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Any interest in primitive crossbows?

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Digital Caveman:
That was very interesting, how was it strung and cocked?

stuckinthemud:
No idea, bastard string most likely

Gimlis Ghost:

--- Quote from: stuckinthemud on July 18, 2021, 05:57:37 pm ---Lots of us build crossbows that qualify as primitive.   This was one of tbe most recent http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,68057.0.html

--- End quote ---

Very interesting and outstanding finished CB there.

Years ago I picked up a badly broken fiberglass bow at a junk shop, thinking of using the limbs to try for a short takedown project. I'd considered using something like that in that thread to use the limbs as a cross bow prod.
Still wondering how that bow got busted up so badly to begin with. Both limbs had cracked on the belly side just above the riser. Not a full separation but long wide open cracks. Possibly dry fired many times?
More I thought on it the more I felt that these limbs had too much mystery going on to risk using them for anything.

I'm not interested in a powerful crossbow, just one suited to small game and pests. Most of the truly primitive CB I've seen were only suited to game no bigger than a monkey. Unless poison arrows were used of course.

I have a modern pistol crossbow of 50# pull that is so inaccurate I gave up on it. Before I gave up I had gone overboard buying aluminum bolts that are suited to a more powerful CB and a spare string that turned out to be for a much bigger prod. So I may base my build if any on the stuff at hand.

I also have two fairly large pieces of rock hard fine grained wood of unknown species each is big enough for a medieval style stock. I've had these in storage for 25 years so I guess they are as seasoned as they will ever get.
I'll have to dig these out and measure them to see where I could go with them.

I doubt I'll ever get a good start on this, just too much in the way of home repairs that needs doing right now.

stuckinthemud:
Crossbows can be a rabbit hole to fall down, I would recommend a wood/sinew bow with a draw length:bow length ratio of no less than 1:3 , don't go below 1:4 if your not using sinew for anything except ossage or yew as the strain of staying drawn for many seconds is huge.  Don't forget the cycle is draw, load, aim, fire.  At a target that can take 30 seconds, and 30 seconds held at full draw is a lot longer than the 2 or 3 a bow is drawn for.

Gimlis Ghost:

--- Quote from: stuckinthemud on July 19, 2021, 05:27:33 am ---Crossbows can be a rabbit hole to fall down, I would recommend a wood/sinew bow with a draw length:bow length ratio of no less than 1:3 , don't go below 1:4 if your not using sinew for anything except ossage or yew as the strain of staying drawn for many seconds is huge.  Don't forget the cycle is draw, load, aim, fire.  At a target that can take 30 seconds, and 30 seconds held at full draw is a lot longer than the 2 or 3 a bow is drawn for.

--- End quote ---

Sounds like good advice.

Whatever I come up with it will be a fairly low draw weight.
One good thing about the CB I've looked into it that prods can be switched out fairly easily. I figure to over build the stock and trigger mechanism so I can step it up in power later should it seem appropriate.

I had no interest in these till O worked on one for a friend. His had a 150 pound pull , the trigger mechanism was very gritty, almost impossible to fire while remaining steady on target. Turned out The trigger was rough as a cob with a turned up flange that had actually cut into the sear surface like a hacksaw. Took a lot of stoning to get it right.
He had an old car out back he was stripping for parts and since the windshield was cracked he wanted to see if a bolt could shoot through a windshield. It did alright. The bolt, all aluminum with not even a steel field point, passed through the windshield and struck the cross bar of the steering wheel almost penetrating the heavy gauge stamped steel. Had the bolt carried a field point It would have passed on through.

PS
I just remembered I have an ancient solid Mahogany Rudder and Centerboard from a Thistle a friend scrapped out many years ago. These pieces are plenty thick enough for a stock and might be better suited for the purpose.
Never gave them much thought. Perhaps depending on the grain I might be able to cut a short bow stave from one or the other.

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