Topic: Bow and Arrow for Bug-Out Weapon

[RVM45]

Well yeah, The image of someone bugging out, Bow in hand, with a quiver bristling with Arrows does bring to mind some sort of "Deviant-Ranger" or Chucklehead.....

Nonetheless, bringing a Bow along may be a good idea for a fairly good Archer. Good for silent taking of small game (or even large). Good for taking out Clients who need it, silently.

Be all that as it may.

If you have to fly to some godawful place where Guns are very hard to come by--and if you're Paranoid enough--you could take along a very good takedown Bow and Arrows.

Keep in mind, you only have to Survive one encounter with a better armed Client, to inherit a better weapon.....

If I was armed solely with a Bow, especially in an urban setting, I plan to move under cover of darkness as often as possible--any confrontations are likely to be at close to mid Handgun Range.

Questions:

What Bow Weights?

My own choice is for a 30 pound pull. The 30 pound Bow that I had as a Boy, would shoot clean through the garage, if I missed the Straw Backstop. A light Bow is much easier to manage for quick follow-up shots, in some sort of real life "El Presidente'" Drill.

Most Indian Bows  that I've seen, look like they were in the 30 to 4o pound class; and seem to have no more than a ten to twelve inch draw.....

And they sure ruined a bunch of Clients--not to mention Deer, Elk, Bison, etc. .....

Arrows shot at small game, ought to be easier to find than very hard driven Arrows.

Arrows??.?

How many Arrows?

(I'd want at least a Dozen Broadheads, and three or four Field Points--Might go as far as 18 Broadheads.....)

How Carried?

(I favor Shoulder Quiver. Some might want a supplemental Bow Quiver. I prefer the feel and balance of a clean Bow.)

Extra Gear?

Back-up Bowstring; two or three Nocks; maybe two or three extra Broadheads....

So, what would y'all choose?

Has anyone else thought of any other obscure factors about carrying a Bow as a Bug-Out Weapon that I haven't thought of?

.....RVM45               

[azredhawk44]

Concealment.  Very difficult to conceal a bow and keep it prepared for defensive use at the same time.  Defensive use meaning bowsting on, arrow knocked, one hand on stave or grip, retaining arrow in position.  That's about the only position from which you could arguably match a handgun draw or rifle presentation for speed.

A bowman is easy pickings for a handgunner or rifleman.  And you're telegraphing your peak state of armament (All I've got is this here bow) when carrying a bow.

Shooting a bow requires more body/vital exposure than shooting a handgun or rifle, and a longer exposure.  In a defensive engagement, it is almost 100% certain you will lose to any but the most novice of shooters or tacticians.  In an offensive engagement you might have an upper hand briefly.  But then we get into the appropriateness of offensive engagements, which is not the most polite of conversations.

I think you introduce a logical fallacy when you accept the premise of these two issues:
1. Hoplophobic localities that prohibit handguns/rifles (but would somehow be okay with bows)
2. SHTF/TEOTW scenarios where people will still honor the hoplophobic laws that try to disarm the populace

If you have to fly to some godawful place where Guns are very hard to come by--and if you're Paranoid enough--you could take along a very good takedown Bow and Arrows.

I think you'll get arrested at JFK or O'hare airports for packing a bow in your checked luggage, just as if you packed a rifle in it.


Better than:
-nothing?  Sure.
-a bat/axe/prybar/tire-iron?  Possibly.  Depends on the encounter proximity and the quality of your first shot, and the number of attackers.
-a handgun?  No way.  Even a revolver has a higher rate of fire and flatter trajectory.
-a rifle?  Nope.  Even a H&R handi-rifle has a higher rate of fire.


Nocking an arrow is a high-dexterity, fine-motor-skill operation.  To successfully perform a reload with a bow, you have to not be running/ducking/weaving.  Either do it from cover, or do it while exposed.  Someone with a semiautomatic firearm is going to engage your position with suppressive fire and advance on you or have other people flank your position.


I could see the bow as a bugout weapon in a rural setting where hunting is the expected use and defensive use is of limited likelihood involving few aggressors.  You can re-use your projectiles indefinitely, or make new ones.

But it just doesn't make sense to me in an urban setting as you described.

[Beprepared]

Welcome to the experiment RVM... check out the thread "Who are you?" to introduce yourself...

Now now Az, I gotta admit I've been giving thought recently to a nice takedown recurve being added to the Compound. If anything it would be good for the silent removal of stray dogs around here, after an "event". (Still plenty of confused dogs around here after April, the world doesn't look like they remember it)

Now I admit, humping it out of a city (even a smallish to midsized) would be "laughable". While the OP stated (correctly) Keep in mind, you only have to Survive one encounter with a better armed Client, to inherit a better weapon..... Uncle Murphy would make sure it's that kid down the street who hunts squirrel on the weekend at his Grandpa's, using Grandpa's single shot .22. And makes head shots.

Archery (to me) is, at best, a second line weapon. Just above hunting with my Ka-Bar, it has it's place and it's usefullness, but something better can be had.

Now as for the questions in the OP? a 30-45 lb recurve would do me fine. This stems from my compound bow being tortured and torqued (by a small boy who got beat for playing with Dad's bow) until it broke. Being a MUCH older design it wasn't fixable by anyone this side of ATL, and even then it would rival the cost of a new compound in the Christmas clearance events. Too much to go wrong. With a recurve, I just undo the string and let it relax.

Arrows? As many as I can put away. Way more than twice what I could carry. cause I'm gonna loose 'em and some knucklehead will break a few. Extras? Plenty of extra feathering so if I COULD find a straight wood, I'd attempt my own arrows. Twice as much as I think I would need for broadheads, fishing, etc. 

BUT unlike AZ, I'm already semi-rural.

[RVM45]

A fellow might do just as well with a Wrist Rocket.

I pictured a fellow moving only at Night, skulking the whole way. Carefully darting from Shadow to Shadow--and trying very hard to see them before they see you. I didn't think that they checked hold luggage, unless they had some Probable cause.

But the whole thing is kinda depressing. Much better to stay away from gunless dystopias to begin with.

I was mainly curious, in the freak case of using a Bow as a First Line Defensive Weapon, if a lighter Bow might not fill the role better than a heavier Hunting Bow.

all the rest is kinda window dressing.

.....RVM45         

[Beprepared]

I didn't think that they checked hold luggage, unless they had some Probable cause.

That they do, esp something long and thin that even hints as "gun storage". Even taken down gun storage they want to see.

[eldarbeast]

First off let me point out I can't hit the proverbial barn door from within the barn itself with a bow...

That said, I like the idea of using a wrist rocket for a quiet weapon. 3/8" steel ball bearing through 3/4 inch exterior plywood at 50' is the norm. And accuracy comes swiftly with some practice (a couple of afternoons a couple of weeks). Hide the tubing from sunlight when not using.

And a regular Davoud and Goliath sling can be cobbled together using boot laces and the tongue of a wore out shoe. Ammo is everywhere. Look on the ground.

And someone mentioned a bow being better than "nothing? Possibly.
-a bat/axe/prybar etc...

The major advantage of the bow is keeping your distance...  And, when fired from ambush, is superior to a non-silenced weapon.

Lastly, you can carry a take down bow into airports when stowed in the proper equipment, ie fishing carrier...

eldarbeast

[jackoneil]

A bow could be used for hunting.  especially from a tree stand.  It's range is about 30 yards.
The problem with using the bow to shoot a human is that  it takes ten minutes for him to bleed out.  During this time, he is looking at the arrow which points straight back to the arrow shooter, drawing his pistol and firing it at the arrow shooter.  He is very angry and is now yelling for his friends to come and help.  The novel "The Road", by Cormac McCarthy has people with bow and arrows.

[mohctep]

I have an old Oneida Tomcat bow that I bought back in 1994.I shoot at 50 pounds with a tab,and no sights on it(less to go wrong).I'm  pretty good with it out to 40 yards,and I can see how it would be a good Bug In tool (being able to hunt quietly without drawing undue attention)although I would STILL carry a sidearm while doing this). As a Bug Out weapon,I agree with what AZ said,and will add that it would too bulky to carry.Just my.02.

[jackoneil]

This could prove useful in a bugout situation.   Precision Shooting Equip 10 Tac 15 Crossbow.  This is a crossbow upper that fits ontop of a AR-15 lower.