Of course - you can’t expect politicians to consider the consequences!
Do I need to buy a crossbow?
- Thread starter Smellydog
- Start date
UpNorthMI
Well-Known Member
Who or which sporting body is going to stand up and fight this in the UK? In my opinion there will be little or no fight given because no sporting, shooting or country group see any valid use for crossbows. The crossbow user group is so small, I'm sure it will be law very soon!
Public safety should look at the large picture and work out what is really killing people. How many people are dying due to other reasons such as delays in the NHS, the stress of modern life, the misuse of vehicles etc. etc. It just seems no matter what is banned, further crimes are committed with either an illegal owned item or an alternative item, are we going to ban hammers because they are used to kill 2 people?
That thin end of the wedge expands really quickly.....
UpNorthMI
Well-Known Member
That is a really good question, I think there are lots of factors. As I said I only shoot deer with my crossbow when I know it is a kill shot, my crossbow will shoot within 1" out to 35 yards. We get lets of opportunity on lots of deer over a 3 or 4 month season so there is no pressure to rush. Gun or rifle hunting can be different, we have a short season, over 500,000 hunters take to the woods, there is pressure on the deer population, a lot of shooting is at greater distances in thick woodland (max 100 yards), lots of possibility for deflection and a bunch of the guys I hunt with fire 5 rounds a year!!
A 3 bladed broad head is typically 1.25" in diameter, the head and arrow carries a lot of impact and shock at triple the weight of a typical .308 bullet. Woodland white tail are real tough animals, a well placed arrow and large wound will cause them to bleed out much quicker than a poorly placed bullet. There is always an exit with a broadhead, that's not true with a soft point bullet from a medium caliber rifle, no exit wound and poor placed shots results in a poor or no blood trail, that makes tracking real hard in very thick cover. I'm amazed at how far a rifle shot deer can travel.
During gun season we often lose a couple of deer on my 400 acre property, with .308 or .30-06, I'm personally moving up to larger calibers or more energy and shooting things like .300 win mag (200 grain), 9.3x62 (232 grain), .375 H&H (200 grain) or .444 Rem (240 grain). I don't let anyone shoot anything smaller than 7mm. These heavier calibers and heavier bullets will guarantee a good exit wound and hopefully a great blood trail. Our woods are real thick and have a lot of thick swamp area with cover that is over head height. Ideally you would have a tracking dog or a thermal drone. We often get snow during gun season, this provides great tracking on a blood trail. Out of my deer hunting group of friends it tends to be the same individuals that lose deer. I've also made a shooting practice day mandatory, where my friends have to fire more than 2 rounds!
I find open hill and open field hunting that I typically do in the UK to be a very different game as you get to see clearly a deer that might run 60 to 100 yards. My UK woodland deer hunting has been limited but I'm sure you also have a risk to lose more animals. I shot in rifle clubs regularly over the years, shooting more than a 1,000 rounds a year to ranges of up to 1,000 yards, the average US woodland deer hunter has never shot past 100 yards and never checks zero or practices. There is also buck fever! In Michigan a lot of hunters go away hunting for a week and may never make it into the woods, cabin life with a group of guys can get a little rowdy, that is not my type of hunting.
As often stated a well placed shot is the most important factor, caliber and bullet type are secondary. I hate not recovering an animal, going out the next day and eventually finding it does not solve the problem as they are often found first by coyotes, foxes or buzzards.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
2.1 1. The government will, therefore, introduce further restrictions on crossbows through introducing a licensing scheme for existing crossbow owners, and we will consult on the details of the licensing scheme. In addition, the government will also prohibit the sale of crossbows. We will consult on how best such a ban might be achieved, and will set out more detail in the consultation, but we would anticipate that existing crossbow owners will be able to keep their crossbow provided they apply for a licence and pass the necessary suitability checks that a licensing scheme would require. We also plan to prohibit broadhead arrows as discussed in the call for evidence.
Even though 86% of all that responded said no ban was supported by them the Home Office civil servants who control the agenda decided that there should be a ban and persuaded their ministers so it would seem.
Last edited:
so as I read it the majority responses to the consultation were against further controls yet the Government under the agenda of public safety decide not to agree, does not bode well for the Section 2 to Section 1 consultation when that is published.
2.1 1. The government will, therefore, introduce further restrictions on crossbows through introducing a licensing scheme for existing crossbow owners, and we will consult on the details of the licensing scheme. In addition, the government will also prohibit the sale of crossbows. We will consult on how best such a ban might be achieved, and will set out more detail in the consultation, but we would anticipate that existing crossbow owners will be able to keep their crossbow provided they apply for a licence and pass the necessary suitability checks that a licensing scheme would require. We also plan to prohibit broadhead arrows as discussed in the call for evidence
2.1 1. The government will, therefore, introduce further restrictions on crossbows through introducing a licensing scheme for existing crossbow owners, and we will consult on the details of the licensing scheme. In addition, the government will also prohibit the sale of crossbows. We will consult on how best such a ban might be achieved, and will set out more detail in the consultation, but we would anticipate that existing crossbow owners will be able to keep their crossbow provided they apply for a licence and pass the necessary suitability checks that a licensing scheme would require. We also plan to prohibit broadhead arrows as discussed in the call for evidence
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
And before anyone comments that "they will be banning peashooters next" they already have, The last Tory Government did it in 2020.
Odd that they’ve chosen a full ban on sales, rather than licensing.
Shame. I was not too far off convincing myself to get one.
paul dillon
Well-Known Member
And how many will just be tucked away how will they know how many people have them ?
I believe that this has come about because of a murder in a hamlet close to where I live.
A couple were both shot inside their own home by a neighbour who had gained access through the roof space and waited for them to arrive home.
She escaped the property, he from what I remember was hit by a bolt but was initially able to talk on his mobile to the emergency services albeit he was incapacitated.
The very sad part was he bled out over some time because the emergency services would not ‘rescue’ him immediately as the property had not been cleared as danger free by I presume armed police.
The widow of this unfortunate man started a petition to ban cross bows subsequently
A couple were both shot inside their own home by a neighbour who had gained access through the roof space and waited for them to arrive home.
She escaped the property, he from what I remember was hit by a bolt but was initially able to talk on his mobile to the emergency services albeit he was incapacitated.
The very sad part was he bled out over some time because the emergency services would not ‘rescue’ him immediately as the property had not been cleared as danger free by I presume armed police.
The widow of this unfortunate man started a petition to ban cross bows subsequently
Hopefully the revenue generated from "Licencing" will go a long way to ensure compliance with the current Government's commitment to an increase in core defence spending of 2.5% of GDP by April 2027, and the long-term ambition to reach 3.5% by 2035.
That is unless the Home Office is compelled to pay compensation as part of a surrender programme!
K
That is unless the Home Office is compelled to pay compensation as part of a surrender programme!
K
Grannysmith
Well-Known Member
I use one a tenpoint and it is devastating at ranges of 40-70 mtrs.
I have taken most of the african plains game inc eland and they all pile up in less than 30 mtrs with an engine room shot.
In some ways more humane than a chest shot with a rifle
I have taken most of the african plains game inc eland and they all pile up in less than 30 mtrs with an engine room shot.
In some ways more humane than a chest shot with a rifle
Well considering, shooting groups with lots of members and large funds are as much use as t!ts on a fish, I don't have much hope for the William appreciation society (catchy tune though)
What heads (appropriate in this case
) do you use?Grannysmith
Well-Known Member
Rage 100gn mechanicals i also use chinese copies ans at 20 for 2o just useonce and chuck away
will I expect go the way of the brocock pistols prohibition, banned future sales, owners could keep them on a licence but they could not sell or give away the pistols, ownership died with the owner.
Similar threads
