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Crossbows - Everything about Building, Modding, and Using your Crossbow Gear

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4 posters

    Minimum bolt weight steel prod

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    Armymedic.2
    Techno Weeny

    Lets put a laser on it!!!


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    Post by Armymedic.2 Sun Nov 06, 2016 6:59 am

    Hello all
    Ive been shooting my medieval xbow for a year now with bolts made from dowels.  And i just made up some really nice looking bolts from some 11/32 shafting i had laying around.    But even after putting a nail in the end of the shaft for extra weight with epoxy they are coming out at 360 grains average

    The prod is from slow bows # 150-190

    My dowel bolts end up at 415 grains or so and fly great    But the lesser weight makes me nervous about the dry fire effect

    So before i shoot them
    Is 360 grains heavy enough for the steel limbs or am i looking for trouble?

    Thanks in advance!
    Keith

    Also ps for those lurking looking for info
    The 415 grain bolts with single bevel steel broadheads i forge have passed through both deer. I have shot with it.    Plenty of power
    One at 15 yards. 
    One at 10
    Both double lung.   Both buried into the dirt after
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    Post by Gnome Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:37 am

    Wow the forum is quiet! Hard to believe your question has gone almost two weeks without anyone weighing in. Wish I had an answer for you. I've experimented a bit, but I come at it the question from the other side- I want to know how heavy a bolt I can use with a steel prod without it slowing too much, not how light I can go without overstressing the weapon. I know there's a ratio for optimum projectile weight to the physical weight of the prod, not the draw weight, but I don't remember what it is- 1/12, maybe? I know it's on at least one thread on this forum, if you find it you could use that as a base point.
    Great to hear of your hunting success. The hunters that I meet at the range, zeroing in the sights on their modern compound crossbows, admire the craftsmanship of the steel prod weapons I've built, but do not consider them to be realistic hunting tools.
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    Post by Geezer Fri Nov 18, 2016 8:55 am

    As I recall, Egon Harmuth suggested your bolt should weigh 1/60th the weight of a steel prod (not draw weight, but actual prod weight) wood or composite prods might be different... they're generally lighter for power produced.

    Geezer.
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    Post by Gnome Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:33 am

    1/12th, 1/60th, yeah, somewhere in that ballpark, LOL
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    Post by Armymedic Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:01 pm

    Thanks guys.   yeah sure is quiet here!

    Just last night i decided to just try it, and they fly fantastic.   notably faster than my thicker bolts, but i wuld say they are not faster than 200 fps    maybe just at it.   ill chrono another time when i have sunlight to work with

    i fixed some judos on them and went out today, after putting a new stone bow style sight on. 

    the squirrels werent out much but i did manage to down one.    the new bolts proved too fast for them to dodge.  what great fun!   a nice appetizer is int he fridge now :}

    fyi i also tied on some full height turkey feathers to try as flu flus      it did work....  they only go about 2/3 as far as my normal fletching.  but they ended up getting lost in the woods anyway.   haha

    with the judo points on i fired two up at an angle, and paced it off at 210 yards flight.   i imagine a bit further with a field point.

    fun stuff    thanks for responding guys

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