Survival cordage VS bow string?

mystical woodsman

mystical woodsman

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Hi yoll.

I've been wondering... I would like to buy some spare bow string just in case I feel inclined to cut a branch down and make an improvised recurve bow of sorts. I've looked around and no one is selling it. I found a couple from Bass Pro Shop here:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...Id=10001&langId=-1&CMID=TOP_SEARCH_GO&x=0&y=0

I don’t know how good they are or if they are suitable for using on a makeshift branch and reuse on another cut branch when/if the prior branch breaks. Is there bow string out there somewhere that is designed for this purpose?

Also, while I am at it, if anybody knows or has an idea, what is the best raw (or synthetic) material for making it myself? I don’t know if 550 cord would do, but I am open for advise.

Thank you for whatever wisdom you may bestow upon my balding head. :o)

Noble.
 
I use braided nylon cord from the local hardware store on my kids bows I make. That cord supports a 40lb bow. Hope this helps.
 
Heres a link on how to make cordage by hand.http://www.primitiveways.com/cordage.html
I learned to make cordage from a book in the library when I was 10 years old. The only secret is practice. When you know how to make cordage you can make it from anything. The 3riversarchery link is an outstanding resource.
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Product.asp?c=40&s=78&p=0&i=4144X
Get a spool of B-50 Dacron and start practicing making your strings. For a survival string make one thats about 6' Long of 16 strands of B-50 and cordage IE twist the whole length of the string. On a bow string you only need the first few inches of string twisted up, but on a survival string you want the whole thing twisted up to make a more solid string for other purposes. Like using it as a string for a bow drill. There are other string materials offered by www.3riversarchery.com and they make fine bow strings BUT for a survival string use the B-50 its a little more abrasion resistant and plenty strong. Each strand of B-50 is about 35lbs test so your 16 strand string is about 560 lbs test. 550 Cord despite all its toted virtues is a very poor bow string material. I have carried a Bow string like this for many years and although I haven't been forced in to a wilderness survival situation I have used the string for many emergency's like repairing luggage at the airport, holding my pants up when my belt buckle broke, and even as a bow string when I didn't take a spare to an archery tournament.

hope this helps bikermikearchery
 
I would learn the skills not carry around a single-purpose bow string. In a survival situation, the chances of needing a hasty bow are pretty slim, and personally a string just for bows isn't worth the weight. If you want to carry a quick projectile weapon, how about carrying some surgical tubing for a slingshot? Small animals are generally more common, and they'll be much easier to hit with a slingshot than a hastily made bow.
 
A spool of artificial sinew is cheap, lightweight and usefull for many things besids bowstring.
Making cordage is one thing, making a bowstring is a whole different game. I have a friend that is into primitive archery. He has made everything from the bow to the flint arrowhead and says that the bowstring gave him the most trouble. His opinion is that many primitive archers had to replace their strings very often.
IMHO archery is an extremely refined SET of skills. In the old days no one person would have made the enitire kit and the archer likely didn't make much of his own stuff.
For ease of construction, you can't beat a sling. Even with very little skill you could make one from raw materials in a short time. If you want a field expedient pointy-stick-thrower, play with some atlatls.
 
CanDo said:
I would learn the skills not carry around a single-purpose bow string. In a survival situation, the chances of needing a hasty bow are pretty slim, and personally a string just for bows isn't worth the weight. If you want to carry a quick projectile weapon, how about carrying some surgical tubing for a slingshot? Small animals are generally more common, and they'll be much easier to hit with a slingshot than a hastily made bow.[/QUOTE

16 strands of 35lbs low stretch dacron. As a whole it is handy for caring, repairs, boot laces, bundling, etc.
A 16 strand Flemish twist string 6' long has 112' of 35lbs test string when separated in to individual strands. Thats many snares, repairs, hafting. ect.
A 6' bow string weights less than 1/5 of an ounce.
Making cordage IS the skill. There are three primitive skills that when learned will make your survival kits obsolete. Fire making with only natural materials, Cordage making, and flintknaping.
Surgical tubing is sensitive to heat and abrasion and in a kit needs to be replaced often. The only thing good I can say for a slingshot is the ammo is free. A bow would not be my first weapon to make in an emergency even as a dedicated archer/bowyer/fletcher HOWEVER I carry a bow string every day and have used it for hundreds of things.
Click to expand...
 
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bikermikearchery,

My comment was not directed at you. In my opinion, your advice is good - in fact it is the point I'm making - carry cordage for multiple purposes. My recommendation was only against carrying a pre-made bow string for the explicit purpose of being used on a bow.
 
CanDo,
My apologies.
Don't mean to come off as hostile.

I have been teaching Survival skills for 40 years, have been teaching archery/primitive skills for 25 or so. I get real bent when I fail to make my point, or some one gets so focused on the tool that they miss the technique.

Learn to make cordage. and a fire with out man made materials, and learn to knapp a stone blade. There is the skill set. I tote 3 things in my pocket every day. A knife, a Bic lighter, and an old bow string. This is my kit. My head start. BUT I'm not crippled if I loose any of them. I have the skills to make tools from what I find.
So if I'm going to Carry some junk in my pocket I want it to be as useful as it can be. Dacron is far superior to nylon in stretch, strength, and abrasion resistance. So for my 1/5 oz Tote weight 6' of dacron bow string beats para Cord or artificial sinew.
 
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As an avid bow hunter, I can tell you I’d never even consider making a bow for a “survival situation”. For fun is another story entirely. I often hear of people making snares. I have NO knowledge of them, and while I’d like to learn, I’m starting virtually from zero. I have NO idea how to make ANY effective one.

From a strictly survival standpoint, traps or snares make much more sense than a bow. Unless you’re already a proficient archer; lost, scared, lonely and hungry is not the time to take up a new skill. On another forum I read that a regular rat trap was used by a military person overseas, and with minimal bait managed to feed him with several varieties of small creatures. The legality of this is questionable, but in a survival situation, I’d bless the LEO that gave me THAT ticket.

Making cordage from natural, available materials is a skill that, while I don’t possess it, is clearly worth learning. Using natural cordage to make a primitive throwing star makes more sense than a bow.

G
 
I have an old recurve. A month ago I decided to make a bow just to pass the time. I took the string from the recureve and cut an osage limb to length. Cut a notch in a straight stick and shot it once. It worked. The bow was strong enough. The string hit my forearm so hard that I woulnt shoot it again. Using the premade string really saved a lot of time.
 
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