Crazy crossbow!

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
Not my bag but an ad popped up and I had a look.
This thing is a beast!
 

little-else

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
the images show it cocked by the looks of it It would be interesting to see a piccy of it let down to see how much movement there is on the cams and limbs.
I'm sure that the design team have thought about this but to be the positions of the limbs dont seem to be putting the maximum effort in the right direction as there must be considerable shear forces at play
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
Seemingly it's only 7.6" axle to axle uncocked (note a to a not overall width, but still pretty slim). And the 500 in the name refers to 500fps which implies it's efficient too. The E refers to cocking by electric motor.

Overall, it's really cool, but at what point do you just say **** it and buy a rifle?
 

little-else

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
It gets round firearms law in many countries, inc the UK. Cant be used for hunting or vermin control though.
BTW wildlife and countryside act prohibits you from picking up a feather belonging to a pretected species so have a gander at all those people who have feathers in their cap and dob them in if they are beating you in a tournament. Watch out Phil, they're after you!
 

Thorvald

Active member
It looks quite a lot like a reverse compound crossbow, but isn't. But it looks like it is very efficient anyway. In Denmark you need to have a weapon license for a crossbow and you need a police approved place to shoot it. It's strange that it is prohibited for hunting when bow and arrow is not that prohibited. It's more efficient than bow and arrow and crossbows also have their place in the history. But anyways, that's just how it is. :) Crossbows are quite cool, but with the rules it's easier and more fun to stick to bow and arrow. :)
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
It looks quite a lot like a reverse compound crossbow, but isn't. But it looks like it is very efficient anyway. In Denmark you need to have a weapon license for a crossbow and you need a police approved place to shoot it. It's strange that it is prohibited for hunting when bow and arrow is not that prohibited. It's more efficient than bow and arrow and crossbows also have their place in the history. But anyways, that's just how it is. :) Crossbows are quite cool, but with the rules it's easier and more fun to stick to bow and arrow. :)
I am thinking that there should be a licence for these cross bows
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
I am thinking that there should be a licence for these cross bows
I see where you are coming from, but I can't help thinking that the politicians wouldn't see much difference between it and a compound, then they wouldn't see much difference between a compound and a recurve, then a longbow, then the whole sport's licensed.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
I did some approximate calculations and my .177 air rifle flings pellets at just under 12ft-lbs, enough to abruptly end the day of a squirrel, rabbit or rat. My bow with the heaviest arrows I have is slightly over 100. That’ll fell a bear or elk with the right arrow head.
I think that crossbow is 220.
Scary.
 

little-else

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
A .44 special has 475ft lbs energy
a7.62mm nato round has about 2000 ft lbs energy
a hot bath has about 6000 ft lbs energy
clearly taking a bath is about the most dangerous thing you can commonly do but they are not licensed.
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
A .44 special has 475ft lbs energy
a7.62mm nato round has about 2000 ft lbs energy
a hot bath has about 6000 ft lbs energy
clearly taking a bath is about the most dangerous thing you can commonly do but they are not licensed.
About 6000 people a year are injured pulling up or tripping over trousers in the UK. They should be licensed immediately!
 

little-else

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
2 people a year are killed by garden furniture.
another 2 are killed by garden canes and the like.
My twanging at 20-30m is clearly the safest thing I can do in the garden
California nearly banned water when someone decided to create a pressure group demanding the banning of dihydrogen monoxide and listed the numbers killed by it each year.
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
demanding the banning of dihydrogen monoxide and listed the numbers killed by it each year.
I hear that it's so pervasive these days that there are detectable levels of dihydrogen monoxide in all living things on the planet.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
We all glow down here thanks to excessive Radon. Saves on torch batteries.

I do have to take death stats with a pinch of salt when the lunatic US gun lovers try and twist them to justify owning two dozen assault rifles and a .50 cal handgun.
 

4d4m

Active member
I am thinking that there should be a licence for these cross bows
I've got some sympathy for the viewpoint but there are several problems. Where to draw the line is first. Clearly "all crossbows" is the simplest, but that would include not only the 60lb medieval style bow I knocked up in my garage from scrap timber to pass the time, and has an energy less than an 18lb beginner recurve bow, but also my son's toy that shoots plastic sucker darts. Unless the legislation was drafted very carefully.

Clearly there are cases of abuse, but where is the larger risk of abuse? A bow that costs north of £3.5k, or a basic one with a 120lb draw that costs less than £100?

Which leads me onto the bigger problem, that such measures would be brought in with a package of other restrictions, some of which are likely to be annoying, poorly thought out and quite possibly very onerous. As said above, there would be a temptation in some politicians to include compounds. Maybe only those capable of >300fps? Might sound reasonable at first, but even that's problematic. What if it's with a really light arrow so that it becomes only those <250fps with reasonable weight arrows? Just an example.

So all in all, it's really best not to go there at all.
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
I see where you are coming from, but I can't help thinking that the politicians wouldn't see much difference between it and a compound, then they wouldn't see much difference between a compound and a recurve, then a longbow, then the whole sport's licensed.
Bowtech marketed the RPM 360 a compound bow with a 360 fps ibo speed. I think that a simple speed limit of 360 fps with a specified standard bolt weight. should be enough.. All politicians need to see is the speed of the bolt 360 OK 361 and above licence. Simple.
It is also worth remembering that the rules of shooting specify a max draw weight of 90 pounds at the latch. So anyone who buys a high speed cross bow cannot shoot it at a uk archery club range rule 210 applies. So we have in a sense already gone there by banning crossbows of more than a certain draw weight.
 
Last edited:

4d4m

Active member
You mean they cannot shoot it in Archery GB tournaments, which would also mean in most cases Archery GB clubs too. But not any archery club range. There's a huge difference between equipment rules for certain organisations and banning through legislation. By "not going there" I meant of course in terms of legislation, because it would inevitably be a PITA and have wider effects than anticipated.
 

dvd8n

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
Yes, the government has a history of overreaching and ill thought out legislation (dangerous dogs act anyone?)

I'm confident that any legislation brought in would inconvenience the whole archery community and not fix the problem (if indeed one even exists).
 

little-else

Supporter
Supporter
AIUK Saviour
I had enough of all of this "it isnt us, its the others" arguments when they banned self loading rifles and then pistols. Yes, we will alll be caught out by any legislation because whatever they write into law will have a note at the end saying something like " the home secretary may vary this as he seems fit".
Look at Scotland licensing air weapons. not a life has been saved by this. The problem Scotland had with weapons was down to incompetent and lazy senior police officers and that seems to eb the cause of many a problem in this land. read the papers about the late Leon Brittan this week?
My late uncle was a senior police officer in the Met and at one point was the senior in A10, the anti corruption unit at new Scotland Yard. when it came to serious investugations he was hamstrung by his superiors using their masonic connections to slow down any investigation and he ended up at Brixton nick after the riots there taking pointless statements regarding the aftermath. when he reisgned 2 other senior officers went at the same time and one of those arrested the commissioner of the Met for drink driving and other motoring offences. The next day the charges were dropped and all of the references to the episode destroyed. Special Branch burgled my house, got caught doing it and when I complained they moved every officer from Brixton Burglary squad elsewhere and appointed a new borough Commander. They denied that the vehicles used for that job existed and sent armed police to go and lean on my informant but failed in that because he did work for a different govt agency and got to their seniors whilst he was hiding from the dogs and helicopter.
being law abiding doesnt always keep you safe from the people who wield the power misusing it. the real answer is to not give them powers in the first place other than what is absolutely necessary
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
You mean they cannot shoot it in Archery GB tournaments, which would also mean in most cases Archery GB clubs too. But not any archery club range. There's a huge difference between equipment rules for certain organisations and banning through legislation. By "not going there" I meant of course in terms of legislation, because it would inevitably be a PITA and have wider effects than anticipated.
Any club or range where rule 210 from the rules of shooting applies. prohibits the use of a crossbow with a latch weight of more than 90lbs So there is a ban already already in place
Also who bought up the subject of a legislative ban I don't remember saying anything about a legal ban?? All I said is that there should be a licence. that is very different .
 
Top