How to make a crossbow with your own hands - make an effective device for shooting bolts

Crossbow is a weapon that is not one hundred years old. Now this weapon is used as a sporting tool for shooting, as well as popular among hobbyists. Many amateurs who do not want to spend a lot of money to purchase this firearm wonder how to make a crossbow with their own hands? In this article, these people will be able to find the answer.

Types of crossbows and their application

There are only two types of crossbows: classic and block crossbows.

The shooting weapon is used in three types:

• Sports. New modifications are used in the production of such. Size and power depend on the type of sport.
• Amateur shooting. Simple and uncomplicated crossbows of small power, which are used for entertainment.
• Hunting. Mainly made of block designs, since they have high power.

Crossbow structure

A standard crossbow consists of:

• A bow.
• The trigger mechanism.
• Stock.
• The bow and bowstring.

Allows the installation of accessories or additional modules, such as a sight.

Crossbow making

This paragraph will give information on how to make a crossbow at home. The example will be a wooden crossbow. To make a wooden crossbow, you need to choose a hard and strong wood, such as larch, oak, cedar, mahogany.

Stock

Initially, to make the stock, a rectangular wooden bar is taken, in which a chute is drilled for the arrow. A hole is then drilled at the back end of the chute for the trigger. A hole is drilled in the front of the bar for the bow. Then all the holes are carefully sanded and the outline of the stock is cut out.

The bow is the main part of the crossbow, so when making the stock, you should be guided by the parameters of the bow. It is advisable to leave a few millimeters of margin when chamfering the chute.

If you are making a block crossbow, you need to be extremely careful in the groove for the crossbow section, the wrong groove will ruin the design.

Bow and Guides

The bow can be made from any wood. It is installed in an already drilled hole. It is necessary to drill next to the hole for the trigger as a chute for the bolt that will fix the bowstring.

Particular attention should be paid to the guides of the crossbow, because they set the initial path of the arrow (bolt). They should not have a high coefficient of friction. It is advisable to make them as a separate part. This will simplify the use of the crossbow, if you want to shoot with other bolts, you can easily change to the right size.

The guides should be made as similar to each other as possible. Once made, they are placed in the slot so that the axis of the inserted arrow coincides with the axis of the stretched bowstring. The bolt should lie loosely in the groove To protect the wooden surface, a metal guard can be placed on it.

Trigger

The simplest option is to mount a lever that will act as a trigger. However, you should not make it too simple either, because it is responsible for such important functions:

• Holding the stretched bowstring.
• Providing the trigger at the necessary moment.

According to these two points, it is necessary to supplement the design of the trigger mechanism with a unloading lever and a safety catch.

To make it convenient to install the lock, it is necessary to make its simple form, so that there were no difficulties with fixing. Since the crossbow must withstand an increased load, the trigger mechanism should be made of durable wood, the ideal option for this is beech. The mechanism itself is attached to the bolts, after installation it should not make any movements.

Crossbow for hunting

This is a complicated version, designed for hunting.

Stock

The manufacture of the stock does not differ significantly from the above described crossbow, the only nuance is a rectangular hole for the trigger mechanism.

Bow and rails

The bow is made of strong dry wood, in the middle the thickness of the wood should be maximum. The shoulders should be made narrower. If there is any excess wood left, it must be removed, leveling until the deflection of the shoulders is the same.

Trigger mechanism.

In this case, the mechanism must be much more powerful, so wood will not do. The trigger mechanism must be assembled exactly according to the drawing using steel parts.

Shoe

The shoe is used to fasten the bow and its shoulders to the stock. This part is highly stressed, so it can only be made of metal. The shoe is attached to the stock or the shoulders of the bow with bolts or rivets. It is advisable not to attach it to the shoulders, as the slightest mistake can disrupt the entire shooting process. It is possible to make the shoe removable to reduce the weight of the crossbow when carrying it.

The bowstring

There are four types of bowstring:

• Metal - braided from small ropes or strings.
• Silk - woven from silk.
• The third is made of fishing line.
• Synthetic - the main element is keural.

It is best to weave the string yourself or purchase a braided string, because in this case a small part of the load will go to the friction between the strands. This will reduce the load from it and prolong its service life.

Bolt(boom).

This point is worth reminding you about safety, as a bolt has a great stopping power, even more than a bullet.

Arrows for crossbow are made from materials that have high strength and resilience. If this material is wood, you need to watch that it lies longitudinally during processing, this will give the bolt even more plasticity.

Basically, the center of gravity of the boom lies between 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 elements. This position may vary depending on what material the arrow, tip, shaft or stem is made of.

Arrows are impregnated with a special protective solution to protect them from moisture. The arrows should be stored horizontally for better durability.

The crossbow should be shot with bolts of similar weight, otherwise the range and accuracy will be compromised.

To make a crossbow at home is not so difficult. However, it is worth remembering about safety when using it, so as not to harm yourself and others. The main mass of people who make crossbows in an artisanal way are young people. If a person has the opportunity, then it is best to buy a crossbow of professional production.

Photo ideas and examples of homemade crossbows