Survival Hunting - Making a cheap Long Bow/Arrows/String - Back to Basics!

reply to post by ShortMemory


Home made bows and arrows rock,but I would always go for a bit of yew or ash (or osage orange in the USA)over a bit of PVC pipe.
Although that's fine for a quick made bow I guess-you couldn't exactly make a wooden bow in the same time!

For the arrow shafts I have a different way of doing them,and its one which can be done out in the field-unlike the lathe/router way.

I use one of these:



www.fine-tools.com...

Its like a large pencil sharpener for making tenons for furniture,but with the 3/8"hole at one end,so you can ,make accurate dowels(or arrows if you use the correct wood!).

You can use these by hand,as you would sharpen a pencil,which builds up your forearms fast.
Or in the workshop you can push your arrow shafts through the tenon cutter with a drill,making fast shafts.

This short video explains how to use the tool:



Wood selection is important for your arrow shafts-close grain hardwood make stronger spine arrows than soft wood obviously.

I have made arrow shafts which fly as straight as some of my 75lb spine bought cedar shafts.
Apart from selecting my own wood from local trees,I have made some great arrows from old broom handles(older the better,as more likley to be hardwood).
And damaged pool cues!
Which is great as you can often find them at the local dump when you do recycling.

I highly recommend this tool for arrow making.Its adjustable,small enough to fit in your pack,and well built.
Dang handy tool!

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


thanks for that info!
i was thinking about arrows and didnt even remember i have a lathe in the shed.
cant wait to crank it out

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
reply to post by ShortMemory

 

Eventually anyone with the skill to go from a piece of wood, to a functional bow, would be sought after. I like to learn the "end game technique". Take away everything except a blade and the wilderness, and what can I make? Right now, that answer is nothing. If I were to learn how to make a recurve bow, that would be awesome.

well when it comes to archery you can get just as much as done with a piece of wood bow then one you buy from an archery shop.
yeah i know what you mean and when it comes to survival im passionate about doing it the right way and not using too much technology. but i think that a bow and arrow fits in with that, weve been using bows almost as long as we used knives.

reply to post by ShortMemory


Thanks for this Thread mate, I've been thinking about making my own Bow and you have just inspired me to do so. Thumbs up

BTW Im Loving the Sig mate

reply to post by Silcone Synapse


You dont happen to work for Veritas by any chance

Thanks for the tip, I am a Bench Joiner so this tool could come in real handy for my work as well as for making arrows. Thanks for the heads up

Very interesting, neve would have thought a PVC bow would work. Anyhow, to those considering the use of a traditional bow for hunting/sustenance, do yourself a huge favor and start practicing now! It is not an easy weapon to master, no matter what. I shoot with an archery club every week,and in the winter months we shoot mostly recurve bows. In the summer I shoot gophers with it as well. Even so, for big game hunting I would be loathe to shoot past about 15 yards. I learned long ago that it's easier to shoot small game than big game. The adrenaline rush combined with the extremely developed senses of deer,elk etc make it a very tough proposition. When you do finally get close enough for a shot, successfully getting to full draw is a huge challenge. This is were teh compound shines, as it allows you some hold time. You will not hold a 50lb recurve or long bow at full draw for very long.
Also, it is a huge amount of fun! Get a few people together to shoot a few nights a week, and all sorts of little competitons develop. You'll have a great time and learn a new skill. Once you can shoot good, it's time to learn to hunt. Hunting with a trad bow is a whole new game, but perhaps the most rewarding one too. Someday I'd like to take a deer with a self-built bow, but that won't be for a wile yet. I've taken a few with the compound,now i need to take some with the recurve. After that, maybe the self-bow!

reply to post by xxclaro


I won several archery competitions when I was younger. I'm really good at it, and no, I never seem to forget. I'm actually a much better shot with a recurve, than with a compound. Too much junk on a compound bow that distracts you from the real idea, which is to put the arrow where you want it.

reply to post by Dionisius


No I honestly don't work for veritas.
But that tool is a must for making shafts on the move or at home.
And for someone who makes furniture,its great.
They do bigger diameter versions for furniture as well.

The body of the tool is made out of solid Zinc as well,did I mention that?
My mate who introduced me to the veritas has made approx 45 arrows,some hardwood,some soft,and the blade is still good.
I have only made 2 dozen or so arrow shafts with mine so far,and its sharp as new.
I have a day off tomorrow,so I may try to make another two shafts.
The frost will be here soon,and I love testing my arrows in the cold.
If they can perform well in minus temps,they are good for all year use.
Only the best survive to go in my top level arrow bag.

Originally posted by alldaylong
reply to post by ShortMemory

 

The normal human would not be able to draw a "Long Bow" You need immense strength. You need to call it a "Bow" :-

en.wikipedia.org...

Depends what lb longbow it is.
I've just bought one from a bowyer and it's 55 lb. That's enough power for taking down a black bear at close range.
The warbows your thinking of are 80 - 140 lb longbows and take a few years of practise and building your muscles up.
A few lads in England have rediscovered this lost art and have a bunch of videos on YT doing the warbow thing.

It's not immense strength but more like technique and practise...

For survival purposes, I prefer bamboo as the material for any bow, long or re-curve.

Bamboo can be found almost anywhere and are way easy to work with. I can make a working bow with bamboo and hemp twine in about 1 hour for small game hunting.

Originally posted by ShortMemory

Originally posted by DrHammondStoat
reply to post by ShortMemory

 

I might be a bit confused here as I've not been shooting long

When you talk about people being able to draw a 60lbs bow easily are we actually talking about 30lbs on the fingers?

The reason I ask is that as a petite, female novice archer I shoot 28lbs and was told by my instructor in the UK that most women shoot around 30-35 lbs when more experienced.

So the 60lb pipe bow is something I thought I would need to tailor to my strengths. Also if you made a wooden bow, how would you know what poundage it would turn out?

well im not to sure how much of that force goes on your fingers but its not too bad depending on how long your shooting..you can use finger pads or even a quick release which allows you to hook the string on a handle like device and click a button when you want to release..
yeah its really up to you, im sure most women do shoot something like that but i think most would be able to shoot a lot more..once again it depends on how long your shooting, it sucks for everyone having to shoot a high poundage bow for a long time..unless its a compound bow which takes a lot of the poundage off when you reach full draw.
personally i dont think the pvc pipe bow would be 60lb, probably 35-45lb but im not sure. i think youll be able to pull it.
in regards to wood it really depends what wood you use..
this link gives you an idea of poundage in relation to wood type:
www.woodbowworld.com...

take care

To put it in comparison a 35 lb longbow will send an arrow 100 yards or so.
A 60 lb longbow will reach 200 around yards (just).

I'd like to see that PVC pipe bow on a tiller with a measuring device, as I reckon it's way below 65 lb.

However the guy is showing remarkable ingenuity and skill, something we can all take from.
Sub from me on YT

Originally posted by LeTan
For survival purposes, I prefer bamboo as the material for any bow, long or re-curve.

Bamboo can be found almost anywhere and are way easy to work with. I can make a working bow with bamboo and hemp twine in about 1 hour for small game hunting.

Bamboo is ok for bows, but you need to be in a country where it grows.
Also you have to be very attuned to how 'set' it is, which can be quite radical.
With bamboo the 'set' can vary considerably. Something that yew etc longbows don't suffer from.

The Japanese 'Yumi' longbow's are fairly powerful, not warbows per sa (60 lb is max).
Some fletchers in the UK are looking into bamboo arrows as a viable alternative...

reply to post by oldshooter1979


I asked grandpadave for a thread on that.

I'll stick to my Bowtech Tomkat...

I think only a city slicker doesn't know this one but then again a lot gets lost from generation to generation.