Thread: Could a crossbow kill someone at close range?

Just read "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and found out to my surprise that the kid used a crossbow in his "school shooting" and not a gun. Is that realistic or just artistic licence on Shriver's part? How powerful would a crossbow need to be (draw weight/feet-per-second(fps)) to be lethal at, say, 10-20 yards? I've read that "broadheads" to tip the bolts with would increase the damage any shot would deliver, but the lack of any crossbow-related murders in the news, ever, is leading me to believe they're no good for naughty purposes. I've had a dead book project sitting as a pile of notes in paper and on my computer for a couple of years which could benefit from this info. Being British I can't easily write guns into my UK-set books (we have the toughest guns laws on Earth) so this would be very handy for my story!

Crossbows don't have any great pros over firearms, apart from being silenced and possessing an unending supply of ammunition, so I'd venture that's why you're not hearing about them on the six o'clock news.

You can kill someone with a bow and arrow from 10-20 yards. Maybe even further depending on the quality of the bow and tip of the arrow. Considering that a crossbow generates more velocity than a bow and arrow, it's an almost-certainty you could kill someone with it at that distance, especially if you aim for the chest or head.

Any Bow has the capacity to kill. A longbow (Medieval) with a draw of around sixty five pounds could penetrate armour at 200 metres. although the crossbow has a higher projectile speed the bolt is lighter than an arrow and over distance will lose ft poundage. But to answer your question, yes a crossbow will kill at one hundred metres+, any draw of twenty-thirty pounds will kill at close range, though most modern hunting crossbows have a draw of between 600 and 800 lbs. Hope this helps!

So you think that it is difficult to get a gun. The numbers of guns has been greatly reduced but they are still out there. There are still a few people murdered using guns every year.

So if you get stuck with the crossbow idea you could use a handgun. Lots of soldiers (Northern Ireland, Iran, Iraq and Afganistan) brought souvenir guns back with them

Crossbows.

This information is general. If I wrote all the variables this would be pages long.

Simple Crossbows are short range weapons. Their ideal killing range is less than 100m. Although the bolts can travel (and kill) much further.

Draws - Bows have different draws.

150lb draw could kill a deer

175lb draw could kill a bear.

BUT cocking the crossbow is hard work. Your user would have to be very strong to cock acrossbow with a 175lb pull.

Kill zone

As Sam W pointed out you need the bolt to go through a place on the body that will kill instantly or at least demolish enough blood vessels so that the person bleeds out.

Broadheads

These are designed to go in more easily, and do more damage

Average bolt makes a hole of approx. 0.8 cm

With broadhead the hole is approx. 2.54 cm

Problem

This is a one time fire weapon. So if you want to kill a few people quicly you might want to use a normal archery bow with broadhead arrows. (Think Legolas)

If you need distance then there is always the compound bow.

Good luck with your story

The chinese invented a rapid-fire crossbow, if I recall correctly.

You could also strap an explosive on the end of the bolt and use it to blow up vehicles like in Far Cry 2. Except for the fact that that's utterly ridiculous.

Man, I love crossbows. They're like bows but without the years and years of intensive training. It also gives some nice narrative tension, because it takes a minute or so to reload if you miss the first shot.

Originally Posted by Neo

Just read "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and found out to my surprise that the kid used a crossbow in his "school shooting" and not a gun. Is that realistic or just artistic licence on Shriver's part? How powerful would a crossbow need to be (draw weight/feet-per-second(fps)) to be lethal at, say, 10-20 yards? I've read that "broadheads" to tip the bolts with would increase the damage any shot would deliver, but the lack of any crossbow-related murders in the news, ever, is leading me to believe they're no good for naughty purposes. I've had a dead book project sitting as a pile of notes in paper and on my computer for a couple of years which could benefit from this info. Being British I can't easily write guns into my UK-set books (we have the toughest guns laws on Earth) so this would be very handy for my story!

I shoot a 175 lb Horton compound crossbow. I can tell you with out a doubt that it would kill someone deader than dead at close range. I have shot deer ranging anywhere from 10 to 40 yards with it and the bolts usually go clean through. I use the mechanical 'Rage' broadheads (as most do) that open up 1 1/2 inches at impact. The new 'Rage Extreme' causes a 2 inch diameter entry wound. I would rather be shot with a gun. The bolts would kill even with practice field points. There are a few in my back yard still stuck half way through good size trees that I haven't been able to remove.

The reason you don't hear much about crossbow homicides is because they aren't ideal for that. They are ideal for getting one shot off at an unsuspecting dear. The same would hold true with a person. You would most likely only get one shot because if you missed you would have to cock the crossbow (which is not the easiest thing to do), pull another bolt out of your quiver, load it in the crossbow and then take the automatic safety off before firing again.

But can crossbows kill at close range? When talking about one shot, like I said: I would rather be shot with a gun.

Here is a youtube video showing a massive black bear being dropped with a crossbow. Imagine if this was a person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Zd5JtHUpo

Originally Posted by Neo

Just read "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and found out to my surprise that the kid used a crossbow in his "school shooting" and not a gun. Is that realistic or just artistic licence on Shriver's part? How powerful would a crossbow need to be (draw weight/feet-per-second(fps)) to be lethal at, say, 10-20 yards? I've read that "broadheads" to tip the bolts with would increase the damage any shot would deliver, but the lack of any crossbow-related murders in the news, ever, is leading me to believe they're no good for naughty purposes. I've had a dead book project sitting as a pile of notes in paper and on my computer for a couple of years which could benefit from this info. Being British I can't easily write guns into my UK-set books (we have the toughest guns laws on Earth) so this would be very handy for my story!

actually that recent college school shooting in wyoming was committed with a crossbow. 3 dead.

Two school shootings within hours of each other - Rochester K-12 Education | Examiner.com

I am an archer, crafted my own longbows and arrows. I know people in my club who compete internationally and can hit a gold at 120 yards in light winds consistently.

at 10-20 yards a decently heavy bow could punch an arrow right through someone.

Agincourt my friends.

Crossbows have a lot of punch at short range. The damage tapers off faster than a longbow. Modern Compound bows are ridiculously powerful

arrow vs armour - YouTube

This is a 35 lb compound bow, which is LIGHT!!!

Warbow vs steel breastplate

Breastplate Vs Warbows - YouTube

so... could a bow kill someone?

Are you kidding me!

I think the problem would be more the time it takes to reload...

Originally Posted by Staff Deployment

The Chinese invented a rapid-fire crossbow, if I recall correctly...

The Chinese Chu-Ko-No had a magazine and could fire ten bolts in twenty seconds. While not as powerful as other crossbows, the sheer volume of fire would eventually find it's mark. In fact, they were used by Chinese militia as late as the Boxer Rebellion in the early 20th century.

Other crossbows do require a degree of strength to cock and load. This is why some were developed with a windlass (which adds to the weight and complexity / cost). The trade off is a lot more power. As noted, amour-defeating power.

In many ways, crossbows are not just the equal of most modern firearms, but superior. The big (pun alert) drawback is that crossbows are bulky. I've been some places with my M-16 where it got caught on everything. The M60 machine gun was worse. I couldn't imagine "beating the bush" with a crossbow.

(BTW: A boy recently killed his mom with a .22 rifle. People are more fragile than we'd like to think.)

JUST A LITTLE PIECE i CAME ACROSS RECENTLY AND THOUGHT YOU MIGHT FIND IT AS INTERESTING AS i DID, THE INSULTING TWO FINGERED SALUTE ORIGINATED IN FRANCE. IT WAS CUSTOMARY OF THE FRENCH ARMIES TO CUT SEVER THE FINGERS OF CAPTURED LONGBOW ARCHERS. THUS WHEN FACING THE FRENCH THE ARCHERS WOULD 'SHOW' THE TWO FINGERS TO THE ENEMY.

p.s. I KNOW THAT W.C. USED IT AS A SIGN FOR VICTORY!

Originally Posted by Ethan

p.s. I KNOW THAT W.C. USED IT AS A SIGN FOR VICTORY!

I kinda thought that it was an inventive way to tell your adversaries to 'Get lost" I.e. W.C. to Hitler "I still got my bow fingers. We're gonna use them to put a BIG HURT on ya..."

Seen a vid online where a bloke tests broadheads against field points at point-blank-range against I think it was a phone book. Penetration was a bit laughable - in the comments section he says something about crossbows being better over longer distances rather than at point-blank range. Very odd!

Actually, given all the evidence, and considering all arguments, I think there is indeed a reason why crossbows are not used by crooks very much - they may be lethal but they're also cumbersome and more trouble than they're worth. Lionel Shriver was being a little bit creative with her writing when she gave Kevin a crossbow. My MCs will have to acquire a gun somehow. Maybe a crossbow can be used to facilitate their acquisition of guns? I'm not sure yet. Thanks for everyone's input!

Hey even after firing your first...and last bolt, you can always use the crossbow as a club.