Bow power question

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Alreetmiowdmuka

Full Member
Apr 24, 2013
1,106
13
Bolton
Alreet.
I've just been watching an old episode of bear grylls in which he tags along with a hunting party of Namibian fellas.what I noticed was the little bows these fellas use n how small n fragile looking they are. I'm definitely not an expert but did read up on bow making a while back n had a little crack at making my own.these modern composite bows all come in at 50/60lb draw weight cogs hanging of em left right n centre.these little bows kill enough food too feed their whole villages.so I suppose my question is all the power of a modern bow really necessary or is a case of a good tool in the right hands.


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Nov 29, 2004
7,808
23
Scotland
They use poison tipped arrows from a bettle grub,its covered in a Ray Mears prog.

As above.

I have one, no real range to speak off but the San can get quite close to the animal they are hunting. The tip pops off quite easily so that the poison can do its job. The mini broadheads on my arrows were made from fencing wire. :)
 
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Alreetmiowdmuka

Full Member
Apr 24, 2013
1,106
13
Bolton
As above.

I have one, no real range to speak off but the San can get quite close to the animal they are hunting. The tip pops off quite easily so that the poison can do its job. The mini broadheads on my arrows were made from fencing wire. :)

Got one! Cool.whats it made of.?does it pull too your full draw length?


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Nov 29, 2004
7,808
23
Scotland
"...Got one! Cool.whats it made of.?does it pull too your full draw length?.."

Wood, don't ask me what kind.

I picked it up in Namibia, there was a chap who collected crafts from the San and sold them to tourists, the cash was turned into food, blankets etc. for the San, that way the money didn't end up behind a bar which was not an uncommon problem.

Not even close to my full draw length, they are a small people, an adult man would have the same build as a thirteen/fourteen year old (ish) in the UK.

I tried to find a picture of my bow and quiver but couldn't, here is a still taken from a video where a San chap has just assembled an arrow for us. The point at which it seems a little fatter is a separate bit of wood that plugs into the shaft and the wood at the base of the arrow head, this is where the arrow seperates to ensure the poisoned head remains in the animal.

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(The broad head in this case was carved from wood).

The quiver is made from a cylinder of tree bark, not only does it hold the hunters arrows but also his bow drill, gluestick and various handy bits 'n' bobs. :)
 
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Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
71
60
Mid Wales UK
The draw weight of a bow is only part of an indicator as to how well it is likely to propel an arrow through the air, The "cast" or how fast the limbs return to the starting position is also a major factor - but just because a bow has a heavy draw-weight, does not necessarily mean it will have a fast cast.

Arrow weight is another, in traditional siege archery, big heavy arrows of nearly a yard in length, tipped with a steel bodkin point and necessitating 7 inch fletchings, would fly several hundred yards from a war bow and be capable of piecing a 4 inch thick oak door - but that's not what hunting is about - if you can creep stealthily to within a few yards of your prey, all you need is a small bow that can flick a poison tipped arrow close to its mark to make a kill.

I believe that to satisfy American laws for deer, a bow has to be a minimum of 40lbs draw!

ATB

Ogri the trog
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,666
McBride, BC
Some fluffy notes from the British Columbia Hunting Regulations:
Longbow/Recurve/Compound: Not less than 40lbs at full draw and a broadhead of no less than 22mm/ 7/8" wide. Hunt anything in the legal list from Black Bears to birds.
For Bison, the bow is 50lbs minimum, 7/8" broadhead minimum of 8.1g mass.
The crossbow regs are subdivided by game species and pull weights (150/120/100lbs).
 

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