Storytime. Got a nice new bow from my son for Christmas. Magnificent piece of manufacturing. We went to Cabelas to get it fitted/sized whatever that's currently called (for free if you exclude all the crap I bought while we were there LOL). Wandering around the store and waiting for them, my son mentioned that the mere ownership of a bow made him reflective that it would be very useful in a SHTF situation. As we hadn't discussed such a thing (he moved out of state for work after college years back when he grew up) my ears perked right up. Anyway, I use to do archery and in fact took my boy out when he was just a little kid with a Martin Youth bow. I'd given my set up to an old army buddy who wanted to take an Elk, but often thought that there is no more silent way to get game inner city than archery. Silencers on guns are not as silent as movies would have you believe.
Here's the part that shocked me. Before bows became super efficient with cams etc, I could pull 65 lbs. Easy. His was set at 65 and there was no way I could pull it once. He fired over 100 arrows out at the Tri-County archery range, and he nailed what he was aiming at cause he'd clearly been practicing with his, but I didn't get his pulled back once. I have my bow set of an embarrassing low 30 lbs. He's gifted 5 arrows with the bow and I did 3 sets...15 shots say. Then burned out. Maxed out at 15 So this is a brief note that if you haven't shot your bow for a while, might do so so as to be in fair practice in case of an emergency. If the SHTF I'm going to be getting squirrels and birds (etc) to supplement whatever else I can scrounge.
So my son and I seem to have switched roles and he's grinding on me to practice practice practice. Wanted me to set up a range i my backyard. I told him: "I doubt that would be legal in the city limits". So the kid called police and after some digging got someone to discuss it with. Turns out it is not Illegal at all. Lots of other things are, and I listened in on that conversation too. I'm still not comfortable doing it, but I'll need to do some practice or get shamed the next time kids around and I can only pull my 15 arrows at 30 lbs draw.
Do any of you have bows stashed for a SHTF situation? Where do you practice?
Here's the part that shocked me. Before bows became super efficient with cams etc, I could pull 65 lbs. Easy. His was set at 65 and there was no way I could pull it once. He fired over 100 arrows out at the Tri-County archery range, and he nailed what he was aiming at cause he'd clearly been practicing with his, but I didn't get his pulled back once. I have my bow set of an embarrassing low 30 lbs. He's gifted 5 arrows with the bow and I did 3 sets...15 shots say. Then burned out. Maxed out at 15 So this is a brief note that if you haven't shot your bow for a while, might do so so as to be in fair practice in case of an emergency. If the SHTF I'm going to be getting squirrels and birds (etc) to supplement whatever else I can scrounge.
So my son and I seem to have switched roles and he's grinding on me to practice practice practice. Wanted me to set up a range i my backyard. I told him: "I doubt that would be legal in the city limits". So the kid called police and after some digging got someone to discuss it with. Turns out it is not Illegal at all. Lots of other things are, and I listened in on that conversation too. I'm still not comfortable doing it, but I'll need to do some practice or get shamed the next time kids around and I can only pull my 15 arrows at 30 lbs draw.
Do any of you have bows stashed for a SHTF situation? Where do you practice?