How to become a crossbow master. How to shoot a crossbow

The times of knights are long gone and the need to defend their home with weapons in their hands has disappeared. And no one goes hunting with a bow or crossbow anymore. However, interest in these types of weapons does not fade today. And although our generation will not be surprised even by chemical and nuclear weapons, crossbow shooting in Moscow is still quite a popular pastime.

In our age of high technology, there is a special charm in picking up a crossbow, for a moment going back in time and feeling like a real Robin Hood, rushing to the aid of the poor and destitute. Many consider crossbow shooting to be somewhat exotic. However, this is not just a hobby, it is a sport that requires a serious attitude and long training. To become a real shooter, a master of his craft, you need to undergo special training at a school or crossbow shooting section in Moscow, where individual or group lessons both for beginners and for those who want to improve existing skills.

Crossbow shooting: a boost of energy, adrenaline and excellent physical shape

Many of today's champions, having once entered crossbow shooting competitions, fell in love with this sport forever. Each workout is a huge charge of vivacity and positive energy, it is a great mood and an opportunity to always be in a beautiful physical form. Regular crossbow shooting helps to keep correct posture, develop accuracy and coordination of movements, improve vision.

In schools and sections of crossbow shooting, theoretical and practical classes are held for everyone, where experienced instructors introduce beginner athletes to the device of a crossbow, teach the rules for handling this weapon. If you are not going to engage in this sport professionally, but are simply looking for where to shoot from a crossbow, specialized shooting galleries are at your service, which you can always find like-minded people and worthy opponents.

Crossbow shooting as a sport: popularity and effectiveness

Shooting from a crossbow is today a wonderful leisure activity, which is preferred by adults and children, men and women. This activity is available for people of all ages. Shooting from a crossbow is a great way to relax after a tiring day at work. It helps to relieve tension, get rid of negative energy and find inner balance.

There are currently quite a lot of places where to shoot from a crossbow in Moscow, because this activity is very exciting and useful. If you want to practice this sport professionally, pick up a crossbow shooting section on the glavsport.ru website, and very soon training will become an integral part of your life.

The purpose of this article is to help people who are interested in crossbow topics to join an interesting and exciting activity - shooting from this type of weapon. It may well be that after reading it, there will be more enthusiastic supporters of throwing weapons 🙂 Perhaps this hobby will grow into something more and from a crossbow shooter, someday a hunter will turn out ...

Hunting with this type of weapon is something special than hunting with firearms! The ability to shoot alone will not be enough here: determination, endurance, cold calculation, resistance to external irritating factors (weather manifestations, insects, body secretions ...), the ability to remain invisible for a long time, wait for the moment and make the only right decision, take care of yourself ... here the little that a real hunter should be able to do!

The crossbow is a specific weapon. It is quite silent, but not always and not for all types of animals (an alert elk, for example, manages to hear and react in time to a shot). Reloading takes quite a long time, so the hunter often has only one shot. An inaccurate shot can lead to injury: for example, a wounded billhook will rush at his offender, and trees at the right time and at right place- it may not turn out ... About the accuracy of handling weapons, you should not forget either. In general, despite the difficulties, it is still interesting to overcome them!

Nowadays, hunting becomes the only opportunity for a man to join the skills of owning weapons. But every man is, first of all, a defender: of himself, his family, his country ... The only bad thing is that the state does not understand this.

I will try (as far as I can) to be objective in presenting the material, despite its diversity and quantity.

Milestones of formation
Return of the crossbow
Classification of crossbows
Crossbow design

stock and guide
Trigger mechanism
Sighting devices
Tensioners
bowstring
Arrows and bolts

Arrangement of a home range
Arrow catchers and their types
Safety

Milestones of formation

Shooting from any weapon has always been popular. From time immemorial, man has striven for self-manifestation by participating in various tournaments and competitions. The history of the use of throwing weapons for this purpose dates back to ancient times. In our time, the revival of competitions in archery and crossbow is explained by the great emotionality of this shooting.

CROSSBOW (French arbalete, from Latin arcus - bow and ballista - projectile), crossbow, throwing weapon in the form powerful bow, mounted on a wooden bed (machine), which allows for more accurate shooting, fundamentally different from the bow in the method of aiming.

It is difficult, of course, after so many centuries, to tell with any slightest accuracy about the place where the crossbow was invented and the reasons for this previous ... It is believed that the Chinese first created this device (at least, the remains of the crossbow found in burials near the city of Changsha date back to about IV -III centuries BC).

On the other hand, the Greeks, too, with no less success can be considered the inventors of this
weapons: in the writings of Diodorus, the author of a forty volume work called the Historical Library, the use of throwing machines is mentioned in the defense of the city of Syracuse from the Carthaginians around 400 BC.

The crossbow was borrowed by Europeans from the Eastern peoples during the Crusades, and only in the 12th century did it become widespread, especially in England and France ...

Over the centuries, throwing weapons have found their wide use on the battlefields of medieval Europe: from fairly compact - worn by their counterparts to huge siege engines that require service from several people to serve them.

With the advent of the crossbow, any person, having only elementary shooting skills, could compete in accuracy with a professional archer, and surpass him in the striking effect of an arrow (so, according to some reports, a bolt at a distance of 150 meters hit a man-at-arms, and could knock a rider off a horse at a distance of 200 meters ). From that moment on, archers ceased to be a separate, highly paid caste, and they were seriously pressed by the rapidly growing squads of crossbowmen. Due to its availability, the crossbow for a long time was considered a "low" weapon, unworthy of a noble knight.

The Second Council of the Lateran in 1139 banned the use of crossbows against Christians as a deadly weapon and allowed them to be used exclusively against infidels. But already around 1190, crossbows were used in the troops of Richard I of England and Philip-August of France, as a result of which Pope Innocent III revived the prohibition of the Council, which, however, did not give much results. The townspeople used crossbows with pleasure in battles with chivalry, in German and Dutch cities crossbowmen's guilds were created under the auspices of St. Sebastian, St. Moritz and others. The commander of the crossbowmen in France received the title "Grandmaster of the crossbowmen" and was later equated with the marshals of the French kingdom.

In Rus', crossbows were called crossbows. It is believed that crossbows first appeared in Rus' in 991. y Novgorodians.

Unlike Western Europe, in Rus' in the XII-XV centuries (period greatest use crossbows) the role of the infantry was less significant. The basis of the Russian army was the cavalry. The Russian cavalry has always been distinguished by mobility and maneuverability and preferred light weapon for long-range combat - bows.

Crossbows in Rus' were mainly used in fortress and siege warfare. It should be noted that when defending city fortresses, crossbows were most often used by citizens, and not by professional soldiers, which was also characteristic of Western Europe.

Return of the crossbow

Modern crossbows are difficult to compare with the old ones. Certainly their appearance somewhat different from medieval samples, and they do not have that gigantic power. According to various sources, ancient crossbows had monstrous strength in their shoulders, their forged arrows pierced through a horse in iron armor.

Of course, modern crossbows are limited in power, as required by law (no more than 43 kgf in Russia), they are not intended for combat, with the exception of those crossbows used by special forces. And people who buy crossbows do not want to have at home a “ram gun” from the time of the hundred years war.

Modern crossbows are characterized by the fact that their stock is made of synthetic composite material or laminate, and the shoulders are made of composite or fiberglass. Such a crossbow is equipped with a trigger mechanism with a low trigger force, various types of sights can be mounted on the crossbow, in addition, it can be supplemented with a variety of platoon devices. It is noteworthy that in this list there is no mention of eccentric blocks. This is because block crossbows should not be considered more modern weapons than recurve ones. Although today most crossbow manufacturers prefer to produce blockers, the technology of making recurve crossbows has undergone a parallel evolution, and now there are very effective recurve crossbows on the market.

Over the past 20 years, the technology of making crossbows has made much more progress than in the previous 2 millennia. Modern materials and components have turned the crossbow into a more convenient and more effective hunting weapon than crossbows assembled centuries and even decades ago. During the 1950s, most crossbows were boringly the same: almost all of them had a wooden stock that resembled a rifle and steel shoulders. Some departure from tradition began when companies such as Horton and Barnett began to manufacture crossbows with an all-metal stock.

Classification of crossbows

Species modern crossbows there are a lot of them and it is quite difficult to classify them ...

If tied to size, then crossbows are mainly produced rifle type And crossbows-pistols.

As for the appointment, the following types are produced:

Sports. Diopter sights, the use of classic bows (however, there are also block models) and a more thorough study of the lodge, as for arrows, they are lighter and shorter than hunting ones;
A la Relic Working replicas of antique crossbows.
Amateur. Inexpensive class of crossbows;
Homemade. In some ways, this class can be considered a subspecies of the previous one, but there are many exceptions;
Hunting. They are distinguished by a large pulling force, long and thick bolts, as a rule, they are equipped with a compound bow;

The only parameter that is really characteristic only for modern crossbows is the design of the bow (it itself is made of metal or plastic):

Block (Compound)
Classic (Recurve)

By projectile type:

Classic, shoot with a shortened arrow - the so-called "bolt"
Balestras (as they were called in Italy) or Schneppers (as they were called in Germany) - shoot with a ball or a small pebble. They are used when hunting waterfowl, mountain game or in any other conditions where it is difficult to find arrows after misses.

Sports classification, in this case the classification is carried out according to the type of bolts used and the force of bow tension, block structures are not considered:

Field (Field) - ~ 40 kg
Match (Match) - 80-120 kg

At the same time, field crossbows shoot arrows, and match crossbows shoot torpedo-shaped bolts.

Strength (power) of the crossbow

In general, the strength of a crossbow is usually measured in terms of the pull on the bowstring. Hunting crossbows can have any strength - usually over 43 kg. Stretching such shoulders is not possible for everyone, therefore, various auxiliary devices ("attachments") in the form of cranks, winches, hooks are often used.

The power of a crossbow theoretically depends on two parameters:
the force that the arc develops at the limiting point of the bowstring;
the ultimate ability of the arc to bend or the course of the bowstring.
That is, energy (power) is equal to the product of force and distance.

In Russia, the tension force of recreational crossbows is limited by law to 43 kg. This does not prevent crossbow owners from buying and installing more powerful shoulders. Of course, in the case of an "upgrade" of the crossbow, its owner breaks the law, and he will solve problems with law enforcement agencies on his own, according to the situation ...

Crossbow design

Structurally, the crossbow consists of the following parts:

stock and guide
Bow (shoulders) and block for fastening
Trigger mechanism
Sighting devices
Tensioners
bowstring
Arrows and bolts
Additional crossbow accessories (accessories)

Lodge:
During the evolution of crossbows, their stock has undergone major changes. As the main materials for the manufacture of stocks, either natural wood materials are now used: beech, walnut, yaranga, rosewood, or plastics. Of course, wood is preferable as a material. Wood looks better due to its natural beauty, and plastic is more practical and not afraid of atmospheric influences. The wooden stock is just nice to hold in your hands.

The stocks of most modern crossbows have an anatomical lightweight shape, which not only provides the necessary ergonomic parameters, but also gives it modern look. Sometimes the shape of the stock is specially made in strict accordance with ancient patterns and bears artistic carving or inlay. Such authenticity gives crossbows a romantic character, reminiscent of the era of the dark Middle Ages. Most often, working copies of old crossbows are purchased as an expensive and very original gift.

Guide:
The guide in modern crossbows is very different from the old counterparts. If in the old models, the guide was an ordinary groove cut out on the upper surface of the stock, then in modern crossbows the guide, in most cases, is made of a different material (metal, fiberglass) and is mounted on top of the stock as a separate part. Sometimes it consists of four or more rounded metal rails along which the arrow moves like on rails. Such a system provides high wear resistance of the structure and accuracy of shooting. Fiberglass laminate is also an excellent material for making a rail. It surpasses aluminum in strength and at the same time practically does not wear out.

Shoulders:
Bows or, more correctly, the shoulders of modern crossbows are of two types: a block (or chain hoist) system and recursive ones. Shoulders are made from a variety of materials: steel, aluminum, fiberglass laminate, composite materials, carbon. Composite shoulders have proved to be the best, which is a multi-layer structure made of fiberglass and carbon. The fiberglass structure of the shoulders gives them high energy intensity, and the carbon fiber reinforcing properties. The shape of the shoulders, depending on the purpose, can be either straight or recursive, that is, with a characteristic bow-shaped bend. At their ends, the crossbow shoulders have the so-called "endings" - seats for the bowstring. The big advantage of the latest generation of shoulders is their "tirelessness" - the shoulders will retain the stability of their characteristics even after several thousand shots.

Block:
The block is the part that connects the shoulders to the stock of the crossbow. In modern models, the block is made of steel, aluminum alloys (to facilitate construction) or composites. The block (or cross) is cast, milled or obtained by stamping. You can also make it from wood. Its presence makes it easy to disassemble and transport the crossbow, to have one stock and several interchangeable arms, of different tension to it.

trigger mechanism:
castles, or descenders modern crossbows are made using precision equipment from high-strength metal - most often it is gun steel. Such locks are able to withstand huge loads and are practically not amenable to wear. The designs of the locks themselves differ from different manufacturers - from simple, elementary, similar in design to medieval walnut-type locks, to complex sports ones with adjustable trigger pull. Expensive match crossbows often use electronic release locks that are triggered by the light touch of a finger.

Sighting devices:
The main feature of sighting devices is due to the ballistics of the projectile (arrow, bolt) flight, which causes a significant change in the position of the aiming line relative to the departure line (angle of throw) with a slight change in the distance to the target. Modern crossbows differ from their early predecessors not only in the use of the latest achievements in the field of materials science and design developments, but also in the use of original sighting devices. Existing sighting devices can be divided into two large classes: mechanical (diopter) and optical (telescopic, collimator, laser).

For hunting crossbows, there are special optical crossbow sights, with a characteristic reticle (mild dot type), which allows you to aim the crossbow at different distances. In the class of sporting crossbows, standard sights from sporting rifles are usually used.

Tension devices:
The design of the crossbow has been improved over many centuries. Over the years, the crossbow has become more and more powerful weapon. And finally, the effort required to cock a combat crossbow exceeded the effort with which a person can pull a crossbow by hand. For this reason, special platoon devices - gates and levers - began to be introduced into the design of crossbows. They helped the crossbowman cock the weapon with minimal effort.

Of course, crossbow shooters have to constantly face the same problems in our time: the tension force of many modern sports and hunting crossbows has already reached 90 kgf, and therefore their developers are forced to offer their customers a variety of mechanical cocking devices. So before you buy powerful crossbow, you should think about how you will cock it, and whether you will need an additional device for this.

There are three main ways to cock a modern crossbow:

It can be cocked manually;
With cable
With the help of a special platoon mechanism - tensioner.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Here is some food for thought...

Method number 1 - manually cocking a crossbow:
The simplest and most fast way to cock a crossbow is to put your foot in its stirrup, bend over and pull the bowstring with your hands in the direction of the latch. Of course, easier said than done, especially when it comes to a crossbow with a pull force of 70 kgf or more. To cock a crossbow in this way, you must be able to lift those same 70 kg of weight from the ground. Manual cocking is an effective method, but it is clearly not suitable for everyone.

However, manually cocking a crossbow has one significant drawback. In order for the crossbow to shoot with sufficient accuracy, it is necessary that its bowstring be pulled extremely carefully, that is, that the center of the bowstring falls exactly on the trigger latch. If the crossbow is not evenly tensioned, the center of the string will shift to the left or right side of the trigger, and as a result, the arrow after the shot will go to the left or right of the target. Some crossbowmen mark the center of the string with white paint, making a small mark. This helps them understand how accurately the bowstring of the crossbow is stretched.

Method number 2 - cocking with a cable:
It is somewhat easier than manually cocking a crossbow with a cable. During this procedure, the simplest block system is used, which allows you to reduce the tension force by 50%. Instead of pulling a 150 lbs (68 kg) load, you have to work with a 75 lbs (34 kg) load, but the distance you have to move it will double. Crossbow tension cables usually have two handles (similar to the handles of a lawnmower pull starter), two shackles that pick up the bowstring, and a cable that connects everything. To cock the crossbow, you need to place the tensioner brackets on the bowstring and pull up on its handles. The leg, as in the previous case, should rest against the stirrup. This method also requires sufficient physical strength, but still, cocking a crossbow with a cable tensioner is much easier than manually.

The main advantage of such a tensioner is that it allows the crossbow to be cocked using only half the force required to fully cock it. Thus, most people can cock a crossbow by themselves with a draw force of 150 lbs (68 kg). In addition, usually cocking a crossbow with such a tensioner helps to improve the accuracy of its battle, since the tensioner itself centers the bowstring at the moment of full tension.

Method number 3 - mechanical tensioners:
A mechanical tensioner is a small hand-operated collar, usually mounted in the butt of a crossbow. It allows you to cock the crossbow by rotating the tensioner handle. Some models of mechanical tensioners are designed to be attached to a crossbow, while others are built-in mechanisms. Turning the handle of a mechanical tensioner typically requires little force - about 10 lbs (4.5 kgf), so such tensioners allow almost anyone to cock a powerful crossbow with ease. This device is especially popular with hunters and amateur shooters who have various physical disabilities.

String:
The bowstrings of modern crossbows are made mainly of two types of materials: Kevlar thread, known to everyone from bulletproof vests, and fast FLUTE thread. The bowstrings are wound from these super-strong threads and are additionally strengthened from above with a winding. A modern bowstring is several times thinner than an old one, but is able to withstand the most powerful shock loads and is designed for several hundred shots.

Arrows:
Their durability, accuracy and firing range, injury safety for the shooter and others depend on the quality of the arrows. Arrows are made of duralumin, carbon, aluminum tube, fiberglass and wood. The most famous manufacturer of quality arrows is Easton.

Approximate parameters of arrows for crossbows:

Length: 300 - 400 mm
Diameter: 6 – 9 mm
Number of feathers: 3 or 4 pcs.
Pen length: 50 - 70 mm
Pen height: 10 - 12 mm
Arrow weight: 15 - 40 grams

The set of arrows must meet the following requirements:

all arrows must be of the same length and thickness;
have identical weight and plumage;
have the same rigidity (boom deflection under load);
have the same distance between the center of gravity and the middle of the boom;
the boom shank (tube) must have minimal bending deformation.

At present, three types of feather stickers are used on arrows: straight, angular and screw (spiral) of 3 or 4 feathers.

The location of the feathers can be as follows:

The smaller the diameter of the shaft, the length of the arrow, the thickness of the plumage, the less will be the influence of external forces (gusts of wind), the aerodynamic resistance will decrease, and the flight range will increase.

Additional crossbow accessories (accessories):
Additional crossbow accessories include: cases, bags and covers for storage and carrying; straps to carry the crossbow; quivers for arrows; thread for winding the bowstring; accessories to reduce noise when fired; stringer (a device for tensioning a bowstring for a recursive crossbow); shako and wax for bowstring.

Shako:- a device that firmly holds arrows with hunting tips. Attaches to the crossbow with a quick-release fastener.

To protect the bowstring from moisture, it is lightly rubbed with beeswax. Rub the wax carefully so that the threads of the bowstring do not break or deform. It must be remembered that lubrication increases the weight of the bowstring and leads to a decrease in the speed of the arrow, so it should be lubricated with a small amount of wax.

Arrangement of a home range

If you are a city dweller, or even a resident of a big city, then the question of where to find a place to shoot calmly turns into a serious problem. Even in the largest cities of Russia, the number of shooting ranges suitable for archery and crossbow shooting can be counted on the fingers of one hand. And this means that almost every owner of a bow or crossbow must spend at least an hour on the way to the shooting gallery, and then the same amount of time on the way home. Considering that interest in archery and crossbow shooting in our country is constantly growing, and there are no shooting galleries, one day you risk being in a crowded shooting range and finding out that there simply wasn’t enough track for you!

Shooting from any weapon is potentially traumatic for others, so every reasonable person understands that going out into the courtyard of an apartment building in the evening and shooting is out of the question! The risk is too great that the arrow will injure or even kill a person or animal. Do not try to shoot in parks and urban recreation areas. Throwing weapons, such as bows and crossbows, are often loud enough to startle game, but are much smaller than firearms and will not warn of danger to a person or a domestic dog who may unexpectedly emerge from behind. bushes and trees.

For owner own house or giving there is a simple way out of this situation. Shooting range can be arranged in your yard. If you can allocate a track 10-15 m long and 1-1.5 m wide for shooting, consider that the job is half done, because everything else can be purchased at the store.

So, what is needed for the owner of the future home shooting range.

First of all, of course, he will need a bow or crossbow. If your goal is to learn how to shoot accurately and at the same time spend as little money as possible, you should take an inexpensive crossbow. You can choose inexpensive Korean crossbows MK-150, MK-200 or the Scorpion crossbow. If you are ready to pay a large amount for a crossbow, take a closer look at the Cayman crossbow.
In any shooting range you can not do without a target. Believe me, shooting at a wooden fence or tree will end up ruining your arrows. Even if you buy the cheapest arrows over and over again, such shooting will still cost you a pretty penny. The most reasonable way out is to purchase an amateur shield made of isolon (foam rubber). Such a shield serves for quite a long time, does not spoil the arrows, it weighs little and, if necessary, it is easy to move it to another place. The size of such shields is 50x50 or 85x85 cm. A large shield, of course, is more reliable and convenient, but the choice, in this case, is yours. The shield can be hung on a tree, but it is better to install it on a wooden tripod. It is not always available in specialized stores, but it is easy to make it yourself. The thickness of the shields also varies. If you shoot only from a bow, you can buy a shield 18 cm thick, but if you plan to shoot from a crossbow, then it is better to take a thicker shield - 28-40 cm wide.
In order for everything to be “in an adult way” and you can accurately evaluate the results of your shooting, we recommend purchasing paper targets. They are inexpensive and it is better to take several pieces at once, because arrows quickly render them unusable.
You will also need arrows with training tips. For starters, it's better to buy 10 crossbow arrows.
In no case should you forget about the safety of shooting. Therefore, a special arrow-catching net should be installed behind the shield. It is not difficult to do this, the grid is hung on stakes. Such a net will ensure that the arrow does not hit a person or animal. Another benefit of such a device is that it will not be difficult to find an arrow that has flown past the shield and stuck in the net, but finding it in thick grass is always a difficult task.

Arrow catchers and their types

The uniqueness of throwing weapons over firearms is that a crossbow arrow can be used to shoot again and again, unlike disposable powder charges. However, this uniqueness will come to naught if you shoot at anything and do not use special devices called arrow catchers for this. When an arrow hits the arrow catcher, it smoothly transfers its energy to the shield, without experiencing fatal loads aimed at destroying it.

Arrowheads are of the following types:

from sheets of non-pressed fiberboard:
The shield is assembled from sheets of non-pressed fiberboard (12 mm thick). This fiberboard is very soft, and therefore not traumatic for any arrows. At the same time, it easily holds back even crossbow arrows from a 150-pound crossbow.
The dimensions of the shield are 1200x1000 mm. A fiberboard sheet is 1800x1200 mm in size, we cut it into 6 parts 300x1200 mm. One shield takes 17 sheets of fiberboard. Estimated price - 900-1000 rubles for 1 shield (17 sheets). We lay the sawn sheets with a “book” between two thick boards (60-70-80 mm) 2 meters long, after which we tighten with two metal ties on the thread (top and bottom). if there is a wall nearby, then we lean the resulting shield against it at a slight angle, and if there is no wall, then we will have to attach a couple of supports to the back so that the shield does not fall. It weighs a lot, so this option is best suited for a stationary shooting range.
When an arrow hits such a shield, a very pleasant sound is obtained 🙂
from cane:
Several large armfuls of reed are cut, after which it is pulled together as tightly as possible with strong ropes in several places. By "reed" I mean any of the available swamp plants, be it reeds, cattails, etc., growing almost everywhere.
The reed needs to be dry. Therefore, it makes sense to take care of its stocks in advance. By the way, in winter it is just dry, and besides, it is much easier to prepare it by walking on ice than in summer. The sheaf can be pulled together by slipping a stick under the rope, and twist the rope with this stick as a lever. The resulting "sheaf" is cut evenly on one side. The diameter of the sheaf is made depending on the shooting distance and on the skill of the archer. The better you shoot, the smaller diameter you need a sheaf, and the less reed you need. But it is better not to skimp on the reed and make the arrow receiver as large as possible in diameter (up to 1-1.2 m). At the end of the arrow receiver, you can draw multi-colored target circles or simply hang an ordinary archery target of a suitable size.
The reed boom receiver is installed on the stand, as shown in the figure. The stand can be easily made from several boards. Please note that the top boards of the stand have a semi-curved cut so that the cane sheaf does not move. Such an arrow receiver turns out to be very inexpensive. But at the same time, it perfectly fulfills its function and confidently holds almost any arrow, even with a sharp forged hunting tip. As the reeds wear and chip, you can tighten the ropes even tighter, and the arrow receiver will serve you for some more time. After that, you can simply replace some of the cane with a new one.
from carpet:
A powerful arrow catcher can be made from ordinary carpet. The scheme is the same - a roll with fixation with adhesive tape. Lightweight, holds arrows convincingly. From 30 meters out of 270lb, 70 percent enters ... from 50 meters - to plumage. They are extracted much easier than from isolon.
Its disadvantage is that in order to extract the arrow, it is often necessary to unwind the roll back ...
from tow:
A good arrow catcher can be made from tow. It is sold in flat rolls 50 cm in diameter and 20 cm deep. They are called "Pucks". It is used to insulate houses made of logs or bars.
The arrow does not go deep, the tow is not jammed, the “wound” is healed ... I.e. we have an almost indestructible arrow catcher ...
from isolon:
You can make an arrow catcher from isolon. Izolon is such a material with a wide range of applications. It is used as heat, sound, hydro and vapor barrier. Details on its manufacture can be read. One of the unpleasant features of such a shield: the heavy pulling of an arrow from it.

In principle, you can buy a ready-made arrow catcher. However, given its cost, almost no one does this.

Safety

ATTENTION!

When handling a crossbow

IT IS IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE SAFETY TECHNIQUES!!!

Shooting can only be carried out in specially designated and equipped places with a fence.
The site is limited by security zones from the sides of at least 10 m, behind shields 25 m.
Shooting at various distances must be fired from one common firing line.
Before shooting, carefully check the weapon to make sure that the cables and bowstring are intact and that all their parts are firmly fixed.
Do not take or carry bows and crossbows by the string.
An arrow can be inserted only when the target area and the space in front of them is free.
It is allowed to direct a crossbow with a loaded arrow only from the shooting line and in the direction of the target.
With a cocked crossbow and an enclosed arrow, it is forbidden to talk or turn to the side. It is not recommended to hail or touch the shooter aiming at the target.
It is not recommended to shoot in the air, up.
The shooter is responsible for any incident that occurs as a result of his violation of safety rules.

During crossbow shooting, it is prohibited

Place your fingers in the zone of movement of the bowstring(pulls off fingers).
Shoot the crossbow empty(the arc will break, causing damage to both the shooter and others).
Use too light arrows for shooting(quick exit of their arc formation. Consequences see point 2).
Make sure that there are no people or animals in front of the target at the time of the shot. Animals should be locked in the house.
Do not allow children to shoot a bow or crossbow in the absence of adults.
Do not leave the crossbow taut for a long time.
Move with a cocked or loaded crossbow.

Is it dangerous to shoot a crossbow?
Weapons must be respected and safety precautions must be observed. There were two cases: one man was shooting from a perch in a tree, and he held the crossbow too close to the tree trunk. The straightened shoulder rested against a tree and threw the shooter from the perch, he fell and hurt himself. The second case - a man wanted to check the power of the crossbow, for which he shot at the kinescope of an old Soviet TV, the arrow pierced it right through, and a piece of glass flew back and severely injured the crossbowman's face.
In general, crossbow shooting is a completely safe sport or outdoor activity 🙂

Leisure

11420

Probably everyone had a slingshot in childhood, homemade bow, or a gun with rubber or plastic bullets. At least classmates were bombarded with paper balls. With age, the desire to shoot does not dry out, only toys become bigger and more serious. Especially for those who have not played enough "shooters" - a selection top clubs archery and crossbow capitals.

Shooting club

Club with the rich sports history- many champions and record holders of Russia and Europe came from here. At the same time, this is the first complex in Moscow where it became possible to simply shoot a bow without being professional athlete. Training programs for every taste: classic, compound and traditional bows, 3D and field shooting. The distance in the shooting range is 18 meters, which complies with international indoor shooting rules. Apart from regular classes- from children's sections to independent training for adults - anyone can take a one-time lesson or a cycle of lessons in archery of any type. For beginners, there is rental equipment, and for those who seriously decide to go in for this sport, instructors will help you choose the necessary accessories and bows for any type of shooting. You can store weapons in a special room, the club also provides the necessary equipment for repairing and tuning bows. There is a dressing room and a lounge.

Shooting range opening hours: from 16:00 to 21:00 on weekdays for children, from 18:00 to 21:00 on weekdays for adults, on Saturdays from 14:00 to 17:00 for everyone, if there is no competition.

The membership fee for adults is 500 rubles.

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Shooting club

Shooting complex located in the northern part Izmailovsky park culture and recreation, the landmark is the amusement site "Zabava". One of the advantages of the club is that it is located near the metro, but away from the bustle of the city. Everyone has the opportunity to shoot from the classic (olympic), block (compound) and traditional bow(longbow), as well as from crossbows various types. Weapons are adjusted on the spot. There are two shooting galleries - 10 and 18 meters. It is worth considering that shooting in the 18-meter gallery is carried out only in the presence of an instructor and by appointment. Information about sets for archery training groups is provided on the club's website. Well, you can try your hand at a duel with other athletes at open archery tournaments that SC "Ten Yards" regularly holds on its territory (as well as shooting competitions from another type of weapon - pneumatics).

Shooting hours: from 12:00 to 20:00, on weekends and holidays from 11:00 to 20:00.

Gallery 10 meters:

6 shots from a bow or crossbow - 150 rubles

Gallery 18 meters:

Inventory rental (bow or crossbow) - 300 rubles per hour

Arrow rental (6 pieces) - 200 rubles per hour

Shooting track rental - 500 rubles per hour

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Shooting club

Here you can get primary training in archery, master classes are given for more advanced athletes. Shooting range - crossbow and archery, distances from 3 to 40 meters indoors. In addition to training, the club sells bows, crossbows and related products. There is also training in throwing knives, plans for spears and axes. There is a dining area on site. There is a ping-pong table for club members.

The club is famous for its games, for example, even those who have never held a bow in their hands and do not know how to use it can participate in Lukoborye. Participants are given special equipment - a mask, a protective vest and arrowheads (pears), which are made of shock-absorbing material that softens the impact when hit. The game is played by 2 to 8 people. On the playing field, covered with a trapping net along the perimeter, shelters imitating forest thickets were built, and the territorial zones of teams' operations are marked with red signal lines. The game is tactical, the scenarios are very different: skirmishes, gaining positions, capturing caches. Alternatively, you can play "lukobol" - this is archery with a ball. Professional coaches of the club will help you understand all the nuances and monitor compliance with the rules. If there is a desire to play, but there is no team, you can leave an application, and the club will select partners.

Opening hours: daily (except Tuesday and Thursday) until 23:00.

A one-time membership fee that gives the right to use the services of the club at a special price (for those with archery skills; beginners need to attend 5 classes with a coach) - 1000 rubles.

Five group training in archery, duration 90 minutes each - 4000 rubles.

Individual training with a coach (during non-club time), duration 90 minutes - 1500 rubles.

Archery for one person (one bow, one track) - 600 rubles per hour.

Special offers: birthdays and members of large families can visit the shooting range with a 50% discount.

The crossbow still has not lost its relevance, being a popular weapon - some survivalists and hunters even prefer it to a shotgun. In order to learn how to properly shoot a crossbow, you need to undergo training that will help you master the basic skills of handling this type of weapon.

The level of preparation depends on the student himself. To achieve true mastery in a short period of time is almost impossible.
You can only learn basic handling skills. Mastery of crossbow shooting, like in any other business, takes time and effort.

During shooting from a crossbow, there is direct contact between a person and a weapon. This distinguishing feature crossbow from some other weapons. It should also be noted that the crossbow itself is quite heavy and long.

Left hand plays leading role when shooting, as it supports the forearm of the weapon, while the right half chest together with part of the shoulder joint is in direct contact with the butt plate and the trigger.

At this time, not only the head, but also the cheek of the shooter, as a rule, is on the crest of the butt. To clarify the correctness of the shooting when shooting, the shooter must use all the sensations that arise during the contact of the skin of the hand and glove, sensations in the back, etc.

A person shooting a crossbow must perform certain precise actions that can help control the shooting position and maintain it. This control must be carried out at lightning speed, in accordance with the changes in the movements of the shooter, which, like the combat situation, is constantly changing.

It is also necessary to continuously ensure that the information we donate from the muscles and skin is not “outdated”, but is always “fresh”. The accuracy and speed of interaction with other analyzers that are important during crossbow shooting, especially visual analyzers, directly affect the control, management and accuracy of shooting.

In the doctrine of ninja (ninjutsu), experts distinguish three types of skin-muscle control: the so-called "conscious-voluntary", "automatic-involuntary" and combined view s.

If certain parts of the body have not yet been brought to automatism, a combined type of control is used. In this case, the consciousness of the shooter is connected to control.

These methods allow you to choose one or another method of control that is most suitable for a particular exercise. A clear interaction of vision and tactile sensations is of great importance for the correct shot from a crossbow.

It should be noted that there are a lot of opportunities for improving the methods of control or management. Breathing, preparation, aiming and handling the shot are the main components of the crossbow shot, which are much talked about in the teachings of the ninja.

For clarity, we can consider, for example, the elements used during the shot from the point of view of combat. In this case, the types of control listed above are applied. The correct orientation of the shooter and weapon in the direction of the selected target is ensured by the “ready” position. This creates the necessary balance at the end of the shot.

Another important point. Manufacturing will certainly change if

the shooter will not feel or be able to find the right place with his head on the comb of the stock and place it at a different angle to the plane of fire.

It is known that for proper shooting you need to learn how to control your breathing, in which various groups muscles. This applies not only to the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, but also to the abdominal muscles. The shooter, holding his breath, controls all the listed muscle groups at the same time. The inability or inability to control breathing affects the accuracy of shooting.

To a non-professional, it may seem that in aiming, muscle control does not matter. On the contrary, if the eye, for example, transmits to the brain information about the incorrect position of the crossbow, then in response a signal will come about correcting the position of the shooter's body. It follows from this that many muscles are involved in the process not only in aiming the crossbow, but also in aiming it.

Exclusively in the area responsible for flexion and extension of the index finger right hand, all muscle actions are concentrated during the trigger pull. They are very thinly dosed.

As during a shot or arrow flight, the ninja must clearly control all his muscle tension, both at the moment when he squeezes the trigger, and during the recoil of the weapon. At this point, attention should be paid shoulder joint and head.

Try to avoid blinking the eye with which the shooter is aiming! Much attention should also be paid to the control of the index finger. Characteristic errors of the shooter: jerk or acceleration, touching the stock and pulling the trigger away from the plane of fire. You can learn how to shoot a crossbow. Most importantly, listen to your teacher. This will help you achieve real success!

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Many would agree that crossbows became popular among survivalists after The Walking Dead. Have you seen how Daryl Dixon deftly felled a zombie out of him? But it's a movie nonetheless. The vast majority will say: “Why do we need this crossbow? For survival, there is nothing better than a good old rifle or shotgun. Protect yourself, go hunting." However, the crossbow has some advantages that will help you survive.

The versatility of firearms is undeniable, but still, a crossbow will help you survive in wild nature especially in the fight for food. Yes, and for self-defense useful.

Benefits of using a crossbow

Although crossbows are not defensive weapons even here there are some advantages. The crossbow is silent. You can, of course, use a bow, just like John Rambo, but archery is longer and more difficult to learn. A crossbow with optics will suit many. Let's try to figure out how it can be better than a firearm?

Silent shooting

Even if you use a silencer for firearms, the noise will still be. This is especially critical when hunting wild animals, which can be frightened by any rustle. The crossbow is practically silent. In situations where stealth is critical, a crossbow will help you a lot. The only negative is that in order to shoot from it, you need some space for maneuvering and aiming. In open areas, a crossbow is preferable, but shooting enemies inside a building with it is inconvenient. Well, no matter how silent shooting is, if you are not shooting to kill, the noise from a wounded animal or enemy can ruin everything for you.

Infinite ammo

Theoretically, of course. After killing an animal or enemy, or even just after shooting, you can always pick up a crossbow bolt and use it again, unless it's broken of course. This will not work with firearms; it is not realistic to put together a shot cartridge immediately during a hunt. True if you're not very apt shoot a crossbow, then you will very quickly lose ammunition in the forest and problems will arise.

However, seasoned survivalists who have relied on a crossbow learn to make bolts from improvised materials. Ordinary wooden bolts. This skill can really help out when there are no other options to replenish ammo.

The crossbow is easy to shoot

To shoot a crossbow, you do not need to have any special skills. It is very easy to use. However, the imbalance and weight of the crossbow can be problematic for the beginner shooter. You will also need to take into account the reload time, which will be longer than that of firearms. Spend some time exercising and you will quickly get used to the features crossbow shooting.

Another interesting advantage is the ability to use crossbow bolts as incendiary shots. Need to quietly set fire to a building with enemies? Wrap the bolt in a rag, dip it in fuel, set it on fire and shoot. True, this will unmask your firing position, so keep that in mind.

There is also a fly in the ointment. The crossbow can only fire one bolt at a time. Reload time is inversely proportional to rate of fire. Missed - take some time to try again. The weight and dimensions of the crossbow make it not very convenient for transportation and, especially, for covert carrying. However, most modern crossbows have a strap that allows them to be carried over the shoulder, and you can always pre-load the bolt for quick fire.

Crossbow - the perfect weapon for survival?

For self-defense, still firearms would be preferable, for obvious reasons. The crossbow is almost perfect for hunting. A significant plus, in the context of a global or local apocalypse, is that you will not attract undue attention to yourself. Even while hunting in the forest.

Final verdict

Yes, the crossbow is not an ideal weapon, but with its minuses, the pluses are still obvious. If you need to quietly survive in the forest, hunt and occasionally take out enemies in advance, the crossbow is an obvious choice. But don't forget to successfully survive in this way, you need to practice a lot in using these weapons. Spend some time practicing to understand all the features crossbow shooting.