Archery and black powder for supplemental preparedness (water, good, natural)
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Much attention is given modern firearms when people talk about being prepared for a survival situation. I've given a bit of thought over to other equipment, given factoring in the area I look to as a fall back point should some disaster or another force me to seek solitude. There is good water and game in this area, and I have a goodly amount of provisions for a protracted stay. I have used the place as a hunting base for many years and have often just gone there to get away from things.
Should a very extended saty be required I have put in a goodly supply of things to keep my bows in the game. Extra string, arrow making and repair supplies and such. My bows are both traditional. 55 and 60 # longbows respectively. Quite capable of bringing meat to the fire from squirrels up to elk should their services be required. I've put up a good supply of new shafts, fletching and make my own tips so thus have a good amount of arrows at hand.
I went with the longbows for the sake of rugged simplicity, and the ability to use wooden shafts. Compound bows need aluminum or composite shafts and tend to not work well with wood. So I stayed old school.
For BP outfitting, I have a brace of 1860 Army Colts, 44 cal, with extra cylinders and a supply of fix it parts. Mainsprings, cylinder latches etc. I also have a 50 ca Kentucky single shot percussion and a rifle to match. I have five pounds of ffg, and scads of caps plus pre made projectiles and lead alloy to cut new shot from in goodly amounts. These guns and the bows will be my primary hunting weapons. I'll save my modern guns and ammunition for other purposes.
I've come to believe that for true survival needs archery and BP should not be overlooked. Traditional archery in particular is a low maintenance and reliable option to have in the stash of stuff when talking about weapons. Arrows are reusable and easy enough to make, even if it came down to using native materials on hand to do so. BP is easy to stock up a LOT of shooting for, and drives one to proficiency. One shot, make it count and stalk up as close as possible to take your bag. My single shot pistol will handily take a deer within the 50 to 75 yard range and shots with the rifle are totally within reason at 200.
For shear survival needs, and being able to maintain a supply of shots BP is a good option. So, anyone else have a mindset geared toward more ...primitive...options for backup in the survival gear? I know were I to be spending a protracted period of time living at my fallback spot, I could augment my food supply quite well with such gear, and last for quite a spell. I'm not thinking about combat here. Don't plan on a militaristic type scenario where I'm engaging with enemy forces. Just keeping meat hanging and curing. True self sufficiency. Such equipment kept people alive and not hungry for a LONG time before cartriges were invented and optical sighting became the norm. To my mind, having the ability to go back to basics is not something that should be overlooked. What says the gallery?
If you really want go go primitive hunt with dogs. Finish your quarry with a knife. Hunters in Texas take hogs this way. The bow is fine like the knife you do not run out of materials to make ammo. If I was to hoard anything it would be salt.
I'm not really talking about a matter of want. This would be a need scenario. And maintaining a set of boar dogs is impractical in a situation like I'm driving at. This would be a situation where having four or more ravenous mouths to feed wouldn't be desirable. One good dog for security would be plenty. Day to day survival being key. Supplementing supplies by hunting. Plus. dogs get hurt running pigs. Extra medical issues of the veterinary variety would not be desirable either. Besides , we don't have feral pigs around here.
I am looking into buying a well-made longbow for much the same reasons. I have killed deer before with a recurve, and a longbow is interesting to me purely from a desire to become more effective with one. The use on game in crisis scenarios is a side benefit. I always thought it could add a real twist to ambushing some bad uns, whether brigands or foreign troops. Might hurt morale a bit to lose a few folks to cedar arrows and a scalping knife...
I have used and owned cap-and ball weapons, and love them. A brace of good .44's is a nice thing to have. A man can do most things he needs a pistol for, and well, with that setup. I don't have any at the moment, but that will probably change when I get a little more disposable cash.
None of this means I have no use for modern weapons. I have them, lots of feed for them, and have trained far more with them.
I think you have the right mindset in understanding that you are not going into a firefight with these weapons. And, with the bow, you can hunt without the retort of a firearm to alert people that you are about.
I think you have the right mindset in understanding that you are not going into a firefight with these weapons. And, with the bow, you can hunt without the retort of a firearm to alert people that you are about.
Yes. I am also thinking about the stealth aspect. Since I practice regular with my bows, and know their capabilities, (and my own) and limitations as a straight up survival tool I have full confidence in them to keep meat on the fire. No, I'm not thinking tactical at all, even with my modern weapons. My primary tactic if I've had to get out of Dodge is going to be strict avoidance of any contact with anyone not in my camp. My desire is to be elusive as Bigfoot.
That I'm even about would just be a totally unverifiable legend. A ghost story.
And then there's the At-Latl (spear thrower).
Ironically, the "experts" on the internet show versions that are less than ideal.
One of the better versions was depicted in the movie "Quest for Fire."
. . .
Long story short, the version in "Quest for Fire" had two characteristics that differed from the modern "expert" spear chucker : __ short dart (arrow) __ tilted / raked handle (natural branch curve).
. . .
One of the known problems with the at-latl is the tendency for the thrower to send the dart into a nose dive due to the release at 120 degrees. However, the raked handle angle eliminates that problem by putting the nock at 90 degrees at the release (wrist flip at 120 degrees).
And the use of long, heavy darts changes the whole process and makes it more strenuous and difficult to hold, aim, and throw.
I made both kinds, and I favor the short (forearm length) at-latl with raked handle, and short darts (arrow length). I don't know if it was dumb luck, but throwing darts with some accuracy was very easy. Simple overhead release, and z-z-z-z-zip - plonk ! Struck where you looked. Many a tree stump died - okay, only one. But I was surprised that a simple fire hardened wood point could pierce 1.5 - 2 inches into a tough hardwood stump. I can imagine the wound it would make on a critter.
I have a couple of recourses, and a longbow I've used for years successfully, and both in line and flintlock rifles. Work just fine. I have made bows before, and arrows, and I can make arrowheads out of steel, or knap forgo stone.
I agree that more primitive weapons are easy to maintain, and don't discount traps. Learning to set a deadfall can get you anything from a mouse to a bear.
Primitive weapons and traps are a great addition to your kit.
I have a couple of recurves, and a longbow I've used for years successfully, and both in line and flintlock rifles. Work just fine. I have made bows before, and arrows, and I can make arrowheads out of steel, or knap forgo stone.
I agree that more primitive weapons are easy to maintain, especially when you have to make your own ammo from what you can find, and don't discount traps. Learning to set a deadfall can get you anything from a mouse to a bear.
Primitive weapons and traps are a great addition to your kit.
Agreed that traps are really important. They are silent (relatively), can almost always be reused, will take game (or humans) of any size, and you can get very creative with them.
Right now, I'm sort of fixated on explosives!
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