X-Bows!

[andym79]

I came to the conclusion a long long time ago that a .22 air rifle (12 ft/lbs) would be completely inadequate for home protection! As my country does not allow real guns :banghead: , other than a baseball bat, I was thinking of a cross bow for greater range!

There are two types, pistol and rifle crossbows, I would like advice of anyone as to:
1. Are pistol crossbows any good, the best I can get are 50-80 lbs draw. So I am guessing quite fast to cock but low in power, of little use for home protection?

I can get rifle crossbows right upto 210 lbs draw, though I am looking at 120-150 lbs draw from a cocking and price point of view!

2. How hard is it to cock a crossbow of 120-150 lbs draw in a hurry?

3. What sort of penetrate at say 5-10 yards would a crossbow have?
Could it pierce a adult torso effectively?

I would be using 14" aluminium bolts in a rifle and 6" in a pistol crossbow.

Are these of much use?

Thanks

 

[JShirley]

I have used both. The pistol crossbows I've seen were just dangerous toys, only really adequate for small game at very close ranges.

The full-sized crossbow you mention can be used to take deer (now legal in my state), so I'm fairly sure it would penetrate a human.

John

 

[Oldnamvet]

We never seem to appreciate the freedom we have (for now anyway) in the US until we hear from people outside the country. You are right about the airguns allowed in the UK as being useless for HD. Most crossbows can be made effective if you use razor sharp broadheads. Cocking and then moving around a house with them can be problematic. And the bolt can have a nastsy habit of becoming dislodged from position. And you are only going to get one shot. The X-bow is not very useful as a club. I would wonder if a spear gun, such as used by divers, would not be better . At least it would be easier to move around. I have no idea what the range would be. Personally, I would feel more effective with a very sharp double edged blade securely mounted to about 4 ft of 2" closet pole. A poor mans thrusting spear. In close quarters it is deadly. With the element of surprise, it evens the odds a lot with the armed intruder.

 

[JShirley]

I know someone who, when younger and less experienced, knocked a wounded deer off his feet with a blow from a reversed Saxon crossbow, so I would be hesitant to describe them as not useful in bludgeon mode.

John

 

[Lo.Com.Denom]

I'm in the same boat. I was thinking about getting a nice, uncomplicated archery bow, rather than a crossbow, due to the reasons given above. Then again for "home defense" you have to weigh up how much better these things are than Oldnamvet's pointy-stick! I don't know about your house, but in mine I could probably get across any of the rooms with one of my swords faster than I could aim and fire a bow, or crossbow.
On the other hand, getting a shotty isn't terribly difficult, as long as you're willing to jump through all the legal hoops.

 

[Kestrel]

It makes me sad to hear of places that don't allow it's citizens to defend themselves, much less own firearms. I'm serious - it's really sad.

That said, I would use a stick/club or a LARGE knife, such as a Kukri or some sort of sword for defense in the house, if you couldn't use a gun. I would not try to rely on a bow or crossbow.

 

[andym79]

Yere our freedom is being eroded at a real rapid rate, and this government are the worst. Soon we will be filling in a form to take a Sh**!

We don't even have freedom of speech here!

People have to locate and inform others of many aspects via the internet because our bastard government can not control what happens in the rest of the world. Bless technology.

You know here they want to put chips in all our cars and monitor exactly where we are all the time, watch us from above, charge us by the mile for road use and see if we have been speeding at all. I am not joking!

Here is another example, not many people will be too worried about this one. I wear contact lenses and the optician had a dumb way of putting them in, I thought he is an idiot. I could not get them in the UK without his say so. I just bought them in from the states, about 2/3 of the price and hey I put them in different with no problems. Freedom of choice does not exist here either!

Appreciate your freedom, the states still has a few more freedoms than we do!

A shotgun is not that easy to get a licence for, perhaps I am misinformed can you fill me in on the process?

 

[Sunray]

Using any bow requires extensive practice. Even a crossbow. Crossbows, are awkward in confined spaces and difficult to reload quickly. Can you lift 120 pounds without hurting yourself? If you can't, you'll need a mechanical device to cock your crossbow. At 5 to 10 yards a crossbow bolt out of a 120lb bow will go right through a human torso. Especially with a broadhead. Mind you, if the criminal is armed with a firearm, you lose.

 

[Lo.Com.Denom]

andym79

Just apply for a shotgun license from your local police station. Unless they have good reason to deny it to you (criminal record, that sort of thing), they should grant it to you, no problem. You will be required to keep it in a gun-safe, however.
Some police forces can be a bit obstructive - others are very reasonable. It all depends on where you live...
My advice is to go to your local police station and ask - they'll tell you anything else you need to know.

Now, if you need to get a Firearms Certificate - that's a whole different ball game...

 

[TMM]

1-pack up and get the hell out of dodge.

2-relocate to Vermont.

3-enjoy life.

 

[Thin Black Line]

I've owned both recurve and compound style xbows. Both were 150lb
pull and very accurate. The recurve (Panzer?) was extremely small, light,
and powerful. Yes, broadheads will make it deadly and it will zip completely
through flesh. You should have your bolts custom made out of the heaviest
aluminum shafts available. With a field point these have incredible
penetration. I was easily able to put bolts through two hay bails (one
was stopping standard arrows) and into a rubber tire backstop. Beware of
penetration through walls and doors. Remember to use xbow rail wax
and have your string knock reinforced with kevlar thread.

The adavantage with the xbow over the standard bow is staying at the
full draw without fatigue. It is easier to become accurate with them over
a bow in less time. The xbow is a unique weapon and it's not like shooting
either a bow or a rifle.

That said, I now only own 1 xbow and it is gathering dust while I carry
a handgun.....sorry you live in Britain, but I would be back to using a
xbow as well in your place!

 

[p35]

I hope you still study your country's history. English archers dominated the medieval battlefield largely because they could load and fire so much faster than the crossbowmen who opposed them. The big difference was that it took years of practice to develop a good archer, while crossbowmen could be trained fairly quickly.

If it were me, I would get a bow in the 50 lb range and a few broadhead arrows, and a bunch of practice arrows. Then start practicing. You can even practice the draw in your living room without releasing the arrrow. Do it enough and the draw and release becomes one natural movement. Bows are widely available on E-Bay, and the off-brand ones aren't expensive. I have a 54 lb Actionbow I bought there for about $12, and it's a good shooter. With a quiver, you can probably shoot three arrows to every one crossbow bolt.

Of course, a projectile weapon may not be the best choice in any event, but that's how I would do it.