Before you can choose the best bow for a SHTF situation, you need to know a little about the most common types and how they work. Here's what you need to know about each:

Beginning with the recurve bow, this is simply a traditional bow whose limbs curve away from the user when unstrung. Because its arms are made of multiple layers of carbon, carbon foam, and fiberglass, this bow comes with a greater mass.

Keep in mind that the greater the mass of your bow, the greater its stability is (and the more accuracy it will offer you).

Next up is the compound bow…

This is a modern bow that employs a leveling system. That is, pulleys and cables are used to bend the bow’s limbs, making it stiffer than the recurve model. This rigidity makes the bow more efficient compared to the others, given that energy is dissipated during limb movement.

The longer strings that come with this bow enables you to pull your arrow back as far as you can to generate more power. This will further aid in loosening your hold on this bow, and you’ll not need to use a lot of effort and energy to hold your arrow in the firing position.

Much like the recurve bow, a crossbow is a traditional model. In fact, it’s basically a recurve bow mounted on a stick such that it holds the loaded bow string.

As we have seen in the case of the compound and recurve bows, you’ll need to use both hands to string the bow and to shoot (this requires you to use a lot of energy and makes the bow unstable). Thankfully, a crossbow allows you to use a single hand to shoot since the mechanism already holds the bowstring for you.

While compound and recurve bows use arrows, a crossbow used bolts. Unlike the arrows, bolts are a bit less efficient when it comes to releasing energy.

And in case you're still having trouble deciding, here's a summary that gives you the most important points you need to know:

While the recurve bow is incredibly easy to use and is highly portable, it lacks in power and shooting accuracy. Furthermore, it lacks additional features to handle the recoil and shock after shooting. If you’re a beginner archer, therefore, you might want to keep off this bow for now.

A compound bow will meet your expectations of a perfect SHTF weapon. It’s an excellent choice for beginners, with a high degree of accuracy, no much energy needed to use it, reduced recoil and shock effects, and so on. However, be prepared for regular maintenance of various parts that come with this bow.

A crossbow is an improved model of the recurve bow. It also exhibits a high degree of accuracy and power. It’s incredibly easy to use and does not require you to input much energy. Both amateur and pro archers will find this bow a valuable asset!

So which type of bow would you rather use? Have you ever used any of these, and if so, what was your experience like? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Article Source: The Prepper Journal