Slinging.org Forum - Wooden crossbow bolts

squirrelslinger

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Wooden crossbow bolts
Feb 16^th, 2013 at 9:37pm

i am getting a 50 pound pistol crossbow from Amazon, and do not want to buy bolts.... they are expensive, and they(according to customer reviews) are NOT durable- they supposedly last 1-2 shots. i want to make some from black locust.
I am thinking like 7/16 or 1/2 inch bolts.. 7 inches long. medieval crossbow bolts were like 1/2 inch daim, ash, and were shot off of like 100+pound bows!
Thanks in advance!
-Squirrel

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Atlatlista Ex Member	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #1 - Feb 16^th, 2013 at 10:05pm I would get the crossbow first, make something to fit it. Check the spine carefully. Crossbows put an awful lot of force on the bolts. However, 50 pounds is do-able, you could use the same thickness you do for arrows with that kind of poundage. Since they're shorter, the effective spine will be quite a bit higher.
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David Morningstar Slinging.org Moderator Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 3433 UK	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #2 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 5:12am Pistol crossbow bolts are so short you can easily use cut down arrow shafts and probably get three from each one. You will have no problems with spine.
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Mauro Fiorentini Forum Moderation Offline Forge your future with the hammer of your mind! Posts: 3442 Ancona, Italy. Gender:	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #3 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 7:10am Topic added to the PW Index. Greetings, Mauro.
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squirrelslinger

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #4 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 11:49am

David Morningstar wrote on Feb 17^th, 2013 at 5:12am:

Pistol crossbow bolts are so short you can easily use cut down arrow shafts and probably get three from each one. You will have no problems with spine.

Yes, the bolts are 6.5 inches long, 5 inches powerstroke. I used to use 12 inch bamboo skewers with a home-made crossbow- 28 inch oak prod, poplar stock, simple notch release. it had a really high draw- lke 30 pounds.... limbs were 1 3/4 inches wide. made from a oak 1x2... then I mounted a 15 pound compund on it.....
-Squirrel
i am thinking of using oak 1/2 inch cut from a log, logs are like 12 inches long, and very clear. the wood is strong... i used to make spear-foreshafts from it. it is rather hard.. beautiful grain- 1/16 wide spring growth, 1/8 summer. no rot! My neighbor gave it to me... they chopped a red oak down.

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“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
"You don't think the electricity is off. You check it 3 times to make SURE its off"
"Remember, this is not a scalpel. It is a steel wedge that you will be slamming into knotty wood. Hone accordingly."

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Dan

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #5 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 1:12pm

Those pistol crossbows use very light darts. I'f I were to make my own darts for it, I'd use a 3/16 dowel and cut them down to 4in with a gradual taper towards the point and very minimal DT fletching.

For a crossbow to be effective they have to ge very strong, 30lbs is quite low, 500lbs and even more is not unheard of in armor piercing crossbows.

Most hunting recurve crossbows are around 200lbs with a 16in power stroke.

The pistol crossbow I belive you are reffering too is mostly a toy. Treat it like a weapon, but it won't have that much KE.

If I were you, I'd save your money and buy a real entry level xbow. If you have your mind set on a pistol design, this wouldn't be too bad: http://www.thecrossbowstore.com/150-lbs-Hunting-Crossbow-Real-Wooden-Cross-Bows-...

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I was pretty good at slinging like 10 years ago.

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Atlatlista

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #6 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 1:49pm

What Dan says is absolutely right. Crossbows are less efficient than regular bows, and their shorter power stroke means they impart less energy per pound of draw weight to the projectile. A pistol crossbow with a 50 pound draw and a 5 inch power stroke is going to have a kinetic energy similar to a 10 pound bow drawn to 28 inches. In other words, you'll be lucky if it penetrates cardboard.

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squirrelslinger Interfector Viris Spurii Offline peace through superior firepower Posts: 2870 Ky, USA Gender:	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #7 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 6:45pm that is the plan- use long, thin wire points(similar to a blow-gun) on the end of light darts... anyway, so this thing is gonna have no KE? i have seen vids of people shooting through 1/2 inch plywood!
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Bill Skinner

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #8 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 7:10pm

'Squirrel, I have a couple of those, we used them to shoot at dart boards made of closed cell styrofoam, and while I wouldn't want to get shot with one, they aren't all that powerful. I don't remember how far the darts went, it wasn't far, about 30 feet unless you really added some elevation, like 45 degrees, then it went about 80 feet or so.

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squirrelslinger

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #9 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 8:07pm

Bill Skinner wrote on Feb 17^th, 2013 at 7:10pm:

'Squirrel, I have a couple of those, we used them to shoot at dart boards made of closed cell styrofoam, and while I wouldn't want to get shot with one, they aren't all that powerful. I don't remember how far the darts went, it wasn't far, about 30 feet unless you really added some elevation, like 45 degrees, then it went about 80 feet or so.

wow. the crossbow i made from an 15 pound compound shot bamboo skewers a few hundred feet flat, never tried it at a 45. so a pistol crossbow is c***? so i juust wasted 15$? GRRRRR
i googled it, and several people seem to have taken small game with the things. so they have to have some power....
-Squirrel

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“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”
"You don't think the electricity is off. You check it 3 times to make SURE its off"
"Remember, this is not a scalpel. It is a steel wedge that you will be slamming into knotty wood. Hone accordingly."

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Atlatlista

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #10 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 8:43pm

squirrelslinger wrote on Feb 17^th, 2013 at 8:07pm:

Bill Skinner wrote on Feb 17^th, 2013 at 7:10pm:

'Squirrel, I have a couple of those, we used them to shoot at dart boards made of closed cell styrofoam, and while I wouldn't want to get shot with one, they aren't all that powerful. I don't remember how far the darts went, it wasn't far, about 30 feet unless you really added some elevation, like 45 degrees, then it went about 80 feet or so.

wow. the crossbow i made from an 15 pound compound shot bamboo skewers a few hundred feet flat, never tried it at a 45. so a pistol crossbow is c***? so i juust wasted 15$? GRRRRR
i googled it, and several people seem to have taken small game with the things. so they have to have some power....
-Squirrel

I could probably take small game with a 10 pound longbow too, I just wouldn't feel humane about doing it.

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Dan

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Re: Wooden crossbow bolts
Reply #11 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 9:29pm

A lot of those guys might have just shot a toad in their bird bath or something too. Lots of different kinds of keyboard warriors out there.

I find it unlikly that those could shoot through 1/2in plywood. Joerg Sprave has a few 'slingshots' that shoot those little darts the crossbows do, most of them just penetrate cardboard. But, I could be wrong, never owned one.

In general, anything you spend $15 won't be a super lethal weapon. You can still use it for playing darts or whatever, but I don't suggest hunting with one.

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I was pretty good at slinging like 10 years ago.

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Atlatlista Ex Member	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #12 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 9:37pm If you look at Joerg's videos of his pistol crossbow, it bounces off plywood. That being said, I want to make a lightweight bow with very lightweight arrows with tips from darts used for a dartboard, and then play archery darts as a bar game.
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squirrelslinger Interfector Viris Spurii Offline peace through superior firepower Posts: 2870 Ky, USA Gender:	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #13 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 10:19pm Good point... but what if I spend $15 on a nice maple board stave, make a #65 bow and arrows from scrap from the board.. then it isn't lethal?
Back to top	“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” "You don't think the electricity is off. You check it 3 times to make SURE its off" "Remember, this is not a scalpel. It is a steel wedge that you will be slamming into knotty wood. Hone accordingly." IP Logged

Atlatlista Ex Member	Re: Wooden crossbow bolts Reply #14 - Feb 17^th, 2013 at 10:50pm I don't think I understand the question.
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