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Locking compound bow

Put your back into it!
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Compound bows are super nifty. Because of wheels and mechanisms one not hold the entire force of the bent bow while the arrow is aimed.

But the compound bow is still drawn back with just the force of two arms, like some grunting Stone Age chump. The reason is the necessity to hold the string once it is drawn back.

Crossbows have a lock to retain the bent bow in place until the projectile is fired. Because of this one can draw back the bow using a belt loop or ones foot placed through a loop mounted on the crossbow.

The locking compound bow has a thumb switch which locks the pulleys in place such that the bow cannot be discharged. One could put both feet inside the string and so utilize the strongest muscles in the body to pull back the string, pulling with hands and feet both. It then locks, you change your grip, get arrow in place, unlock and shoot.

bungston, Apr 22 2017

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       I remember discussing super-heavy draw-weight yew long bows, and one person who had trained themselves to be able to shoot such things explaining that they were no better than a much lighter bow in terms of range, accuracy, etc. Their main improvement was presumably being able to shoot heavier arrows, for armour piercing. And for boasting rights.
pocmloc, Apr 23 2017
  

       Nice, you could release the arrow one handed.   

       How about a crossbow which is cocked (or pulled, or whatever it is) by means of a blank cartridge, á la Coffman starter?
MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 23 2017
  

       My experience is all with spear guns, but the policy is the same - you will not get near me with this thing in a loaded condition.
normzone, Apr 23 2017
  

       Yes, I would like to see a Coffman crossbow.
pocmloc, Apr 24 2017
  

       [+]   

       Sounds like you have some harrowing open water stories, [norm].
whatrock, Apr 24 2017
  

       I was fortunate enough to have a freedive mentor who had already had a hole punched in the deck, and had a " no live guns on the boat " policy.   

       In a testosterone laden sport like spearfishing, you see a variety of cautions and clowns.   

       We had two radios on the boat, ran emergency drills periodically, and when I got my wires crossed and what I thought a day trip turned out to actually be an overnighter, when I didn't come home that night my wife said " I'm not worried, he's with Al ".
normzone, Apr 24 2017
  

       I run a strict "unload your spearguns" before entering my boat policy. Some people just don't get it, whinge, or try to ignore it - they never get invited out again. Same goes for where their gun is aimed while swimming/snorkelling about (all speardiving is by breath hold where I live). Many times I've looked across at some idiot pointing his speargun in my direction, especially when I've dived down and am swimming up.   

       As to the idea - you can lock the cams but the tension won't come out of the limbs - you'll just lose the compounding effect of the eccentric cams. Ie if you lock the cams while the bow is drawn - the string will remain tensioned. What you really need is a secondary string system from the riser to the cams that can be locked - kind of like a permanently installed bow press.   

       //It then locks, you change your grip, get arrow in place, unlock and shoot// ...You should also be aware of just how dangerous it is to draw a compound bow without an arrow on the string. They're so highly "strung" that if you drop the string without an arrow to slow it down, the bow can (and will) disassemble itself - sometimes catastrophically. It's called dry-firing, and will void any warranties, and often results in serious injuries to the user. Some companies will tell you that they test dry firing their bows etc etc - but it's extremely dangerous to draw a compound bow without an arrow.
Custardguts, May 01 2017
  
      
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