cross bows disasemble easily ?

[surfivor]

 At the store yesterday I was looking at bows, it looked like the frame of most of the crossbows can disassemble into 3 parts, if it is easy enough to take them apart, that might mean it is an ideal bow for packing into a back pack or something for long distance traveling that way. Any thoughts on that ?

 The other types of bows look to be one piece or no ?

[DeltaEchoVictor]

 At the store yesterday I was looking at bows, it looked like the frame of most of the crossbows can disassemble into 3 parts, if it is easy enough to take them apart, that might mean it is an ideal bow for packing into a back pack or something for long distance traveling that way. Any thoughts on that ?

 The other types of bows look to be one piece or no ?

Before getting hooked by the longbow bug I owned a crossbow or two.  Most crossbows are pretty heavy, at least the ones I owned were.  I suppose you could pack one but if you're going to hump that weight, why not hump a small rifle of some type?  There are many types of takedown rifles these days.  It would of course depend on the model of crossbow you chose, but they aren't exactly space savers either.

I tend to view crossbows as a niche weapon, they're neat & if you can't have anything else they're fine.  IMO there are much better options than a crossbow.   

[surfivor]

 From listening to the podcast, at first I thought a longbow would be good, then a guy up where I camp says they are hard to pull at 60 pounds or so and instinctive shooting takes years to learn. I'm not sure which way to go ..

 My mother doesn't want me target practicing in the back yard, I'd have to go out in thee woods with one of those little hard foam box targets

[surfivor]

I meant to say compound bow instead of crossbow, I keep getting those two mixed up, I know the crossbow is the one with the trigger, I would not get that, but between the other types I am pretty much unsure what I'd want to get at this point

[ModernSurvival]

Some are designed to "take down" to varying levels.  Shooting instinctively can take a long time for some, others can just do it with ease.  Some modern recurves and longbows have easy ways to add pin sites too if you need them.  You may want to rent or borrow a bow, take a few lessons from an experienced shooter to gauge your personal aptitude to make a more informed decision.

That said if you can shoot a rifle well at 20-40 yards you will be decent with a cross bow quite quickly, they have a very short learning curve and many advantages over a typical bow.  This is precisely why many states don't allow them in archery season.

[DeltaEchoVictor]

 From listening to the podcast, at first I thought a longbow would be good, then a guy up where I camp says they are hard to pull at 60 pounds or so and instinctive shooting takes years to learn. I'm not sure which way to go ..

 My mother doesn't want me target practicing in the back yard, I'd have to go out in thee woods with one of those little hard foam box targets

For the sake of disclosure, I shoot a longbow, so you can assume I am biased to some degree.

But having said that, instinctive shooting is all about hand eye coordination.  If you've spent any time playing video games then your brain is already trained (to some degree).  I'm 36 & while many of my contemporaries are video game players, I never was, so it's taken me a bit longer probably to be comfortable with no sights.  It doesn't take years, not for most people.  It just takes consistent practice.

It takes regular practice to shoot a bow without sights, but there are sighting options available for even longbows & recurves.  In fact, you can make your own sight with something as simple as a matchstick & some electrical tape.  You only have to be willing to experiment a little to find proper placement on the riser in comparison with the average yardage you want to be able to hit proficiently.  I linked a couple of archery sights Here.  If you think you're interested in trad archery I can help you get set up pretty cheap.  You can definitely become proficient quicker if you wanted to go the compound route but I've not shot one in a long time.

You don't need a 60 pound bow to take large game.  In fact, I hunt with a bow that's only 45#'s & it's plenty capable of taking deer sized game.  There used to be a trend toward "heavier is best", but it's just not the case.  Starting out you should shoot something that's comfortable for you to pull consistently because getting the proper form is the most important aspect of shooting any type of bow.  If you're interested in learning more shoot me an IM & I'll be more than happy to help or answer any questions you may have.

Shane

[Roswell]

I think it really depends on your purpose.  I recently purchased the crossbow pictured below.



It doesn't look like much, but here is what the company says about them "This 50 lb. mini-crossbow is constructed of stainless steel with a black hard plastic overlay. Complete with a scope positioned at the end of the barrel for precision in aiming. Perfect for target practice and amateur competitions! The mini-crossbow package includes 5 razor sharp arrows, prods, bow string, and target! Shoots 200 Feet Per Second with a pin point accuracy up to 40 yards."

I bought mine at a gunshow for $7, mainly for that reason.  It is pretty nice though, especially for that price.  I went ahead and purchased an extra string for $3 and some extra darts that had aluminum shafts (the ones in the box are plastic) and sharper points for like $5 if memory serves.  I must say though the "scope" is a peep sight, which is easily adjustable and very useful, but not sure why they call it a scope.  However, my point is that  it is very cheap and weighs only 1.5lb.  It is small and easily assembled and disassembled with the included allen wrench.  I wouldn't use it against a deer, but small game, you betcha.  The whole thing takes up about the same space as a large handgun, but not nearly as heavy.  In fact it is lighter than most .22 pistols, especially loaded.  Also, it has the advantage of being able to fire without scaring all the animals in the forest.  Someone is selling 5 on ebay for $13 a piece http://cgi.ebay.com/50LB-Pawerful-Mini-Crossbow-with-Target-Arrows_W0QQitemZ190278275933QQcategoryZ33972QQcmdZViewItem

[DeltaEchoVictor]

I think it really depends on your purpose.  I recently purchased the crossbow pictured below.



It doesn't look like much, but here is what the company says about them "This 50 lb. mini-crossbow is constructed of stainless steel with a black hard plastic overlay. Complete with a scope positioned at the end of the barrel for precision in aiming. Perfect for target practice and amateur competitions! The mini-crossbow package includes 5 razor sharp arrows, prods, bow string, and target! Shoots 200 Feet Per Second with a pin point accuracy up to 40 yards."

I bought mine at a gunshow for $7, mainly for that reason.  It is pretty nice though, especially for that price.  I went ahead and purchased an extra string for $3 and some extra darts that had aluminum shafts (the ones in the box are plastic) and sharper points for like $5 if memory serves.  I must say though the "scope" is a peep sight, which is easily adjustable and very useful, but not sure why they call it a scope.  However, my point is that  it is very cheap and weighs only 1.5lb.  It is small and easily assembled and disassembled with the included allen wrench.  I wouldn't use it against a deer, but small game, you betcha.  The whole thing takes up about the same space as a large handgun, but not nearly as heavy.  In fact it is lighter than most .22 pistols, especially loaded.  Also, it has the advantage of being able to fire without scaring all the animals in the forest.  Someone is selling 5 on ebay for $13 a piece http://cgi.ebay.com/50LB-Pawerful-Mini-Crossbow-with-Target-Arrows_W0QQitemZ190278275933QQcategoryZ33972QQcmdZViewItem

I hope you don't really intend to rely on that thing for survival.  Everyone I've ever handled has been junk & aside from shooting a styrofoam target isn't good for much more than a paperweight.  I'd never shoot at anything larger than a squirrel with it either, if it can even kill a squirrel. 

[Roswell]

I think it really depends on your purpose.  I recently purchased the crossbow pictured below.



It doesn't look like much, but here is what the company says about them "This 50 lb. mini-crossbow is constructed of stainless steel with a black hard plastic overlay. Complete with a scope positioned at the end of the barrel for precision in aiming. Perfect for target practice and amateur competitions! The mini-crossbow package includes 5 razor sharp arrows, prods, bow string, and target! Shoots 200 Feet Per Second with a pin point accuracy up to 40 yards."

I bought mine at a gunshow for $7, mainly for that reason.  It is pretty nice though, especially for that price.  I went ahead and purchased an extra string for $3 and some extra darts that had aluminum shafts (the ones in the box are plastic) and sharper points for like $5 if memory serves.  I must say though the "scope" is a peep sight, which is easily adjustable and very useful, but not sure why they call it a scope.  However, my point is that  it is very cheap and weighs only 1.5lb.  It is small and easily assembled and disassembled with the included allen wrench.  I wouldn't use it against a deer, but small game, you betcha.  The whole thing takes up about the same space as a large handgun, but not nearly as heavy.  In fact it is lighter than most .22 pistols, especially loaded.  Also, it has the advantage of being able to fire without scaring all the animals in the forest.  Someone is selling 5 on ebay for $13 a piece http://cgi.ebay.com/50LB-Pawerful-Mini-Crossbow-with-Target-Arrows_W0QQitemZ190278275933QQcategoryZ33972QQcmdZViewItem

I hope you don't really intend to rely on that thing for survival.  Everyone I've ever handled has been junk & aside from shooting a styrofoam target isn't good for much more than a paperweight.  I'd never shoot at anything larger than a squirrel with it either, if it can even kill a squirrel. 

That is why I said small game. I agree with you when you said,

I tend to view crossbows as a niche weapon, they're neat & if you can't have anything else they're fine.  IMO there are much better options than a crossbow.   

However, they have their uses.  I still pack a 9mm and have shotguns and rifles, but for the price and the weight this particular crossbow ain't bad.  That is all I am saying.  Plus I gotta be honest it's fun.  No, I won't be relying on it.  I might try it out while it is still small game season though.

[DeltaEchoVictor]

Okay, they are fun.  I'll give you that.

[archer]

For anyone who has one, how well made are they? Will they last years of use? I've seen them at time. My brother bought one out of curiosity, but he's hardly ever used it.

DEV, that green Zombie face is spooky..

[Roswell]

I just bought mine about a month ago and haven't used it that much.  It seems fairly durable, but I would purchase a back up string just in case.  I will post more once I use it more.  However, I wouldn't go out and get one of the $250 ones.   I think it will only hold up about as well as a cheap one, maybe less if it has a true scope, but will add much more weight.   Like I said they are fun, and I would take it small game hunting, but I still love my guns. 

[Roswell]

I just finished some more testing.  It didn't go too well.  The crossbow basically fell apart in my hands.  This may have partly been my fault.  I didn't have the bow tightened down enough with the allen wrench.  It worked for a while until the bow fell off.  Then the screws at the handle started to come loose.  Maybe they were already loose, but these were factory screws.  Finally, the bow tips came off and the string followed.  I am not giving up though, even though I lost my bow tips. grrrrrr    I ordered more tips at the following http://www.blade-empire.com/Crossbows/String_and_Bow_Tips-50_Pound_Crossbow_Pistol.shtml pretty cheap, although shipping sucks.  Next time, I am going to tighten every screw ( even factory ones) and put super-glue on the inside of the tips.  I'd advise anyone who buys one to do the same, if this review didn't turn you completely off.  I will write more once I am back in business.  I refuse to admit defeat even if shipping those bow tips costs me more than the crossbow did.   GGGRRRRR!!!!!

[amberwolf]

I'm curious about this subject, I have a much larger crossbow with a 150 lb draw. I even have one with a self-cocking mechanism and have yet to shoot but am about to take them out real soon- once the weather warms a bit.
What I like about having one is a situation where you don't want to alarm everyone in a 5 mile radius that you are armed and willing to defend the fort. With a crossbow it can shoot an arrow far enough and in silence to get someone approaching too close for your comfort.

Other than this weapon I have a compound bow made to fish with. I'd love to take that out as well but I feel that it does need new string put in the reel beforehand. It was purchased from a pawn shop in Florida and you can tell it was used a bit.

I do feel that once I take these out and get the hang of them that I will want to upgrade to an even better and more costly cousin, but those little cheap pistol ones aren't made for defense measures.

[Roswell]

Yeah, they are better if you just want to have a little fun for less than $20.  I am still waiting on replacement parts for when mine broke. My initial thoughts were to use it for something like what surfivor suggested.  Alas it is far too cheap.  It was easy to assemble and very light, but it broke easy to.  my replacement parts are taking forever.  I couldn't invest more money unless i was getting another gun.   It would be nice to be able to hunt during bow season though.  hmmmm