A copy of an ancient crossbow is a very interesting thing, both in terms of appearance, and when shooting from it. Now let's talk about how to make a crossbow at home so that it really looks like ancient weapons. In our time, there are many modern crossbows, but their cost is quite high, and I want to hang on the wall in the bedroom exactly the current copy of the ancient crossbow.

Now let's take a step-by-step look at what is needed to create a wooden crossbow. Few tools are needed.

1. Well sharpened knife.
2. Drill.
3. Hacksaw for metal.

Material preparation, or How to make a crossbow out of wood

To make the product look and shoot like a real weapon, you need to make it from suitable wood:

1. poplars.
2. Ash.
3. Pines.
4. Oak.
5. Maple.
6. Acacias.

These trees are perfect.

The crossbow consists of two main parts - the bow and the stock. If we make weapons with a power of up to 20 kilograms, for a bow you need to find an even branch five centimeters thick and a meter long. If the power of the crossbow is planned to be more than 20 kilograms, then it is better to take a blank 10 centimeters thick and a meter long. For the crossbow bed, select a branch with a diameter slightly thicker than the blank for the bow. If there are branches on the sawn material, in no case should they be completely cut off. You just need to shorten them so that the length is from three to five centimeters. If you cut off the knots completely, they will immediately crack, and the workpiece will be spoiled.

Drying of harvested wood

Before you make a crossbow with your own hands, you need to ensure that the material dries gradually. To do this, you need to cover the saw cuts with varnish so that moisture does not come out through them too quickly. Slices on knots are also covered. If this is not done, then due to rapid evaporation, the tree will crack, and this is undesirable. After that, the blanks should lie for a month in a dry and dark place. The longer the tree dries, the better.

Primary processing

The material is ready, we can proceed. Let's start with the bow. We examine the annual rings of the tree. Where they are thinner, the north side, that's what we need. In this place, the structure of the material is much denser. Now you need to cut the workpiece in half and take the north side for the product. After everything is done, the tree must be allowed to lie down for another week so that the remaining moisture comes out.

Making a crossbow bow

We start making a bow, during which we will see the structure of the tree and learn how to make a crossbow at home using ancient technologies. So, let's get started, you need to cut the layers of the tree, where its core is present. If you leave it, then there is a risk that longitudinal cracks will go. After we measure the middle of the onion and begin to cut off the excess material, making the onion. When processing, it is necessary to ensure that his shoulders are the same. We check for bending all the time. As soon as the shoulders begin to bend even a little, you need to make a trial bowstring.

A trial bowstring is a strong rope, on which there is one loop on one side, and several, located at different distances, on the other. They are needed in order to measure the bend of the bow limbs. The more material is cut off, the more they can be bent, while changing the loops to the nearest ones. By pulling the test string constantly, it is easy to track whether the bow is even after processing the bow. After all, if you look only visually, you can make a big mistake. The density of the tree is not the same in all places, so a seemingly perfect bow can bend unevenly. Sometimes it happens that a thick area is weak point, and thinner, on the contrary, does not bend. In order not to make a mistake, you need to constantly check the bow. Only by studying all the nuances, you can make a working copy, understand how to make a crossbow with your own hands, and fully display the power and beauty of the ancient weapon.

Making a crossbow stock

In front of the bed, you need to cut a two-centimeter recess where the bow will be located. After we mark 30 cm from the edge, a bowstring and an arrow will walk on this surface. We level this plane if it has bends or branches. After you need to measure the place for the gutter 1 cm thick and 0.5 cm deep, then cut holes for the bow and trigger mechanism. It is better to do this with a chisel or a carpenter's cutter, and in order to understand in detail how to make a crossbow, drawings to help.

Trigger mechanism

Take the simplest hold, called a nut. It is a cylinder that rotates freely on an axle. On the one hand, its hooks for the bowstring, on the other - an emphasis for the L-shaped trigger. If the crossbow is up to 30 kg of tightness, the descent can be wooden. However, if the power is greater, it should be made of metal.

Making a bowstring

You need to take a board and insert pegs 1 cm thick. They should protrude 3 cm. The field of which, from one to the other, we wind a nylon thread in a circle. When the thickness of all the threads is about 5 mm, it is necessary, without removing from the pegs, to wrap this skein around once in a circle so that all the threads are tightly wrapped. After that, near the peg, we collect two halves of the bowstring with our fingers and wrap it again, but already much denser, until the next peg. So, we get a bowstring with two loops. A diagram of how to make a crossbow will help you understand everything. Everything about her is very clear.

We collect the crossbow and pull the bowstring

First you need to attach a bow to the stock, then we mount the trigger mechanism, after that we pull the bowstring. You can’t just pull it, so you need to use the trial. Next, you need to pull the crossbow. When the bow is bent, we hang the bowstring. After that, the test is removed. Everything, the ancient weapon is ready. Here's how to make a crossbow at home using only the simplest tools.

Making a toy mini crossbow

For fun at home with the kids or for fooling around with friends, you can make a mini crossbow from improvised materials. What is needed for this:

1. Two wooden skewers.
2. Carpenter's cutter or knife.
3. Scotch.
4. Wooden clothespin.
5. Bead.

Scheme, or How to make a mini crossbow from what can be easily found at home

1. We take wooden skewers and cut off the sharp ends from them. After that, we tie them together at the edges. This will be the crossbow bow.
2. We take a bead, mark two segments on it, equal to the length of the bow of our miniature weapon. After we cut off these two parts and connect them together with adhesive tape. This is the stock of a crossbow. Tape the bow on the front.
3. After that, we pull the bowstring on the crossbow.
4. We delay it and look at what distance to set the hook. They will serve as a clothespin, or rather, its spring and one half of the wooden part.
5. On the bed of the crossbow we cut out the necessary grooves so that it becomes instead of the missing part of the clothespin. We collect our hook.
6. The crossbow is ready, we press the clothespin from above, thereby unclenching it, we pull the bowstring along with the arrow and clamp it. To shoot again, press the top.

We figured out how to make a mini crossbow, and now we can go ahead and create weapons from pencils.

Create a crossbow from pencils

For this you need to take:

1. Four pencils.
2. Seven rubber bands
3. Ballpoint pen case.
4. Scotch.

Shall we start?

1. First you need to take the pencils and connect them two by two together. You can use rubber bands or tape. This will be the bow and crossbow bed.
2. In front of the bed, we wind the bow from below.
3. From above on the bed we tape the body from the handle with tape, this will be the guide for the arrow. It can be made from the core of the same pen.
4. Now we put one elastic band on the ends of the bow, and we tie their edges with threads or tape to make a single bowstring. Now we grab the bowstring with the enclosed arrow, run it into the guide from the handle body and release it.

Here's how to make a pencil crossbow that shoots great.

Let's start creating a paper crossbow

This requires:

1. A4 sheets - 9 pieces.
2. Popsicle sticks - 4 pieces.
3. Scotch.
4. Durable nylon thread.

How to make a crossbow out of paper that will shoot pencils?

1. We put three sheets of paper in front of us lengthwise. We bend from left to right. Cut in half along the fold line. It turns out six sheets, the width of which is 10.5 cm and the length is 29.7 cm. We divide them into two piles of three sheets.
2. Using a pencil, we twist one, and then the second stack of sheets into tubes. Their length should be 10.5 cm, and the diameter should be slightly thicker than a pencil. So that they do not unwind, we fasten with tape.
3. We insert into one end of the tubes a popsicle stick a third of their length. We break off the protruding part. On the free side, we insert a whole stick of popsicle also by a third. These are the shoulders of the bow. Now you need to bend them in the center of the paper tubes in half.
4. We take five more sheets of paper, twist them with a pencil, this will be the bed of the crossbow.
5. We wind the shoulders of the bow to the resulting tube in front. It is necessary to evenly wind them in front of the bed of the product. Here's how to make a crossbow at home out of paper. Now he needs a hold, a trigger and a guide.
6. We tie the thread to the shoulders of the bow and pull it to understand where the hook will be. Having decided, we cut through the bed in this place. After that, we cut off a piece of the stick 3-4 cm in size and insert it into the hole so that it protrudes 5 mm from above and is a trigger from below.
7. AND finishing touch. We make a tube 3 cm long so that a pencil can freely pass into it, and we fasten it with adhesive tape in front of the crossbow above its bow. This is a stele guide. That's it, now you can pull the string, put, for example, a pencil into the guide and shoot.

Here we looked at the creation of a copy of an ancient crossbow. However, it was also interesting to create throwing weapon from improvised materials, as they say: on the knees. From paper, they even showed how to make a crossbow out of pencils, and a mini-weapon that turned out to be quite powerful for its size. So it’s worth looking at the world more broadly and always improvising, only in this way you can achieve excellent results in deeds worthy of admiration by people around you.

Make a crossbow with your own hands, you won't regret it!

Sports shooting from a crossbow in our country is not as developed as archery. This state of affairs is due not to a lack of interest, but to a banal lack of shooting equipment. The crossbow sport itself undoubtedly has a lot of advantages. It is a vast field for the disclosure and application of a certain kind of talent. A handmade crossbow will undoubtedly bring you the pleasure of shooting.

Sight type - only optical (software 3.5x17.5 installed, dovetail mounting brackets)
For the manufacture of the shoulders of a home-made crossbow, a spring from 412 "Muscovite" served, cut it with a "Bulgarian", constantly poured water on it to avoid vacation, simply burned the holes with electric arc welding (it seems that the edges did not come off);

The trigger force varies from about 1 to 1.8 kg, the trigger works with a warning, an increase in effort is felt before the shot. Shooting indicators (shooting was carried out lying down from a stop in a closed room, a distance of 25 m in three series of 5 shots, fiberglass arrows, weight 25 g. Length 300 mm. Triple plumage height 8 mm):
- maximum radius from the midpoint of impact 75 mm.
- maximum diameter between extreme hits 120 mm.
- average radius of 100% hit in three series 68 mm.

The trigger mechanism "swivel nut with a sear", made of spring scraps, first annealed (t0=8500C red heat, holding for 10 minutes and slow cooling with an oven) and carried out all the metalworking, but left an allowance for processing in places where it will take place friction, then hardened to about 45-46 HRC, (t0=8300C light cherry scarlet heat, exposure 10 min.)

and tempering (t0=2950C bright blue tint, cooling in air). Then I polished all rubbing surfaces. The mechanism itself is installed directly into the guide on the pins. The springs are made from a folding metal meter.

The butt for a homemade crossbow was cut from solid wood (oak was taken), the basis was a 30x180 board, the groove in the center was selected using a jigsaw, a drill and a narrow chisel, the processing was first done with 10% ferric chloride (gives a black color), and then varnished, but this I did not like the coating, too slippery in wet or sweaty hands.

I had to sand everything and treat it with special impregnation (I used Danish Oil, which is used specifically for impregnating wood on knife handles), covered it several times until it stopped absorbing, and then sanded it in places of retention with fine sandpaper (~ 500-100 grit for imported paper).

The size of the butt is adjusted personally for me, so if you repeat, then do it with a margin, and then adjust it. The guide is assembled according to the type of package duralumin / getinax / duralumin / getinaks / duralumin, on M3x35 screws, the central plate comes out from below for mounting with a butt, assembled on M6x30 furniture bolts with a semicircular head, on the opposite side it is attracted by nuts (the holes for the nuts on the butt are hexagonal, I burned them fixed on a long bar with several nuts).

The material for the guide was a 30x4 duralumin strip, the getinax was taken 8 mm from the instrument panel of the electrical cabinet. The drawing of the guide is made with a margin, because during manufacture, the course of the bowstring may differ, therefore, it is first necessary to assemble the bow and measure the course of the bowstring, and then drill holes for attaching the deck.

The deck is welded by argon welding from an aluminum plate 50x5 (tire from a transformer) and duralumin corners 40x20x4, it is attached to the guide with two M6x40 bolts.

Fastening the shoulders to the deck through spacers (this is necessary because the shoulders have an initial bend, and the deck is straight) and pressure plates with three M6x25 "furniture" bolts (for one shoulder);

Earrings for blocks are made of steel, like the blocks themselves, the weight of one block is ~ 65 g, if you make the same ones from aluminum alloys, then the weight will decrease to 25 g, I tried to make blocks by casting in a sand-clay mold, it generally worked out, but they were quickly cut by the rope.

The material was technically pure 99% aluminum, and the aging of the material could not be done, so I am content with steel, and I think where to get a duralumin blank of a suitable size (or maybe try using epoxy plastics). Block diameter 46 mm, eccentricity 11 mm.

The string is made of 3 mm steel rope. in a PVC sheath, additional layers of heat-shrink tubing are put on at the points of contact with surfaces, I use loops to seal the ends and crimp them in the tube, like a clutch on a motorcycle, and the use of studs is necessary both for initial tension and for subsequent tightening during operation.

The bowstring is attached to the blocks through a pin that is inserted into the central hole, and opposite the hole with a diameter of 8 mm, which is opposite to the hole through which the axis of rotation of the block passes, under the groove of the block, two holes with a diameter of 3 mm are drilled through which the cable goes inside the block and is thrown onto the pin.

The string enters the blocks through holes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the block, and the loops at the ends are thrown onto the pin, one loop per upper part, and the other on the bottom of the pin. It was through these holes that I cut aluminum blocks.

The stirrup is a fabric belt that is thrown around the deck, although you can attach a steel one to the deck, and by making it swivel you can use it as a bipod when shooting prone or from a stop.

When tensioning, I use a device consisting of a pair of blocks and a rope, when I cock it, the rope is thrown over the butt, and I hook the bowstring to the clips of the blocks, and pull the ends of the rope, a two-fold gain in strength, which is quite enough for tireless shooting

Hunting crossbow - great weapon for obtaining food in the forest, as well as a means of survival in extreme conditions. It differs from a conventional bow in more accurate aiming, better striking power and ease of use due to the presence of a trigger mechanism. The advantage of such a weapon compared to the rest is that it can be made independently, it does not need to obtain a special permit, like a gun, and the simplest do-it-yourself crossbow can be made in a matter of minutes if time does not endure. Among the shortcomings can be noted the time spent on reloading, as well as a small distance for the sight on the target.

A homemade crossbow allows you to hunt any game, from small to large animals. The hunting crossbow has the following design:

• The base to which the rest of the elements with the guide bar will be attached. This bar determines the flight path of the bolt (arrow).
• Shoulders, or bow: determines the strength of the shot.
• The block that attaches the base to the bow.
• Trigger mechanism.
• Bowstring.

Drawings of a hunting crossbow

The base is carved from solid wood, but not heavy, so that the hands do not get tired of carrying weapons. Ideal options for the base material are beech and walnut. In the wild, there is no time to carve a beautiful base, but you need to try to make it as comfortable as possible for yourself. The guide bar is a groove where the arrow will be placed. It should not create friction when the bolt (arrow) moves, therefore, after attaching it, it is necessary to walk with sandpaper or a polishing wheel to grind its surface. You can make it separately using a metal tube cut in half, but in field conditions it is easier to cut a deep groove at the base of the structure. It is better if the bed and the guide are separated from each other.

Crossbow shoulders are an important structural part. A simple do-it-yourself crossbow has a classic bow design: the bowstring is statically attached to the shoulders, transferring the force of the shot from them to the arrow. To make a bow, you need to use flexible wood that will keep its shape without breaking from numerous bends: ash, maple, acacia. The shoulders are hewn symmetrically with a knife and in such a way that their base has a larger diameter in girth than the edges. At the edges you need to cut out fasteners for the bowstring. To attach the bow to the base, you need to make a block.

Usually the block for attaching the base and the bow is made of metal. In field conditions there is no such possibility, therefore the simplest model of a hunting crossbow may have a wooden block. To do this, you need a durable tree, ideally - oak. The block is attached to the base, then the bow is attached. Everything is connected into a single structure using self-tapping screws, nails, or a strong rope.

To carry out a shot, you need to make a trigger mechanism. In order to embed the trigger, you need to make a vertical slot in the base. A restraining bar should be attached above this slot to prevent accidental slipping of the bowstring.

For the bowstring, you need to use a durable, but not too elastic material. For this, fabric, wire, fibrous plants, bark, horsehair, tendons or animal skin are suitable. Using these materials, you need to weave the bowstring using the pigtail method, hair, skin and tendons can be used in their original form. After the bowstring is put in place, the homemade crossbow for hunting is ready.

Instead of arrows, like a bow, bolts are used here, which have a greater striking ability. They are made from durable and resilient material. The bolt must have a perfect shape, and the center of gravity should be in the first third of the shaft. All bolts must have the same length and weight, otherwise the result of the shots will always be different. Good bolts are made from fiberglass telescopic rods. The tip is made from a metal sheet cut with metal scissors. The tip is lubricated with epoxy glue and inserted into the cut at the end of the shaft.

Homemade speargun for spearfishing

There is an opinion that what is often erroneously called the "underwater crossbow" is rather a weapon that operates on the principle of a slingshot for fishing under water. The crossbow is not suitable for spearfishing, because the resistance of the water will not allow you to make a successful shot. However, it is possible to build a homemade speargun in the sense that it can be used to shoot fish from above, in shallow water, and underwater.

Homemade underwater crossbow (in progress)

A homemade underwater crossbow is, in fact, a rubber battle gun. There is also a pneumatic weapon, but it is difficult to assemble it yourself, special skills and abilities will be required.

Underwater weapon consists of the following structural elements:

• Lever
• The foundation
• trigger mechanism
• headband
• Rubber bands and hook

The principle of operation of the device is that the projectile pushes the harpoon and returns it back by means of rubber bands. The trunk is cylindrical or irregular in shape. Its task is not only to hold the guide, but also to resist the bending loads created by the rubber bands.

The underwater crossbow guide serves to stabilize the position of the harpoon. It is better to make it from an aluminum pipe, divided into two parts. One of them needs to be attached at the head of the gun, the second - at a distance of about 10 cm from it. The harpoon must pass freely through them. The headband is open or closed. In the first case, ring strands are attached, in the second, paired ones. When using ring rubber bands, the acceleration of the harpoon will be greater than with paired ones. An unbalanced rod power will either not generate enough force to project the spear, or it will put too much stress on the bow of the barrel. The strands must be attached on each side to the coil holder, secured with clamps. The second end of the strands must be passed through a special ring, it will be more convenient to shoot with it.

Depending on the size and power of the gun, the harpoon has different length and thickness. The hooks on it are of the type propyl or sharpfin. The dihedral shape of the harpoon blunts less, and the trihedral one has a higher penetrating power. The device of the handle on a homemade crossbow is an individual matter, it may not be. If hunting for large fish is supposed, there must be a reel. It is most convenient to install the coil in the front end of the barrel.

Spring crossbow differs from the usual one in that the shot from it is carried out due to the elasticity of the bow. For the manufacture of such a model, you can use improvised materials: a spring mesh from an old bed, a spring processed by a grinder, shock absorbers from bicycle wheels. The spring of this type of crossbow can be located inside the bed, there can be two of them for each shoulder or one for both shoulders. The spring inside the stock is small in size, it is convenient to carry and use such a weapon in the forest. The spring can be used not only for tension, but also for compression, and by increasing the number of turns, you can adjust the tension of the bowstring. A spring projectile can be crafted by modifying your crossbow slightly with a normal device.

Let's carefully study the photos to make a block crossbow

Hello, dear visitors of the blog site, I want to introduce you, as true lovers of homemade weapons, photos of homemade crossbow made from the simplest and most affordable materials. True, for the manufacture of this crossbow, we will need specialized equipment and possibly even a lathe. However, for those who really want, nothing is impossible, and if you do not have familiar turners, then you can negotiate with strangers, for a small bribe, of course. Well, who said that everything should be easy and free?

So, to make another homemade crossbow masterpiece prepare a piece of birch board on which you will need to make a rough marking of the contour of the crossbow bed, and an ordinary automobile spring about 650x100x8 in size. Make markings on the spring as shown in the figure below, so that in the middle it has a size equal to 35 millimeters, and along the edges - 18 millimeters.

And with a grinder, carefully cut out the part we need. Working with a grinder is a fairly safe activity, but still be careful when using it. Then you can immediately cut out the crossbow bed so that the blanks are pleasing to the eye and inspire confidence that everything will work out for you.

Next, we need emery, I'm sure many have it in their personal garages. On the emery, we process the crossbow arc blank so that the ends narrow to 5 millimeters. Work evenly from the middle to the edges until the desired size is reached. After processing, we will stretch a steel cable onto the arch. to do this, we clamp it in a vice, not forgetting to insert a round timber in the center so as not to interfere with the arch when bending, and we pull the cable, checking at the same time the tension force and distance future arms of the crossbow.

Now we really need a kettlebell. Similar weights were used earlier in stores on mechanical scales, now in some places you can see them in warehouses, scrap metal collection points, in general, where a large load is required. Unfortunately, such scales are rare now, more and more electronic ones are used, but I think they are still present in stores.

Well, in general, we take a weight, make markings, drill a hole a little to the right of the weight cut and saw it into right places the same Bulgarian. However, lovers of the "Golden Calf" can use the usual hacksaw. As a result, we should get such a hook - one of the most important parts of the crossbow.

Next for making a full-fledged crossbow lock we need to make a sear and a trigger. They can be made from any steel plates, as thick as the trailer hook. The figure below shows very clearly how it should be assembled.

There are no specific sizes, but you can print a photo on a printer and make templates for the sear and trigger. Using these templates, draw their outline on steel plates and cut out the details ... that's right, with the same grinder. Drilling holes is easy.

Oh yeah, see the red bolt on the toe in the photo? So for him you need to drill a hole approximately in the place where he is drawn in the photo. This strip spring bolt is needed in order to fix the pin from axial movement. So, main details of the crossbow castle we are ready, now we are making a case for it. The case, perhaps, will be the most difficult part of the castle, since in addition to figured cutting out of body parts from sheet iron, their subsequent welding is required.

Unfortunately, there are no specific sizes either, but why do we need straight arms and strong thinking? We look at the photos and try to make something similar, focusing on the dimensions of the internal details of the castle. I think you can use aluminum sheets instead of steel sheets. They are much easier to cut, bend, and solder.

Well, I think you coped with the task and you got the body of the castle. We try on the details: a hook, a sear, a trigger to the lock body, we adjust and drill holes for the pins. We make pins from steel rods, insert and saw off along the body.

Now you can make a protection for the trigger from a strip of the same aluminum, which we attach to the lock body with bolts.

Do not forget to insert the spring inside, resting it on the sear, and in back hook, insert a fixing bolt with a thrust spring from a strip of elastic steel. Let's try on the lock for the preparation of a wooden bed, everything seems to be in order, everything is in size.

Let's start carpentry. We drill and gouge a place under the lock in the bed using drills, chisels and files. We insert the lock inside, tightly fitting everything according to its size.

For now, let's put all that aside. Now we need to make a dovetail for attaching the rear sight. Solder it to the lock body.

Now we need to drill holes along the edges of the arch with a Pobedite drill for attaching the clamps with bolts.

I think the manufacture of clamps will not cause you any difficulties, but the rollers will need to be ordered by a turner, so a lathe is required for their manufacture. However, you can look in the store and pick up capralon rollers. As they say, who will find what. Adjust the clamps to the size of the rollers. We drill holes in them and prepare the axles (fingers) for the rollers.

Now we need to make a clamp with which the arch is attached to the crossbow stock. By the way, all clamps can be easily cut from a U-shaped channel. Attributes such as bolts, bushings, pins can be picked up at auto parts stores.

We bend the stirrup out of thick steel wire and fasten it in the clamp.

We fasten the arch to the collar. For the bowstring, you can use a thin steel cable. Having sawed off the required size of the cable, we make loops at the ends, inserting them into copper tubes, we crimp them with a special crimping tool, which is used by electricians.

By the way, instead of copper tubes you can also use ready-made crimps for electrical wires, which can also be purchased at an electrical supply store. This is how we should get a roller block.

All metal parts can be subjected to .

Now let's take up our bed again. In it, we need to gouge a groove and insert a metal or aluminum guide, which you can find in hardware stores. We put the guide in the groove on the epoxy glue.

I use carpentry chisels, let's give the butt an aesthetic look.We make a slot in the bed for the bowstring to move, it must have a free gap of at least two millimeters between the bed and the bowstring.

Hunting crossbow - enough effective weapon, which, if necessary, can serve as a worthy replacement for a rifle. The main advantage of the weapon is the noiselessness of firing. Therefore, during its use it is quite difficult to scare the beast.

Design features

What is a hunting crossbow made of? The photos presented in this material allow you to see that the following components can be distinguished in it:

1. The body is the main power unit, which bears the load when lowering the bowstring. Serves as the basis for the installation of functional parts.
2. Blocks - part of the design for installing bowstring tension arcs.
3. stock - a part of a crossbow that is used to place an arrow.
4. A bowstring is a functional part that serves to set the used projectiles in motion.
5. Shoulders - an elastic structural element that gives off energy when the bowstring is pulled.
6. The stirrup is a part that facilitates loading the crossbow.
7. The trigger mechanism is a device due to which the lock opens and the bowstring is released when fired.
8. Sight - mounted on a crossbow to facilitate targeting.

Hunting crossbow with wooden shoulders

It is the simplest design. As follows from the definition, the shoulders here are made of wood. Such a crossbow cannot be called a model of reliability. Products in this category are frankly short-lived and therefore are not in very high demand. Most often, such a hunting crossbow is used as a collectible, decorative weapon.

Crossbow with arcs of metal

An extremely common option. Hunters pay attention to such crossbows, as they demonstrate high power when fired. hunting bows and crossbows with metal arcs are suitable not only for training, but also for use in the field when tracking prey. For manufacturing, both solid arcs and composite structures are used, which are assembled from several symmetrical parts.

Recurve crossbow

Classic version with curved shoulders. Such a hunting crossbow is an extremely easy to use and easy-to-use device. It has small dimensions and improved characteristics. Easily disassembled and transported.

Recurve crossbows contain reinforced shoulders, the tension force of which can reach about 50 kg. This, in turn, opens up the possibility for hunting small and large animals.

Block crossbow

The design includes a whole system of eccentrics, thanks to which the process of loading the weapon is facilitated and the arrow is accelerated. Compared to recursive models, a block hunting crossbow is more compact. The power figures here are also on top.

Insignificant dimensions are ensured by the installation of short arcs. The application of this solution contributes to the easy overcoming of the areas covered with thickets and shrubs by the owner of the weapon.

The characteristics of the block-type hunting crossbow provide a simple cocking of the bowstring and a slight return, which is achieved due to the rational distribution of the force vector.

type

• due to the reduced dimensions, they are an extremely convenient weapon for transportation;
• have high power and allow you to hit targets both at medium and long distances;
• are less lethal force compared to block systems, however, arrows are thrown at a higher speed;
• in addition to arrows, they can fire darts, harpoons, metal balls.

sights

The main feature of shooting from a crossbow is a significant shift in the aiming line. In other words, after the shot is fired, the fired projectile begins to gravitate towards the ground rather quickly. Therefore, it is advisable to install optics with a special crossbow net on such weapons. For effective aiming at the target, it is enough to equip crossbows with optical sights with a 4x zoom.

Some hunters prefer collimator systems, which also prove to be quite effective. Moreover, this option makes it possible to hunt both in the daytime and evening time days. Collimator sights are extremely convenient to use when pointing at moving targets.

Do-it-yourself hunting crossbow

Having decided on the necessary parameters and characteristics of the future weapon, it is worth moving on to the development of the appropriate drawing. As a sample, you can use a ready-made scheme or draw up the latter yourself. Be that as it may, a do-it-yourself made hunting crossbow will eventually have to be customized.

In the course of preparing the drawing, it is worth focusing not only on personal wishes, but also take into account the availability necessary materials, proceed from their cost, complexity of processing.

How to make a hunting crossbow with your own hands? Usually, to begin with, a bed is prepared, on which the shoulders, stirrup, guide, and trigger are subsequently attached. difficult for self-manufacturing arcs act as an element. Therefore, in some cases it is better to purchase them ready-made.

They will help to make hunting drawings, examples of which are shown in the photos below.

Frame

The base on which the bed and shoulders of the product are fixed is the body. It is desirable to cut it out of a metal blank with a thickness of about 2.5-3 mm.

In the central part of the body and at the end, the crossbow bed is fixed with bolts. The use of such a solution contributes to the rapid assembly of weapons for bringing into combat condition and disassembly during transportation.

A stirrup is welded to the body in the lower part. The latter makes it possible to hold the crossbow with the foot when the bowstring is pulled. It is recommended to use a wire with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm as a material for the manufacture of the stirrup.

Shoulders

The material for the manufacture of a structural element can be an automobile spring. In such metal shoulders, semicircular recesses are made for bolts, with the help of which the part will be screwed to the body.

A common opinion is that the use of metal springs as the basis for the manufacture of shoulders is a rather dangerous decision. And in fact, when using a homemade crossbow in conditions of low temperature environment increases the likelihood of breakage of the part, especially at the attachment points. Such cases are accompanied by the ejection of small fragments. Therefore, you should use the idea at your own peril and risk.

Blocks

Ready-made drawings of a hunting crossbow often provide for the presence of block devices. The latter facilitate tension and give an advantage in strength. It is easier to bring such a crossbow into a combat state than with a simple connection of the ends of the bowstring with the ends of the shoulders. Moreover, during the descent, the starting speed of the arrow increases, which is reflected in the increase in the range of the weapon. The main disadvantage of installing a block system is the complexity of manufacturing and an increase in total weight crossbow.

bowstring

As a bowstring, you can use a metal cable with a diameter of about 2-3 mm. A thicker bowstring will be more difficult to fix on a weapon, and a thin one will stretch as the product is used.

To fix the bowstring at the ends of the shoulders, it is enough to make a regular loop. Under the cable mounts, it is better to place pieces of leather or any other dense material in advance. This solution avoids chafing of the bowstring in contact with metal shoulders.

Lodge

For the manufacture of the part, an easily workable wooden blank in the form of a board with a thickness of about 30 mm can be used. It is worth noting that, despite the high strength indicators, oak is not very suitable for these purposes due to its significant weight. As for spruce and pine, the latter are not sufficiently resistant to mechanical damage and warp on contact with moisture. Therefore, the type of wood should be selected depending on the goals and conditions for the future operation of the crossbow.

How to make a hunting crossbow truly practical? Special attention in the manufacture should be given to the guide in the form of a groove for the arrow, which must be tried to be made as even, smooth and polished as possible. The state of the groove is largely reflected in the accuracy of shooting. It is desirable that the width of the bed is equal to the diameter of the arrows used. You can cut it with a circular saw.

It is rational to use a spring as a means to hold the arrow, which will press the projectile to the stock and will not allow the latter to slip out of the groove before the shot is fired.

Trigger mechanism

Sheet iron will serve as the material for the manufacture of the part. It is desirable that its thickness is at least 6-7 mm. The drawing of the mechanism is presented in the following diagram:

All parts are placed directly in the box. A special nest is cut out here, through holes are made under the axis of the mechanism, on which the elements of the descent are subsequently installed. An example of setting the descent is shown in the figure below.

Aiming optics

As a crossbow sight, you can use factory optics from firearms. A fairly practical solution is the use of a front sight and a rear sight. With the help of the latter, vertical corrections can be made. Horizontal adjustments are conveniently made using the front sight fixed at the intersection of the shoulders and stock.

To ensure the convenience of transporting a crossbow, it is worth making the sighting device removable. To do this, you can install the so-called Picatinny rail on the weapon, which provides the ability to mount individual factory-assembled sights.

Finally

The hand-made manufacture and operation of a hunting crossbow is a rather radical solution. Often, in the absence of experience in this kind of activity, the quality and reliability of a home-made device leaves much to be desired. In reality, even factory-made budget category crossbows, the cost of which is about 3000-4000 rubles, turn out to be much more efficient, convenient and practical compared to the creations of their own hands.

As you can see, it is quite possible to make a hunting crossbow. However, when purchasing a weapon in a specialized store, the user receives guarantees of its safety and assembly reliability. When operating a homemade crossbow, you can only rely on yourself.