How to make a bow and arrows - making a real bow from improvised materials

The carnival costume of Pocahontas, Beastman, Chingachgook and Robin Hood will look great if you add such an attribute as a bow and quiver with arrows. This is an important addition for games, matinees, theater productions. It is also a sports equipment, and of course, a serious weapon that will help the traveler to survive in extreme conditions.

To make your own bow is not difficult. Already today you can make sure of it. It will help to make it in no time the following tips and recommendations.

Materials for work

To make a bow yourself, you should find a long rod, flexible, strong, with a flat surface. For sports competitions, of course, it is better to buy a weapon in a specialized store or make it to order. The skill of selfmaking is useful for entertainment, development of confidence in one's abilities, without which one cannot do without in extreme situations, and in life in general.

If you have to face an unsolvable task, the inability to transform the environment, sacred knowledge, the connection with past generations, history, the experience of civilization is lost. Making a bow can be called a fascinating process, interesting, obliging to nothing, but useful. You can create colorful decorations, give a holiday to yourself and your loved ones.

The most suitable species of wood are the following:

oak;
acacia;
ash;
yew.

The length of the rod should be such, that the weapon as a result turned out to be the size a little less than the height of its owner. In general, the dimensions of a bow can be different. They are chosen according to personal preferences and purpose. In ancient times hunters often made their own bows, fitting them to themselves, so as not to feel uncomfortable in pursuit of a bird, animal or fishing.

It is better, of course, to look for the most suitable rod, perfectly flat, flexible, spend more time on the search, less on the redesign of the bow. This is a more sophisticated weapon than the spear. It is designed for long-range combat, endowed with considerable power. In the old days quite a lot of attention was paid to its manufacture, more than to the manufacture of a spear.

A self-made version might not work at the first attempt, or it will be difficult to repeat the success. One should be prepared for that. There must also be a talent for gunsmithing. So the possibility of buying paraphernalia should not be forgotten. Not always the work succeeds, it is more rational to stop trying, choose a purchased one.

It is recommended, deciding how to make a bow with their own hands, what size, give preference to the luxurious attribute, the largest, full-length. This is an ideal option in order to make an impression. The photos will be great, the mood wonderful. It will surprise everyone doubly apt shooting, but also, without shooting, it will make an impression.

The smallest bow will come in handy to make the game of Indians dynamic and vivid. It is better and do not use arrows when playing with friends. Running, hiding will be easy, and you can hold a contest, a competition in marksmanship in a separate order, keep the bow on your shoulder, arrows in the quiver.

To determine the right length of arrows and base is usually measured arm's span. This is the dimensions you are looking for. If you follow this rule, you can quickly, without risk, make a bow suitable for hunting, fishing.

To make a bowstring is used:

fishing line;
twine;
hemp rope;
silk rope;
cotton;
nylon cord.

In ancient times rawhide was used. Now it is a rarity. It is easier to find cotton thread, from a scrap of cloth to make a bowstring, from fishing line.

To make arrows you need only wooden rods. Nothing else is needed. They should be about the same length, no longer than half the length of the bow.

Making a bow and arrows

How to make a pickled bow without a knife? It's really not difficult. And for sharpening arrows. preparing the base of the arrow shell will need a good knife. You will also need to make a fire.

A knife will be needed to clean the twigs, notches, sharpening the ends, and leveling. A campfire will help straighten slightly bent branches. A sharpened arrow edge will be used as a tip. The feathering improves ergonomics, but it is not a necessary element.

Drawing the bowstring

It is necessary to determine where the center is at the base of the bow. Approximately 7.5 cm from the center, a shallow notch must be made. Then determine which is the upper arm and which is the lower arm. On the lower arm you need to make a handle with a guide ledge for the stop, the correct placement of the arrow.

It is important to sharpen the edges of the base so that they do not differ from each other, are the same. If a good branch is found, there is no need to sharpen it, but different edges are really no problem.

On both sides, at a distance of 2.5 to 5 cm from the edge, shallow semicircular slots must also be made for the bowstring. After that, tie the bowstring to the edges, gently pulling it and the base of the bow.

How to make arrows

The arrows should be perfectly straight. Aligning the branches is not a problem. To do this, they should be dried lightly over a campfire. When they are hot, it is necessary to straighten each one with an effort, to hold in this position for some time. They will become perfectly straight.

The method is suitable only in the case of fresh branches. The dry twigs soaked in the rain cannot be straightened. They are useful only for a wizard, if the game involves such a character, or a shaman of the aboriginal tribe.

Plumage allows you to increase the range of the shot and improve accuracy. If you have beautiful feathers on hand, you can split the arrow from the other side, place them, fix them by tying them with thread. But if you don't have them, there's no need to worry. This is not a necessary addition.

Intuition will tell all the nuances. In practice, it is easier to understand how to make a bow and arrow with your own hands. The above recommendations allow you to make the most basic tool, the classic homemade bow. Their varieties are actually a lot of known history. In Mongolia and Buryatia, in Sarmatia, Scythia, Greece and Egypt were used different types, with notable design differences.

The most common variant was a compound bow, with metal weights, hilt, inserts made of deer horn. The simplicity of the classic wooden bow's construction was compensated for by the use of arrow poisons.

Those bows sold in stores are Olympic bows, hunting bows. They have a more complex configuration. This makes them more effective. A homemade bow, however, can save a life in an extreme situation. Gentle polishing, bright plumage, colorful bowstring, quiver with embroidery will make it a colorful element of a carnival outfit.

Quiver for arrows

As for the quiver, it is recommended to use a sturdy, rigid material to make it. It is desirable to make a frame, so that the arrows can be easily taken out. A quiver with a semi-circular bottom is considered the best option. It will not interfere. A quiver with a round bottom can roll over on your back, causing trouble. But it has a large capacity.