Whenever you become a survivalist, you will come to a point where you need to find an alternate survival weapon. There are normal projectile weapons like the handgun, shotgun, and rifle that will work great, but it is nice to really have options like a survival bow or crossbow. The crossbow is a nice and quiet option for a weapon but how does the bow stack up against the gun in a survival situation?
Survival bow – should you choose one?
There are so many reasons you should purchase the best survival bow you can afford. Bows never jam. They are quiet. The bolts are easier to manufacture than the cartridges and even aluminum arrows are very durable and are inexpensive.
Bow manufacturers are very similar to a car manufacturer, each one will claim that they are the best. Even though there are differences in style, performance, and details, the bow will do the same thing. They will throw a bolt from a trigger controlled bow. What you need to find out is the type of features that you need for your survival bow.
| Bow | Draw Weight (lbs) | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Jackal Crossbow by Barnett | 150 | 4.2 |
SMF Crossbow by Excalibur Axiom | 175 | 4.4 |
Ghost 410 CRT by Barnett | 185 | 4.6 |
You could even try to make your own bow like our ancestors did and it’s a great skill, it would be a lot of fun but to get really good at it you would need a lot of experience and your time is probably best spent elsewhere.
Crossbow vs traditional bow for survival
This is a big question to consider. It all comes down to this, survival bows and crossbows have a lot of advantages, but a crossbow does not have the long learning curve to go with it. That is what makes them a great type of survival weapon. A first time user can make a tight shot quickly under the guidance of someone who knows what they are doing. If you want to be ready when all hell breaks loose, but you don’t have time to train with a regular bow and arrow, try a crossbow. Learning how to shoot a bow can be very difficult and you have to maintain the skill as well, which is why when survivalists are choosing a survival bow, they choose a crossbow over a bow. Having said that the takedown bow, especially the takedown recurve bow is very popular at the moment. Check all the bow options you have at types of bows.
Benefits of using a crossbow for survival
There are a lot of ways that a crossbow can be really useful during a stay in the wild or a disaster. Crossbows will give you a way to get food from bow hunting whether it be big or small game or even fish by bowfishing, but it gives you a way to protect yourself from animals or anything else. Check out some tips for bow hunting for beginners. Be cautious about it being a weapon for anything besides animals, so keep reading to find out why.
If you don’t want to learn how to use a regular bow and you want something besides a gun, then a crossbow is your best choice. The main issue is that with guns, once you are in the wild, it will be hard to find bullets. A crossbow lets you reuse arrows that you have shot or you can use what is around you for arrows. Another benefit is that it is quiet. Guns aren’t quiet but a crossbow will make very little noise when shooting which avoids any type of attraction to you.
If you are a prepper and a hunter, then getting a crossbow will be quite useful for a disaster. You are also going to get a weapon that you can use to hunt with, depending on the state you live in, which will let you use it during archery season. Some states limit the usage of crossbows. In California, you can only use a crossbow during firearm season.
Summary of benefits:
- Great for hunting
- Easy to shoot
- Silent
- Reusable arrows
Disadvantages of a crossbow for survival
Crossbows do have some disadvantages. The first being that they are quite large and can be hard to carry around due to how heavy they are. Do not expect to be able to travel for days on end toting about 7 to 10-pound crossbow on your survival backpack as well as your other equipment. Regular bows are much lighter, which are great for those who are constantly moving.
Crossbows are slow on the reloading time. Once you have shot the arrow, you are going to need about a minute to be ready to shoot another arrow. That is going to be a long time when your life is depending on it. Master Archers can shoot the arrows much faster than an average person, but a gun is much faster. Fighting may not always be the best solution. You need to understand your situation and if your life happens to be in danger, then be sure to consider your options. Avoiding anything that is dangerous is the best way that you can stay alive. Do not try to fight a firing squad with a bow. If you are hunting big game, then be sure that you killed them in one shot, because you may not have time to reload.
Do not miss your target as you can only load one arrow at time on the crossbow. That is a big deal because it takes forever to be able to reload.
Summary of disadvantages:
- Only one shot at a time
- Big and heavy
- Slow to reload
Is a crossbow a good survival weapon?
If you want to add a crossbow to your gear, then that is up to you. If you are wanting an alternative to a gun that is silent then a regular bow or crossbow is a great solution. Bows will have a bit of a learning curve before you can become quite efficient with them. Crossbows allow you to accurately show arrows in minutes, but they each have advantages and disadvantages.
Survial Bow Options
When it comes to selecting a crossbow for hunting or survival, you will have several different options that you can choose from. You need to find out if you want a compound or recurve crossbow and if you want to use long or short crossbow bolts as well as how tall you are and what you will be hunting. You should also know if you will need a cocking device or will you be able to cock it by hand. Check out my article on a recurve bow vs compound bow. Many like the reverse crossbow as a survival bow.
Important Factors to consider for a survival bow
- Reliability – A recurve bow is easier to maintain and repair than a compound bow and are simpler as well. This tends to make them more reliable while compound bows have small moving parts that will wear out and break down.
- Weight – Weight is a vital factor that you will need to consider when it comes to a survival situation. A recurve crossbow will weigh less than your compound bows.
- Accuracy – A compound bow is not as accurate as a recurve bow, simply because they will go out of tune often. Just bumping it or dropping it can make it useless.
- Cocking – Recurve bows do not have a cocking mechanism and will cause you to manually cock it. Unlike the compound bow.
- Power – The overall power of a crossbow will determine the speed of the bolt. A compound bow tends to be more powerful than a recurve just because they are not able to shoot the bolt as quickly.
- Balance – A recurve crossbow tends to be lighter weight on your arm because there are not any cams, cables, sliders, or pulleys, which means that they are more balanced and quicker for you to aim.
Best Survival Bows for 2018
#1. Jackal Crossbow by Barnett
This is a lower priced Barnett crossbow. However, even though it has a low price that its competitors, it is a high quality bow that is amazing.
This crossbow comes with a military style stock that is sleek to look at and has a divided foregrip that will enhance the comfort and placement. It is all packaged together with a quick detach quiver, premium red dot and bolts that are great for those who are ready to shoot right as you take it out of its box.
It has a quad limb assembly which produces a really fast arrow at 315 feet per second. This is the best crossbow out there for this price. This is a great type of survival crossbow that many people have used for hunting and bragged about using.
#2. SMF Crossbow by Excalibur Axiom
This crossbow is going to be a bit more expensive then others if you are wanting a survival crossbow. The big advantage about this crossbow is that it weighs less than 6 pounds. Many crossbows weigh around 10 pounds. But due to the plastic front arm, this bow is much lighter, but do not let that fool you. This crossbow is very solid and made from high quality materials and will handle anything that you can put it through.
#3. Ghost 410 CRT by Barnett
This crossbow is made by Barnett. It was designed with specially advanced ultra light, super strong carbon riser technology that is patent protected. This crossbow is super easy to carry around due to the shift of weight from the front to be balanced towards the end of the stock on the bow. This makes it more lightweight and easier to carry around for days on end. Not to mention, it has a really affordable price with great features.
Survival bow wrap up
Depending on your case, a bow may not be best. Do not hesitate to look around and check out bows before you decide. Crossbows aren’t the cheapest weapons, so you need to make sure it will be right for you.
A compound crossbow may be too complicated for a survival instance. A recurve is lighter, quieter, more reliable, simpler and they tend to be more accurate as well.
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