nasty neighbour with a crossbow!

[jeff0100]

Why don't you invite him round to have a few shots with you ? He might end up as your shooting buddy.

[deandaystate]

Simple, he's a nob

[Heisenberg]

"Not a crossbow, a proper bow"....good old bow snobbery in full effect as usual.....

Crossbows are still used by many armies across the world for various reasons, I don't get why archers are so down on them. I've got an Armex Titan(200lb draw, claimed 380fps) and use it safely in my garden using a Third Hand Rag Bag as a target. I'd argue crossbows are more safe than the average PROPER bow....my neighbour has a recurve bow and has done archery for years, he can't hit 2" groupings at 40yards. I can....
(Ah, that's why archers are probably down on them...I can consistently achieve the same results with a £245 kit that an archer would need to spend a grand on, like a Hoyt?)

Anyway, I digress....As long as you both have effective and sensible backstops and don't go out firing/shooting when under the influence of anything then you should both be ok?

If he has a high powered crossbow, look at what he's aiming at and it it isn't capable of stopping the arrows(they're not technically bolts unless they have no fletchings/vanes), point it out to him and if he gets his back up and won't see sense then maybe give the plod a phone.....they may be able to "advise" what he needs...

Regardless of our choice(s) of bow/rifle, responsible usage is the most important thing....

[blooregard]

"Not a crossbow, a proper bow"....good old bow snobbery in full effect as usual.....

Crossbows are still used by many armies across the world for various reasons, I don't get why archers are so down on them. I've got an Armex Titan(200lb draw, claimed 380fps) and use it safely in my garden using a Third Hand Rag Bag as a target. I'd argue crossbows are more safe than the average PROPER bow....my neighbour has a recurve bow and has done archery for years, he can't hit 2" groupings at 40yards. I can....
(Ah, that's why archers are probably down on them...I can consistently achieve the same results with a £245 kit that an archer would need to spend a grand on, like a Hoyt?)

Not snobbery dude, sorry if it came across that way.

Using a bow properly takes skill, strength, patience and practice, using a crossbow properly can be picked up in no time. When it comes to safety, a proper bow cannot be discharged negligently and you cannot walk around with it at full draw.
As for accuracy, most accomplished archers I know can put in a sub 2" group in at 40 yards with no trouble with a recurve or compound, to be fair 40 yards is very close for most archers, I would be using 3 spot targets at anything less to avoid damaging my arrows.

I own a couple of Hoyts (Rampage XT and an Eclipse), however I also shoot a Samick SHB and a Bear Charge, both come in at under £245. I'm certainy not a snob with my archery kit, a crossbow however is a far inferior machine, finite accuracy, never as powerful or as efficient and far less skill required.

EDIT : Good call on the Bolts, most people still call them this but Bolts and Quarrels are almost unobtainable nowadays, I have certainly only ever seen short arrows sold as "bolts".

[shepp1]

"Not a crossbow, a proper bow"....good old bow snobbery in full effect as usual.....

Crossbows are still used by many armies across the world for various reasons, I don't get why archers are so down on them. I've got an Armex Titan(200lb draw, claimed 380fps) and use it safely in my garden using a Third Hand Rag Bag as a target. I'd argue crossbows are more safe than the average PROPER bow.my neighbour has a recurve bow and has done archery for years, he can't hit 2" groupings at 40yards. I can.......
(Ah, that's why archers are probably down on them...I can consistently achieve the same results with a £245 kit that an archer would need to spend a grand on, like a Hoyt?)

Anyway, I digress....As long as you both have effective and sensible backstops and don't go out firing/shooting when under the influence of anything then you should both be ok?

If he has a high powered crossbow, look at what he's aiming at and it it isn't capable of stopping the arrows(they're not technically bolts unless they have no fletchings/vanes), point it out to him and if he gets his back up and won't see sense then maybe give the plod a phone.....they may be able to "advise" what he needs...

Regardless of our choice(s) of bow/rifle, responsible usage is the most important thing....

I can imagine it's like comparing a springer to a pcp.

[Barryg]

I can imagine it's like comparing a springer to a pcp.

Nope PCP and springers are firearms, bows ain't

Anyway bows vs crossbows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagCuGXJgUs

[Mattatack]

Nope PCP and springers are firearms, bows ain't

Anyway bows vs crossbows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagCuGXJgUs

hi springers or pcp at sub12ftlb are not firearms,only if they are on section1 then considered a firearm.

[stillair1]

hi springers or pcp at sub12ftlb are not firearms,only if they are on section1 then considered a firearm.

I think you'll find they are firearms that do not require a licence.

[angrybear]

hi springers or pcp at sub12ftlb are not firearms,only if they are on section1 then considered a firearm.

Sorry Wrong,
In the eyes of the law any & every airgun, bb gun & blank fireing replica is a firearm and firearm law governs their use.

I do wonder why the OP calls him a "nasty" neighbour he may be a prat but why nasty?

[Shooter560]

What sort of crossbow?? If it's one of the little 80lb recurve pistol bows then its probably quite safe, despite what many will say they only put out about 4-6 FPE. If it's something bigger shooting a heavier arrow with a compound prod then neither the dartboard, shed, or fence may provide an adequate backstop.

I've shot an arrow clean through 4mm thick steel plate at 120 yards from my 59lb target compound bow (Not a crossbow, a proper bow). Quite impressive but it wrecked a £20 arrow from a matched dozen.

I don't reckon your in the wrong at all as long as you are shooting safely, certainly the crossbow has a worse image than an airgun in the eyes of populace and there is very little reason to own one. Certainly shooting one in the garden gives you little to complain about if your neighbour is shooting airguns.

"Not a crossbow, a proper bow"....good old bow snobbery in full effect as usual.....

Crossbows are still used by many armies across the world for various reasons, I don't get why archers are so down on them. I've got an Armex Titan(200lb draw, claimed 380fps) and use it safely in my garden using a Third Hand Rag Bag as a target. I'd argue crossbows are more safe than the average PROPER bow....my neighbour has a recurve bow and has done archery for years, he can't hit 2" groupings at 40yards. I can....
(Ah, that's why archers are probably down on them...I can consistently achieve the same results with a £245 kit that an archer would need to spend a grand on, like a Hoyt?)

Anyway, I digress....As long as you both have effective and sensible backstops and don't go out firing/shooting when under the influence of anything then you should both be ok?

If he has a high powered crossbow, look at what he's aiming at and it it isn't capable of stopping the arrows(they're not technically bolts unless they have no fletchings/vanes), point it out to him and if he gets his back up and won't see sense then maybe give the plod a phone.....they may be able to "advise" what he needs...

Regardless of our choice(s) of bow/rifle, responsible usage is the most important thing....

Firstly yes a Crossbow is a bow, just of a different form, I'd suggest a crossbow is best compared to a rifle whereas a bow that requires lifting, drawing and holding is akin to a pistol. Both very good in their own terms and both very capable of killing in the wrong or right hands. Unfortunately though anyone who can hold and pull a trigger can hit most things with a crossbow, hence young ignorant scrots use them to shot cats etc

On grouping, I'd also say a 2" group at 40yds is what a beginner should aim to do, on national squad we used to have to shoot 3 shots at 50m and try not damage arrows, at 30m we went to 3 spot faces when possible again to save damage, this was with both recurve and compound using 4.5mm X10's. I still have probably a dozen or so x10 shafts kicking about the garage that were robin hooded at 90 and 70m.


Back to the OP's question, I'd be more worried about someone shooting a crossbow in their garden than an air pistol. If in doubt report to the police and see how they feel

[Snooper601]

I still have probably a dozen or so x10 shafts kicking about the garage that were robin hoodel

You need to get onto Mythbusters mate, they spent ages recently trying to "do a Robin Hood" and concluded that it was impossible.If you can prove it to them fame and fortune await!

Cheers

John

[danam1]

You need to get onto Mythbusters mate, they spent ages recently trying to "do a Robin Hood" and concluded that it was impossible.If you can prove it to them fame and fortune await!

Cheers

John

I think you will find archers " Robin Hood " quite frequently ( inadvertently of course!).

[Daryll]

You need to get onto Mythbusters mate, they spent ages recently trying to "do a Robin Hood" and concluded that it was impossible.If you can prove it to them fame and fortune await!

Cheers

John

Ah, but they were trying to do the old "split an arrow from nock to point" thing, which they decided was impossible in reality.... I think they did talk to an archer expert and he showed them some that had been "Robin Hood'ed" as we know it today.

[Shooter560]

Ah, but they were trying to do the old "split an arrow from nock to point" thing, which they decided was impossible in reality.... I think they did talk to an archer expert and he showed them some that had been "Robin Hood'ed" as we know it today.

Quite right, they were trying to do it with solid wooden shafts, whereas modern ones are hollow tubes with plastic nocks which explode/deform when hit and as they found out in that episode its quite easy to robin hood a shaft, though they did test it at close distance not proper target distances and by a target archer

[blooregard]

Simple, he's a nob

Dean, just a thought, you don't live next door to friend of the BBS weapon collector do you ??