Pistol Crossbow - Cobra 80 lb assembly and test

Originally posted by 44soulslayer

I really like your posts mate.

Personally I am not too keen on bowed weapons in general. I have a real affinity towards firearms and so in a Sit X I would be using a 10 ft/lb .22 cal airgun. This thing would take out any small game within about 20-50 metres, if not more.

I suppose it really comes down to what you're comfortable with. I would be too nervous using a xbow as a primary, in case the string broke or the bolts broke etc. With an airgun, I know that I have 1000 shots before I need to improvise with ammunition. Wear on the gun is hardly noticeable, and Ive put about 10k shots through it.

Have you considered different bolts? Using one with a smaller diameter might give better penetration for big game.

Thanks souly.

With a couple of strings the xbow is good for hundred of bolts without straining them too much. I've got the spare taped onto one of the prods along with the wax and spare battery for the sight.

I got three broadhead hunting barbs for my bigger 180 lbs xbow, these are viscious. Not much in the penetration factor, but with these the razer edges will give any creature serious grief and massive blood loss. Would seriously pss off a bear, and bring down a deer with ease.

I dont know if crossbows are illegal in the UK but i bought wooden nunchucks in a highstreet shop and slingshots on a market in the UK. Surely they wouldnt be selling it that out n open if these things were illegal right? Maybe im just naive

I have this Crossbow as well, bought about a year ago in a highstreet shop in Holland (where i live). There arent many woods or other suitable places around here to use it though so im limited to my backyard

Cool that you guys have room to use it though!
x Lisa

reply to post by citizen smith

reply to post by citizen smith


can u get that crossbow in England not just china

I never tried this but how would a 180lb Crossbow react when shooting with a "50-80lb short arrow bolt"? Is this even safe to tryout?

thats what i was thinking, because im trying to protect myself from a mountain lion, and i really need to upgrade bolts to a broadhead. maybe a 120 lb crossbow bolt cut to 10" and with a broadhead..

reply to post by Anonymous ATS



You might end up shooting your hand, if the bolt jumps track. Accuracy would be way down also, and it would probably destroy the bolt if you hit anything that gives resistance.

i just ordered my cobra i paid 26 pound + 2pound P+P
i got 30 bolts free =]
can u tell me anything about the fishing with it?
also have you made any fire bolts or anything =]

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
I never tried this but how would a 180lb Crossbow react when shooting with a "50-80lb short arrow bolt"? Is this even safe to tryout?

I think it would be the same as dry firing the crossbow. It would damage the bow and the string and as the guy above me says, the smaller bolt could fly off in any direction. Best stick to the recommended bolt length for a 150lb/180lb crossbow which is anything from 14 inches up to 20 inches, although I find the 17 inch bolts are the most accurate.

reply to post by Mintwithahole.


Its more to do with the mass of the bolt rather than length that needs to be matched to the xbow. Too light a projectile, and as you say, is the equivalent of a 'dryfire'

Incidentally, I've seen quite a few models of xbow that have a tube/rail mounted above the bolt-tracks enabling far shorter bolts (5cm) to be launched without danger of it skipping wildly off the track

oops posted in the wrong thread

[edit on 24-3-2009 by citizen smith]

Originally posted by citizen smith
reply to post by Mintwithahole.

 

Its more to do with the mass of the bolt rather than length that needs to be matched to the xbow. Too light a projectile, and as you say, is the equivalent of a 'dryfire'

I've often wondered about that. Some of the bolts which I have seen, especially the unbendable carbon ones, are usually listed as not being suitable for ordinary compound crossbows only the recurves.


Incidentally, I've seen quite a few models of xbow that have a tube/rail mounted above the bolt-tracks enabling far shorter bolts (5cm) to be launched without danger of it skipping wildly off the track

That would make the front of the crossbow look almost like a rifle barrel wouldn't it? I've never seen one like that before.

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
I never tried this but how would a 180lb Crossbow react when shooting with a "50-80lb short arrow bolt"? Is this even safe to tryout?

Deleted after mis-reading Anons post correctly.

[edit on 25-3-2009 by WatchRider]

Watch Rider, I wondered if you had as yet carried out any penetration tests with the eighty pounder on tissue such as leg of pork or other materials, I was wondering about the suitability of the pistol bow for sit x close protection ?
NR

reply to post by Northern Raider


Check out the pic of the test results I posted up in the 'Crossbows- What's Best' thread..

The block of stone-ware pottery clay used for the first test has a very similar consistency to flesh (minus bones and cartilidge)...even when wrapped in a few layers of scrap clothing to mimic outer&inner shell garments the bolts still tear through

A trip to the butchers for a beef shin bone to clag up with clay is needed to further the tests, either that, or the sunday roast is going to look a bit like a swiss cheese this week

[edit on 27-3-2009 by citizen smith]

Originally posted by citizen smith
reply to post by Northern Raider

 

Check out the pic of the test results I posted up in the 'Crossbows- What's Best' thread..

The block of stone-ware pottery clay used for the first test has a very similar consistency to flesh (minus bones and cartilidge)...even when wrapped in a few layers of scrap clothing to mimic outer&inner shell garments the bolts still tear through

A trip to the butchers for a beef shin bone to clag up with clay is needed to further the tests, either that, or the sunday roast is going to look a bit like a swiss cheese this week

[edit on 27-3-2009 by citizen smith]

Thanks Smithy, I'll have a look see, my terrible gut feeling about social unrest is not declining so i'm having a major sort out of my kit.

BTW I think I will probably sell my recurve bow set up if anyone in interested. 30lb draw at 30 inches, twenty plus brand new arrows, belt quiver , spare strings , sights etc £150 if interested.

Hey guys I can see why you are having string wear problems on your 80 LB bows, I just bought and 80lb prod , extra bolts, and a few spare strings from Blades and bows, the Armex strings dont come with the string protector sleeve fitted ( a piece of shrink wrap) the way the original Barnett ones do. You ned to find some sort of protective sleeving about 40 mm long and three or four mm wide to shrink wrap over the centre part of the string.

I like the new Armex Bolts they appear to be of higher quality than the poriginal Barnett ones, bout the same weight but where the Barnett has a bullet head tip the Armex have a sharpley pointed tip which should penetrate more.

The fletches on the Armex bolts are more supple and flexible like on archery arrows, where as the barnet ones are like hard plastic wings.

reply to post by Northern Raider


I've started noticing a fair amount of string wear after putting some 50-60 shots through mine.

I'm not sure if the current break-actions are a carbon-copy af the original Barnett model you have NR, but the gold anodised 'guide plates' that attach to either side of the flight-track on the Armex models seem to sit a mil or so proud above the upper surface of the track, and seem to be slowly cutting through the string sleeving at that point...time for the Dremel methinks!

Perhaps an additional wrap-layer of PTFE plumbing-thread tape would help with that problem.

The graphite coating using a soft B-grade pencil seems to work wonders when applied all over the bolt shaft...really decreases the drag as the bolt body penetrates the target, particularly if its a dense material

Originally posted by citizen smith
reply to post by Northern Raider

 

I've started noticing a fair amount of string wear after putting some 50-60 shots through mine.

I'm not sure if the current break-actions are a carbon-copy af the original Barnett model you have NR, but the gold anodised 'guide plates' that attach to either side of the flight-track on the Armex models seem to sit a mil or so proud above the upper surface of the track, and seem to be slowly cutting through the string sleeving at that point...time for the Dremel methinks!

Perhaps an additional wrap-layer of PTFE plumbing-thread tape would help with that problem.

The graphite coating using a soft B-grade pencil seems to work wonders when applied all over the bolt shaft...really decreases the drag as the bolt body penetrates the target, particularly if its a dense material

Heck I have fired over 200 bolts with this string and the nylon cover over the centre of the string is just starting to crack, I think we need to try a few layers of heat shrink tubing like archers use. ? What do you think ?
NR

reply to post by Northern Raider

Heck I have fired over 200 bolts with this string and the nylon cover over the centre of the string is just starting to crack, I think we need to try a few layers of heat shrink tubing like archers use. ? What do you think ?

You could always buy some Eastman flight rail lube which you run up and down the runners either side of the rail to reduce friction on the string. Or, you could do what I did for a wihle and simply use a little tin of releasing oil! I've seen some survivalist sites which say that butter or lard work just as well in a SHTF situation.