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Archery in SHTF...?

6K views 56 replies 23 participants last post by  PatientWolf 
#1 ·
When I lived in the PNW, it wasn't a consideration. You got 1x buck tag a season, and had to declare your method- archery, muzzle loader, or modern firearm. Choose archery, when muzzle loading starts, youre archery tag is void- and you can't switch over. Doe tags were a lotteried luxury, 1 in 4 years...

When I came to NC, in addition to learning to hunt again ( whitetails are a completely different critter than Colombia blacktail), the idea of 4x does and 2x bucks on a basic licence- and all the additional doe tags one wants, for a nominal fee- was a foreign concept( as was the idea of climbing a tree to hunt...), as was "any legal method" hunting; the same tags are good from SEP thru DEC, with any method in season...

So I started bowhunting to get an early start on the season. Recently, crossbow hunting was legalized . Given the environment, short range is the norm in the Sandhills, rather than long (200m+). Archery is an effective method ...

So, to return to topic, is bow (upright or X) sustenance hunting a component of your SHTF/bugout plan? The pros are its quiet and ammunition is reusable. The cons... compound bows are high maintenance, and require specialized skills and tools...

Thoughts or considerations...?
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I wouldn't rule it out but would say trapping and snaring will be much more important and effective. I don't see stand hunting being much of an option in SHTF or bug out which is where a bow shines. Stalking and self defense with a bow are not a reality at least until all the guns are gone. I have taken several mature bucks and close to a hundred feral hogs with compound bow but I know its limitations.
 
#3 ·
Trapping/ snaring is another specialized skill set, primarily for small game. Archery is more of a big game method....

Much depends on one's ability to process and preserve larger quantities....
 
#12 ·
Archery is more of a big game method....
I think Traditional Bow Hunting for small game is / or at least was, a big deal some years ago. My Dad was a big Bowhunter when he was young. He made two of his own bows (long and recurve). When I was a kid I would shoot his bows... one of his bows has very heavy - in weight of pull...a beast. I still have his bows - today i am scared to "string em". I remember he had a quiver with about 40 arrows in it, some where field points. others broadheads. but he had a collection of Blunt Points and a couple of weird looking Blunts with eight wires running through them perpendicular to the shaft, each cable was about three inches long. I asked him what they were for..."Birds"... he would shoot at flying birds! I think a Partridge or Grouse...what ever lives in Maine...IDK? The Blunts where for anything smaller than a deer. I have a Fox Pelt that he shot with a blunt. My point is, certain tips can be specialized and used for small game and even fish. Most small game hunting is done with a recurve for obvious reasons. I live on water and it amazes me how much money ******** spend on Bowfishing, they do it mostly at night from platforms on the front of Bass Boats... giant lights to attract and illuminate fish...they use light compound bows...with line attached. Awesome to see them hit a big one...what a fight getting them into the boat! I have bow fished, but these guys take it to a whole new level...they harvest a lot of channel Catfish.

I have owned a great many Compound bows over the years and have never found any maintenance issues other than replacing strings. A cheap cable press, allen wrench set and the equipment and supplies for fletching arrows are all you really need to keep it going a long time.
Agree - I would say that a Compound Bow besides the most obvious advantages for hunting at longer ranges also has the advantage that it is more durable and maintenance free than a Traditional Bow, which is more susceptible to damage...and once damaged likely a total loss. Compound much easier to learn. The recurve has the advantage for quick and accurate shots closer in.

Someone mentioned reusable ammo / arrows...not usually in the field. maybe in a practice target. I eventually lost my Dad's arrows designed for birds. I broke many of the blunts. They were wood. I don't have a lot of experience with the new Carbon/"space age" arrows guys/gals shoot today, but my experience shooting game is that you lose many. Deer run off with some...when you find the deer either the arrow is gone, broke in half or bent. It the arrow passes through a deer, half the time it hits a rock or tree with enough force to damage the front of the shaft. You will never get a broadhead out of a tree!

As far as a valuable tool in a "Bug Out" situation...not for me(too many components to keep maintained carried...stay at home - I guess i might keep it handy. but I would prefer a rifle against almost any game. For Sport a bow is fun.

If you want to do stealthy work... get a compound cross bow with a scope. Small game get a Recurve or Long.
 
#4 ·
In a true shtf scenario, big game won't last long. And any easy to bag game (young, stupid,or weak) will be the first to go. And you'd be competing against those using firearms. Hunting with a bow is a major handicap. I've done a lot of bow hunting. I've even been pretty successful at it. But I can promise you if I knew I had to kill something or go hungry I'd grab a rifle. And if I had to be quiet I'd take my 6.8 and my can. Maybe even a rifle with night vision. In a shtf situation I'd never choose to make it harder than it had to be. At that point sportsmanship goes out the window.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
Stick bows.

They have been, and will always be, a viable alternative. Not real hard to make, but it takes a lot of practice and a developed skill set. I would not want to have to live on what one could not kill while learning to build a bow, cordage, points, and arrows.

It's probably another set of skills that a dedicated survivalist should own.

Learn skills before you need them, and you'll possibly eat better and live longer.

I have developed some of these "handed down" skills, and others, due to culture, and circumstance.

My first gun was a bow. ;)
 
#7 ·
No suppressor known to man eliminates the crack of a supersonic bullet, which carries quite a distance... nor does it eliminate the sou d of impact on target...

If maintaining a low profile is a consideration, then these become valid concerns...
 
#8 ·
I have been a bowhunter and target shooter for over 30 years. I believe a good bow you shoot well is a great and essential tool. Especially if there was a breakdown to society. They are quite, and re usable ammo for the most part. I have owned a great many Compound bows over the years and have never found any maintenance issues other than replacing strings. A cheap cable press, allen wrench set and the equipment and supplies for fletching arrows are all you really need to keep it going a long time.
 
#15 ·
I have owned a great many Compound bows over the years and have never found any maintenance issues other than replacing strings. A cheap cable press, allen wrench set...
While I've been bowhunting for about 5-6 years, off and on, I never really got "into" the equipment... I'm still using the same bow I started with, and haven't replaced arrows in a few years...

Frankly, and at the risk of sounding ignorant, I didn't even know such a thing as a "cable press" existed; in my mind, a bow press was always an expensive piece of shop equipment, and not exactly portable.... a cable press and a little knowledge alleviates most of the maintenance concerns.

While traditional bows require less care, they also require greater strength and skill to use well, have less power, and less effective range...
 
#9 ·
good skill to have but not essential. I have a bolt action 22 with 3x9 scope and a can. with subsonic ammo it's no louder than closing a soft cover book medium hard (if that analogy makes sense). with supersonic it sounds like a pellet gun and easy to hit a rabbit sized anything at 100 yards. inside that is pick your eye kind of accurate.

arrows/bolts are reusable if you find them, and they didn't hit anything hard, and you didn't nick anything in flight. And tough to replace. I can put 500+ rounds of 22 into a pants pocket, so space isn't a huge concern.

sure, eventually ammo runs out. but if I'm completely out of all the 22 LR ammo I can carry, then SHTF is over and we're all dead or it's all fixed.
 
#10 ·
A good recurve with good arrows in the hands of a good shooter is a deadly force to reckon with. I can probably land 5 quality shots with a recurve bow in the time that it takes me to string an arrow in a compound and line up my sights. It has been a long time since I've used a compound, so maybe they are faster to use now.

When pin point accuracy is paramount, a compound will do nicely. When COM type hits are needed, a recurve is my preference. However, this is an extreme case that I do not give a great deal of thought to. If I could only choose one, it would be my recurve. They are simple, accurate and effective.
 
#13 ·
( whitetails are a completely different critter than Colombia blacktail)
I have done some Deer Hunting out West - not Blacktail.

The SE Whitetail is something special...game is closer. Wind is so important against a Whitetail in Southern Terrain. You will never defeat his nose - if the wind is not in your favor - you better have luck on your side... Get high, don't move, and prepare for close in action. I love it!

Good Luck...hope you get a big one this year.
 
#16 ·
I have enough expensive habits.

I looked at some of the rigs in a local store. Trying to stay away. The stealth aspect, I really like. Some people coming by my place might mistake me for one of those weirdo prepper people. But I am trying to stay away.

Reading the American rifleman today and they had a plug in there for a compound rig complete with glass and everything you can imagine, just under three grand. Looks cool but I am just not going to go that way.
 
#17 ·
I looked at some of the rigs in a local store. Trying to stay away. The stealth aspect, I really like. Some people coming by my place might mistake me for one of those weirdo prepper people. But I am trying to stay away.

Reading the American rifleman today and they had a plug in there for a compound rig complete with glass and everything you can imagine, just under three grand. Looks cool but I am just not going to go that way.
One can spend a huge amount of $ if one chooses... and there seems to be an "arms race" in archery; those that are obsessed must have the latest and greatest, and spenf big bucks for 2fps...

When I first started bowhunting several years ago, I kept a realistic perspective. It wasn't something I was "in to" per se, it was only a way to get an additional 2 months to hunt, and that opened up more areas. I went with a mid priced rig, that I could grow into, and have kept it... over the entire time, I'm into it less than $1k; including arrows, heads, target bags, maintenance...

Several months ago, my wife, after researching on her own, got me a crossbow as a gift. We're into that setup less than $500...

Archery puts a couple hundered pounds of meat in the freezer each year, and I enjoy the hunting experiance more... bowhunting is a completely relaxing and zen experiance for me, its time afield completely at peace with myself...

I suppose the point is (as with any other pursuit or interest), it doesn't HAVE to become a high dollar obsession... There's a moderate way to indulge.

As it relates to topic, its a small footprint, almost clandestine,, technique for putting big game on tbe table. Another tool in the kit...
 
#18 ·
Crossbow is the best bang for your buck (pun intended). Most states let you use them for Bowhunting. They have great range, optics and most importantly for a weapons that fires an arrow they do it pretty flat - making range estimation easier. I would say almost anyone can hit what they are shooting at the first time they pick one up... as long as they are within range for the particular bow.
 
#19 ·
This is generally true... while not necessarily "flat" firing, optics are usually graduated for distance, and its easy to learn the nuances of a particular setup, select the appropriate crosshair, and shoot.

My upright bow took a few weeks to "master" to hunting proficiency @ 40m...
The crossbow took a few hours to master, @ 60m; it was almost anticlimactic... I'm considering seeing how it does @ 70...
My idea of "mastering" for hunting purposes is <6" POI from POA, 100% of the time, with the first shot...
 
#20 · (Edited)
Bows are excellent in so many ways. I haven't worked with the new fangled crossbows but I don't think their speed can be that much greater than a 70lb recurve or compound. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that. I know with my compound bow, I got so I could put 9 out of 10 into a paper plate at 60 yards. 10 out of 10 into a target half that size at 40 yards. But I practiced almost every day for months before hunting season. But hitting targets at known ranges isn't the problem with shooting arrows - its range estimation. I got so I could usually get within +- 2 yards up to about 50 yards. From 50 to 60 it was a bit tougher. Miss yardage by 3 yards and it is a miss at the target. But 60 yards was maximum distance I could trust a shot and that last 5 yards was pushing it.

I hated to sit in tree stands. Too boring for me. I liked to still hunt. Hunt into a non swirling wind and you can do ok if you really move slow, feel each branch and leaf under your feet and get into the zen of it. Now that kind of hunting I love. Didn't work on big bucks though. They never put themselves into a place where they couldn't see at least 90 or 100 yards or were so hidden in brush that there was not way to approach them quietly. Saw a whole hillside of bucks one day in the Sierra mountains. Sitting under trees 2/3 way up the mountain. 100 yards away and no way to approach them without being seen or spooking them coming down from the top. Another I tracked into a brush pile. Big big buck - largest tracks I have ever seen - was up by Yosemite. But no way to go in and get him and no way to get him out. If you had enough people to spook him out, it would be a fast running shot - not a shot to make with a bow.

Now the does you could sneak up on. Came within 20 yards of lots of females. In my hunting zone, you couldn't shoot does though. But lots of fun getting close.

Due to the range limitations and especially on spooked game, I don't think bows are very practical over all in a SHTF scenario - at least for hunting.
 
#23 ·
Bows are excellent in so many ways. I haven't worked with the new fangled crossbows but I don't think their speed can be that much greater than a 70lb recurve or compound. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that.

I think there's pretty big velocity differences between the traditional, upright compound, and crossbow...I think most traditional stick bows are <200fps, 340-350fps is very fast for am upright... and my essentally entry level crossbow is 350fps- and some high end ones are well over 400...
The bigger question is 'does it matter, and how much?'


I know with my compound bow, I got so I could put 9 out of 10 into a paper plate at 60 yards. 10 out of 10 into a target half that size at 40 yards. But I practiced almost every day for months before hunting season. But hitting targets at known ranges isn't the problem with shooting arrows - its range estimation. I got so I could usually get within +- 2 yards up to about 50 yards. From 50 to 60 it was a bit tougher. Miss yardage by 3 yards and it is a miss at the target. But 60 yards was maximum distance I could trust a shot and that last 5 yards was pushing it.

The biggest advantage to the crossbow is that the ease of use facilitates accuracy. As I mentioned earlier, it took a few weeks to "master" my vertical, and I'm limited to 40 yards. The crossbow was almost boring to learn, its so predictably accurate. Im good to 60 with it, and it took an afternoon to get there...

Due to the range limitations and especially on spooked game, I don't think bows are very practical over all in a SHTF scenario - at least for hunting.
I agree that they are limited, but have their place- if one doesn't want everyone else in the time zone to know you're there...

Arrows are expendable
Exactly- you recover and resuse if practical. Firearms ammunition is consumable, use it and its gone...
 
#21 ·
Around here in the commonwealth.

We can pretty much get as much venison as anyone would want during rifle season. Anyone that says that they have a hard time doing this just does not find it easy to get out of bed in the morning.

Sure you get these die hard idiots that are after the twenty six point Boone and Crockett rack. I say that they can have at it. They have nothing better to do I guess. Meat from a critter like that will make you want to give up eating all together. Around here people looking for meat will go out and bag the appropriate number of does that they need during rifle season and be done with it.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I agree WC, bows do have their place and crossbows make it even easier. I haven't used a crossbow much and not for decades, but it still has one of the main disadvantages of any bow style weapon - range. 60 yards seems like a lot and for many things and circumstances it is enough. But in a catastrophic situation that lasts for a length of time, getting within 60 yards of game I fear will prove very difficult. 60 yards is not a great distance. Put yourself in a place where you might only see one animal in a week or two of hunting, and the importance of securing that specific animal becomes very important. Odds of being able to get within 60 yards of that animal I wouldn't rate as good. And that is within 60 yards of a stationary target. A running shot is really no shot.

Finally, like I said before, if you are using a bow and not a crossbow, range estimation is all important and most people haven't put in the time to develop that skill. It isn't a quickly learned skill either. And with a bow, a 60 yard shot is not a gimme. Most people can't make a good 60 yard shot consistently and a moving target is almost impossible to hit.

I love bows. I have 3 compounds and 1 recurve sitting in my den this very minute. But I mostly love them because of the challenge. In a SHTF situation, challenge is not a good thing.
 
#25 ·
I've hunted exclusively with recurves for the past 25 yrs. They are maintenance free whereas compounds go out out of time easily....as in the first time the hot sun bakes a string or cable and it stretches. The only thing ever needed on a stikbow is to adjust the brace height if it gets a bit loud. Drop a compound out of a tree and it's toast. It'll likely explode into a couple of dozen pieces. A stikbow....not so much.

But shooting a stik is a dedication. I'd liken it to playing a guitar. It takes a while to be proficient and it's not for everyone.

But as far as regularly putting food on the table in this fantasy game, gimme my bolt action suppressed .22 SBR with a brick of subsonics.
 
#26 ·
I've hunted exclusively with recurves for the past 25 yrs. They are maintenance free whereas compounds go out out of time easily....as in the first time the hot sun bakes a string or cable and it stretches. The only thing ever needed on a stikbow is to adjust the brace height if it gets a bit loud. Drop a compound out of a tree and it's toast. It'll likely explode into a couple of dozen pieces. A stikbow....not so much.
Compounds in General are not quite that delicate. Some cheaper two cam bows do have to be timed. Not so with single cam, cam and a half or hybrids. They need no adjustments (or very little) after initial set up and draw length selection. Better two cam bows are pretty reliable also. My preference after using most types is single cam. Ive always used a lanyard in a tree stand so I wouldn't know what dropping one would do. Depending on how it hit it would probably throw a cable and need a bow press. Similar to dry firing, which I have seen the result of. Didn't ruin anything but some string serving. Wasn't pretty though.
 
#29 ·
I encourage everyone who enjoys marksmanship challenges to take up the recurve. To get good with it, you have to quit worrying about "aiming". The bow eventually becomes a part of your body that naturally points and shoots where your eyes tell it to. Once you feel the bond of your body/mind working in tune with the bow, you really begin to understand the potential of your abilities with a firearm.

Of course, Rambo hauled his compound bow all over Vietnam without any maintenance problems. So, that may be a viable option as well;)
 
#53 ·
Zen in the Art of Archery!



I am a member of an archery club with many hunters who shoot compound and traditional, recurve/longbow.

I do not hunt, but I have spent many hours on our 3D course with my old Bear Black Panther, a #45 recurve, very short, 48" that was originally sold as a kit at K Marts and such back in the 70's. The bow still works well, and is demanding in the way all recurves are.
With carbon arrows, you get long arrow life at that draw weight. A miss with a 70# compound hitting a rock will explode the arrow.

The intuitive process of traditional bows helps with firearms.

I love the quietness of archery. You become extremely aware of all the sounds around you.

As for hunting ranges, I ask other members about their hunts and most kills are 20 yards, with the most confident and dedicated compound users getting 50 - 60 yard kills.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Archery is an important skill set. With practice, it becomes a viable activity from hunting to fun. I believe it is advantageous to acquire as many skills as possible. It falls into the category of, “ rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”

I’ve been shooting recurves and longbows in 3d competition for 6 years. Advanced enough to win my stat’s 3d traditional archery championship this past year. I feel I have a useful skill set should the need arise.

You don’t need an expensive rig. You can get an excellent recurve from southwest archery ( .com) for about $150 ( Spyder or Spyder XL) . These are updated versions of the Samick Sage ( amo 62”) and the Samick Journey ( amo 64”, or the Spyder XL).

The 64” amo Spyder XL and Samick Journey are very smooth shooting, especially if you draw 29+”. I recommend it highly.

The “ problem” with any bow, is that people buy too heavy a draw weight, and don’t practice enough with it- because it fatigues the shooter and develops bad habits. The limbs of the mentioned recurve are high quality and low cost ($76). Start off with a 30-35# set of limbs and build your skill set. Maybe then get a 40#-45# set of limbs at your draw length. This should be “deer worthy.”

SHOOTING a recurve/ longbow is one skill set. You also need to learn how to tune an arrow, fletch it, and make a bow string with serving/ loops. Sort of the “ reloading aspect” of archery. Zwickey Eskimo broadhead are low cost, and high quality. Easton Tribute xx75 aluminum shafts are high-quality and low cost shafts ($3/each), 1916 or 2016 shafts are great-depending how much stiffness you need for your set up.

So yes, I believe archery is an important skill set in various conditions. Like anything else, don’t wait for the last minute to learn the skill and acquire components.

A great starting point is spending $20 on the BEST book about all aspects of recovery shooting. It is “Shooting the Stickbow” by Anthony Camera. Tony goes by the handle of “Viper” on various tradionation archery websites. No kidding, it’s the best reference book on archery out there.
 
#33 ·
don’t wait for the last minute to learn the skill and acquire components.
Best comment in the whole thread. A considerable investment in time and dedication is needed to fully master Archery if one wishes to be able to , shoot, set up, maintain and repair their equipment.
 
#34 ·
The cons... compound bows are high maintenance, and require specialized skills and tools...

Thoughts or considerations...?

Traditional bows offer some of the same advantages (minus a little range) but require little maintenance. We hunt in trees mostly so our shots have always been consistently 5-15 yds. Tough to master later in life, though.

Alternatively, an older round wheeled compound with true cables and dacron sting are extremely low maintenance. We have one that's going on 25 years old (used for hunting guests) that's still dead on at 15 yds. haven't made an adjustment to it in many years. That bow has more deer to its credit than all of our "modern/fast" bows combined. All that new technology gives you a few extra yds, but doesn't kill deer any better. Food for thought, anyway.
 
#35 ·
I'd suggest that newer technology gives one far more than a "few" extrat yards- if 15 is your norm, a decent, relatively modern compound extends that range to at least 45 yards, for a casual shooter, and 60 with some work.... about 3x the range, with about the same KE and Mo of a stick bow @ 15 or 20- not to mention being far easier to master to a degree of competance... of course, this comes at the price of specialized maintinace tools and knowladge to keep it running...
 
#36 ·
Thoughts or considerations...?

Well if Bo & Luke taught us ANYTHING (other than, that '68 Dodge Chargers CAN fly :p), it's that capable archery HAS it's place.




I'm thinking, that if you DON'T want your bug out location given away - say, while the golden horde is passing through - a little take-out McDeer with archery might be NECESSARY, to keeping your retreat on the QT.


I WOULD keep the dynamite arrows, on the down-low though... :rolleyes:
 
#41 ·
If you really want to develop archery skill, try still hunting. So much more difficult than tree stand hunting but sooooo much more fun! Of course, you need an area that supports it. Crunchy snow or crispy fall leaves make it impossible to still hunt as do areas that are so dense that walking through them soundlessly is an impossibility. But so many areas DO allow you to walk through soundlessly with sound still hunting technique. It teaches you the art of practical camouflage, feeling the ground as you walk to avoid snapping twigs and pine needles, and actually seeing small differences in surroundings to locate animals or small parts of animals. It teaches you to correctly estimate range on the fly without a range finder (no time to use one) instead of mapping out set ranges from a tree stand and to monitor wind direction at all times while hunting.

Just a whole different ballgame and skill set from tree stand hunting. If you've never tried it - try it. If you can become proficient, you will never go back to tree stands if still hunting will work in the same area.
 
#44 ·
I have 3 bows I have kept since childhood.
- A Bear Whitetail hunter compound, 80 pound draw. (huge and heavy by today's standards, If I was shooting more often I would get something more modern. Can't knock it for durability though)

- A very nice wood laminate recurve, 35 pound draw. Fast and lightweight, easy to carry, easy to put to use. Would not be any use for big game.

- A home made crossbow I made in shop class 7th grade, 120 pound fiberglass prod. It would go through a car door. Very hard to load ;) But would take big game. Again if I were hunting, I'd have something a little more up to date and commercial.

I keep them mostly out of nostalgia, but at the same time, if in fact the SHTF, they could be pressed back into service.
 
#47 ·
While we are talking about hunting land critters with bows I'd just like to mention that living in south Florida a few miles from the ocean has its advantages. I can fill a cooler with some of the best eating snappers, groupers or yellowfin tunas in a couple hours. If we go out further than it's schoolie size Mahi Mahi, larger red snappers and or BIG grouper off a local reef which will feed a campsite. :)
 
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