Pistol crossbows - your opinions

[J]

I'm thinking about getting a pistol crossbow in the near future. The exact model is the 75lb pull Barnett Magnum, sold at http://www.xbows.co.uk/pistol.htm amongst other places.

I would mainly be using it for target practice (nothing living), and as 'a useful thing to have'.

I'd be interested in people opinions and experiences with these. How accurate are they at moderately close ranges (10 to 50m)? How powerful are they compared to the average .22 rimfire pistol (not very, I assume)? At what range does wind become a major problem? Any info would be gratefully appreciated.

Bare in mind that I can't afford a decent full sized cross-bow, neither do I want one (at the moment).

J

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[DaRkDwArF]

they do alot more damage to a target within range then a .22 (larger projectile), but a .22 is more accurate and has far better range... get the aluminium bolts, make explosive rounds

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[Anthony]

£60... I think the 75lb one I bought in the US was about £20, if that. Although it doesn't look as high quality as the one in the picture. In fact, it's this one:

http://www.xbows.co.uk/images/Sprite%2047.jpg

With a 75lb limb in it! One difference being mine has a foot stirrup.

Accuracy - 1/2"-3/4" @ 5m if you're good with open sights. Forget 50m these things hit the ground after about 50ft (they loose speed amazingly quickly). The pointed stainless bolts I have penetrate about 3/8"-1/2" into a catalouge. But they'll smash short sections of 3/4" pine baton. If you get plastic finned bolts, you'll go through loads of them as the plastic often snaps where it goes into the Al body.

Fun to piss about with (dangerous close up though) but no serious target shooting in them.

BTW mine developed a air trigger that nearly got me a few times (just stinging fingers thankfully), fixed it by grinding the posts the cocked string rests on at an angle.

Edit: I wouldn't say they were much more powerful than a 12ft/lb air rifle. BTW apparently you can work out the ft/lbage of a bow simply by multiplying the draw weight in pounds by the draw length in feet - apparently.

[This message has been edited by Anthony (edited 11-27-2001).]

[13]

Try this place www.rbamfordguns.co.uk (http://www.rbamfordguns.co.uk) (order a catalogue) I'm thinking of getting one of the uzis from xbows sister site, www.airpistol.co.uk (http://www.airpistol.co.uk)

[Mr Cool]

A 155 gram bolt going at 150 ft/sec has an energy of 3.5 Joules, which is the same as 5.3 ftlb. (Correct me if I'm wrong...)

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[SawedOff8gaugeman]

Mr Cool: I think you are wrong, because when compared to a .22 rifle (100-150 J of muzzle energy)... well...

And 3.5 J is about 2.58 ft-lb, because 1 J = 0.737562149277 ft-lb.

[Mr Cool]

Ah yes, it's 157 Joules - I used the velocity, not the velocity squared!!
Doesn't that mean you'd need a licence for one in the UK? Concealable AND over 20 times the legal limit for a non-FAC pistol?

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"Nothing makes a man fear much, more than to know little." - Francis Bacon.

[J]

No license is required, you just have to be over 18.

J

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[Anthony]

I believe that 155gm is the weight of a full size (18"?) bolt used in full size bows, might even be a solid shaft one.

Mini crossbow bolts are about 7" long and weigh (guess) 10gm, maybe a few grams more.

[BoB-]

I once used a pistol crossbow to hunt, I missed horribly and got a body shot, the rabbit ran away and I havent seen that bolt since. Against a human it would be easy to get a headshot, for target practice they suck.

[nbk2000]

Worthless toys.

Use your money for something more useful.

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[Kdogg]

I had as wussie ass 50lb one, & the power for such as small one amazed the hell out of me. If I were a cripple, I would hunt with a bigger one anyday!

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Monkeyman

[Ropik]

... get the aluminium bolts, make explosive rounds

What is your recipe for explosive rounds? Standart - get a bolt with hollow body - fill with BP - cap with percussion primer? Or something less common, like RDX/DDNP mix in place of BP ;) ?
Or you can get a small syringe, epoxy plunger in the bolt(it fits if it's right size of syringe. You must cut off the flat thing on top of the plunger, however), fill the syringe with liquid poison, put a plunger bolt in the syringe and...
Do not store for safety reasons.

[aikon]

I had the chance to shoot with the barnett commando pistol crossbow last summer. It's accuracy is fairly good within a range of 10 to 15 meters. Shooting beyond 25meters was nearly impossible bechause the wind has scotched that. The power is sufficient to hunt squirrels and birds but I wouldn't consider it to be a serious weapon against human targets. It's a fun toy for relaxing and hunting small game.

[$0meb0dy]

I have a 80lb pistol crossbow,
The accuracy is quite good, but after about 20 meter it's not to good.
Don't buy the plastic bolts with metal point, but the Al shaft ones.
The power is amazing for there size and the trigger is really sensitive, so don't put your finger on the trigger before you have your target in sight, but I don't know how it is with that crossbow you wan't to buy.
There worthless if you wan't to hunt with it, but they are fun.

[Ropik]

Yes... When pistol crossbows would be good, effective weapons by itself, very few people would be interested in making special ammo, like explosive or poisoned. And more people would use it as weapon. Why only few individuals are using pistol crossbows? Because they are less effective than silenced firearm. It makes sense. But if you must utilize this weapon, then explosive bolts with headshot can accomplish this(I think neck would be better, but soft tissue most probably make a dud from exp. round and it is rather small target). Also only crossbows with 70+ pounds of draw force have power which worth considering as weapon. If nothing better is available, you can melt pieces from carpet knife blade into plastic bolt to act as wound-widener and generally make bolt wound even more painful.

[Bigfoot]

I have to concur with NBK. I made the mistake of buying one of those idioteses about 10 years ago. Played with it for a week, couldn't get any real accuracy beyond 10 feet. My air pistol was easily accurate to much farther out (Crosman 1077, same size as the crossbow). I finally tried launching a few bolts at more distant targets, more to watch flight characteristics than anything (these were the aluminum bolts, too). After seeing WHY the accuracy was so abysmal, I put the thing away, haven't touched it since.

Conclusion: If you REALLY HAVE TO have a pistol crossbow, look in the PMJB and build your own. Save some coin.

[festergrump]

The latest posters seem to have a clue... these things are toys (and yes, worthless). I have to ask myself why anyone would consider buying one of these pieces (other than for amusing their children. I bought one, though... :( my daughter gets a kick out of it, today :rolleyes: ). Is it the quietness? Then buy a REAL one and an accurate one, at that, if you don't opt to build it yourself (Not all that challenging.). If it's for concealment, do yourself a favor and get some darts (that's right... the darts you play for beers with at the local pub. You'll hit your target better and definitely do more damage!). You cannot easily conceal a crossbow pistol!

But I quote Kdogg from his post late in 2001, "If I were a cripple, I would hunt with a bigger one anyday!".

Yeah, well, in 2004 I'm NOT, and I HAVE. Alot is changing since Kdogg wrote that. Many states of the US are allowing crossbows to be used by non-cripples in bow season. Check your local gaming authority.

Truth is: A good compound bow(and some re-curves) in the right hands blows any crossbow out of the picture altogether as far as distance and damage. (I'd be hardpressed to answer whether I'd rather be shot with a 300 Win Mag or hit with a hunting arrow from the right bowman! It's about the same damage, but the 300 mag will reach out much further to touch you! BTW, complete "pass-thru" in elk, moose, and even bear is a pretty common affair for those of you unfamiliar with bowhunting).

If you want a better TOY to plink the little tree-rats (squirrels) out of the hardwoods, then I reccomend a good slingshot or "wrist-rocket"...

[Corona]

Anybody has any experience of using ball-bearings for these things (or for bigger crossbows)? How much pounds of pull would make .40 ball bearing (available almost free as scrap) turn real scary? If anyone has any idea... I would love to know.

Got my inspiration from here

http://www.roguesci.org/theforum/showthread.php?t=3961

Mentions ball-bearing crossbows in some detail.

[Jacks Complete]

I couldn't see anything about ball bearing crossbows in that thread.

I think you need to design it a bit differently, as otherwise you won't get the BB through the gap where the front sight is mounted. I think you would fuck your bow up completely if that happened.

[Corona]

"I couldn't see anything about ball bearing crossbows in that thread."


You would if you had downloaded and read the book. :-) *Its in the book* Zaibatsu was offering. Well worth getting a copy.

Yes, I'm aware you have to design it different, and I'm pretty sure I've solved that part. I was asking about something else.

[tdog49]

A much better option is a good take-down recurve. You can carry a bow and 12 arrows in a case little larger than a take-down pool cue. A little practice (ok---A lot actually) and you can use it for any game animal in the states. Self-defense and para-military applications also. A 50lb bow matched with the right broadheads will pass thru a full grown moose at 25 yards. They will also penetrate most "soft" kevlar. I can keep 12 arrows touching each other at 30 yds w/my bow.

Tdog49

[alf]

I have one Barnett like yours. Nice to play, but bulky and strings break very often (and are quite expensive).

[Psychlonic]

Personally I prefer a good old compound bow over a crossbow, be it pistol or full sized. Sure, it takes more practice to learn, and the highest your average person can go without getting tired quickly is 90 pounds. The trade off is that you can reload extremely quick, can shoot longer arrows (good for explosives), generally quieter, and IMO a compound bow is more fun to shoot. I also find them to be very accurate within 60 yards with some practice, and for some reason I feel much more comfortable shooting it than my crossbow.
On main topic discussion however, I think pistol crossbows are pretty stupid. The short bolt it uses coupled with the pistol's short frame make it inaccurate as a blindman pissing. If you want a crossbow, get a full sized one, and try to get something over 100 dollars, it's well worth the investment.

[raptor1956]

IMO an expensive & useless toy with no range or accuracy to speak of. In the small silent weapon category you'd do better with a wrist-braced slingshot using speargun rubbers and firing 1/2" ball bearings.

[MMIV]

why bother...... pistol crossbows would not be as conceable as compared with an sawn-off bolt action .22 because with the P.C (pistol crossbow) the props will be a problem with concealment and to conceal the bolts as well. but with the .22 it makes more noise but this is solved with a suppressior and u can carry more ammo also.:)

[Ropik]

Because sawed-off weapons - even .22 - are HORRIBLY ILEGAL in many countries. Also, I would personally put more trust onto 80-lbs. pistol crossbow than sawed-off .22 because you need to hit your target to do any harm(surprising, isn't it?) and most of the sawed-off weapons are good only for extremely close distances(yes, pistol crossbows aren't sniper weapons either, but still...). Also, bolt action is too slow for this range - you miss and your opponent will crush your head with lead pipe. When you want sawed-off .22, use some semi auto for "bullet hose" - watch for too low gas pressure to retain semi auto mode. Read Zips, pipes and pens for more informations about sawed-offs.

[THAT Dude]

Pistol crossbows are not conceable,so if you want to go this rout you should buld or bye somthing like a pistol speargun. That would be more conceable,and still be quite.
And use hunting broadheads of course.

[rangegal]

I just bought one of those cheap 50lb. pull pistol crossbows for 30$ at a gun store and the plastic cap on one end of the bow that holds the string in place snapped right in half after about 30 shots. Cheap piece of shit...

They seem like neat toys, and could even be useful for a silent head shot with a good sharp point and a strong bolt. The explosive bolt idea could also be pretty cool. But personally I think a good slingshot would be more useful and reliable.