Crossbow for shooting stones or lead bullets. Bullet crossbow. Detailed Description of the Invention

INTRODUCTION

A crossbow is an advanced bow that allows the shooter to aim without straining the bowstring. It improves accuracy and penetrating power and can be used by people who do not have the accuracy and strength required for an archer. Crossbow appeared around 500 BC. in China, by the 12th century it had spread to Europe; At first it was used as a military weapon, then it became a weapon for hunters and athletes. Homemade crossbows were used until 1918 (World War II). An arrow for a crossbow is heavier than for a bow; it is more often called a bolt. The advantages of a crossbow over a bow are obvious: greater penetrating power (some crossbows penetrated any armor from 100 m), increased firing range (up to 400–450 m), but there are also disadvantages: long reload time, high cost of manufacturing the trigger mechanism (as a result of which the crossbow could only be afforded by wealthy citizens), the impossibility of using it when moving on a horse (for this reason it did not find use in the East - among horse archers), as well as the fact that the crossbowman, due to the bulkiness of the crossbow, could not use other types of weapons, his had to be defended - this required good organization of the army. Therefore, the crossbow received its main distribution only by the 14th century AD. The bow for the crossbow was initially made similarly to composite bows - from several materials, but with the advent of damask steel and Damascus steel, the composite was forgotten - the tension force of such a crossbow did not exceed the tension force of the bow, and it was no longer advisable to use it.

Crossbow shooting is different from archery and involves three stages:

1. Tension. In the simplest version, the shooter pulls the bowstring with his hands and fixes it with a restraining stop, while the crossbow is fixed with his foot using a special bracket. Over time, tensioning devices appeared, which made it possible to use more powerful bows.

2. Bolt application. The shooter holds the crossbow at a slight upward angle and places the bolt in the groove, with the back end of the bolt resting on the bowstring stop. Some crossbows have a spring to hold the bolt in place, allowing you to shoot at any angle and in any direction.

3. Aiming and shooting. The crossbow is applied to the shoulder like a gun, aiming is done by analogy.

Devices for tensioning the bowstring:

1. Brace for leg and both arms. The method was used with relatively weak bows.

2. Tension strap with hook. The leg fixes the crossbow, as in the first method, the shooter bends, the hook on the belt engages the bowstring, and when the shooter straightens, the bowstring is tightened and fixed.

3. An improved version of method 2: a rope with a movable roller, also attached to a belt, is used.

4. "Goat's leg." The shooter places both curved levers on pins protruding from both sides of the stock, the opposite end pulls towards himself, dragging the bowstring with his movable paws.

5. Release lever. The hook hooks onto the bracket at the front of the stock and pushes the bowstring back.

6. Gate with rack and pinion. Appeared around 1450 in Germany. The bowstring is tensioned through the collar. Used for the most powerful crossbows. It was popular among hunters, since the military was not satisfied with the draw speed and low rate of fire.

7. Built-in tension lever.

Methods for tensioning a crossbow string.

There were varieties of crossbows for shooting bullets or stones. Their difference is a forked bowstring with a pocket for a bullet. In the 19th century, China began to use repeating crossbows, which used non-feathered bolts that were fed automatically from the magazine when the bowstring was pulled.

They had a good range and were more powerful than most bows, but took much longer to reload. On average, most crossbowmen fired 2 shots per minute.

The crossbow was held horizontally and fired using a trigger mechanism that released a tight bowstring. To load the crossbow, it was placed on the ground and supported with one's foot. The string was pulled back with both hands or using a device. The crossbow fired a projectile that was much shorter than a regular arrow. It had feathers to stabilize it in flight and had a pointed end.

The crossbowman often carried a passive shield in battle to provide coverage while reloading. It was a tall shield with wooden bracelets attached. A squad of crossbowmen was a wall of such shields. As they fired, only the crossbows and their helmeted heads emerged from the shield wall. This kind of detachment forced the enemy to retreat in open space.

The crossbow was a deadly weapon and was very popular for the simple reason that it took little time to learn how to shoot. Relatively raw soldiers could become skilled crossbowmen in a short time, and a well-aimed shot could kill an armored knight who took a long time to train. The crossbow was considered criminal in some circles (knights, especially) because it required such little skill. Richard I of England, the Lionheart, was wounded twice by crossbow arrows. The idea of ​​such great people being easily killed by ordinary soldiers or even worse was terrible for noble people. In the twelfth century, the Pope tried to ban the crossbow as an inhumane weapon.

1. COMBAT CROSSBOW XIV–XVI CENTURIES. Bow, originally “compound”, from the beginning of the 15th century. replaced by steel. Tension force up to 200 kg. The tension was carried out by a “goat’s leg” - an iron lever of a complex shape resting on two protrusions. When turning the lever, with increasing tension force, the radius of rotation of the lever decreased. Firing range up to 300 m. Rate of fire - 2–3 bpm. The descent is "nut". Worn on the shoulder or belt.

2. COMBAT AND HUNTING CROSSBOW XIV–XVII CENTURIES. Bow, originally “compound”, from the beginning of the 15th century. replaced by steel. The tension force reached 300 kg. It was tensioned with a “German collar” - a gear rack with two claws in an iron case with a gearbox. Firing range - 300–400 m. Rate of fire - 1–2 bpm. The trigger is a rotating “nut” with notches at the top (for the bowstring) and at the bottom (for the nose of the trigger guard). In combat crossbows, the trigger guard is simply a lever on an axis, in hunting crossbows it is a complex and very delicate device. Worn on a belt or near the saddle.

3. COMBAT AND HUNTING CROSSBOW XI-XIII CENTURIES. The bow belongs to the type of “complex” bow - glued together from wood, covered on the inside with bone plates, on the outside with tendons and covered with birch bark. Tension force up to 120 kg. It is tightened with a foot inserted into the stirrup and a hook on the belt. Firing range up to 200 m. Sighting range, like all crossbows, is about 60 m. Rate of fire - up to 4 bolts/min. The descent is a notch with an ejector or a retractable stop. Worn on a belt over the shoulder.

4. ITALIAN BULLET HUNTING CROSSBOW XVI–XVII CENTURIES. Ballestra Steel bow with complex profile. The bowstring has a special leather or wicker socket for a lead bullet. Tension force 25–30 kg. Firing range up to 100 m. Sighting range up to 20 m. Pulled by hand. Rate of fire up to 6 bullets per minute. Used for court hunting of small birds, usually by women.

5. HUNTING CROSSBOW XVII–XVIII CENTURIES. The bow is steel, often from earlier crossbows. Tension force up to 200 kg. It was pulled by a “goat leg” - a two-part lever made of wood. Firing range up to 200 m. Rate of fire 2–3 bpm. The descent is a notch with a stopper. Worn on a belt over the shoulder. When installing a bar with a groove over the bowstring, it was possible to shoot lead bullets from a crossbow.

6. COMBAT CROSSBOW XIV - EARLY XVI CENTURIES. AND TARGET XVI–XVIII CENTURIES. Steel bow. Tension force - up to 530 kg. It is tensioned with an “English collar” - a system of blocks, pulleys and a collar. The weaker crossbows had one block, the most powerful - 4. Firing range - 300–700 m. Rate of fire - no more than 1 bpm. The descent is "nut". The collar was worn on the belt, the crossbow on the shoulder.

DO IT YOURSELF - Crossbow "Housebreaker"

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

The crossbow is made from springs from Moskvich. Dimensions are visible from the photo. The tension unit allows even a teenager to cock a crossbow into combat mode. The cable is tensioned in two steps and secured.

The suspended boom flight is at least 400 meters. Tension force up to 50 kg. The device for making arrows allows you to obtain round blanks from blocks of wood (preferably hardwood - oak, hornbeam, beech) using a drill. The stabilizer is made of thick electrical cardboard.

The optical sight with laser pointer is not shown in the photo.

BLUEPRINTS

DO IT YOURSELF - Crossbow "Lord"

Characteristics:
Medieval crossbow, 14th–15th century, England, with collar.
Length with stirrup - 850 mm
Weight - 4 kg, with collar - 5.5 kg
Spindle arrows, beech, birch, feathering - leather 2.5 mm thick. Bolt weight 70 grams, length - 350 mm
The arc is made from a spring from a ZIL car. Length - 700 mm, width: in the middle 45 mm, at the edges 25 mm; thickness: in the middle 8 mm, at the edges - 6 mm
Arc force more than 150 kg
Trigger - walnut with a diameter of 32 mm and a thickness of 25 mm
Arc in protective casing (skin)
The stock is made of oak; covered with natural linseed oil
Bowstring - polyamide thread, finished bowstring diameter 10 mm
The stock is made of horn, the groove is made of mahogany
Decorative overlays - brass, etched pattern
The gate is made of steel, the blocks are brass
The time for charging a crossbow using a collar is 40–50 seconds. The force was not measured, but even children loaded quite easily
Rope on the collar - nylon
Arc fastening - using steel wedges
Aimed firing range - 250 meters
Bolt flight range - more than 1000 meters

It took several months to collect materials for the gate.

When shooting at close targets up to 100 meters, the wooden part of the bolts was destroyed when they hit the target, punching through a board 8 cm thick.

TRIGGERS

Mechanism?1.

The drawing is schematic and the arrangement of parts is rather arbitrary, but I think everything is clear. Approximate length 8–9 cm.

Mechanism?2.

Mechanism?3.

Mechanism?4.

BEST CROSSBOWS 2007

Modern powerful crossbows come in match and field crossbows. It is known that the invention of the field crossbow is attributed to American Marine archers. The ammunition of a field crossbow is feathered arrows, duralumin or carbon. In field crossbow shooting competitions, a standard five-color bow target is used. Competition tension is 43 kg, outdoor shooting distances are 35, 50 and 65 meters, indoors are 10 and 18 meters.

Match crossbows shoot with non-feathered bolts, and the tension when shooting from 10 meters is 70 kg, at a distance of 30 meters - 120 kg. Competitions take place in closed or semi-indoor areas - specially equipped shooting ranges.

It is worth noting that in terms of their combat characteristics, and most importantly, their versatility of use, modern, technologically advanced crossbows are in many ways superior to firearms in specific conditions of use. For example, during the Vietnam campaign, crossbows performed well and entered the arsenal of American rapid reaction units.

First of all, crossbows have such an important quality as noiselessness. The absence of interacting metal parts eliminates the clanging noise that accompanies shots even from low-noise and silent rifles and pistols. In addition, the energy capacity of modern materials used to create such crossbows, such as the Tenpoint Pro Elite (the best crossbow of the year according to the American magazine Inside Archery) or the Stryker (the best new technologies from Outdoor Canada), significantly exceeds the muzzle energy of a nine-millimeter bullet fired from a pistol.

What are the features, what is the beauty of hunting with a crossbow? Each hunter chooses the type of hunting that is most pleasant to him and, as they say, “what is Caesar’s is Caesar’s, and what is mechanic’s is to the mechanic.” Some people like to stand on a tower near a salt marsh and wait for their doomed victim, some are interested in driving a crowd into the beast and shooting it as an enemy of the people, and some enjoy hunting with a crossbow. For many people, hunting with a crossbow is not a hobby, but an exciting sport. The main feature of hunting with a crossbow is that the hunter becomes on an equal footing with the victim, he creates for himself the conditions of hunting centuries ago, complicates the hunting process and, accordingly, increases its prestige. Anyone can kill a wild boar with a screw cutter, and there’s nothing special to be proud of. If you want to eat, buy pork and eat, and if you want hunting, sport, courage, put your multi-shot gun aside, pick up a crossbow and go into the forest - show your peasant prowess. The main beauty of hunting with a crossbow is that such hunting is almost silent. A rifle shot can be heard several kilometers away, and all the people and animals in the area know who, where and with what caliber... A shot from a crossbow is almost silent - a light clap that drowns in the foliage after a hundred meters. There are often cases when the bird does not even fly away and there is an opportunity to reload, make adjustments and shoot again.

What does it take to successfully hunt with a crossbow?

Of course, the crossbow itself. Modern crossbows can be divided into two classes - classic crossbows with recursive (curved) arms and block crossbows, equipped with a system of eccentric blocks that facilitate loading the crossbow and speed up the acceleration of the arrow.

Recurve crossbows have a number of advantages - they are lightweight, easy to use and extremely reliable. Having arms with a pulling force of more than 50 kg, recurve crossbows are suitable for hunting any small, large animal and bird. They are easy to assemble and disassemble and easy to transport. They are versatile for long hikes, where every kilogram counts. Heavy block crossbows are good for outdoor hunting of large, often dangerous animals, when a large reserve of power and high energy are needed. A compound crossbow is not always needed.

Shooting a capercaillie or a beaver with a block gun is the same as shooting sparrows from a cannon.

In general, crossbows are perfect for various types of hunting: both “from ambush” and “from the approach.” Modern crossbows most often have arms made of high-modulus composite materials, devoid of “fatigue” - the crossbow can be carried cocked for several hours - this gives the hunter the opportunity to quickly shoot at an unexpected target.

The only type of hunting in which a crossbow is useless is shooting at a flying target - it is extremely difficult, almost impossible, to hit.

How powerful should a hunting crossbow be?

The power of a crossbow theoretically depends on two parameters:

1) the force that the arc develops at the limit point of the bowstring stroke;

2) the ultimate ability of the arc to bend or the stroke (excursion) of the bowstring. There are eccentrics who dream of buying a crossbow with a pulling force of 200 kilograms or more. Of course, these are crazy ideas.

For confident shooting at large ungulates at a distance of up to 50 meters, a crossbow with a tension force of 50–70 kg is sufficient. For wild boar hunting, it is better to take a crossbow that is a little more powerful - with shoulders of about 80 kg. I want to emphasize once again that you should not chase power - correctly selected ammunition and good shooting skills will give you much more advantages than monstrous power arms.

Sights.

The main feature of sighting devices is determined by the ballistics of the flight of a projectile (arrow, bolt), which causes a significant change in the position of the aiming line relative to the line of departure with a slight change in the distance to the target. Modern crossbows always have a dovetail, on which you can install whatever your heart desires.

In fact, a crossbow does not need a powerful optic greater than 4x. 4x32 or 4x24 is optimal, but it is best to use a red dot sight - it is convenient both during the day and at dusk, when you need to aim with both eyes.

The collimator is also good for quick shooting at moving targets. I recommend a collimator as the optimal sighting device for crossbows.

What ammunition is used for crossbow hunting?

For hunting large game, it is advisable to use professional, branded arrows (bolts) made of carbon or fiberglass - they are very light, durable with ideal geometry and correct “weight distribution”. Sometimes you can find good aluminum arrows, but they are more suitable for practice shooting or “feather” hunting.

Often, hunting arrows have a threaded insert on the front section of the shaft, which allows you to change the tip from a sporting one to a hunting one and vice versa. A hunting tip is most often equipped with three or more steel blades; in some cases, the tips are collapsible with the ability to replace individual blades.

The fletching of hunting arrows is always longer than that of sporting arrows. This is explained by the fact that the arrow must instantly stabilize in flight and take a firing position; this is especially important when shooting at short distances - up to 30 meters. The length of the arrow usually corresponds to the guide of the crossbow and the excursion of the bowstring - most often hunting arrows range from 40 to 50 cm in length.

The weight of a hunting arrow is approximately 30–35 grams.

Arrows for hunting birds and small game are usually shorter and lighter, their maximum weight is 25 grams and their length is 30 cm. Fiberglass and aluminum are ideal materials for cheap, “bird” arrows.

Harpoon arrows for hunting fish deserve special mention. By the way, in America, shooting fish with a crossbow and bow is a popular pastime, similar to our spear hunting. The harpoon arrow has a special needle-shaped shape, which allows the arrow to move easily under water and a tip with a “tooth” in the form of a spear. On the butt plate of the arrow there is a small hook to which a nylon thread is tied; the thread itself, in turn, is wound on an inertia-free reel and attached to the crossbow.

The optimal distance for shooting with a crossbow.

For hunting, it is advisable to use a crossbow with such power that a conventionally straight shot at the chest figure is at least 50 meters. The trajectory of a crossbow arrow has its own characteristics and is difficult to calculate at long distances, so it is advisable to shoot at a distance of a conventionally direct shot - up to 50–60 meters. You don’t have to worry about accuracy of fire - any decent crossbow is several times superior to a smoothbore gun in accuracy of fire.

Where to shoot?

Killer places for crossbow shooting are not only the chest and neck, but also the stomach. For example, a wild boar, after an arrow hits the stomach area, simply sits on the ground and screams, a couple of seconds and the second, control arrow stops the torment. The most “killer” places, of course, are the neck and chest: a hunting arrow easily spreads the ribs and, even breaking one of its blades, goes deep inside and inflicts fatal wounds. When an adult deer is hit in the chest with a “60-pound” crossbow from a distance of about 50 meters, the arrow travels 20 centimeters inward and reaches vital organs. If the tip was fastened “tightly” and cannot be unscrewed, then it is no longer possible to remove the arrow from the victim, you can only cut it out.

How humane is hunting with a crossbow?

Firstly, a hunter with a crossbow has only one responsible shot and must clearly decide whether to shoot or not. If the distance or power of the crossbow does not allow you to confidently kill the animal, it is better not to shoot at all. A crossbowman never fires like a madman at the bushes in bursts - everything is always decided by one single arrow.

Secondly, it has long been proven that a shot from a crossbow at distances of up to 60–70 meters is more effective compared to a bullet. Unlike a bullet, an arrow does not have a shock or stopping effect; more precisely, the “stopping effect” is achieved in a different way - a crossbow or archery arrow, hitting the victim’s body, does not allow movement, paralyzes.

Possessing a three-blade tip, the arrow causes serious damage and causes rapid blood loss.

There are practically no wounded animals in crossbow hunting, so hunting with a crossbow is more humane than with other types of hunting weapons.

What should you pay attention to when hunting with a crossbow?

First of all, safety precautions. This technique is exactly the same as that of firearms, only with minor additions. The most important thing is that while shooting, it is important to vigilantly watch the fingers of your left hand - they should not fall on the line of movement of the bowstring - we do not have many fingers to spread them out.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the shoulders of the crossbow so that during the shot the shoulders do not hit branches or foreign objects. It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the bowstring - it should not have any visible damage or tears that could cause the bowstring to rupture during the shot. Blank shots should not be allowed - they can damage the shoulders and bowstring. Otherwise, the rules for handling a crossbow are based on the same laws of reason and rules of conduct for hunting.

"Encyclopedia of Technologies and Methods" Patlakh V.V. 1993–2007

The book presents a wide range of hunting weapons, from the spear of a Roman hunter and medieval arrows used during the hunt for wild boar, to the harpoon gun and Winchester rifles used by whalers. All types of hunting sabers, knives, bayonets, bows, crossbows, guns and other weapons from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century are described in detail. This study will be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about hunting tools and how to use them.

Crossbows that fire bullets or stones

Despite Espinar's opinion, by the end of the 17th century. The crossbow is almost universally replaced by hunting rifles. It is preferred primarily by those who hunt big game. For small game and some species of birds, a special type of crossbow that fired bullets was preserved. It was known in France as an arbalete-a-jalet, in Germany as a kugelschnepper (bullet) and in many ways differed significantly from a conventional crossbow. Thus, its bowstring was made of two parallel ropes, held by separate bone or wooden attachments, like those of stone bows. In the middle of the rope there was a leather grip that held the projectile, which was used as a pebble, lead or terracotta spool, chosen depending on the hunter’s preferences.

Crossbows for throwing stones have been mentioned in Europe since the beginning of the 14th century. In one of the first copies of the “Book of Hunting” of the 15th century. According to Gaston de Foix, the chamois hunter is first advised to make hay piles or set up nets in the places where the animals pass. Then, when the chamois have to climb high cliffs, his assistants “must throw stones at them with crossbows so that they remain in place ... or do everything in their power so that they begin to dodge the stones and jump over the rocks.”

True, only examples dating back to the 16th century have survived. In 1547, the Inventory of Henry VIII's Arsenal noted "one bow that shot stones." In 1583, Claude Gaucher published the poem “The Pleasure of Hunting,” where he devotes several lines to the stone bow:

And then I approach with a crossbow in my hands, I draw it and insert the cannonball into the sling, Raising it and taking aim, I see a blackbird or another bird. I press the lever, releasing the bowstring, And the bow straightens with terrible force, Fires a bullet into the air directly at the rising bird.

The “bow of terrible power” he mentioned, with the help of which the lead bullet was fired, turns out to be nothing more than a catapult, and not a full-fledged crossbow. Nevertheless, stone crossbows were also distinguished by their accuracy. In his 1682 book A Collection of Curious Facts, Baron Hochberg describes how, in 1638, he observed Prince Matteo de' Medici in Bremen shooting with a stone bow at a ball thrown by a page in such a way that both balls, made of baked clay, shattered into pieces. A stone crossbow that once belonged to Queen Catherine de' Medici of France is now kept in the Army Museum in Paris. It belongs to a popular model common in Italy and France.

The artist Jan van der Straat (1523-1605), known as Stradanus, painted most of his best works while working at the invitation of Duke Cosimo de' Medici in Florence. Then he made drawings for the tapestries of the palace in Peggio a Caiano. Most of the paintings show men and women hunting birds, rabbits and other game with an Italian variety of stone crossbows.

These crossbows had a long, straight frame with a slightly curved front section between the bow and the barrel. A sight with a point was attached to the bow. The trunk itself was often decorated with beautiful wood carvings with images of animals or fish. A simple hinged trigger mechanism was operated by a long hook, releasing the leather sling. The two ropes were easily pulled by hand. The low power of the bow is proven by the fact that in all the drawings made by Stradanus, hunters armed with such bows had to sneak up on the prey as close as possible.

Sometimes they had to use specially constructed shelters (Fig. 83). There is often an image of a cow covered with a blanket reaching to the ground, it was used as a component for cover during hunting with a German wheel gun made around 1580, say, like the example that is kept in the Tower of London.

Another Florentine artist, Antonio Tempesta (1555-1630), was proud of his depictions of hunters with stone bows. In J. Olina's book Antiquities, published in Rome in 1622, there is an engraving depicting hunters armed with stone bows and a kind of net or net with a long handle, which allowed them to hunt birds at night by the light of lanterns.

Olina suggests that “the crossbows used for this purpose must have had a soft bow with a coating so as not to make any noise when the arrow was released. Therefore, if someone accidentally missed, the birds would not get scared and would not fly up, and one could try to shoot at them again.”

German and Swedish stone bows were made differently in shape. One of the varieties, the so-called slot crossbow, has already been discussed above. A poem scratched on the silver barrel plate describes this type of bow, probably with a magazine release:

There are twenty-four bullets in my belly, I spew them out one by one, Quickly and consistently, And whoever tries to stop them will receive a bullet Himself.

Most German stone bows had a steel rod that served as a barrel, onto which a movable lever was attached, which was pressed against the head with a clamp. A box with a lock rotated on a hinged lever, which included a folding sight, a hook and a system of levers that connected all this with something like a trigger. Such a rod or frame holding the lever and lock sometimes ended with a wooden head intended for the cheek (photo 79). In later samples it was supplemented with a rifle-like barrel, characteristic of a particular manufacturer (photo 81).

Note that bows were made in different sizes - from toy ones for children to large bows for target shooting. Some had a removable platform or stand located in the middle of the bow so that arrows could also be fired. An interesting example of a combined weapon is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It consists of a carbine with a wheel lock, the barrel of which acts as a frame for a stone crossbow.

In England, the stone crossbow continued to be a favorite hunting weapon. A 16th-century embroidered tapestry at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, known as the Game Hunter, depicts two crossbows used for hunting birds. One of them is a crossbow with a straight barrel that fired arrows, the other can be considered an example of an Italian stone crossbow. It is a stone bow with a built-in pincer tensioner, which was popular in England.

Made by the London gunsmith Andrew Dohler around 1695, the crossbow in the Kienbush collection has an Italian style barrel but operates by bending it. It was this type of bow that English crossbow manufacturers began to improve at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. Made by Joseph Egg around 1820, the silver-plated stone bow is kept in the Tower of London. It has a built-in lever mechanism attached to a conventional rifle stock so that it can be fired from the shoulder. It also had a sight with a hole and thin wires in the field of view, making it easier to aim.

In “Rural Hunt” of 1807, W.V. Daniel wrote the following about these bows: “The bullet-firing bows were of a modern and fairly neat design. As for the accuracy, it is simply amazing; with their help you can knock down a ball placed on the tip of a knife. And the most remarkable thing is that an absolute beginner can do this at a distance of 15 to 20 yards, and the balls always come out with the same accuracy.

In the 19th century crossbows were most widely used in East Anglia and Lancashire. At least one study is known about supporters of this type of hunting. Although there were claims of unique shots taken on rabbits and even larger game, stone bows continued to be used primarily for bird hunting.

In England, they revived the old Italian tradition of hunting birds at night by lantern light. In the 1845 edition of John Mayer's Advice to Hunters, the following description is given: “Let two or three go with lanterns and lighted candles, holding them outstretched in their hands, in the other hand carrying a small net like a net, but smaller in size, attached to the end of a long a pole to knock down birds as they roost for the night. Surprised by the light directly hitting them, they do not have time to move before they immediately find themselves knocked to the ground. The bow is very useful in this case, since it allows you to shoot down birds while they are sitting.”

True, the hunters themselves did not really value shooting at a sitting target, but during the day this type of shooting gave quite funny results.

The following anecdote appeared in Hone's Daily Book for 1848: “Some time ago, in the garden behind the church courthouse there were several large elms, where many rooks settled and built their nests. The young gentleman who lived in the attic unwittingly became their close neighbor and often amused himself by shooting at them with his crossbow. On the opposite side of the same garden lived a curious old doctor. He was at a loss, seeing from the window of his office how rooks suddenly fell to the ground for no apparent reason, “falling in clusters” from the branches in complete silence. Sparing no effort, he wasted his time on completely useless observations. Finally, having collected, as it seemed to him, enough information, the doctor thought about what was happening again and again until he finally came to the conclusion, which completely satisfied him, that he had made a great ornithological discovery, because, in his opinion, birds died, giving life to their offspring in accordance with with the principle “Volito vivus per ora vivum” (“The living reaches the border of life”).

Deciding that publishing information about this discovery would bring fame, he wrote a message about it in one of the magazines. When the true reason for the phenomenon that shocked him was finally revealed, our old man lost his mind, unable to bear the shock that befell him.”

In 1849, Richard Edward Hodges received a patent for "improvements in mechanical devices." The catapult crossbow made under this patent looked like a gun, except that its barrel was cut with two longitudinal slits through which an elastic bowstring passed. Hodge describes it as “constructed in the likeness of an ordinary game-hunting crossbow, which could also be adapted for deer hunting, and could be easily carried over long distances and fired without producing any noise or smell.”

The Tower of London houses another type of Hodges catapult, which has a rifle barrel and a rigid crossbow with an elastic bowstring (photo 84). However, none of these catapults seriously competed with steel drawn stone bows.

In Italy, stone crossbows continued to be used to hunt the smallest birds, as well as fish, since the use of short guns could damage the delicate flesh. In "Illustrated Hunting" 1868-1869. An image of night hunting in Italy is given, from which it becomes clear that it was carried out in exactly the same way as in the 16th century.

Continuing the topic of making crossbows yourself, I would like to bring to your attention another rather original design - a crossbow that shoots bullets. The peculiarity of this design is in a completely unusual approach to a crossbow throwing projectile, namely, instead of a classic arrow, a steel bullet is proposed. In addition, the crossbow has two opposing bows, which significantly increases the power of the crossbow and the range of the bullet. The schematic drawings of the crossbow given below show its general structure quite clearly. We'll figure out the small details ourselves.

So, this crossbow consists of:

1. two bows
2. crossbow stock
3. crossbow stock
4. cocking mechanism
5. trigger
6. container
7. kernel
8. bearing
9. bracket
10. spring

Now let's try to describe this crossbow in action. The sliding container (6), together with the cassette, which is located on the shaft, has a special additional device, shown in Fig. 2.

This device consists of a multifaceted rod (7) that goes into a rotation shaft. The rotation shaft, in turn, is placed on a bearing (8). Part of the shaft is located behind the bearing and also has the form of a multifaceted rod, which is twisted in the direction of the axis. Behind the rear part of the container there is a bracket (9) with a hole made horizontally. The profile of the hole is identical to the profile of the twisted shaft. A spring made of elastic plate steel (10) is attached to the top of the bracket, the purpose of which is to hold the bullet on the rod (7).

The free ends of the bowstring are fixed to the cocking mechanism (4), which allows you to adjust the tension force of the bows.

How does this invention of design work?

The container with the bowstring and the bullet is fixed in the mechanism by a trigger mechanism. Next, the cocking mechanism (4) moves along the stock, pulling the bows, and is fixed. By pressing the trigger, we release the bowstring and the container begins to move forward. The rod with the bullet at this moment twists around the longitudinal axis. After the rotating shaft disengages from the bracket (9), the bullet begins to accelerate, rotating around its axis by inertia.

This is, in principle, the entire operating principle of the design of this crossbow. It remains to work out (with our brains) some important ones. For example, such as: how the container is connected to the crossbow stock and on what it makes its reciprocating movement. Accordingly, this also applies to the bowstring cocking mechanism. Unfortunately, the drawings found on the Internet do not give a complete picture of this, but knowing the principle of operation and the device, you can figure it out yourself. It is also worth considering what materials all the parts and mechanisms of the crossbow can be made from.

Naturally, if you make a crossbow yourself, you will need to have access to some specialized equipment. A file and a drill are unlikely to help here. Although there may be such craftsmen that they can “cook porridge” even from an ax. Our people are rich in inventions and have golden hands.

P.S.

The article is a rewrite. The administrator is not responsible for the accuracy of the information. Everything you do is done at your own peril and risk.

The invention relates to a weapon without the use of an explosive propellant charge and can be used in a crossbow that fires a bullet, intended for silent hunting of large animals, and sports shooting. It contains a bow, a stock, a butt, a trigger mechanism and a movable container with a cassette made in the form of a screw rectangular rod. The crossbow has a means for coupling the bullet to the screw surface, mounted on the bullet. The container has a pencil case, on the inner cylindrical wall of which longitudinal inclined slots are made to interact with the means for coupling the bullet with the screw surface. The invention makes it possible to reduce the weight of the crossbow and increase ease of use. 1 salary f-ly, 2 ill.

The invention relates to a weapon without the use of an explosive propellant charge and can be used for silent hunting of large game and for sport target shooting. A crossbow is known (patent RU No. 2059188), containing a bow, a stock, a butt, a trigger mechanism and a movable container with a cassette connected to a bowstring and engaged with the stock, while the bullet is twisted along the longitudinal axis by a screw shank located behind the bullet and inserted into partial engagement with a bracket permanently fixed to the stock behind the container. The main and main drawback of the prototype is the large weight of the container, which is dispersed over the bed, because The cassette is equipped with a rotation shaft with a bearing and a shank. In addition, when cocking, there are certain difficulties in engaging the shank with the bracket. The invention is aimed at reducing the weight of the crossbow and increasing ease of use. To obtain a technical result, a crossbow that fires a bullet, containing a bow, a stock, a butt, a trigger mechanism and a movable container with a cassette, connected to a string and engaged with the stock, a rectangular cross-section rod with a helical surface, the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to the axis of the stock, according to the invention equipped with a means for coupling the bullet with the screw surface mounted on the bullet, and the rectangular cross-section rod with the screw surface and the cassette are a single element.

In addition, the container is equipped with a pencil case, the axis of which is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the rectangular cross-section rod, while on the inner cylindrical wall of the pencil case, the diameter of which exceeds the diameter of the bullet, longitudinal inclined slots are made to interact with the means for coupling the bullet with the screw surface.

The proposed device is illustrated by drawings, where figure 1 shows a crossbow container with a cassette, and figure 2 shows a container with a pencil case.

The crossbow contains: 1 - container, 2 - cassette, 3 - string, 4 - pencil case, 5 - bullet with engagement plate 6 or engagement pins 7 and 8 - stock.

Crossbow work. Bullet 5 accelerates as follows:

Container 1, with the help of a bowstring 3, accelerates along the stock 8. At the moment when the acceleration becomes negative, the bullet leaves the cassette 2 by inertia. Due to the fact that the square (rectangular) rod is twisted, and the hole is in the engagement plate 6 mounted on the bullet , repeats the profile of the rod, the bullet, when leaving the rod, twists along the longitudinal axis.

In the case of using a pencil case, engagement pins 7 made on the bullet are inserted into its longitudinal inclined slots (when cocking). Instead of a bullet, you can put a shot charge into a pencil case.

Claim

1. A crossbow that fires a bullet, containing a bow, a stock, a butt, a trigger mechanism and a movable container with a cassette, connected to a string and engaged with the stock, a rectangular cross-section rod with a helical surface, the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to the axis of the stock, characterized in that it is equipped with a means for coupling the bullet with the screw surface, mounted on the bullet, and the rectangular cross-section rod with the screw surface and the cassette are a single element.

2. The crossbow according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is equipped with a pencil case, the axis of which is aligned with the longitudinal axis of a rod of rectangular cross-section, while on the inner cylindrical wall of the pencil case, the diameter of which exceeds the diameter of the bullet, longitudinal inclined slots are made to interact with the bullet coupling means with a helical surface.

Among the fairly few schnapper crossbows capable of shooting both traditional arrows and steel/lead balls or bullets, a truly unique model has appeared - the Zubin X340 “shotgun”.

The closed, almost rifle-like “barrel” immediately catches your eye. The secret of this crossbow lies in its design.

In classic use with a draw weight of 190 lbs, it accelerates a standard arrow weighing about 370 grains (1 grain = 0.0648 grams) to a speed of 340 fps, or 103 m/s, which is completely . Here, “Zubin”, let’s say, is not a favorite, there are also faster models, but it can do what all its brothers are not capable of, even with the schnapper function.

Unlike traditional schnappers, which fire a single steel ball (lead bullet), “Zubin” sends a whole sheaf of 16 “BB” projectiles to the target, with weight and size characteristics approximately corresponding to shot “000” (hare, fox, wood grouse). You can use smaller shot loads that are comparable in weight to a 370-grain arrow (pictured).

The charge is placed in an arrow-shaped container (pictured above), which, when exiting the barrel, opens, releasing it into free flight. Rubber rings serve only to hold the shot during transportation.

The loading process itself looks very unusual, when the container is inserted into the barrel “back to front” - with the tip and the shank out (pictured).

In this case, the inverted tail does not serve to stabilize the flight of the arrow, but to fully and quickly open the container when fired.

There is one nuance associated with loading that I actively did not like. With a conventional crossbow, we put the arrow into the guide from above, then just move it back a little until it stops. Moreover, holding it by the tube, and not by the tip. The closed barrel of the Zubin does not allow this; you have to do the same thing as loading underwater guns with harpoons. But there this is done using the so-called. “chargers” that extend the tip beyond the palm. In our case, especially with hunting tips installed, the arrow will have to be held directly by the blades. In the version with shot containers it is even more interesting - they have to be brought to the cocked bowstring with an arrow, like a ramrod for muzzle-loading shotguns. As picture:

Agree, breaking the bowstring from the combat platoon at this moment can lead to not very pleasant consequences. Of course, the crossbow is equipped with an automatic safety, but the feeling is still alarming. However, this is a matter of habit and compliance with minimum safety requirements.

Is it possible to hunt with a Zubin X340 crossbow? Why not. Classical arrow shooting was discussed above; its indicators are quite sufficient even for hunting ungulates, or. As for use as a shotgun, everything is not so rosy here. The shot speed of this crossbow is almost five times less than that of a conventional gun, hence the very short effective shooting distances - the maximum is 20-25 meters, no more.

And, of course, we are no longer talking about wild boars. However, the total charge energy - about 115 joules (for a gun 2-3 thousand J) - is much more substantial than, say, that of, even with pre-pumping. For comparison: spring-piston “supermagnum” - 30 joules, PCP pneumatics - on average from 30 to 70 J, and only the super-powerful “BigBor” exceeds the 100-joule mark. The same can be said with regard to serial schnapper crossbows, like the “Black Python” and its other Chinese analogues, not to mention the . In the bottom photo is a classic “skeet” for clay pigeon shooting, shattered into pieces by a “Zubinov” shot.

Impressive. Therefore, quite serious birds, such as black grouse, or, say, a hare on a bait, look like quite accessible objects of hunting. Again, subject to the shortest possible shooting distances. But this is already a headache for the hunter himself and an indicator of his skill, which allows him to quietly approach the prey or competently organize an ambush.

An undoubted advantage of the “Zubin” for recreational shooting is the ability to switch from arrows to shot, for variety, and even practice in flying shooting. In general, the model is really unique and interesting.

By the way, at one of the foreign weapons forums I met a man who claimed that it was he who sold the patent for a closed crossbow barrel to the Zubin Outdoors company. And this was just last year, 2015, so the Zubinovites were great, they organized production extremely quickly. By the way, the author of the patent also invented a mechanism for a compound bow, turning it into a kind of “bow” that is now gaining popularity. I had a chance to watch his video - it’s very similar to Asian devices for shooting combat bows with crossbows or simply broken short arrows.

The engineering miracle under the name “Zubin X340” costs about $550. The kit includes 22-inch arrows, shot containers (they can be purchased separately), an optical sight, and a manual bowstring tensioner.

It has not yet appeared in Russia and it is not known whether it will appear. Moreover, it is unlikely that a small arms company will start producing arms that are very original in design, weakened to meet the requirements of domestic legislation. And yet the model is of undoubted interest.

Current insert. A video of the famous German gunsmith inventor Jörg Spreive shooting a Zubin at speed has appeared on the Internet. True, he apparently did not dare to shoot only with arrows or shotgun loads through a chronograph :)). But he shot them in “ballistic gel.”