Have you tried using a Bow & Arrow for target shooting? How accurate is it?

[rodsika]

Has anyone here actually used a Bow & Arrow? Is it really that accurate that you can shoot a bull's eye at 10 meters away? Before I tried one made of bamboo.. there is an accuracy of 33% so it can hit target many meters off center. How about those bow & arrow at sports shop. Is it that accurate? Also can you make the arrow tip only half inch length such that you can use syringe needle in it such that when you hit a target. The needle won't hit vital parts but only the half inch penetrating the body? I plan to use it on a feral cat immobilizing it with the tranquilizer's arrow and then putting it in box and transporting it elsewhere in my compound. Also plan to keep one at car to use in case of emergency subduing wild dogs I'd meet elsewhere. In this thread, just answer the bow and arrow part as the cat has its own thread I created yesterday.

 

[phyzguy]

A modern compound bow can be quite accurate. Hitting a bulls-eye 3-4 inches in diameter at 10 meters is not too difficult if you practice. They typically have a sight on them somewhat like a rifle sight, which you can sight in. As far as the tranquilizer dart, I'm not sure. A good bow packs a lot of punch, and hitting a cat would typically kill it even with a blunt point (Imagine getting hit with a telephone pole going 100 miles/hour - it doesn't really matter if the end sharp or not). If you reduce the pull so the arrow carries less punch, then it's hard to be accurate because the arrow drops rapidly along its path.

 

[berkeman]

Has anyone here actually used a Bow & Arrow? Is it really that accurate that you can shoot a bull's eye at 10 meters away? Before I tried one made of bamboo.. there is an accuracy of 33% so it can hit target many meters off center. How about those bow & arrow at sports shop. Is it that accurate? Also can you make the arrow tip only half inch length such that you can use syringe needle in it such that when you hit a target. The needle won't hit vital parts but only the half inch penetrating the body? I plan to use it on a feral cat immobilizing it with the tranquilizer's arrow and then putting it in box and transporting it elsewhere in my compound. Also plan to keep one at car to use in case of emergency subduing wild dogs I'd meet elsewhere. In this thread, just answer the bow and arrow part as the cat has its own thread I created yesterday.

I've done a fair amount of hunting with a compound bow, and lots of practice shooting targets. My goal was to be able to always keep my arrows within a horizontal piece of binder paper (8.5"x11" in the US) at 40 meters. And it is easier at 10 meters, because the drop variable is less.

However, you are not going to be tranquilizing anything with a bow and arrow, at least not unless it is the size of a horse and you use a "thumper" arrow in addition to your syringe. As mentioned already, the arrow has way too much momentum (that is part of its accuracy).

Instead, you should consider just using an air rifle with a syringe dart. They are specifically designed for what you are wanting to do, although an animal as small as a cat will still be a challenge to hit softly enough not to cause permanent harm.

Maybe you should consider using a live trap? Those can work very well (a friend of mine uses them to relocate feral cats).

Also, driving around with a bow and arrows in your car can get you in trouble with the law in some places...

 

[AlephZero]

10m is point blank range. Modern archery contests in the UK shoot at ranges form 30m to 90m.

But when longbows were serious military weapons, there was an English law saying that the miminum range for archery practice should be 200 yards, and the effective range of a military longbow was up to 400 yards. This has been confirmed with replicas of historical bows.

 

[rodsika]

Just wondering. One buy guns in gun shops. But there is no Bow & Arrow shop. Must one instead look for them at sports shop or have it custom made? But the Bow they are selling appears to have the bow part and even the string part already set such that you just insert the arrow.. what is this called? I assume a bow&arrow is like they one they use in Hunter Games where the bow part can be bent.

 

[berkeman]

Just wondering. One buy guns in gun shops. But there is no Bow & Arrow shop. Must one instead look for them at sports shop or have it custom made? But the Bow they are selling appears to have the bow part and even the string part already set such that you just insert the arrow.. what is this called? I assume a bow&arrow is like they one they use in Hunter Games where the bow part can be bent.

Can you say what country you are in?

In the US, they are called "Archery Shops", although there are only a few of them per city. Most sporting goods stores sell some archery equipment. There are also many online stores, like Cabelas:

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/_/N-1100003?WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104791680

But you already mentioned in your cat thread that buying a live trap was too expensive for you. So presumably buying a bow and arrows would have a similar problem?

It is sounding like just making your own live trap out of a cardboard or wood box will be the best solution for you. Pretty funny Dilbert cartoon in your cat thread, BTW.

 

[lisab]

Just wondering. One buy guns in gun shops. But there is no Bow & Arrow shop. Must one instead look for them at sports shop or have it custom made? But the Bow they are selling appears to have the bow part and even the string part already set such that you just insert the arrow.. what is this called? I assume a bow&arrow is like they one they use in Hunter Games where the bow part can be bent.

Hi rodsika - if you aren't familiar with a bow & arrow, trying to shoot a cat can have disastrous consequences. As berkeman said, you'll likely end up injuring the cat, which will make him mad as hell, btw. You can easily injure yourself, even. I really don't think a bow & arrow is a good idea.

Besides, where do you plan on getting a tranquilizer? How will you know how much to use? And where will you get a syringe delivery system? You don't just fire a needle into an animal. You need a mechanism to inject the medicine - immediately.

Yeah, this is a bad idea.

 

[lisab]

Why don't you put a water hose and sprinklers out, and when the cat comes, turn on the water? They hate that - he'll run off.

 

[berkeman]

Since we have determined that using a bow and arrow would be dangerous to the animal, this thread is closed.