into the floor of the bayonet of a shovel, and above the pipe, directly on the ground, we make fires using charcoal for barbecue. We bring one end of the pipe to fresh air so that moisture comes out. All this languishes for about 5-6 hours. After the specified time, the barrel is completely dried and ready for further manipulations.

With a knife we ​​create the desired shape.




We pull the string.




Then the bow was fired.

As a result, I subjected it to a hard alteration from a survival bow into a primitive bow, like a German one, for which it was marked under the hilt. For the bowstring, endings from scraps of some dense wood were glued onto cyanoacrylate gel.




After that, the rough processing of the handle for decorative winding took place.





The whole evening had to adjust the bandages.
The process of work: under the bandages, markings in increments of 5 cm. I pasted the electrical tape on those places that will not be bandaged. The trick is to stick the duct tape with the adhesive layer on top, which will avoid re-polishing the body of the bow, because. nothing sticks to the wood. After that, PVA -> winding the cord -> firing with a burner to remove excess hairs from the winding -> work with the handle.

With which, by the way, everything turned out quite complicated. First I wound the skin, but the bow looked a bit eclectic because of this. Therefore, he removed the skin and wound a cotton cord. It took 10 meters, how much was in one coil, as if it was specially calculated.

After completing the winding, he did something important. Namely, he diluted the PVA with water (the ratio is 50x50) and, without removing the electrical tape, smeared the bandages with this mixture, along with the handle. Cemented, so to speak, additionally.

A small photo report:

I removed the tape until the glue hardened, left the onion to dry overnight, and in the morning I painted it with a synthetic and smelly stain, a shade of "Mahogany". Everything, now the bow is ready.

The handle is designed so that there is a difference between the top and bottom. Visually, the shoulders seem to overlap each other. The bow from the back has a natural circle, from which it is cut with a simple knife. From the side of the abdomen - D-shaped section. A simple matter, accessible to everyone, not requiring a special tool, despite the slight tension force.

The image shows a section.



Probably, many have seen such a tool in stores. There are several types. Red is not necessary to take - a waste. And in a metal case (silver) - what you need. It is best to immediately buy canvases for it. Such a planer removes much more delicately and more correctly, unlike a rasp, without falling through the wood along the plane. Be sure to try.



This is how you can make a bow with your own hands. Of course, you are interested in the parameters of the product. After all the trimming and bandaging, the bow came out at 12.7 kg at a stretch of 70 cm. Biting and strong, despite the small tension force. This is the peculiar magic of longbows.



Based on materials from the site: popgun.ru

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