Crossbows are available over the counter to adults, often at a low price, but don’t be fooled into thinking they are toys.
For example, with a spike with multiple blades, even a 7 ton elephant will bleed to death very quickly with a single shot.
So for the average 70-kilogram man, the result is absolutely certain even before you pull the trigger.
This is why several special forces units around the planet are equipped with this archaic, heavy weapon that only fires one shot, but is silent and sure to kill quickly.
The weapon is perfect for eliminating an isolated enemy, such as a patrol. One shot is enough. Almost silent projectiles do not have this one-shot effectiveness.
And you don’t need years of training to become a super sniper.
Even a little girl can kill a 400 kilogram alligator with a single shot.
His thick armour was easily penetrated.
Depending on the point chosen, a medium-powered crossbow can pass through body armour or a war helmet.
It’s really not a toy.
However, the weapon still has some very big flaws.
For example, its weight is so high, around 4 kilos with a padded quiver, that it is impossible to carry for a long time even on long journeys.
For building defence or hunting (poaching, as crossbow hunting, is banned in France) from a stationary position, it’s good.
The range, accurate, powerful, and effective, is only a few tens of meters.
Very good shooters can go over 100 yards, but it’s more of a powerful close shotgun.
The very slow rate of fire can be a problem depending on the use.
Only one or two shots per minute for medium-powered crossbows (150 pounds and up) and only one for very powerful ones that require a winch or accessory to tension the line.
Therefore, a weapon alone is not enough for defence. With that, he would need at least another weapon, capable of firing several times quickly without reloading. For example, a black powder revolver (over the counter) or another modern firearm subject to declaration.
One day, when I was particularly tired, I couldn’t even pull the rope on a 175-pounder with my bare hands, despite my muscular frame. So I don’t use it anymore. It is disassembled, and stored well-packed, for possible use later, in case it is necessary to poach from empty warehouses.
Such a force goes deep into the water despite the very strong resistance of the liquid.
With a laser, you are sure to hit the illuminated fish. Deformation of light rays on the surface of the water no longer prevents the shot.
Currently, crossbow hunting is illegal.
Hunting too.
On the other hand, with a 95-pound crossbow, tensioning the string is incredibly easy.
My niece pulls the rope with her bare hands, and her girlish arms, within seconds.
All members of the family can easily use it for all purposes, poaching, the extermination of pests (foxes, killer chickens…), free time…
Finally, also for defence. The rate of fire becomes very interesting with a low-power crossbow. One shot every ten seconds or so. Which is exceptional compared to all other medium or high-power crossbows.
Such a crossbow can also shoot pistol dart crossbows, which you can often find on sale for 3 euros for 12.
A (very) large load of crossbows, normally arrows. I will talk about the arrows and the price later.
Arrows are shorter and much stiffer than those on bows. They are called squares or lines, but only the word “arrow” is understood by everyone.
Normally shoulder crossbows can’t shoot the small pistol projectiles of a cheap crossbow, but with a low-power crossbow, it is possible.
Suddenly, the weapon can become very effective in defence, for example when dozens of rioters set fire to cars around your building. It’s illegal right now, but soon you’ll have to shoot, you know that. The police begin to run as dozens, armed with war calibres, are confronted by packs of scum armed with axes, screwdrivers, knives, iron bars…
When the war starts, for a deterrent and downright punishing shot at barbarian packs that destroy for fun, it’s an interesting weapon in my opinion, for example, from a height, from a window, in silence, with a magnifying telescope for accurate shooting.
The kill risk remains reasonably low for crossbow pistol arrows.
If not specifically aimed at the liver, upper third of the skull, throat, neck, or disruption of an artery. These little hobby arrows are supposed to inflict a frightening wound rather than a lethal one.
There is no guarantee that the arrow will land exactly where it is aimed, as living beings move without warning. Anything that penetrates the skin can kill or cause irreparable injury.
At the present time, as we are not yet in a case of force majeure war which would grant impunity, the use of arms is very illegal and very strongly reprehensible. In case of death, up to 30 years in prison.
Simple carrying of a weapon is punishable by up to 5 years in prison (Laws is depending on what country you live in!).
… Except you know we’re hardly in a time of peace anymore.
If you want to stay unarmed and believe you’re in a world of care bears, it’s going to end badly.
A weapon that can take down from a distance is pretty good to have in your gear with aggravation, already super rotten.
Firearms are highly regulated and somewhat slow to obtain.
In contrast, crossbows are immediately available to adults. No declaration, no permission from the prefecture, nothing.
The crossbow is a pretty good, accurate marksman weapon, perhaps as an additional weapon for a member of your family or party.
Prices start at USD79 on sale, the lowest price I’ve seen. Check out Amazon here.
I bought a (supposedly) “ready to shoot” kit with a quiver, 4 good arrows, and a red sight, for only USD120. (It was missing the string dummy to mount the bow and the string tube to make it really ready to shoot).
I’m at the age where switching from close to long range becomes a big problem, so the shiny red dot sight on the little glass on the crossbow is of no use to me, too annoying. Unnecessary purchase.
On the other hand, with a magnifying telescope, shooting is simple, convenient, and even more accurate.
There is no need to put a lot of money into the crossbow. I saw some for USD4500. Complete delirium.
It is a gun that only fires one shot, it should not be overdone.
Cheap is more than enough.
With a few extra dollars for the frame.
So the gun itself doesn’t cost much.
The biggest cost is the arrows.
Depending on the weight of the arrow and the chosen point, you can shoot absolutely everything with one and the same weapon, which is not possible with firearms.
Sparrow, rat, camera, seagull, rabbit, fox, tire, wolf, aggressor, enemy, boar, elephant …
The large hard tip tips are made to not go through a small target and then get lost much further.
Big booty points, on the other hand, are designed to sink in and cause very heavy bleeding.
Training spikes are designed to minimize damage to training targets and are easily removable. They are not intended for firing at live targets. The hole excavated by the point is exactly the same diameter as the body of the arrow, and the excavated cavity remains blocked. Bleeding is relatively minor. It can take up to ten days for prey to die of infection.
The goal of the hunter is not to harm animals and then lose them, but to kill as efficiently as possible, and quickly.
The colours are clear, pink, fluorescent yellow, black and gold to make it easier to find the arrows. It is more of a quiver for initiation into shooting and possibly later hunting for a very small game, but it can also be used for defence.
Six medium-weight arrows with six different tips.
Then 5 small arrows to the pistol to the crossbow.
This kind of quiver does not exist in the store. This is a home improvement.
From left to right:
– An arrow with a wide rubber tip that shoots balls to make it clear that I’m not bullshitting and that when I’m angry there are consequences.
I have always been able to verify from experience that violence solves problems when you hit much harder than necessary. With this arrow, the most amazing level is adapted to the situation of absolute hell, from the level that begins to settle every weekend in Paris.
My crossbows are equipped with a laser pointer whose line of light is clearly visible even in broad daylight, which adds another level of deterrence to not having to shoot. So I can be even more of a pacifist before I shoot balls.
This rubber tip can also be used to train on a large plush without immediate damage, to shoot a large rat that steals grain from the hens, to chase a bird …
– Wide head with three blades behind a super strong steel tip. The blades are fragile and break easily. But with a solid point at the front, this type of arrow will even pass through the bullet guard.
Star wounds do not heal. Heavy bleeding will quickly cause unconsciousness and death.
It is for shooting very large game (such as wild boar) or people in wartime, so with the intent to kill.
– Next to it is a 6-blade tip, less dangerous to handle and transport, the blades only cut forward instead of in all directions.
The blades are bent two at a time to cut three rings of meat around the tip. It is as if the arrow made three sausages as it passed through the body.
This injury is completely impossible to repair.
(You see, with a cheap over-the-counter gun we are not at all in the same category as the small bore 22s that require formalities, licensing, etc.).
– Ultra fine and hard tip that penetrates the pectoral plate. It’s pretty much the kind of spike that was used to take down knights in armour but slightly improved.
A point slightly larger than the diameter of the barrel creates a cavity that the arrow barrel cannot hold closed. So even if we let the arrow stop the bleeding, the blood will flow.
– Flat tip surrounded by hooks for maximum arrow retention. It is used for shooting small game such as rabbits or birds. It doesn’t go through much. We don’t lose the arrow. The arrow is the most expensive thing in crossbow shooting.
– Then a training tip. For the initial shooting, for training the people I want to see in shooting to survive what is coming soon, but also to be able to shoot in the dirt if necessary.
A crossbow cannot shoot empty, without an arrow, it weakens the bow and then breaks it more or less quickly. If we have stretched the rope, we must shoot the arrow. So an old arrow with an even crushed point is suitable for shooting over the stony ground if necessary.
– Then pistol arrows from a crossbow. Only for crossbows under 100 lbs. For training, opening and leisure shooting, but also for shooting at pests the size of rats that devastate reserves, or for other shooting where we will not be able to get arrows (eg riots, when the police are still running away, therefore the duty to defend).
In the idea of preparing for the worst conditions, the best choice is to buy a crossbow without pulleys.
You don’t need a heavy and powerful special press to work on it.
A piece of string is all you need to put on and take off the string. You can do all the maintenance yourself and fix any incidents. This is completely impossible with compound crossbows.
I’ve tried a dozen methods that can be found on the internet to put on or take off the rope, alone or with two people pushing like grasshoppers, with or without equipment. All of them are difficult or very very very very difficult, except one: simply using a false string, as with a bow.
It is very quick, easy and almost effortless. There is no need to be two.
Note that you can release empty, without an arrow, with just a dummy string. It’s much longer so the bow won’t be hit too hard if you’re shooting blanks.
There is nothing complicated about using a crossbow. It’s pretty much the same as all weapons.
You just need to know four things.
The string may snap or cut several fingers. So the second hand, the one that is not on the trigger, must be placed very carefully so that it is not in the path of the string.
Never aim the weapon upwards. A high-powered crossbow can shoot well over a kilometre. Projectiles are deadly, better not to risk sending an arrow to who knows where.
The rail and the part of the rope that rubs against it must be lubricated every five to ten shots or the rope will break very quickly because the friction is so strong.
When the rope is stretched, you must shoot the arrow. Void fire breaks the arc. So it is a good idea to keep an arrow, even if a little damaged, with a practice point, if necessary to shoot into the ground.
Summarize
You can do everything with the same weapon, hunt, fish, defend, attack, sabotage, train, and teach to shoot the people you want to see survive, without depending on the limited availability of a stand completely saturated with large attacks. You can exercise in nature or at the bottom of the garden, in almost complete silence, which will not disturb anyone.
No paperwork, no declaration, no filing.
Sufficient firepower when you stay at a distance to start extracting weapons of war from enemy bodies when the time is right.
The low-powered crossbow allows the use of the whole family, the whole group. Multiple shooters are much better than just one, especially when the going gets tough.
Shooting the crossbow is super easy. It is very accurate. The kid can handle it.
