Bow as a Backup?

[aclark]

I know this isn't TOTALLY firearms related, but figured it'd get more eyes here than anywhere else.

Has anyone ever considered a bow (or xbow) as a backup to their firearms in a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI situation? I am not a hunter, nor a bow expert (or even novice), but I was a boy scout and can shoot a bow fairly well. At least last time I tried I could. I was just thinking eventually ammo is going to become scarce, and with a bow arrows would be somewhat "reusable", thus making them a nice long term backup plan.

I'm sure the bow hunters around will have themselves covered, but has any strictly gun owner besides myself ever thought of this, or use this theory?

Question 2. What would be a decent bow and arrow(s) combo to just have as a backup? Not trying to break the bank, and not trying to make it ANOTHER expensive hobby, but just something to have next to the guns. I don't know what bows and the like cost, but would $100 do it, $200?

 

[Rob377]

Works for Daryl.

 

[armedindy]

i think a bow is a great idea

 

[gunner69]

A bow would be perfect for hunting in a shtf situation when you want to remain quiet and unknown.

 

[Cowboy71]

I just bought a Barnett Jackal a couple of months ago mainly because it's something I can shoot silently at my home which isn't possible with my guns anymore. Utility for the inevitable SHTF scenario was also a consideration, and, as I'm a little ashamed to write, looking cool like Daryl factored in as well :P

 

[Archer46176]

A bow is a viable solution. We have many and I just bought my wife 2 of her own. I am in the process of making her a recurve and a longbow and may make her a selfbow IF she decides she wants one. I also make our strings for all compounds, recurves and longbows. I no longer shoot a compound but she does. I have a set up to fletch and refletch arrow shafts and I do crest some of them. I have made my own wood and cane arrows in the past.
We also have crossbows for hunting but they are slower to reload and if you get one that shoots much over 3-350 fps you will have trouble with accuracy as the arrow technology for crossbows has.not caught up to the speed technology of the crossbow manufacturers just yet.
I would suggest a good recurve as you will not have the cams, cables ect as in a compound but without sights(yes you CAN put sights on a recurve) you will need to practice. If it is only going to sit on the shelf and.be shot once in awhile get a decent used compound and have someone who knows about them check it out before you buy it. The cables WILL eventually someday go bad do to wear and rot as will the string if not properly cared for. Even cared for you should have backups... There are a lot of used bows on craigslist.

 

[B6240]

A bow is a good idea I have several. I think you may have a hard time staying in your price range though after the intial cost you are pretty set unless you lose arrows.

 

[HenryWallace]

I have 1, my wife has 1, and my 2nd to youngest daughter has 1. I'd say out of all of us, the most consistant would be the daughter. She'll put 6 arrows from 25 yards away in a four inch spread. I love training children, they pick it up so well as long as they're interested. Keep them Interested!
All compound bows and all used just as much as our firearms.

 

[Ripper]

I would suggest a good recurve as you will not have the cams, cables ect as in a compound but without sights(yes you CAN put sights on a recurve) you will need to practice. If it is only going to sit on the shelf and.be shot once in awhile get a decent used compound and have someone who knows about them check it out before you buy it. The cables WILL eventually someday go bad do to wear and rot as will the string if not properly cared for. Even cared for you should have backups... There are a lot of used bows on craigslist.

Recurve or Longbow FTW... Proven, reliable and once you get the hang of it... deadly accurate with just instinctive shooting.

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

A bow would be perfect for hunting in a shtf situation when you want to remain quiet and unknown.

This. It's perfect for SHTF scenarios because of this^

 

[Mgderf]

I have a bow, and I hunt with it, but lately I've actually been thinking more along the lines of a good wrist-rocket type sling shot.

Lead shot, marbles, or even rocks can be used as ammo, and when I was a kid, I took more than a few rabbits with a wrist-rocket.

A good frame and a couple of extra bands ought to last for quite a while.

 

[Whitsettd8]

Arrows coming out of a newer compound bow and especially cross bows are not so reusable and rather expensive. Expect 6-12 bucks per arrow and if you miss well that arrow is probably bent broke or gone and if you hit it's probably bent or broke. I think you would be much better off spending that $200 bucks on a couple thousand .22lr's or .22wmr's rounds.
It's a nice skill set to have and if your shooting a recurve and making your own arrows then none of the above applies. I think spending time learning to snare or trap would be a better investment in time for a shtf scenario.

 

[Max Volume]

A bow would make a good zombie getter. When I did a lot of hunting I always preferred the bow to a firearm. You do have to use more stealth since you are not going to being making many effective 100 yard shots.

I would (and did) start with a 45# draw weight. That is the amount of force exerted when drawing the bow. That means pulling the string back. It is a good weight to hunt or shoot with and is the minimum many feel to hunt with and is the law in IN. Something like this would suffice:

Sage Takedown Recurve

Or even this with accessories:

Samick Sage Recurve Adult Bow Kit


There are many places you can pick up a decent used or new bow for $150 - $200. I have factory bows and custom. To tell you the truth, it is the bowholder not the bow that can make a properly set up bow shoot well.

Arrows must be properly spined for the bow. As an arrow is shot it goes through "archer's paradox" meaning the arrow bends back and forth. The timing of those bends allows the arrow to clear the bow without interference for an accurate shot. Spine of an arrow is how stiff it is to allow the timing of those bends to be correct. I have heard many state spine is more critical than total straightness.

Of course there are accessories to be had such as a shooting tab or glove. That goes on the fingers of your draw hand which pulls the string back. It is also good for a beginner to have an arm guard that goes on the forearm of the bow arm which holds the bow. This will avoid a welt in case the string hits the arm. Once one is proficient in proper form this is sometimes done away with but best for a beginner to have.

Arrows come in a variety of materials such as wood, aluminum, carbon, fiberglass. I wouldn't recommend wood for a beginner since they break easily but many traditionalists prefer them. Aluminum would be a good choice since it is more durable. I haven't priced them lately but I would imagine maybe 60 bucks for a dozen.

Properly tuning a bow is important. Yes, there are adjustments to make to have the thing work well. Two of the most important are brace height and nocking point.

Brace height is how far the string is from the handle of the bow. Too floppy = crappy arrow flight. Too tight, same thing. Each bow will have a sweet spot for the individual shooting the bow. Most bows have a recommended brace height as a starting point. It is adjusted by removing one end of the string from the bow (using a bow stringer usually) and either twisting the string tighter to increase brace height or the other way to decrease.

Nocking point is how far above the arrow rest on the bow the arrow will be on the string that your fingers pull back. It is best adjusted with a bow square like the blue thing and knoking points are them half moon shaped things that are clamped on the string with the pliers:

Bow Start Up Kit

When you get all set up, start close to the target until accuracy improves then move back in stages.

Pretty much everything needed can be purchased used. I am not affiliated with Three Rivers in any way but used the links since a picture is worth a cajillion words.

Clear as mud now?

 

[Beemer]

Plus one on the Samick Sage. Nice bow, reasonable priced, take down bow. I did quite a lot of research before I bought it.

 

[Hookeye]

I've bowhunted for over 30 years.
If the SHTF I'm using a .22 rifle.
I can shoot well to 50 yards, or farther. Arrows are slow and a breeze can affect them quite a bit, plus the arch, even for the new fast compounds, is still much more than a .22 rf.

Quiet?

The S just HTF...........make a silencer. Urban and no can? CB caps.

A bow is for when all guns magically evaporate and there are no bad guys around and animals are everywhere............using a bow means one kinda sorta has to hunt.

Sport and subsistance I don't think to mix.

You want to get your food with the least amount of effort and time spent out where you can be spotted. Run traps or use quiet rifles.

Bow? Grab a compound with sights, you'll have more power and range, easier to tune for whatever range of arrows you acquire. Traditional gear can be rather specific due to lack of centershot.

I hunt with a recurve for sport, I can shoot modern gear just fine. Too many IMHO think a simple bow is something they can employ with minimal tuning and or effort. Think again. Make that survival bow from PVC, and some homemade arrows from big box store supplies.........and post what you kill.

 

[Hookeye]

Trad bow brace height:

Too high a brace height can yield good arrow flight. It does add # to the draw and reduces power stroke. It'll be more quiet but slower.

Too low, string slap makes for noise, also puts more vibe into the limbs, which can resonate and cause noise (had a 56" 45# Bear grizzly that was horrible with limb resonance no matter what the brace, solution was rubber limb dampeners, either Sims mushrooms or wrap around limb type PSE/Bowtech). Huge difference. Kinda killed the look of the rig though.

Low brace can make for increased hand shock too. Those who have broken a wrist will like a rig that has minimal hand shock. Arrow weight also affects bow shock- heavier arrow= less.

Aluminum shafting, if using the old Easton charts (I go to the one in my old Blackwidow owner's manual from '87), shows great choices for given bow type/weight/drawlength. For hunting, using the old charts, just jump over a "block" to the high side and that should get you something durable and forgiving.

BTW the new charts suck arse.

Wood indeed is fragile, but man they are pretty. Better to get wood grained aluminum.
Yup they make 'em. Look good. Look better than most wood grained carbon arrows IMHO

Carbon arrows...........they rock.
Esp if you shoot at a 3D target. Skip one low or high with aluminum, it's probably bent and if too close to the end, maybe trashed.

Arrow straightener? One can hand straighten well, but it takes a knack and is rarely perfect. Trash a lot of arrows learning the knack as well. I had access to Easton assembly line straighteners, back when i shot aluminum. Expensive, but the best. So good, that I won't use anything else. I would get some aluminum arrows dinged, so those were "groundhog bullets". I'd hand straighten those and save them for crazy fun shots, or maybe smoking a carp out in the middle of the pond (took a 10# one from 35 yards with a 2317 scrap arrow from a 84# Oneida Strike Eagle.......that was awesome!)

Carbons- they can bounce off stuff and not take a bend like aluminum. Very durable (not indestructible though), much more than aluminum. Spine charts? They too suck.

One has to experiment to find what works with their rig. I use the Goldtip arrow system, since they make weights one can add to the front or rear of an arrow to change spine.

This way I get perfectly flying arrows, with more FOC (forward of center-helps with stability) and I get more momentum (KE is just one measurement of energy). I blow through deer with mid 50's # recurves.

Got caught in a bad position once, said screw it and short shot a buck. Arrow went through and skipped off a stick and went back into the air. Not to be found I maybe had 45# of draw on my bow, and it blew through (did hit one rib, severed on entrance).

2 blade head, for max penetration, the blood trail sucked for 90 yards and then got pretty darn good. Last deer I shot with a stinkin' 2 blade. I switched to 3 blade Snuffers and cored big ol holes through 'em. Stevie Wonder could have been my tracker. Big hole/cut, means more oomph from the system required.
Probably 55# for big Snuffers.

And 55# requires some effort (in regular practice). Like MaxV said, go with a 45#, but then if hunting deer use a 2 blade "style" head. I say "style" because that allows for a main big 2 blade, with bleeders.

These have worked well for me, from 70+lb twin cam compounds and 55-57# stickbows:

45# is still heavier than needed for small game or targets, but offers deer hunting capability. Yeah the min DNR weight is 35#, and that too will kill deer. But when shooting trad gear, and light #, most folks have to up their arrow weight, select more specific broadhead designs, tune to perfection (as there simply is no energy to waste) and shoot things closer.

Time of flight is a biatch. Deer (and coyotes) are fast

If wanting a small game and 3D bow, I'd stay around 40#. Injury and age creep up and take the toughness out of a guy. A 40 or 45# bow now, can still be shot with comfort down the road.

 

[Miles42]

At least you can buy Arrows now LOL

 

[gdunn]

Recurve or Longbow FTW... Proven, reliable and once you get the hang of it... deadly accurate with just instinctive shooting.

Agreed. And the silence factor in a survival situation shouldn't be overlooked.

 

[philbert001]

My bow would come out in a SHTF situation, strictly for hunting. Save the bullets for targets that intend to hurt you back! I have a compound bow, and am good enough to take small game at up to 30 yards, and deer out to about 50. The bow would be a personal defense backup, only if I'm out of ammo or low on ammo. It'd be in line after my .22, and just before my Ka-Bar!

 

[Shadow8088]

this thread made me mourn my father's old recurve... I got his Winchester Model 88, and one of my druggie half-brothers got his recurve and his shotgun... which were both promptly sold for drugs.. I couldn't fully draw it at that age (12) but I knew how to string it.. anywho.. came across an article after reading in here.. thought i'd pass it along..

Traditional Bow Selection Guide - Hunter's Friend