Prepper Recon

Crossbows

Crossbows are fun alternative weapons. You can often find crossbows on Craigslist at a reasonable price. Despite some drawbacks, crossbows have a few benefits that are worth noting. Thy are not firearms and may be easier to access in some areas, check your local laws. They are very quiet. If you are ever dependent on hunting to feed yourself, you may not want the rest of the world to hear you take down some big game. You can practice with them in your backyard, even in the city. As with any weapon, always be aware of what is beyond your target. Never fire in a direction where someone could be behind your target. Finally, cost of ammunition is very cheap, provided you can fletch your own bolts.

The biggest major drawback to a crossbow is reload time. It is certainly no match for an AR-15 which could empty a 30 round magazine before the crossbow gets off it’s second shot. The other big drawback is accuracy. The weight of the bolt causes a lot of drop and it is susceptible to wind, because of  the large profile of the bolt.

Fletching Your Own Bolts

Taking your arrow or bolts to a shop to have fletched professionally will cost about $1 per bolt. This is pretty cheap if you don’t shoot a lot. Given you can lose a vane (feather) every other shot, it will add up fast. Fletching your own bolt requires very little expertise. Bohning makes a very easy to use fletching jig like the one in the picture for about $27.

The first step is to prepare your bolt by removing any excess adhesive from the previous vane.

Next, you can place the vane in the guide and apply an adhesive like Fletch-tite evenly to the bottom. Then line up the guide on the jig. Allow it to set for about 2 minutes. Remove the guide, turn the base of the jig one click and repeat. Repeat once more and you will have all 3 vanes on your bolt. Allow the adhesive at least one hour to cure before shooting or stowing the bolt.

Another great project that is very cheap is to make your own quiver. This quiver was made using two Pringles cans, a length of para-cord and some digital camo duct tape. Cut out the bottom of one of your cans. Line up the bottomless can over the other can and connect with duct tape. Cover the rest of the surface with the duct tape. Make a couple holes and string  through enough para-cord to make a shoulder strap. I also put a quick coat of black spray paint on the lid, and there it is.

Make your crossbow tacti-cool by accessorizing it with a  flash light affixed with some electrical tape.

You can purchase several different tips for your bolts. Broad heads typically have 3 or 4 razor type blades that come to a point. They are for large game and will stay in your target. There are regular target tips  for Styrofoam targets. The ones that look like a claw are made for small game, but work great for targets as they will not burrow deep into a home made plywood target. My target is a thick piece of plywood with several layers of cardboard attached with wood screws. Print out a free target from the web and you are ready to shoot. Always be safe and have fun.

Leave a comment and let us know what alternative weapons you use.

Happy Prepping!