Best archery crossbows according to redditors

thats pleb tier. You need to modify your AR to shoot Crossbow bolts

The physics on walker skull integrity have been pretty varied this season. But I would put more money on a penetrating weapon (crossbow bolt) than a blunt force weapon (slingshot). I've seen slingshot mentioned before and I think people are severely underestimating the amount of draw strength on Daryl's crossbow.

http://www.amazon.com/Stryker-Strykezone-380-Crossbow-Package/dp/B0052B3OSW

It has a 160 lb draw and that's LOW for a crossbow. Maybe at very close range you could make a slingshot work but there's no way you can get deadly effectiveness at the ranges the crossbow can. There's two factors at play.

The physics simply don't work for the kinetic energy, because you'd need a slingshot which you either a) can get a large draw on or b) need dense ammo like lead balls which negates the argument of using anything for ammo. Simply put, you're not going to pick up a rock and use a slingshot to explode a walker skull. It won't work.

The other factor against you is how pressure works. It's force divided by the area you apply it to. The reason why needles, bolts, arrows all penetrate the skin are because their tips have a very tiny cross sectional area so all the force is concentrated there. Bullets can afford to have relatively rounded fronts at certain calibers because of the sheer speed behind them. And his crossbow is good for 380 feet-per-second, the length of a football field.

A slingshot ball or rock would be good to cause a lot of pain to another human being or perhaps knock them out. However, if it kills by brain injury it would be because of a contusion and not the traumatic brain destruction required to stop a walker. We've seen very few blunt force deaths on walkers and those have all completely crushed the skull. The idea of using a slingshot is pretty unrealistic.

TL;DR- Slingshots are silly. The short range required for a blunt force attack to work means you'd be better off just using a blunt force weapon like a baseball bat.

Or this

Agreed. Not into the double barred front. Why? I have no idea, but Amazon reviews agree with us: http://www.amazon.com/Stryker-Strykezone-380-Crossbow-Package/product-reviews/B0052B3OSW

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SIPLY2M/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B00SIPLY2M&pd_rd_w=a7kkn&pf_rd_p=8a8f3917-7900-4ce8-ad90-adf0d53c0985&pd_rd_wg=UPLkD&pf_rd_r=NTK6YSXGA7XM0ZQBSERE&pd_rd_r=cabb4b54-68fc-11e9-b80c-09dbc8d3b34b

Generally by making it able to be fired by one hand, at least if I remember UK's law here

So essentially toys.

Crossbow! .... I think that having /u/Piratesgoyarr and /u/justahermit around would be a great idea. If we can't kill all the zombies...we can laugh ourselves to death before the zombies get us!

My weapon of choice is a crossbow

my teammates would be /u/IguanaGrrl who would hopefully be bringing some iguanas to help and /u/RAOAModBot or /u/automoderator because i definitely would like some robot power on my team.

It's a little hard to say, sinch you don't give us any information about your wife's physical condition, height, strength, etc, so I will just pass on my experience.

My wife had long had an interest in crossbows. We're both older, (50's & 60's) and don't plan on hunting, so we didn't want to spend a lot of cash just to find out that she couldn't cock it. The sporting stores that we visited either wouldn't let her try to cock one, or they wanted us to guarantee that we would buy the bow if she was able to cock it. Not if she liked it, just if she could cock it. We declined.

We found and started her off with a small, cheap, recurve 150lb draw crossbow using 16" bolts and a rope cocking device. Although it wasn't easy for her, she was able to cock & use that bow. She enjoyed it enough that we wanted something better for her.
Then a Cabelas opened a store near us, and we saw that they had a Barnett Quad Edge compound crossbow on sale during their local Grand Opening. They only had one, and we were able to get it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP82SJE

(I would link to the Cabelas site, but they show "Out of Stock") It came with a 3 bolt quiver and a small, cheap scope. I don't think that it came with any bolts (arrows), as we had to buy those separately.

We tried several methods of using a rope cocker, and shortened the rope as much as possible, but she just doesn't have the arm strength or height to pull that last 1/2 inch to get it to cock, without really straining herself.
After owning it about a month, and seeing her fight it so hard, I ordered a crank cocking device on Ebay that mounts right into the stock. Now she's thrilled with her crossbow! In fact, we were out shooting it this morning.
Hope this helps.

A quick search indicates it sells for $75 new and I can't find any data on arrow speed or energy.

Lower draw weight bows usually make up the difference with a power stroke. That is a re-curve style crossbow so it doesn't have one.

This crossbow probably produces low end re-curve bow speeds, but with much more noise. A slow/loud crossbow combination will produce ducked or jumped arrows. The crossbow needs to be at or above 300 ft/s for most reasonable shots. You will be able to kill a deer with it in ideal circumstances, but it will not be consistent and you will likely wound more animals than kill them if you do not wait for the perfect 10-15 yard opportunity.

IMO this is not an appropriate crossbow for hunting medium (deer) game. It will work fine for small game. For under $300 you can get a good entry Barnett jackal

This is my weapon. (Get it, CROSS-bow? hahahaha :P)
And I'll bring /u/tragopanic 'cause "Quick!" and /u/PotatoAssassin. All you need to know is in the name. ;)

the answer to your problems. http://www.amazon.com/Barnett-Jackal-Crossbow/dp/B003TP9WIE

I gotcha. I would say that if you are only using it for home defense, then just get something in your price range. Any crossbow is going to be too powerful to be drawn by a child. The draw weight on any crossbow is going to be 100+ pounds. I recommend that you check out Budk. Their prices are usually lower than everyone else.

http://www.budk.com/Crossbows-2966

I'm sure you already know this, but a crossbow, or any other type of archery equipment, is not going to be a great choice for home defense. You will lose the ability to scare off an intruder by either allowing them to hear the sound of you loading a round, such as what you would hear when loading a shotgun, or by opening a window and firing a warning shot into the ground. You would find yourself in a situation where if you have to use the crossbow, you're already in a fight. This would mean that you would only have one shot, and that shot would be silent. So if there were multiple intruders, and they had guns, you would be dead.

EDIT: Also, I looked at your Amazon link. I like this one the best, but any of them would work for what you're asking.

http://www.amazon.com/150-lbs-Panther-Compound-Crossbow/dp/B00JMJAYFQ/ref=sr_1_25?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1454084483&sr=1-25&keywords=crossbow&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_six_browse-bin%3A7801851011|7801852011|7801853011|7801854011%2Cp_85%3A2470955011

i bought a http://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Precision-Blitz-II-Crossbow/dp/B004N1TZY4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372041069&sr=8-1&keywords=blitz+crossbow and i love it. it shoots strait and is a great price

I have a Parker Terminator that I got for free. Would recommend one if you can get it for that price. My friend bought one of these and it's almost hilariously terrible. I'd like to see what it could do if he got decent bolts for it.

Looks incredibly close to mine:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MT5XAA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

Differences are no quiver slot towards the front, my sight rails are longer (not to brag or anything), and the one you posted has closer spaced....slots?....below the rail. My guess would be an earlier version?

I have a spot for my stirrup under the forward sight and I would be there is the same on that one. I cannot be more specific as it appears to be ever so slightly different, but my bet is that you can fine a stirrup, at least checking what would fit at a physical store.

I don't have any tools to build one and plus I don't know that much about building weapons, also here's another link to one I was thinking about maybe getting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NYEIYY8/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AW5VCQ8QJC9FD

I would have to also buy bolts or whatever they're called so I don't know about this one.

http://www.amazon.com/80lbs-Cocking-Cobra-Crossbow-Arrows/dp/B0050LG4YU
i use this to eliminate the squirrels at my place
also if you feel up to the task there are traps that will make quick work of any that have found there way inside

probably recurve. I've read good things about the Barnett Recruit as far as affordability and reliability goes, although I see that they have it available as a compound bow as well. Dicks sporting goods seems to have a great deal on the recurve for $139.
I keep looking at this one simply because I like the design, and the videos i've watched on youtube make it out to be decent, but I'm hesitant because the price is so low https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Hunting-Crossbow-Scope-Arrows/dp/B00PIAATXA/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1537583885&sr=8-13&keywords=wood+crossbow

https://www.amazon.ca/Daisy-4003-964003-402-Crossbow-Black/dp/B00TP894NM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=youth+crossbow&qid=1563405874&s=gateway&sr=8-1 This has a pretty light draw weight

The one that I posted is this one:

Armory Replicas Denali Mountain Wild Game Hunting 68.0 kilograms Recurve Crossbow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JRG9X4C

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Not for a decent one


This is the crossbow Daryl now uses.


He did use this onoe before

Just wait till you are 18 and buy one then. As for weapons you can legally get in the meantime:

http://www.amazon.com/80-Lbs-Self-Cocking-Crossbow-Pistol/dp/B0047WOMI8

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Crossbow-Scope-Metal-Arrows/dp/B001MT5XAA/ref=sr_1_15?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1346965040&sr=1-15

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=archery%20hunting%20bows&page=1&rh=n%3A3375251%2Ck%3Aarchery%20hunting%20bows

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Sports-Outdoors-Hunting-Slingshots/zgbs/sporting-goods/3307780011 (don't underestimate a hunting slingshot with steel hunting shot, that will most likely penetrate someone's skull, they are often used for hunting rabbits)

Even a variety of melee weapons could be effective, such as a katana, aluminium baseball bat, or spiked club. I'm sure it's not quite as good of a deterrent as the sound of a 12 ga pump action racking a round into the chamber, but I doubt very many home invaders would stand their ground against a person charging them with a medieval melee weapon.

I suppose when you are thinking about acquiring a bow then you have to consider other options as well. As for the options, you must consider all three of the silent weapons which fall into this category and their individual pros and cons.

• Crossbow
  
  The great advantage of the crossbow is that it is probably the easiest to use out of all three options. You get a much greater power from smaller versions for a smaller price (e.g. Cobra System Self Cocking Tactical Crossbow Pistol 80-lb. or something similar your price range Arrow Precision Inferno Fury Crossbow Kit (175-Pounds) ). Another advantage of crossbows is their usage of bolts which don't always require fletchings so making your own would probably be easier. Lastly it's their loading mechanic that depending on the model is much easier to accomplish than otherwise compared to their power, also the way you shoot a crossbow is ultimately easier because you can take aim similarly to a gun and it doesn't require you to be in a certain position to pull the trigger. Simplified : Stronger shooting power, less stress on the body, better aiming and easier to make ammunition.
  
  
• Bow
  
  The bow, or a bow kit as you are suggesting, is something that requires a lot of training. Depending on the type of bow (don't quote me on this I am no expert) you need be hold it in the right position to achieve high accuracy and the highest amount of power possible from it. The problem I got with a bow personally is it's inconsistency because the longer you use the bow the more tired you will get and the weaker your shots become. Arrows are harder to make yourself, if you want them to be accurate, because you need to make them with fletchlings, which isn't something I believe you can easily do without training. Another downside for bows is their price, while a good starter bow costs around 150$ (taken from the comments of your suggested bow), there is a lot of room for more expensive ones, which don't all increase in power that much. Simplified : Silent, tiring after repeated use, can't be used when injured, requires a lot of training.
  
  
• Slingshot
  
  Last option and usually one that is forgotten by many is the slingshot. Why you may ask ? Because I think out of all of them it's the most difficult to master and use. However, if you are looking for a small addition that is able to be used for silent hunting purposes then this is probably your best bet. Out of all options it's the smallest and the most versatile. With just a good band you can make your own homemade slingshot for hunting small game. In addition you can buy extras like the whisper biscuit to allow using it with arrows. Ammunition is plenty as anything that fits the pouch goes. Simplified : Small, efficient, never runs out of ammunition, requires the most amount of training.
  
  In the end it depends on your intended use. Since you gave no examples what you wanted to do with the bow kit you are giving as an example. If you have the time and want to put in the effort than adding a Slingshot with extras will be your best shot. You will have an easy time finding ammunition and when you use it with the whisper biscuit, then even hunting bigger animals will be no problems.
  
  If you are looking for a small efficient weapon for hunting silently then I suggest a small crossbow, like the one I linked, it has enough power to hunt, but it's weak enough so the bolts don't tear right through the animal and instead get stuck inside of it allowing you to easier reacquire them and reuse them and not lose them in the forests.
  
  A bow would be my last choice, you can always make a simplified bow as a last resort using some finishing line or other string, but the training required along with the cost makes it the least desirable option for me.

So yes a large crossbow which is designed to be used with two hands is probably your best bet for home defense without a PAL. You can buy them on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001MT5XAA/ref=pd_aw_sbs_1?pi=SS115&simLd=1

There is quite a variety on amazon, just make sure it has a stock (designed to be used with two hands, no pistol crossbows) and is at least 20 inches overall. I also recommend getting some razor tipped hunting arrows for self defense, and some extra strings and string wax so you can practice with it to learn how to cock it and how to accurately hit a target.

This is an intimidating weapon, in all likelihood if you brandish a ready to fire crossbow at an imminent threat they will back off, and not make you actually shoot them, but remember that whenever you use a lethal weapon for self defense you must be prepared to shoot if necessary. If you are unwilling to shoot and potentially kill this person you shouldn't use a lethal weapon for self defense, or it might be taken from you and used against you. You should only use this weapon in a threatening manner if there is an obvious and credible imminent threat to your life or the life of another innocent person.

If you do end up having to shoot the attacker, be aware that they may not be completely or immediately incapacitated by a single shot, be prepared to flee with your family and call police from a safe place if necessary (preferably call police before shooting becomes necessary). You should also lawyer up immediately in case you do end up having to use lethal force in self defense, you will face a legal challenge to the necessity of that use of lethal force.