Barnett Jackal crossbow. What is your opinion? shtf home protection..

OK,

So I am unable to get a foid card due to some stupid decisions in my younger years. No possibility of ever owning a leagal firearm in the state of Illinois.

Which sucks because I have been freaking out about family security in case something(anything) happens. I really do not want to be facing a possible armed a-hole, and all I have is a crappy kitchen knife.

I have owned a compound bow in the past and I just think that they are to impractical for confined spaces and other uses where close range, within a few yards where a bow is just is not a really good option. I mean if you are looking to hit targets with area to operate the bow, they are fine. I realize that a crossbow is not that small either. But it seems more practical to me for home defense. Other than reload time, I really cannot think of to many downfalls.

I have done some research on other older threads and I want a 2012 input base to gather some recent opinions to make a possible purchase around the Almighty tax time.

It seems that people are worried about compound bow parts failure. Can I ask an honest question here?

Have any of you ever had a cam system have a catastrophic failure from use on a compound model. And if so, how old was the bow and string setup? Was it a worthy bow?

I only ask because I have never heard any of my hunting friends speak of a catastrophic failure such as this.

This is part of the reason I am looking into a Barrett jackal crossbow. Price will be an issue and at $250.00 I really cannot find a better deal. I do not want to go any cheaper because you get what you pay for and after some research Barrett is a pretty good manufacturer if crossbows.

It has,

Velocity: 315 FPS
Draw weight: 150 lbs
Energy: 105 ft lbs.

Is this a good deal? Any more cheaper on the price and the velocity goes way down.

I know there are hardcore bow hunters that swear by the bow. I like then too, but I have been there done that. And I will probably purchase another one in the future. But for right now i would like a crossbow. It just makes sense in a liejunkie world right now. I think it would be easier shooting out of a second story window if one needed too.

Sorry about the typos. I will try to correct them.

Input is appreciated thank you.

Nice post mate

reply to post by daaskapital


Yes,

As I stated I am on a cell phone, I goofed up and hit reply...

Thank you for being patient

reply to post by liejunkie01


If you're just worried about "home protection" then don't use a crossbow. That's nuts. If you shoot a burgler with a crossbow you'll be facing at least a man slaughter charge.

For house protection use bear spray or pepper spray. Someone breaks in, you give em a blast of the pepper spray. They're done there lil misadventure, and you can send them crying home to mommy in one piece. That way you don't get charged and there's less blow back. Also pepper spray you can whip out really fast and use. A gun, or a bow takes time to load and even time to grab. By that time the robber is gone or already on top of you.

reply to post by r2d246


Lol,

I know it sounds crazy. But I was thinking if a more shtf scenario to where there is no judicial system.....lol...you have me laughing a little with the crazy remark.

I mean if I gave to jump in the suv and bug out, I would like to have something more than pepper spray....

I k.ow there are a lot of things to consider. But I do not want to be on the short end of a serious battle in the front yard, trying to protect my family and my property before I make the decision to bug out.

I know I am being paranoid, but after all this is the tactical section of the survival forum.

reply to post by r2d246


On another note, I know a Guy who was deer hunting and he came down from his stand to confront some kids on their 4 wheelers. He was an idiot and knocked up the bow and drew back on one of the kids, the bow fired and he shot one of the kids in the chest. He rushed the kid/ teenager to the hospital and the kid survived.

He was in a world of sh$t. Think he got the charges dropped down to a lesser charge, but still he screwed up.

I am not looking to get manslaughter charges. I do try to do the right thing.

I just don't want to get caught in a bad situation if shtf, and daddy government can't save me.

Also I have been watching too many shtf movies and I do not want to be the dude with a steak knife trying to defend the last scrap of food.lol

Originally posted by liejunkie01
reply to post by r2d246

 

Lol,

I know it sounds crazy. But I was thinking if a more shtf scenario to where there is no judicial system.....lol...you have me laughing a little with the crazy remark.

I mean if I gave to jump in the suv and bug out, I would like to have something more than pepper spray....

I k.ow there are a lot of things to consider. But I do not want to be on the short end of a serious battle in the front yard, trying to protect my family and my property before I make the decision to bug out.

I know I am being paranoid, but after all this is the tactical section of the survival forum.

Well you're not gonna protect them with a clumbsy old bow that only has 1 shot. Also lets say you get off a lucky shot and it goes right threw the attacker and he dies. So you have the body of an attacker laying on your front yard with an arrow in him. What are you gonna say to your kids?

If it were me ya get the bow but that's a hunting tool, that's not a self defence tool. That's all I'm saying.

reply to post by r2d246


Personally, if it gets that bad as yo where there is a body on the lawn. I think my kids would understand br
Because they would be scared as hell.

As far as the hunting, that is really the other top, and main priority of the bow.

I am not looking to use it on anybody, but like I said. I do not want to be put in a situation where I am holding g a baseball battle again St some idiot looking to do my family harm.

I own a barrett jackal crossbow. I paid 300gbp which is about $440. So if you can get it for $250 it sounds like a good deal.

Make sure to wax the strings before each use. If you look after it it will last a long time without needing replacement parts.

Also the cheap bolts are good for a beginner but you will want to get some better(and more expensive) ones after a while.

I had the police round after a week. Had them come while I was asleep.They were trying to say it was classed as a firearm and illegal. I ran downstairs shouting that theyre lying etc etc I have checked the laws. Crossbows were invented before any firearms so do not fall under the same laws.

Hop this helps a little.

reply to post by mushyp


Thank you for the info.

I have checked the firearm laws and they are not illegal here.

The price was on eBay. New and it is a small kit.

I was shocked ad to how much the arrows are....wow.


Also is it Barrett, or Barnet?

I Googled Barney and the crossbows showed up.......

I hope I did not make a typo in the thread title.

Perhaps you could develop this into what you want. For SHTF perhaps we need to think outside the square. There are more powerful versions. Interesting if you have never seen them.



P

Originally posted by r2d246
reply to post by liejunkie01

 

If you're just worried about "home protection" then don't use a crossbow. That's nuts. If you shoot a burgler(sic) with a crossbow you'll be facing at least a man slaughter charge.

For house protection use bear spray or pepper spray. Someone breaks in, you give em a blast of the pepper spray. They're done there lil misadventure, and you can send them crying home to mommy in one piece. That way you don't get charged and there's less blow back. Also pepper spray you can whip out really fast and use. A gun, or a bow takes time to load and even time to grab. By that time the robber is gone or already on top of you.

edit on 16-11-2012 by r2d246 because: (no reason given)

Man slaughter?????
Bear spray
What's brown, has bells and smells like pepper spray?
Bear poop
SOF, SOCOM, and SEALS use cross bows.
My Dad had one, (Lt Col. 70th Div Training Command)
Sounds like one I would buy.

What you do is if you get attacked you spray the attacker in the face first, then in the balls. It would be like putting a hot firey torch right to there balls! I'd shoot the guy in the face. Then I'd hand cuff them. Then I'd pull down there pants and shoot them in the balls. Then I'd crack open a beer and watch the show! LOL

i thought the 2nd amendment says you have a right to bear arms, it says nothing about not being a felon or a model of society.

it clearly says every american has a right to bear arms. the way i see it, the state of illinois has left you unarmed and stripped of any serious means to defend yourself.

does the constitution trump illinois or does illinois trump the constitution.

if you're an american, the call is easy to make.

if they arrest you, get a good lawyer and fight it in the courts. that is what its there for.

My advise, Go shoot a crossbow and see how difficult and in efficient it is to reload. Better hot that first arrow or you'll be asking the burgled to help you reset the crossbow.

Oh yeah it is barnett, it's me that made the typo.

As to reloading, it is hard at first, but you get used to it and you can get some pull strings that make it way easier, as with anything, with some practice you will get efficient at using it. Also just pointing it at an attacker/group it looks scary and will prob shoot thru 2 or 3 ppl if lined up

Also the police waked away from my house empty handed once I told them I knew the laws, if not they would have taken it....

I have a Parker crossbow, if someone breaks into my house, they will get a bolt in the throat, face or chest, I'm not worried about manslaughter charges, if you shoot n kill an intruder, most states have the castle law, I think you'd be protected under that

Originally posted by r2d246
reply to post by liejunkie01

 

If you're just worried about "home protection" then don't use a crossbow. That's nuts. If you shoot a burgler with a crossbow you'll be facing at least a man slaughter charge.

For house protection use bear spray or pepper spray. Someone breaks in, you give em a blast of the pepper spray. They're done there lil misadventure, and you can send them crying home to mommy in one piece. That way you don't get charged and there's less blow back. Also pepper spray you can whip out really fast and use. A gun, or a bow takes time to load and even time to grab. By that time the robber is gone or already on top of you.

edit on 16-11-2012 by r2d246 because: (no reason given)

Seriously? Someone breaks into your home, and your idea is to make their eyes water a little?

Pepper spray is not disabling. I've been pepper sprayed by every kind of OTC spray, and even the cop spray a time or two. It is uncomfortable, but it has never once stopped or even delayed me from finishing whatever task I am on.

If you need to load your gun, then your gun is worthless. It takes just as long to grab pepper spray as it does to grab my shotgun or pistol. Both are readily accessible and loaded and ready to fire.

I hope you never find yourself dependent upon pepper spray to save your life.

Pepper spray won't even run off a typical opossum. A girl at my work brought in a video of her spraying a opossum with the entire canister of sticky, foaming pepper spray to get it off her deck, and it never flinched a bit. it didn't leave the deck, nothing. So, she grabbed a can of corn and tossed it and whacked him off the deck and he ran away.

Grab a can of corn, not a can of pepper spray. OR, grab a gun like people who are serious about protecting their homes and families.

The crossbow is an awesome tool also, but not for home defense. Great for hunting, but not home defense.

Couldn't you just do something like get a friend or family member to buy whatever guns you want and keep them at there place? And or even bury them underground as a backup plan only to be dug up if the SHTF? That way you're not in any risk legally?

Don't bother with the crossbow. Save the money. You are screwed with or without it.