How to make a Bow and arrow

I'm sure there are many other ways of doing this, but here is one. From the ultimate survival guide pgs 81-83.

Bow And Arrow.
The most effective of imporvised weapons: easy to make, it takes only a short time to become proficient.
A well-seasoned wood is best for the bow. Long-term survivors should put wood aside to season. Tension in unseasoned wood is short-lived, so make several bows and change as soon as one loses its spring.
Yew is ideal, but hickory, juniper, oak, white elm, cedar, ironwood, birch, willow and hemlock (the tree) are good alternatives.

Making the stave:
Select a supple wand. To determine correct length: hold one end of stave at the hip with right hand, reach sideways with left hand and mark extent of your reach as length of bow.

Shaping the bow:
Stave must be 5cm (2 inches) wide at center, tapering to 1.5cm (5/8 inch) at ends. Make notch about 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) from ends to take bowstring. Remove bark if you wish. Once whittled into shape, rub bow with oil or animal fat.

Fitting the string:
Cut rawhide to 3mm (1/8 inch) wide or use string, or twisted fibers from nettle stems to make bowstring. If bow has lots of give, use shorter string. String should be under only slight tension - the main tension is added when you pull it back to shoot.
Secure string to bow with round turn and two half hitches at each end. If wood is unseasoned, release one end wthenn bow is not in use to relax its tension.

Making arrows:
Use strait wood - birch is best. Make arrows 60cm (2 feet) long, 6 mm (1/4 inch) wide. They must be as straight and smooth as possible.
At one end make a notch wide enough to fit bowstring and 6mm (1/4 inch) deep.

Flighting arrows:
A) split feathers, from top, down center of quil
B) leave 20 mm (3/4 inch) quil at each end to tie to arrow.
c) tie 3 flights, equally spaced, around shaft.
Flights a=increase accuracy. Paper, cloth or leaves can also be used as flights.

Arrow heads:
The arrow itself can be sharpened and hardened in a fire, but a tip of tin or flint is better. Split end of shaft, insert arrow head and bind tightly with wet sinews - they dry hard, securing head firmly.
From left to right are four arrow heads: flint, tin, bunrt, bone.

Archery technique
Fit arrow into bowstring. Raise center of bow to eye level. Hold bow just below arrow, extending arm forward. Keep bow arm locked and draw string smoothly back across the front of your body, with arrow at eye level and lined up with target. Sight along arrow. Release string.

**sorry for some of the blurry pictures, best i could do for now and i'l edit them if i get better ones.**

_________________
Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

thats so awesome, ill be giving a it a try soon.

I gotta practise flint knapping to make the arrow head

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

im gonna take a soda can and use it to make an arrow head to try it once i make the bow.

_________________
Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

Why a soda can, the material isnt very strong. Any reason?

_________________
"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

	TrooperMax wrote:
	Why a soda can, the material isnt very strong. Any reason?

its pointy....

	TrooperMax wrote:
	Why a soda can, the material isnt very strong. Any reason?

fold it over a couple times and it will be strong enough for a test. also super light.

_________________
Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

Here is alittle heads up on the location's & names of a Traditional Bow & Arrow.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

And here are some Traditional & Hand made Arrow's.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Here is my very first attempt at making an arrow.
I used a 5/16 poplar dowl.
A pieace of aluminum for the arrow head. easy to work, & you still can get a sharp edge.
For tieing & attaching the arrow head to the shaft i used Jute. I liked useing that because it gave it that old school look.
And the feathers i got while walking on the beach looking for segal feathers. I have just only got 1 fletch attached.
It's slow work, but rewarding. Andi also used 5 minute appoxy & applyed it to the Jute so i know i wont lose my arrow.
Im haveing a good time doing this Cool

cant wait to shoot it, & see how she fly's. Very Happy

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Finally got all my fletching on my arrow Cool

. Now i can do some art work to it. Sand it, stain it. And try it out.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Wow awesome! let us know how it works!

_________________
"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Well i finished my arrow's Very Happy

They turned out not bad. Im going to field shoot them today & see how the Fly Cool

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Holy crap, that looks awesome. Are you concerned at all about the dowels? Is the wood treated at all? I would think that dowels would be too brittle. Hope it works though! Good luck, let us know.

Thanks Foxfire.
The dowls are a type of hardwood. Not the best hardwood though. These arrows are only for { Target Shooting }
and nothing else. Im going to make some hunting arrows later out of Oak or Maple with broad heads.
I picked wood arrows because i like the old school archery, Longbow with wood arrows.
As far as them breaking, if you just shoot soft targets your ok. But if you are out shooting say at a rootin log & miss & hit a tree, ya ! lol, they will break. I kept my first time makeing arrows cheap to see if i like it, & i do Cool

.
So next time i make Target Arrows i will use alittle better wood's such as, Oak. Maple is more than oak.
Oak dowls 5/16 & 36" long are $ 2.09 Maple are $ 2.89. So i'll keep the maple for the hunting arrows & oak for more better target arrows. Cool

The dowls i picked up for these arrows were, .86 cent's each. LOL. And they work just fine for target arrows. Well later today im gonig to try them out. Im makeing a Home made target so i can shoot alittle in the back yard. Smile

Cheers.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

wow thats impressive Dave, nice arrows

_________________
"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

	TrooperMax wrote:
	wow thats impressive Dave, nice arrows

Thanks Troop. I didn't get around to shooting them today. I was busy makeing my Target.
It turned out all right. To dark to shoot now.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Well i got to try out my arrows.
This the first time i have shot a Longbow, ive shot compound before. But a Longbow with no sight's & no arrow rest make it challenging to say the least. I set up my homemade target at only 30.ft
And much to my surprise the arrows flight was good, & tuff really, i missed the target twice both hitting the fence & sticking in a 1/4" no breakedge. Very Happy

And i found out again how much the string can hert when hiting your forearm Shocked

must get a cool leather guard. I have a all new respect for the English Longbowmen.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Hahaha! Its a sony box! That made my day! Very Happy

Dave I love your target, down with SONY!!!!!!

But seriously, thats an impressive display of craftsmenship on the arrows.

I appolize that I havnt contributed musch latley, I am very busy!

_________________
"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic