silent weapons.. airguns vs. bows and crossbows

having a silent weapon is verry important in shtf situation when you are trying to keep from being detected. the first silent weapons that come to mind other than melee weapons are:

AIRGUNS(high velocity1200fps and up), i have .117 and .22 the .22 packs a punch but both break the sound berrier and produce a loud crack when fired,(there fore i almost didnt want to include it) so they are not totally silent but a homemade silencer helps it a little.

BOWS, compound, they will be harder to kill small game with than the airguns, but will work better on larger game and humans if needed,

CROSSBOWS(150-180lbs 220-400fps) they are accurate powerful, but a bit** to load, they are also bulky and take up space, i have seen foldable ones like tis one but idk bout the ammount of power it will have and about the acuracy with foldable limbs.
budk.com...

i have atleast one of each, but cant decide which would be best to have in my B.O.B if i could only have one. i want something that can take rabbits and other small game, but that can also down bigger game(deer cayotes dogs even humans if i was being threatened by other people) any ideas, point of views, tips, or info on pros and cons in a shtf situation when total silence is needed will be apreciated

(oh, and this is my first thread )

If you have a .22 you can use cb caps. CCI makes them. They are basically a .22short or long with little to no powder.


Deebo

You could hone your skills using a rabbit stick. The Native Americans used these to hunt rabbits by slinging them side armed low across the ground to hit the prey. The stick is sometimes heavier on one end. You can utube Bear Grylls rabbit stick and see a few examples, a bit grisly to watch, but for survival's sake it's some valuable info.
Also a high powered wrist rocket/slingshot with steel pellets might work.

spec

reply to post by mindfreak21


I'll go for a crossbow anytime , if silency is a MUST

reply to post by mindfreak21


I like a compound bow cause it's quicker to reload than a crossbow.

If I had to depend on it, I'd definitely lay in a lot of spare parts and strings just in case, as well as plenty of arrowheads and fletching, to replace lost or busted arrows.

If you want something silent to put food on a table (rabbit,pheasant etc) then i would go for a catapult.

So maybe consider a catapult for the small stuff and possibly a bow or crossbow for the larger.

Cross bows IMO are not a good "quiet" idea, in most cases they are not like movies, they are very noisy, noisier than most 22 rim fire guns..great force generated in small short mechanical advantage.
As for an IE...to me they sound like slapping two 1x4's together....SMACK..
Standard bow is much better..imo

As far as "high velocity" air guns go...thats a self defeating statement in its own...99% of the noise from a rim fire does not come from the "charge" of the shell being fired, but from the projectile breaking the sound barrier.
and "high velocity" air guns break the sound barrier...which @ my altitude 800 FASL "feet above sea level" its 1050 FPS I want to stay under...

Eley makes a great sub sonic 22 round subsonic hollow point hunter "best shell made IMO"...and if thats not quiet enuf for ya...get a dozen rubber goat feeder nipples ..one will last 5 + shots ..and slip it over the end of your barrel to contain escaping gases.."noise comes from escaping gas and air"
I can hear my firing pin over the "report"

True silent weapons are snares ..traps.. well placed hornets nests...IMO unless you can take out a target while the target is among other targets and remain un noticed ..your to LOUD..

reply to post by Doc Holiday


Thanks Doc. Friggin great idea for an improvised silencer and round.

The .22 is perfect for small game, which is probably what most folks would be living on in a SHTF scenario; the ammo is cheap, light, plentiful, and compact, so you can carry a sh*tload of it in a backpack, unlike larger calibers.

Also, since it's not as "sexy" a round as a larger caliber, if you have to forage for ammo, it should still be found in looted stores.


BTW: S & F OP, good topic.

Seen some of the locals use blowguns with poison darts. Silent and effective.

Dude, I know the items that BudK offer look cool and some, like the Cold Steel products are some of the best cutlery you'll find, but if you are going to purchase a bow, or a crossbow, don't cheap out. Your best bet would be to go to your local Bass Pro Shop and buy something made by a company that specializes in bows and crossbows.
Manufacturers of crossbows like TenPoint, Barnett, Horton, Parker and Wicked Ridge have gotten the crossbow thing down to a science.

reply to post by mindfreak21


I recommend a nice wrist rocket (sling shot) they are pretty close to silent and will take out small game and I don't know about you people, but I know I DO NOT want to get hit anywhere on my body with one of the little steel ball bearing ammo that Daisy sells for em......Got mine at Tractor Supply, with several different shot sizes and a couple replacement bands.....Oh and it all fits nicely in my BOB

Let me add something I picked up from Dave at the Pathfinder School Channel. This is the cheapest and fastest modification to a standard wrist rocket type slingshot that usually sells for around $10 at walmart or most stores that sell sporting goods.

He does have a better modification that costs a bit more, but this is fairly effective as is.




Best part is that it is light, cheap and easy to store and carry. And yet, it still functions as a slingshot.

I would have the traditional English longbow (yew)

Although it's long (6+ ft.) it's pretty silent quick reload (up to 12 a minute if you practice for years) range of 200+ yards with 250 yards not being impossible, great to take out big game and maybe smaller game if you get real good.

Robin Hood style is my style

Quiet quick and simple. A primitive sling used for centuries against armies of the world. An atlatl, will bring down most medium and even some large game[elk size and up] from a respectable distance. A simple recurve or self bow brings home deer every season, as well as smaller game. To really put food on the table and save time and energy you must learn to trap. Two dozen well placed traps will outwork any hunter and leterally clear an area of game quickly and efficiently, while you do other things. You make or find all parts of these tools, there is nothing to buy, no parts to machine. and a crude but effective tool like any of these listed can be made quickly by most people. Survival is what is in your head not what is in your pack.

respectfully

reluctantpawn, resident old fart

How about a Hav-a-hart Trap? You set it and leave it and come back to check on it when your ready. Nice and quiet for small game, needs no bullets or arrows. A bit bulky, but probably lighter than a crossbow or some 22's.

To me, a more complicated weapon is just more parts that can break. My choice would be a bow.


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reply to post by Ahabstar


They used to do that slingshot trick in boyscouts, that ring trick has been around a long time. It's good for about 20 yards, however I would rather stick to a recurve bow, a bow will last longer and have better range. Rubber can snap anytime on a slingshot, very unpredictable. I would go with a small bow in a shtf situation.

ive herd of poeple using the "david and goliath" slings but i dont have any clue how they work, let alone how to make or use one.. as for the budk product, it is the only one with folding prod that i can find online, if anyone knows of any others please post it.. and i added the "limbsavers" and those balls of strips of rubber whitch i cant remember the name for but i have it on my hunting bow to reduce the noise.. anyways, i added those to my crossbow and it seems to quiet it down when i shoot, it probably takes away a small ammount of power but i dont notice a problem with acuracy..

My crossbow is far quieter than my .22 and the bolts go through non fortified (level II, III and IIIA) body armor like it's butter.

Yes, it's somewhat bulky and can be difficult to cock if you can't use a foot but I've cocked it using just hands/shoulder. There is no muzzle flash so detecting the location of the shooter will take more than one shot from said shooter.