hunting with a crossbow
- Thread starter wozza
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Take it as read,
It is Grandtemps verboten. Rabbit enjoy the curious position of being both vermin and game, meaning that landowners are legally obliged to control their numbers - yet are restricted in the methods that can be used.
ATB
Ogri the trog
It is Grandtemps verboten. Rabbit enjoy the curious position of being both vermin and game, meaning that landowners are legally obliged to control their numbers - yet are restricted in the methods that can be used.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Not easy to find anything useful (not in lawyer lingo) but I did find this:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmhaff/uc95/uc9509.htm - "LEGITIMATE USES ......... Hunting animals with any sort of bow in the UK is unlawful. "
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmhaff/uc95/uc9509.htm - "LEGITIMATE USES ......... Hunting animals with any sort of bow in the UK is unlawful. "
I do! Imagine any idiot could buy a crosbow and legally hunt with it due to ownership! There'd be geese and swans and cows and deer running about looking like pin cushions. No, it's probably best to leave it to rifles for humanity sake. I'm not saying it can't be done with a bow/crossbow, just that too many numpties would abuse it.
I mean you can't use a bow or crossbow to hunt any living creature - fish, feather or fur, game or vermin. Its illegal, end of story.
As to the rights and wrongs of bowhunting, well, thats for each person to decide, however in the UK, whatever your moral view, its illegal. I have airguns, crossbows, and a variety of firearms. Legal or otherwise I can see no reason to use a crossbow on a rabbit - it would hugely over penetrate and destroy the meat. You bow hunt with broad heads not target points - a broad head bolt would slice a 2" line right though a rabbit and then tear the fletching through the body. Assuming you were shooting downwards the broad head would then impact the ground. You would end up having to re-blade the broad head and re-fletch the bolt assuming you hadn't bent it. I simply can't see why anyone would use a crossbow to take a rabbit.
An airgun will do the job quite efficiently, far more safely and above all else, legally. Personally I would suggest a shotgun for vermin work and a rimfire rifle if its for eating.
On the subject of airguns, you are very limited to what you can hunt with them - small vermin prey only - hunting game birds etc. with an air rifle is just as illegal as it would be to hunt them with a bow
Red
hmm yeah i guess your right, im just skink and crossbows are way cheeper.
both my dad and grandad hunt phesents with shot guns and i do go time to time,
Also a pistol crossbow would of been a damn site easyer to take along on a camping trip than an air rifle but oh well time to save some cash i guess.
both my dad and grandad hunt phesents with shot guns and i do go time to time,
Also a pistol crossbow would of been a damn site easyer to take along on a camping trip than an air rifle but oh well time to save some cash i guess.
Pistol crossbows are a joke wozza - fun for the garden but nothing to hunt with.
You have a duty to your prey to be able to kill it cleanly and without suffering. If you don't have the right tools, training and experience, then you shouldn't even attempt the shot. If you cant hit a 2p piece 10 shots out of 10 at the intended range, and are using the right weapon, range and ammuntion type, and have a safe backstop, and are aiming in the right place for a clean kill, then there should be no question about risking the suffering of an animal.
Sorry to lecture but being skink (skint?) is no reason to risk cruelty. If hunting interests you, I would suggest the first thing to do is to join a hunter field target club - its a great way to learn to shoot safely, estimate ranges, learn trajectories and try out a variety of types of air rifle. When you have the shooting ability down pat, get an experienced hunter to teach you the field craft to get close to your prey (and it will be close with airgun hunting rabbits). That way you will learn all the right skills without risk. Hunting and eating what you hunt is a fine activity, but clearly the risks and hence investment of time, effort and money to minimise those risks is much higher than many other Bushcraft activites.
[boring old shooter mode off]
Red
You have a duty to your prey to be able to kill it cleanly and without suffering. If you don't have the right tools, training and experience, then you shouldn't even attempt the shot. If you cant hit a 2p piece 10 shots out of 10 at the intended range, and are using the right weapon, range and ammuntion type, and have a safe backstop, and are aiming in the right place for a clean kill, then there should be no question about risking the suffering of an animal.
Sorry to lecture but being skink (skint?) is no reason to risk cruelty. If hunting interests you, I would suggest the first thing to do is to join a hunter field target club - its a great way to learn to shoot safely, estimate ranges, learn trajectories and try out a variety of types of air rifle. When you have the shooting ability down pat, get an experienced hunter to teach you the field craft to get close to your prey (and it will be close with airgun hunting rabbits). That way you will learn all the right skills without risk. Hunting and eating what you hunt is a fine activity, but clearly the risks and hence investment of time, effort and money to minimise those risks is much higher than many other Bushcraft activites.
[boring old shooter mode off]
Red
no you were in no mean boring old shooter mode.
I have shot, killed and eat phesents with 12g, over and unders before so im no stranger to gun safety, and been beating many a time so again im no stragner to the dos and dont of being aroung guns.
dont get me wrong i had no intention of risking cruelty i didnt know that hunting with crossbow was illegal not to mention a joke as u said, and to tell you the truth i can see why now u mention it, im guessing it lack of power and accuracy.
im already pretty good at stalking animals just not to hunt, as i enjoy wildlife photography.
but basicly you suggest getting a good 12lb/ft air rifle and use that?
thanks james
I have shot, killed and eat phesents with 12g, over and unders before so im no stranger to gun safety, and been beating many a time so again im no stragner to the dos and dont of being aroung guns.
dont get me wrong i had no intention of risking cruelty i didnt know that hunting with crossbow was illegal not to mention a joke as u said, and to tell you the truth i can see why now u mention it, im guessing it lack of power and accuracy.
im already pretty good at stalking animals just not to hunt, as i enjoy wildlife photography.
but basicly you suggest getting a good 12lb/ft air rifle and use that?
thanks james
James,
Crossbows don't lack power - mine will send a 15" bolt through 1" thick oak - it draws 150lb compound (the archers here will get that - suffice it to say twice the draw weight of the most powerful hunting bow). The range is relatively short and the accuracy far less than a rifle or even an airgun except in really well trained hands - the trajectory is much more pronounced than that of a bullet or pellet. The power and shorter range combined make it unsuitable for the prey in question (plus it isn't a cheap E-bay job so would cost more than a reasonable spring powered air rifle).
If you already use shotguns, I'd say go for a shotgun. 12 bore (12 gauge is only used by our colonial brethren) is a capable gun for all small game and bird work - probably the most flexible hunting platform for the UK. We don't use shotgun on deer here, and I personally prefer a rifle for larger vermin (fox etc.) but for rabbit, hare, almost every bird type, 12 bore is fine. A reasonable entry shotgun need cost no more than an air rifle either.
Why not talk to your dad or grandad about it? If you ask him to supervise / teach / guide I bet he would be chuffed to bits. Ask for his advice and he might even help out with the cost. You could use your dads cabinet and he might even spring for a box of cartridges now and again - plus you could have a bit of father / son fun on the clay range.
Red
Crossbows don't lack power - mine will send a 15" bolt through 1" thick oak - it draws 150lb compound (the archers here will get that - suffice it to say twice the draw weight of the most powerful hunting bow). The range is relatively short and the accuracy far less than a rifle or even an airgun except in really well trained hands - the trajectory is much more pronounced than that of a bullet or pellet. The power and shorter range combined make it unsuitable for the prey in question (plus it isn't a cheap E-bay job so would cost more than a reasonable spring powered air rifle).
If you already use shotguns, I'd say go for a shotgun. 12 bore (12 gauge is only used by our colonial brethren
) is a capable gun for all small game and bird work - probably the most flexible hunting platform for the UK. We don't use shotgun on deer here, and I personally prefer a rifle for larger vermin (fox etc.) but for rabbit, hare, almost every bird type, 12 bore is fine. A reasonable entry shotgun need cost no more than an air rifle either.Why not talk to your dad or grandad about it? If you ask him to supervise / teach / guide I bet he would be chuffed to bits. Ask for his advice and he might even help out with the cost. You could use your dads cabinet and he might even spring for a box of cartridges now and again - plus you could have a bit of father / son fun on the clay range.
Red
But only if you are of a certain age and have the landowners permission. To do otherwise would be commiting "armed trespass". Not something I'd want on a criminal record.
ATB
Ogri the trog
well i dont realy need ot get a shotgun i can use my dads when ever i want,(pluse ide have to get my own licence) but if i was to get a gun i would get an air rifle as farmers and other land owners, at least around here would be far more willing to let a 21yr old on his land with an air rifle rather than a shot gun. shame i know, but true.
thanks for the help, james
shame i know, but true. thanks for the help, james
Rob
Need to contact Admin...
150lb - nice
I have a hunting compound from the states. You can wind it up to 90lb if you want to scare yourself. There is a serious amount of let off at full draw - so you can take as long as you like, rather than just get on with it instinctively. Over 300fps and your tradgectory is pretty flat up to about 50+ yards. Can't shoot bunnies with that.
I draw around 75lb on a very short, take down, flat bow. Lighter than compound hunting bows. Made for me so that it breaks down to about the same length as my arrows. Wouldn't want to hold that at full draw all day - and remembering that over a few seconds and you start to suffer from a temporary loss of draw weight - which will slowly recover, changing the characteristics of the bow for a while as it does. Can't shoot bunnies with that either.
For bunnies - get the air rifle out and make sure you practice.
James I may be speaking over dead ground as I haven't read all posts in the thread but no, you can not use a cross bow to hunt or kill anything in the UK, nor can you use a bow for that matter.
John
Err how about a big heavy stick and a fast pair of legs, is that illegal?
I saw a telly show a good few years back.
What happened at Agincourt.
They got this bloke in to fire off some shots.
He was a black smith and a medieval bowman nutter.
He fired a longbow with a 180lb draw.
He wasn't exactly a little man, as you can imagine!
Sent the arrows 200yds.
Penetrate steel at that range!
Incredible stuff!
JC.
I saw a telly show a good few years back.
What happened at Agincourt.
They got this bloke in to fire off some shots.
He was a black smith and a medieval bowman nutter.
He fired a longbow with a 180lb draw.
He wasn't exactly a little man, as you can imagine!
Sent the arrows 200yds.
Penetrate steel at that range!
Incredible stuff!
JC.
