# Home defense bow



## JeffShrugged (Dec 7, 2012)

Here in California compound bows are all we will have left to defend ourselves with sooner or later. The problems with a compound bow for home defense, as I can see it are 1) get your release, 2) nock an arrow, 3) try to move through your house and maintain clearance for your bow, 4) it will probably be dark, how are you going to see your target? 5) what if there is more than one intruder, 6) what if you miss? 

If a bow was all I had, I would use it. It would not be my first choice. I think I'd rather have a baseball bat.


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## ChuckA84 (Mar 19, 2012)

Stop going on the mindlessliberal.com forums...common sense doesn't exist there.


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## Staine (Jul 10, 2013)

If you absolutely had to have a 'twanger' for a self-defence weapon, a pistol crossbow would probably be your best bet (small, manoeuvrable, can be carried in battery) - in that dumb bizarro world scenario. Personally, I'd rather take my chances with a wooden baseball bat with a couple dozen field points or fixed blade broad-heads screwed into the whacky-end for a home-made Morning Star / Mace because that's a gift that can just keep on 'giving'.

Or... y'know... just buy a gun and don't be idiotic enough to leave it lying around, unsecured and loaded, next to a small child.


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## Chopayne (Mar 2, 2013)

JeffShrugged said:


> Here in California compound bows are all we will have left to defend ourselves with sooner or later. The problems with a compound bow for home defense, as I can see it are 1) get your release, 2) nock an arrow, 3) try to move through your house and maintain clearance for your bow, 4) it will probably be dark, how are you going to see your target? 5) what if there is more than one intruder, 6) what if you miss?
> 
> If a bow was all I had, I would use it. It would not be my first choice. I think I'd rather have a baseball bat.


Use a finger release, you should be close enough to tke the higher +/- degree of error. Being dark? If you cant see with a bow you cant see with your gun. Clearance is the only issue, missing, well what if you miss with a gun? Same deal.


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## JeffShrugged (Dec 7, 2012)

Chopayne said:


> ...Clearance is the only issue, missing, well what if you miss with a gun? Same deal.


Not exactly. If you miss with a gun, you pull the trigger again. If you miss with a bow, you pull another arrow out of the quiver, nock it, and reconnect your release to the D-loop, all while someone is coming at you, angrier now. Then you draw and aim, although at that point you probably don't need to aim because they are right on top of you. I guess the key is don't miss.


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## Staine (Jul 10, 2013)

Maybe a smallish recurve and the Kassai style?


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## Chopayne (Mar 2, 2013)

JeffShrugged said:


> Not exactly. If you miss with a gun, you pull the trigger again. If you miss with a bow, you pull another arrow out of the quiver, nock it, and reconnect your release to the D-loop, all while someone is coming at you, angrier now. Then you draw and aim, although at that point you probably don't need to aim because they are right on top of you. I guess the key is don't miss.


Ahh gotcha in that perspective, though I am still against using an actual release. I guess at that point just thwack them with your broadhead.


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## bucks/bulls (May 23, 2010)

Apparently none of you have ever tried to see your sight pins through a peep sight in the dark...not gonna happen...its a stupid idea no matter how you look at it..not to mention even if you do connect an arrow to an intruder,unlike a bullet they don't go down emediately so then you have an enraged intruder hopefully for your benefit that isn't armed headed your direction with the intent to harm..now try and nock an arrow,in the dark,stay calm,take aim thru a peep you can't see squat through and execute the shot all before the intruder has gotten to you....not gonna happen...ill keep my gun handy,thanks..atleast if I fire off a gun,the neighbors are awoke and hopefully intelligent enough to call 911,I have a tactical flashlight on my gun wich is activated by a pressure switch,so no fumbling around in the dark or confusions of where or what or who am I aiming at..and ofcourse the most important,if I miss in a split second I can fire off 11 more rounds of buckshot...its a no brainer really..

Sent from my LGL75C using Tapatalk 2


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## Doofy_13 (Jan 2, 2012)

Baseball bat, axe handle, machete, pry bar........ DOGS

I would never think about getting my bow.


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## catfishmafia76 (Aug 23, 2009)

Doofy_13 said:


> Baseball bat, axe handle, machete, pry bar........ DOGS
> 
> I would never think about getting my bow.


Nope, be better off using a mag light or heck even a brick than a compound bow. I'm sure her and all the folks agreeing with her have probably never shot a bow.


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## Chopayne (Mar 2, 2013)

Yea, id make a spear. Not a bow.


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## BeauBowhunter (Aug 27, 2007)

Just playing devil's advocate here for the sake of discussion, I think it's crazy to choose a bow over a firearm for personal defense (for what I see as obvious reasons). But if you are making a home defense bow would you really use a loop and release and peep? Why would you not use a kisser and no-glove string cushions. I got nothing for quick reloading of an arrow in the dark. Heck for all of that I'm sure there is a way to mount a stream light to the stabilizer for blinding illumination. That may increase your first shot accuracy. I can see it now, "New for 2014, the tactical home defense compound bow."

I still think firearm education is the most important part of this OP. I sell firearms at work and run across people everyday that are ignorant to how safe they can actually be. It's up to the operator to determine how safe a firearm is.


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## Challenger (Nov 4, 2007)

Post a link.


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## Chopayne (Mar 2, 2013)

bucks/bulls said:


> Apparently none of you have ever tried to see your sight pins through a peep sight in the dark...not gonna happen...its a stupid idea no matter how you look at it..not to mention even if you do connect an arrow to an intruder,unlike a bullet they don't go down emediately so then you have an enraged intruder hopefully for your benefit that isn't armed headed your direction with the intent to harm..now try and nock an arrow,in the dark,stay calm,take aim thru a peep you can't see squat through and execute the shot all before the intruder has gotten to you....not gonna happen...ill keep my gun handy,thanks..atleast if I fire off a gun,the neighbors are awoke and hopefully intelligent enough to call 911,I have a tactical flashlight on my gun wich is activated by a pressure switch,so no fumbling around in the dark or confusions of where or what or who am I aiming at..and ofcourse the most important,if I miss in a split second I can fire off 11 more rounds of buckshot...its a no brainer really..
> 
> Sent from my LGL75C using Tapatalk 2


This sight getting underlined is getting annoying. Im just trying to point out that for home defense, you probably can just eyeball where you're going to shoot if you do choose to use a bow. There shouldn't be a need to use a sight, especially since its most likely read up shoot. Its close range. Nonethless I would never use a bow for home defense unless it was a last choice for some of the reasons you mentioned.


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## MAC 11700 (Feb 22, 2011)

1...move to a state where you can use and legally own a gun to protect your family in your own home. 

2..buy a pump action shot gun with a short bird hunting barrel, ,like a turkey gun..

3..Buy some good large shot turkey loads and practice with them. 

End of problems. .Racking a 870 in the dark will cause some of the most hardened criminals to turn tail and run. Those that don't. ..usually don't get to tell about it. 

Mac


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## zmanastronomy (Jan 29, 2013)

I'm amazed at how many here are trying to justify the use of a bow.
Go get your parents so they can respond to the post.


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## blueahlijr (May 10, 2010)

Ok, I'd never you a bow for home defense and find it a stupid idea, but when I read the topic the first thing that come to mind that I was actually expecting was a, small youth size compound with a crazy tactical design with laser sight/flashlight combo. I may have to just make one of theis and just sell them o all theis people


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## Aggie34 (May 25, 2013)

I've been trying to tell my brother that a crossbow is a poor home defense choice (he owns handguns to boot), let alone a compound bow. A handgun is never far from me when I'm home.


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## jack70707 (Feb 27, 2009)

Ask a thief to dryfire your bow , or wrap it around his head .... The only ways to defend yourself with a bow in close quarters.


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## cavscout1982 (May 22, 2013)

Seen it on the Dukes of Hazzard. Should work fine. Haha kidding, that's stupid. Ever stare down another man with a gun? Plans A-L go out the window pretty fast. I know everyone is a "stone cold killer" but reality is it doesn't always go that way. Ever seen where that cop and the perp empty their pistols at each other an both miss every shot? And they were on an 8 foot balcony! Haha Besides arrows kill with hemaroging (spelling), waiting on a deer to bleed out isn't like waiting on a crack head to. Educate your kids. My boys would never touch our pistols or shotgun I keep for defense. Just like they wouldn't snag the car keys and go play with the car. I find removing the mystique from guns goes a long way in understanding their dangers as well. Plus none of my guns are red, you have to chamber a round to fire and racking a slide on a glock isn't something that happens on accident. Even on patrol I never carried red. I practiced it thousands of times. That way if my hands aren't the first on the gun it buys me a little time yet takes me a fraction of a second to do.


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## tradarcher816 (Jan 5, 2013)

Primary... Firearm 
Secondary... Tomahawk 
:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## MGF (Oct 27, 2012)

Chopayne said:


> This sight getting underlined is getting annoying. Im just trying to point out that for home defense, you probably can just eyeball where you're going to shoot if you do choose to use a bow. There shouldn't be a need to use a sight, especially since its most likely read up shoot. Its close range. Nonethless I would never use a bow for home defense unless it was a last choice for some of the reasons you mentioned.


A gun would be better but it would be unwise to come into the dark after me and my stick bow.

Short story...more camp defense than home defense...

My wife and I were camping in the national forest. Some crazy people set up camp across the road. That's really the only way I can describe them. When the sun would get low in the sky they'd start howling and yelling (nothing I could really understand) and the would keep going all night. About midnight of their second night I made the mistake of asking them to quiet down a little. Then they started yelling threats.

I didn't want to try to pack in the dark and I didn't want to abandon my gear so I dialed 911. My phone doesn't always work down there but we were up on a ridge and it actually worked. The 911 operator transferred me to the DNR who said they didn't have anybody and hung up. I called 911 a couple more times but nobody came. Now we weren't way out in the wilderness. We were a half hour from a fairly large college town.

In the mean time, the crazy people were still yelling threats and one or more of them was banging around the woods outside our camp. I stationed my wife and myself away from the tent so it wouldn't be so easy to guess our exact location and I spent the rest of the night sitting silently with an arrow nocked on my bow. Nobody actually entered my camp and that was very wise of them.

When it got light we packed up and I had my wife drive out while I covered the road to make certain she wasn't followed. Once she was safely gone, I hiked into the woods to pack out my tree stand. Once I got back to the road and on high enough ground that my phone worked, I called her to come and pick me up. So I didn't actually use the bow for defense but that was my plan and, for a while, I thought I was going to have to. I could have made it work.


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## Archer Addict (Jul 14, 2013)

Here's a link to it of anybody wants to take a look. I'm Gerald

http://m.topix.com/forum/city/stuart-fl/TBJLNLPE5SLEMST10


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## Stubby'smom (Mar 20, 2010)

Well, If I were going to buy a weapon specifically for home defense no I would not have a bow as my first choice. We do have many guns in the house but we also have 4 kids. Now, my 2 oldest have their own shotguns as do I but everything is locked up. The guns and ammo are in different safes and the keys for those safes are in yet another safe. We have an array of shotguns, rifles, pistols and I've shot most of them once or twice but really am only half way comfortable with my own gun. Now, with all those safes and different kinds of ammo to sift through plus making sure I have the right gun (my hubby has one that looks a lot like mine) it's going to take some time to get out the gun, load it and be ready to fire. Once ready, yes that would be the weapon of choice. I think just the cocking sound may scare most intruders away. I mean who isn't familiar with the sound of a pump shotgun chambering a round? 

All that said, I wouldn't rule out me with a bow. My bows are put away but not locked up, they are not in the same area as the guns, I am WAY more comfortable with my bow. Using my bow I wouldn't take the time to aim and settle or use a release. A human chest (or any part) is a big target. I'd just eyeball the arrow like instinctive shooting. 

I don't know if any of you know this or not but Chris Berry is a detective for his real job and he made an arrest using his bow.


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## 13bonatter69 (Dec 23, 2007)

wow


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## bearkiller1 (Jan 31, 2009)

Seem like a recurve would work better. No release or sights. I wonder what a guilitine or bullgead broadhead would do at ten feet. One heck of a blood trail.


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## Finq (Jul 12, 2009)

A bow has almost no stopping power. Even a 3" cut through the heart would probably not have a guy drop dead and you're not going to make that shot more than 1/100 times in that situation. 
Your odds would be better with a baseball bat imo.


> I mean who isn't familiar with the sound of a pump shotgun chambering a round?


People from West Europe that don't shoot at clay disks. :-D


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## ATLurker (Jan 2, 2011)

Don't know it to be true but I have heard most burglars will run at the unmistakable sound of a pump shotgun being pumped. No shots need fired in most cases if true.


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## Mestang99 (Jan 10, 2013)

I would ditch the bow and stab the crap out of them with the arrow... A better weapon would be a short sword or big knife.


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## Joshua M. Smith (Dec 28, 2012)

Hello,

I'm considered by some (not myself, but some) to be an authority on a certain type of C&R bolt-action rifle. I've also done quite a bit of bullet testing, though that ran out around the time a good internet friend of mine died. He and I would compare notes as our methods were similar, and we could correlate each others' findings. As well, bullet technology seems to have peaked for mechanical methods of expansion and incapacitation. The future lay in "smart matrix" sintered metals and in electronics, I think. 

Anyway... to the bow. We must look to history for the bow.

When the bow was a weapon of war and the primary weapon of hunting, what did folks use to defend their homes?

Castles had cannon and archers. It would seem that history dictates that archers need fortified positions from which to loose their arrows.

No, before the flintlock, the choice of the common man was the sword, club, or knife. Some gentry had wheel locks, but they were priced far above what the average person might afford. Even when the flintlock was introduced, the common man might have only a fowling piece and a single charge.

The bow was made relatively easily, and would likely be used to keep wolves off sheep as it could be possessed more cheaply and arrows loosed faster than most early firearms might be fired. 

The bow needed room to be maneuvered, as did the fowling piece, sling, and whatever else may be used.

If the bow were a good thing for home defense, then we'd have a history of it being used such. The history we have is of swords and daggers and clubs. This is what was used for home defense, for close battle.

Regards,

Josh


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## norsemen (Feb 22, 2011)

So, she thinks that a shotgun is a horrible idea for home defense, and a compound bow is a great Idea? Unbelieveable


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## bioburner (Jul 9, 2013)

Three dogs, 120lbs, 100lbs, 55 lbs. If your dumb enough to enter with them sounding an alarm your going to be dog chow. Can of wasp and hornet killer will pretty much put a hurt on most people. Colt will stop the rest. And yes I have drawn it on an intruder. Before I had the dogs, otherwise he would not have gotten that close.( I moved, escalation of crack in county) My occupation requires weapons and TRAINING. The key to most defense is being aware and ability to get to a defendable area. IMO


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## Bourbon Boy (Mar 18, 2013)

You can buy a cheap handgun, new or even used, and be a lot better equipped for protection for about the price of a dozen (mid range) arrows. Cheers--BB


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## ajoh (Jun 26, 2013)

there should be an award for "stupid ideas of the year" a bow for home defense ? congratulations your an idiot


a club, a pissed off dog/s of as said shot gun an/or hand gun would be a better idea


or if you are in my country "australia" cry an hide under the sink (as the governement expects you to do) 
because if you "defend" yourself or kill the intruder you'll most likely be charged an getting a gun "legally" is 
harder than going to the moon.....

pathetic YES!! i hate my country an gov


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## KMBH (Aug 6, 2012)

JeffShrugged said:


> Here in California compound bows are all we will have left to defend ourselves with sooner or later. The problems with a compound bow for home defense, as I can see it are 1) get your release, 2) nock an arrow, 3) try to move through your house and maintain clearance for your bow, 4) it will probably be dark, how are you going to see your target? 5) what if there is more than one intruder, 6) what if you miss?
> 
> If a bow was all I had, I would use it. It would not be my first choice. I think I'd rather have a baseball bat.


I am laughing out loud thinking about you weaving through your house with a 33" B-stinger on your bow.


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## boutarchery (Mar 19, 2013)

Yes I did but I would not recommend arresting someone with a bow ,,,,I was just coming off some speed shooting stuff practice and I bet I could have turned him in to a very upset porcupine ...lol


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## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

How long can you hold full draw with adrenaline pumping through your system without shaking like a dog passing peach pits.......supposing that a drawn bow would put the intruder at bay??? As soon as you let down, your hand is played unless you plan on shooting them regardless of the immediate circumstance. A friend in law enforcement talks of the rules of 3, where most encounters occur at 3 feet or less and 3 shots or less are fired. If I was within 3' of you with a drawn bow, a quick pivot would likely make you flinch and there is very little likelihood of a "double tap". So then it is up to your hand-to-hand skills........:mg: I happen to have martial arts training, but most do not and I still rely on my CCW permit to keep a loaded handgun in the bedroom.


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## AdvanTimberLou (Aug 8, 2005)

9.99999 times out of 10 if that intruder has a weapon and its not going to be a bow! Its either going to be a gun or a knife. 

Don't take a bow to a gun or knife fight.


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## copterdoc (Oct 9, 2005)

Bowtech will be unveiling one at the next ATA expo.

It comes standard with a high capacity quiver, flash suppressor, tritium night sights, Trijicon ACOG and bayonet lug. And of course, it has Picatinny rails all over the place.

It's guaranteed to give Dianne​ Feinstein a stroke.


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## CaArcher (Jul 7, 2011)

I have a long hallway, I could put a slick trick through a robber... 

Or just use my shotgun next to the bed.


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## ghostgoblin22 (May 3, 2013)

bow might work for the zombie apocalypse if your on high ground and just sniping them from a safe distance, but when it comes to home defense id rather use a iron before I use a bow


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## Swamp Poodle (Aug 3, 2010)

In this order

12 ga Remington 870
.45 P220
Bowie knife


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## Smoknnca (Sep 13, 2011)

Chopayne said:


> Use a finger release, you should be close enough to tke the higher +/- degree of error. Being dark? If you cant see with a bow you cant see with your gun. Clearance is the only issue, missing, well what if you miss with a gun? Same deal.


Wrong on so many levels. Compound bow is much harder to fire accurately when pumped up with adrenaline whereas a pistol is much easier because:
1 faster shot to shot time
2 instinctive pistol shooting works
3 a flashlight can be held in one hand and a pistol in the other , try that with a compound
4 I have night sights on 2 pistols, have yet to see those on a compound
5 hydrostatic shock will stop an attack faster than a broadhead bleed out.
This lady would be better equipped to hold 6 arrows with bh attached and start swinging away!


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## Swampdonky (Jul 14, 2012)

If you are gonna try it, please don't attempt a head on shot. Be ethical and wait for a broadside or slightly quartering away shot. The last thing you want is to have to post on AT about how you shot and couldn't recover your burglar


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## MOGC (May 17, 2013)

History reveals it to be a loosing proposition. Ask the American Indians.... :mg:


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## ttate (Jan 31, 2011)

Swampdonky said:


> If you are gonna try it, please don't attempt a head on shot. Be ethical and wait for a broadside or slightly quartering away shot. The last thing you want is to have to post on AT about how you shot and couldn't recover your burglar



This by far is my favorite post in response to this thread..


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## BearNDown (Apr 11, 2011)

Shotty for home defense with hornaday home defense shells. Buckshot followed by a one once slug all in one shell. Survive that intruder 😎


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## MrSchaefMan (Jun 24, 2013)

Winchester with the plug pulled and 7 rounds of buck shot. Someone breaks in my home I'll blow em away through the wall. Can't say I could do that with a bow. Probably better off unarmed honestly. A little sneaky sneaky follow by a good choking would be more viable than my bow. IMO I go for the shotty, if for some reason that's not an option, blunt object all the way. (Unloaded shotty would work well here too) haha


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## MrSchaefMan (Jun 24, 2013)

Swampdonky said:


> If you are gonna try it, please don't attempt a head on shot. Be ethical and wait for a broadside or slightly quartering away shot. The last thing you want is to have to post on AT about how you shot and couldn't recover your burglar


HA! Hilarious.


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## iscariot (Jun 4, 2013)

JeffShrugged said:


> If a bow was all I had, I would use it. It would not be my first choice. I think I'd rather have a SWEET ASS KATANA SWORD.


FIFY...:shade:


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

like bringing pepper spray to a gun fight !


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## catfishmafia76 (Aug 23, 2009)

Swampdonky said:


> If you are gonna try it, please don't attempt a head on shot. Be ethical and wait for a broadside or slightly quartering away shot. The last thing you want is to have to post on AT about how you shot and couldn't recover your burglar


And please wait untill after you recover your burgler/home invader. Avoid the dreaded AT curse of bragging that you killed a P&Y scumbag then have to come back on here and admit that you couldn't find them!


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

If you think taking a knife to a gun fight is a good idea, then a bow for home defense is a great idea! 

Actually it's a great idea for getting yourself killed. 

Use the proper tool for the job & a bow isn't even close to being the proper tool for this.

Maybe the idiot has been watching the TV show Arrow and actually believing it. :loco:

JMHO,
Allen


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## 2wetdogs (Apr 15, 2013)

Shoot MGF and must been camping with the same cannibals, middle of nowhere jeep camping with gf and dog about 11 30 I hear a big truck stomping around in the woods. Scared them 
Into the campsite the truck rolls in with 3 rough looking hombres,I come out of tent and these guys just want to hang around finally I tell them we are out for the night, they get hurt feelings and proceed to tear up the forest near us for two hrs.
OK the point is I think the dog was the best deterent here,I had a ar7 survival rifle in the tent ,I had a big steel hi lifjack handle but it was the snarling dog that scared them.
Side note gf couldn't handle the stress so in the middle of the night we packed it up drove out the trail in the dark and checked into a motel ....where an infamous serial killer was the maintenance guy I think a year later they caught him he had 7 kills true story.


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## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

The problems i see is that out west our shots are always longer than midwest shots and our criminals dont pattern as well as midwest perps. We are always getting criticized for these shots and i am sure ATers will say my hallway shot was unethical and my message box will fill with hatefull messages. I will stick with one of the many pistols that are always nearby and ready to protect my investments.


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## mskelton (Apr 12, 2013)

Best tool for home defense?... Sturdy windows and doors with hefty locks. 

9/10 Burglars just walk away if it is going to be too much trouble to even get in the house. 

2nd best tool is an intimidating dog. I can not believe how many people are deathly afraid of a dog they don't know. (Also a great way to keep those pesky Jehovah's Witnesses and solicitors away)


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## JeffShrugged (Dec 7, 2012)

2wetdogs said:


> ...Side note gf couldn't handle the stress so in the middle of the night we packed it up drove out the trail in the dark and checked into a motel ....where an infamous serial killer was the maintenance guy I think a year later they caught him he had 7 kills true story...


Just curious, was it in Yosemite? Cary Stayner was a serial killer who was a handyman at the Cedar Lodge motel. 

Back to the topic, as I said earlier, I would use my bow if it was all I had, but my first line of defense is a comprehensive alarm system complete with window and door sensors, glass break sensors, and interior motion detectors. At night it is set with no delay, goes off instantly. Second line of defense is a 12 gauge shotgun. I have dogs, but I'll be protecting them, not the other way around.


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## tialloydragon (Mar 14, 2013)

If I can't access my firearms, I always keep mace by the bed.


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## 2wetdogs (Apr 15, 2013)

Pretty good dective work jeff those were tense times,out of the fry pan into worse.


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## Roc (Jun 29, 2003)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o9RGnujlkI


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## jack70707 (Feb 27, 2009)

I would love to see this girl do her magic , woken up to the sound of shattered glass at 3AM , facing a 6' dude with a ski mask on ..lol

Gotta admit ,though .... She's very talented !


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## Joshua M. Smith (Dec 28, 2012)

I seem to remember some rather special arrowheads on Dukes of Hazzard.

Josh


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## MathewsHunter<} (Nov 17, 2013)

Old post, I know, but I was bored. Anyways, yeah, a bow as a home defense weapon is a really bad idea. On the bright side, if you have white carpet, the blood trail should be easy to follow. haha. Just about anything would be more useful. Heck, I have a friend's uncle made a mess of some crackhead that broke into his house toting a bat. The weapon of choice used by the uncle? A box-cutter type utility knife. Yeah...a little psychotic? Maybe, but I would probably do worse things to stop someone from doing damage to my loved ones. Property stolen? I don't keep anything of too much value in my house in places that you wouldn't have to wake me up whilst getting to them, so I would probably send the thief a rude letter saying offensive things about all of his female family members. Property you can replace. Human life, not so much.


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## catfishmafia76 (Aug 23, 2009)

I think I'll stick with the 500 mossberg and a load of turkey shot.


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## KimberTac1911 (Feb 27, 2012)

Would with no doubt grab my guns in a scenario. But to make talk I would you use short ata with thumb release clipped on string. Do the conversion to put a red dot for scope. Stab would be the one with rail with surefire mounted. Light pressure pad on back of riser. It would active light when drawing. No peep and some really big broadheads. I mean like 6-7 inches. If you are shooting 20 feet tops how cares about speed. You really can't give criminal 45 mins to bed down after shot.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

a "home defense bow?".......come on......that'll really fill the air with lead. if someone is breaking into my house, I want a wall of stopping power between me and him. 
some idiot saw too many "episodes of the walking dead". 

like said earlier,..... "bring a knife to a gun fight".....


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## TheTracker (Sep 11, 2009)

JeffShrugged said:


> Here in California compound bows are all we will have left to defend ourselves with sooner or later. The problems with a compound bow for home defense, as I can see it are 1) get your release, 2) nock an arrow, 3) try to move through your house and maintain clearance for your bow, 4) it will probably be dark, how are you going to see your target? 5) what if there is more than one intruder, 6) what if you miss?
> 
> If a bow was all I had, I would use it. It would not be my first choice. I think I'd rather have a baseball bat.


I'd rather use a sword over a bow.


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## Stevie777 (May 2, 2013)

All you'll ever need... :wink:







And


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

For a bow to be a home defense weapon it should be completely disassembled.............. Use the riser to beat any unwanted individual about the head and shoulders. Use the string to strangle the bad guy........


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## ghostgoblin22 (May 3, 2013)

bow is ******ed for home defense, it amazes me how stupid people can be, if it was the zombie apocalypse a bow would be ok from a distance but home defense??? lol, i have a 3 foot machete under my bed just as sharp as my muzzy 4 blade...and a Beretta shotty too hotty


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## onebigdude (Dec 13, 2012)

I like how that lady thinks. What about an arrow tipped with one of those Rac-Em-Bac bow mags thats has the .357 in the tip? Maybe I'll retire the bedside G19 with the 30 rd mag. Nah, I'll stick with my guns. ALL of them. I was joking about the bow mag by the way. A bow has to be the dumbest first line of defense ever suggested.


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## lost american (Nov 21, 2002)

i prefere claymores.


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## Whaack (Apr 2, 2006)

A bow would literally be the VERY last item I would grab for home defense. Too cumbersome and difficult to shoot in a high stress, dark, close combat area.


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## eclark53520 (Sep 11, 2012)

Couple things...

1. Anyone that is going to defend their home by 'racking a shotgun' needs to take some classes. Yeah...lets let the intruder know your general area and that you're armed(sounds good in theory)...that way they can start shooting through walls or sit and wait for you to move towards them. You shift all the tactical advantage over from yourself and onto the intruder. Absolutely the last thing you want to do in this situation.

2. A bow for self defense? Surely you jest. I'm not even going to bother explaining why this is basically bending over and taking it.

3. Don't use bird shot, or turkey loads for self defense unless you plan on being attacked by birds or turkeys. Use buckshot. Do some research.

4. An unloaded or locked up gun is worthless in a home defense scenario. It needs to be locked, cocked, ready to rock, and within feet of you. Preferably on your person. Having it on you at all times also negates the 'omg my kid might get it' (poor) argument.+

There's so much  in this thread it hurts.


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## jimb (Feb 17, 2003)

no noise with the bow, then you get your shovel and bag of lime in the garage and go plant them in the back yard


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## eclark53520 (Sep 11, 2012)

jimb said:


> no noise with the bow, then you get your shovel and bag of lime in the garage and go plant them in the back yard


Yeah, better to get felony for hiding a corpse than call the police after defending your home.


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## Joe2698 (Jun 8, 2013)

JeffShrugged said:


> Here in California compound bows are all we will have left to defend ourselves with sooner or later. The problems with a compound bow for home defense, as I can see it are 1) get your release, 2) nock an arrow, 3) try to move through your house and maintain clearance for your bow, 4) it will probably be dark, how are you going to see your target? 5) what if there is more than one intruder, 6) what if you miss?
> 
> If a bow was all I had, I would use it. It would not be my first choice. I think I'd rather have a baseball bat.


i would rather have hairspray & a lighter over a bow !! A mossberg mill spec 590a shotgun works for me , 9 in the tube + 1 = pump & watch them run !!


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## DR7 (Jul 11, 2014)

It's a reality for some of us. 

I have an old non-violent Felony charge (regulatory, non drug or pervert) from Federal court so it can't ever be sealed or expunged. Since I'm a law abiding man, I follow the stupid rule and do not own firearms. Didn't do a second in jail but my gun rights are gone forever. I live on 20+ acres and my bow is my only option since I have livestock to tend to and have to deal with predators. 

I've been looking into the higher power pellet rifles but am just familiar enough with my old compound bow at this point that its what I use. The property is large enough that I'm well aware of any 'visitors' well before they get to the house but you bet, if it came down to it, if people tresspassed with ill intentions, I'm sticking them deep with broadheads. 

Truth of the matter is, it's an awfully rare occasion when you run into a homicidal home invader hell-bent on facing down a home owner. Most are just turds who want to steal stuff and get away unseen. Gunfights can happen, I'd sure hate to have a bow in the middle of one but I've seen how poorly a typical ****head shoots a firearm. A bow may not be the best choice but if its all you have and they're not good with a firearm, it could make the difference. 

I do deeply regret the permanent loss of my gun rights but its a reality and for me, so is using a bow for self defense.


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## cab207 (Oct 29, 2013)

i think a bow would be fantastic as a home defense weapon.......if you were to use it as a bat maybe.


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## Chopayne (Mar 2, 2013)

Wow reviving an old thread. Compound bow would be Terrible for indoor, just make a spear or mace gun or stun gun.


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## jewalker7842 (Aug 15, 2011)

Let it die....


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

How to use a bow as a home defense weapon..................

- Disassemble the bow.
- Grind the limbs to a sharp point to use as daggers.
- Use the riser as a club


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## TM2/SSMike (Mar 20, 2014)

Best weapons for home defense, a pump shotgun and a Louisville Slugger.


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## Corinth Hunter (May 6, 2009)

i keep an arrow knocked and sleep with my release strapped to my wrist. I also have a camo ground blind setup in the bedroom so the burglar can't see me. If I miss due to darkness or get burglar fever (kinda like buck fever)I will spray him in the eyes with buck lure and hit him over the head with my Trophy Rock!


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## TheTracker (Sep 11, 2009)

Id rather have a samurai sword then a bow.


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## [email protected] (Feb 17, 2013)

Try a Spot On laser broad head. Just like a touch screen phone, just point and click. Those lasers are a hazard for intruders. Forget the peep, its point blank range. I can hit a soda can at 10 yards most of the time without sights. I don't think I would miss


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## [email protected] (Feb 17, 2013)

TM2/SSMike said:


> Best weapons for home defense, a pump shotgun and a Louisville Slugger.


Para Nada senior. The slug could go through him and into a neighbors house. Bird shot at point blank range from a 12 pumper is devastating. A friend of mine invented what I call a bunny flop. One guy shot a rabbit with a 22 and the rabbit laid over and was basically running in circles on the ground. Another guy with a 12 ran up and unloaded on the rabbit elmer fudd style from less than four feet. Bunny flopped shoulder high.


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## RobinHoodx2 (Nov 30, 2013)

that's just dumb.


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## TM2/SSMike (Mar 20, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> Para Nada senior. The slug could go through him and into a neighbors house. Bird shot at point blank range from a 12 pumper is devastating. A friend of mine invented what I call a bunny flop. One guy shot a rabbit with a 22 and the rabbit laid over and was basically running in circles on the ground. Another guy with a 12 ran up and unloaded on the rabbit elmer fudd style from less than four feet. Bunny flopped shoulder high.


This is what a cop friend told me, usually the racking of the slide is enough. Besides my walls are block and neighbors far enough away to be out of range.


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## bscott29 (May 3, 2008)

Say it with me. This is my Glock, there are many like it but this one is mine.


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## TM2/SSMike (Mar 20, 2014)

This is my rifle, this is my gun, this one's for shooting, this one's for fun.


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## Ptoid (Mar 8, 2014)

1. Shotgun with incendiary round/ flame thrower
2. Samurai sword ( egads, what a close quarters weapon)
3. Hatchet/machete/ bat
4. My 30 lb recurve

#1 and 4 would demoralize any intruder. Flames and or an arrow through the leg would not only deter, but shatter the psyche. You need to send a message. No compound for this work. No release, just fingers and instinct.


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## Ptoid (Mar 8, 2014)

TM2/SSMike said:


> Best weapons for home defense, a pump shotgun and a Louisville Slugger.


The double is even better. No jamming.


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## browningBAMA (Nov 10, 2004)

IIIIFFFFFFF i were forced to use a bow as a self defense. I would probably be shooting a 1,000 grain shaft with a sharpened pizza cutter mounted on the business end.


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## wpod (Mar 30, 2013)

Instinctive "center mass" shot at 20 feet. Quiet, no neighbors calling police. Just dispose of the garbage. Great for a 'Mexican standoff' "Shoot me and this arrow slices all the way through your chest. And I can't hold it forever".
Prefer shotgun but bow has its positives.


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## BluMeanie (May 5, 2014)

Easy. Just keep one of these under your pillow - Burglar problem "solved"











Even if you miss (more likely than not!), the intruder will merely stand stupidly slackjawed staring at the pistol long-enough to "pincushion" him with one or several arrows from the bow....


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

how good are you at loading and drawing your bow under the pain and trauma of being shot several times while you're doing it ?. is that something you can train for ?.


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## bigbuckdown153 (Jul 13, 2014)

Mossburg 535, $300 bucks at Walmart would be a good solution. Tin my mind to even consider a home defense bow it would have to load arrows for you.... What if???? :mg: haha


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## beachz (May 28, 2014)

Here is my home defense bow.... I think the string needs a couple more twists.


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## bscott29 (May 3, 2008)

My home defense bow paper tunes very easy. Bullet holes every time.


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## RobG (Jan 20, 2014)

With no other choice I would use a bow. Like a club


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