Crossbow for protection when a gun isn't an option?

Posted by AZBusyBee@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 65 comments

My husband would like to have something for protection in our home, but a gun is not an option (that's a story for another day). I was thinking of buying him a recurve or compound crossbow.

We have small weapons, but we need a projectile weapon that we can keep more accessible but also wouldn't be easy for small children to use/access.

What are your suggestions of where to purchase one? I was just looking at sporting goods stores like Scheels and Bass Pro Shop mostly because I would like him to handle it before buying.

I was going to get him a gift card to one of these places for Christmas. Its purpose is just to protect against potential intruders.

Which crossbow would be better for what we want to use it for - recurve or compound?
Do you have a recommended store?
About how much money should I put on the card?

Thanks for your suggestions :)

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You're better off getting a c02 pellet gun. Crossbow is 1 shot and then they're charging at you. At least with a pellet pistol, you can dump on them and they might think they've been shot and retreat while you escape out the back door.

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Wasteland-Scum@reddit

Not CO2. Most of them can't be left with the CO2 in them, and they really don't do enough damage to stop a mildly determined attacker.

PCP guns are the way to go if you can't have real firearms.

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DannyWarlegs@reddit

Yeah my comment was meant more as "this is useless and a literal toy would be better than that"

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Wasteland-Scum@reddit

Ah, got it.

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Edhin_OShea@reddit

What about a quality slingshot. I got one as requested last Christmas only to quickly learn I don't have the strength to use it effectively. There are rubber balls, rubber-coated steel balls, steel balls, and biodegradable clay balls. Several options. I did my research and learned to expect the rubber bands to break frequently, so look for quality and quantity within your budget. ... now back to chastising myself for not working on my arm strength over the last 12 months.

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Farmstrong12358@reddit

I’m a felon and I use a .50 pellet gun for home defense. It’s an umarex tr50. It’s loud and shoots large metal projectiles. Should be enough to scare away an intruder.

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SpeckenZeDich@reddit

If the "story for another day" is a felony conviction, then he isn't supposed to have a crossbow either. Otherwise, get a gun. Or pepper spray. Or a machete. A bat. A large dog. Hell, get a flare gun. Even that would be better than a crossbow.

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NomadActual7@reddit

I say flamethrower

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infiltrateoppose@reddit

Don't. Don't get a bow or a gun - either one will make you and your family less safe.

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Realistic_Salt7109@reddit

Don’t miss

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alphatango308@reddit

I'm guessing someone in the house is a felon (no judgement). If that's the case you can own black powder stuff. They have black powder revolvers and black powder rifles. They ship to your door, no ffl, no background check. Totally legal.

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Deep_Caregiver_8910@reddit

Also take a look at air guns. They are not firearms, but there may still be some regulations. These aren't just be guns anymore.

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Ashley_Sophia@reddit

Anything can be used as a weapon.

Compound Bow. Machete. Can of Hairspray. Large, heavy, palm sized Gemstones...

Use your imagination and practice with your chosen object/s. Become comfortable with it and know how to weld it safely and effectively.

Not that I would know. :)

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AdditionalAd9794@reddit

Bows, be it crossbow or otherwise are terrible in this application

That said if your husband is a felon using a bow isn't going to save him, he will be looked at with the same scrutiny, receive the same charges and go back to jail as if he used a gun. Especially if there is no hunting gear/license involved and no reason to have said weapon. At the very least it's criminal possession of a deadly weapon.

Maybe a hammer, hatched or some common household items that won't seen purposed as a weapon. Sometimes police are more lenient but if a felon is in possession of an axe, a baseball bat, anything anything that can be construed as a wrapon and he can't come up with a valid plausible reason to be in possession, he is going to jail

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

Thank you for your response. He's definitely not a felon haha. I don't think he's even ever had a traffic ticket so I'm not worried about that. Would we need a license to have a crossbow?

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AdditionalAd9794@reddit

If a felon isn't involved you should be fine. That said, if an incident happens absolutely do not tell police the bow is for self defense, as that could land you in trouble depending on the circumstances, say it's for target practice or you have intentions to use it for hunting, whatever.

It's akin to having a baseball bat in your car. If you are stopped and consent to a search, never do that, they find your bat and you can't come up with a valid reason to have it, thats a concealed weapon charge. When all you'd have to do to get out of it is tell them it's for the batting cages or you're in a softball league

That said, get your story straight ahead of time

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IsaKissTheRain@reddit

They may not have kids. There are other reasons for not getting a gun. And a bow is absolutely harder to use than a gun. Most kids can’t even pull a kill-weight bow back. I use both; I know.

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tkb072003@reddit

Crossbows are terrible for home defense. I would rather have bearspray

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PissOnUserNames@reddit

But Daryl from the walking dead makes it looks so easy (sarcasm)

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FrostyEquivalent85@reddit

2nd this or a paintball gun with pepperballs or marbles shit. A crossbow is slow reload and can only carry a couple arrows.

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RascalKing905@reddit

Tube sock over a baseball bat, it will make it harder for someone to disarm you (and you get a few extra wacks) and a couple D batteries in a rubber glove.

Replace you Exterior door screws with 6"-8" screws this will make your door almost impossible to kick in.

Projectiles and guns are extremely difficult to use indoors. And CQC is very dangerous.

You know your home better than any intruders would. Find the most likely points of entry (keep no weapons near them).

Next find the best 2 possible ways to defend each with your weapons and a fall back position if you need to move.

These positions should allow you to see everyone in the room, provide cover and routes to move to 2nd position unobstructed.

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Torch99999@reddit

Paintball guns are really a bad idea. Think about it: they're used in a recreational game where 10 year-olds shoot each other for fun and no one gets hurt.

There are police version designed to fire pepper balls for crowd control, but they aren't the kind of stuff you get at Walmart or your local paintball field.

I'm not sure what most police departments are using now, but the ones I've been able to look at were a variation of the Aitomag (designed by Tom Kaye, manufactured by Air Gun Designs) that were designed to fire at a velocity around 500 feet per second, significantly higher than the 260 to 300 fps most commercial paintball guns are designed for.

Source: I played paintball regularly from 1997 to 2013.

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Hoyle33@reddit

Crossbow would be low on my list if I couldn't own a firearm. Pretty sure a muzzleloader doesn't count as a "firearm" federally so you might want to check that route out

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

What would be high on your list besides a gun?

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Torch99999@reddit

Pikes, halberds, spears, pitch forks, swords, axes, clubs, etc..

We've got about 5500 years of human history to look back on where firearms weren't commonly available but people still found ways to kill each other.

It really depends what you're doing, but bows have primarily been long range area weapons (not point weapons), i.e. you have 300 archers shooting into an area that's 600 feet wide and 50 feet deep full of charging French knights. It's really not an ideal choice for self defense.

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A_Lost_Desert_Rat@reddit

Great for a single attacker. Reload rate is miserable. A compound bow would have faster rate of fire but similar lethality.

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

Yeah that's a good point. Do you have a better suggestion for something other than a gun for home protection?

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h5n1zzp@reddit

Belgian Malinois - properly trained - would protect you with its life

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BulkheadRagged@reddit

Pepper spray

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Starkrall@reddit

Just don't bother honestly. Fumbling with a crossbow, likely at night, with only a single shot to defend yourself with, is only going to cause problems. Most likely for you. Figure out whatever is preventing a firearm in the house but not a crossbow. I'm gonna say most likely a complete lack of knowledge.

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GreyWolf_93@reddit

Protection against wildlife or people? Unfortunately unless you’re the green arrow, bows aren’t great against people with guns. You’d be better off with pepper spray or a baseball bat (or both).

Against wildlife they’d be a bit better, but if a bear is charging you, a bolt won’t drop it. Better to use bear spray. Even handguns are pretty shit in that situation as well, unless you’re a gunslinger lol

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GreyWolf_93@reddit

That said, crossbows and compound bows are great for hunting when guns aren’t an option.

Crossbows are a lot lighter, more compact, more powerful, quieter, and more accurate than compound bows

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EnergyLantern@reddit

I think you should get a yappy dog. Dogs can hear what you can't hear.

The problem with self-defense is that if a criminal has you by surprise, whatever you have can be used against you.

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Omfggtfohwts@reddit

A bat. a sling shot. Golf club. A very large pipe.

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SunLillyFairy@reddit

Flamethrower...

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MadRhetorik@reddit

Look into your state laws. As far as I know federal law doesn’t prohibit felons from owning black powder firearms. They are considered antiques. But again, definitely check. Other than that a good cast iron skillet will make an excellent close quarters defensive tool.

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SunLillyFairy@reddit

My granny could f*k someone up with a cast iron skillet... and I'm not kidding. Hell hath no fury like that woman if someone messed with her family.

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BeyondBaesed@reddit

Dumb, get bear mace- gel style- instead.

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Hoyle33@reddit

Terrible idea inside of a home. Have you ever used it even outside?

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BeyondBaesed@reddit

I have, notice I said gel style?

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Hoyle33@reddit

Gel style would also be terrible

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chestypullerr@reddit

You’ve never been sprayed with it then. Not enough to stop someone with a gun tho

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Hefty-Squirrel-6800@reddit

Can you possess a black powder revolver?

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Randomized007@reddit

Paintball gun would be better

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

That's a great idea, I'll check it out thank you!

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Virtual-Feature-9747@reddit

I have the Steambow Stinger 2. It looks cool and is a fun toy but not suitable for self defense. I mean, I would not want to get shot by it, but it's not going to kill anything bigger than a rabbit. Still, it might be what you are looking for.

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

Thank you. I'll check it out!

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HolyShitidkwtf@reddit

Barnett makes a small pistol style crossbow called the Accu Strike. It would serve your purposes well. Small enough to move with, and easy to load. Run about $100 in stores.

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

I will check it out, thank you!!

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Former_Ad_8509@reddit

It is a very good option. For many reasons.

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

Thank you for your reply, it is helpful!

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Kathywasright@reddit

Husband bought me a crossbow. Expensive one. He added a wrench thing that helps me wind it into position. But it takes a few minutes to get it ready. I never considered the fact that it is not quick to access and as such, it is actually of limited use for home protection. Plus-You can’t leave it at ready because it will weaken the string. And it's not safe to leave it ready to fire because that thing is Dangerous with a capital D. I’m comfortable with guns but this thing worries me to death! Just me. I’m thinking I can use it on my front porch to go after groundhogs because I have to many houses close by to use a gun. But I haven’t tried it yet. I have to order some different arrowheads for that. You probably think I am stupid but that is how I feel.

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

This is helpful, thank you!

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DirectorBiggs@reddit

There’s nothing stupid at all about your response.

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Wheredidthatgo84@reddit

The Bot is identifying peeps again.

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ciresemik@reddit

Byrna makes non-lethal "projectile" guns. They shoot pepper/teargas balls or hard plastic balls. Kind of expensive, but I'd probably take one over a crossbow. https://byrna.com/blogs/byrna-nation/byrna-assembled-in-america?srsltid=AfmBOoqmi5-7gAVg4dLYu7ghiPU-8Z1v4m3YvAwY5gi2_0DY6DiC9n4D

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AZBusyBee@reddit (OP)

Thanks. I did that search already, but didn't see anything more specific to my question.