© Mike Stringer and Caroline Hayes 1996
The most appropriate bows for use in LRP are the fibreglass practice bows which most archery suppliers will stock. These products are available in a range of styles, are reasonably inexpensive, and more importantly, are very durable.
In the main, I would advise against using a wooden, laminated or recurve bow in LRP. These types of bows are designed for normal archery conditions where they are unlikely to take much physical damage. Laminated wooden and self wood bows (single piece long bows etc) if chipped or scratched can quite easily develop cracks and splits when stressed, and will subsequently break.
A bow is basically a large spring, and the forces that are at work when it is drawn (bent when the string is pulled back) are tremendous. This being the case, any defect such as a chip in an edge of the limb of a bow may cause what is termed as a "stress raiser". When a bow breaks it can easily cause considerable damage to the head of the user, and if he/she is unlucky, damage to an eye.
On a more trivial note, the appearance of a laminated recurve bow may often be visually inappropriate to the LRP hobby. As with fibreglass practice bows, covering/detailing the bow with foam and leather etc will help to "fantasize" the image, as well as performing a practical function. The leather on the limb of the bow, will help to protect it from getting scratched and chipped, and alleviate the dangers as described above.
Ensure that the draw weight does not exceed 30lbs (pounds). This is a little figure that is written on the bottom limb of your bow, and determines the speed at which the arrow is projected (and the force with which it hits the target) when you let go of the string. The figure is often calibrated for a draw length of 28" (inches). Different clubs may have lower draw weight recommendations, but I would not advise a weight any greater than 30lbs @ 28". In the past, under certain appropriate conditions, I have used a bow of a higher poundage with LRP arrows, and they have proved to be totally safe; again it's a matter of common sense, skill with a bow, and more importantly, careful and thoughtful arrow construction.
If you are not sure what poundage your bow is, or you feel that the figure written on the bow may be wrong (yes this can happen), you can find out for sure as follows. Obtain a fish weighing scale, the sort with a ring on one end, a hook on the other and a sliding weight scale (preferably in Imperial/English pounds-lbs) in between. Secure the scale by the ring from a solid object such as a roof beam (or get a strong friend to help). Hang the strung bow by the string about its centre (where you would nock an arrow) from the hook on the scales. Pull the bow down by the handle until the distance between the nocking point and the arrow rest measures 27 inches (use a ruler or tape measure to check) reading the weight on the scales as you do so. This is the bows average draw weight.
Alternatively, if you take your bow to a reputable archery shop such as Quicks archery, they will be happy to test the bow for you. You should really test your bow at your draw length.
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This figure may be more or less than 28". As a rough guide, the draw weight of your bow will increase/decrease by approx' 2lbs per inch around its calibrated draw weight. Eg:- If your draw length is 26", A 30lb bow, calibrated at 28" will effectively shoot your arrow with a force of approximately 26lbs! |
With reference to crossbows, I would advise that the only really viable design for LRP use is the Barnett "Phantom" pistol crossbow. The prod or bow part of the unit is approx' 30lbs draw weight, and I have found them to be quite safe even at close range at sensitive body areas.
Crossbows are dynamically inefficient machines particularly at range, due to the relative shortness of their prods (spring/bow section) compared with their larger bow cousins. As a useful weapon, a crossbow relies purely on its power and simplicity of use, rather than its prod/spring design. The "Phantom" performs quite well over a reasonable range however, and anything stronger would be rather ineffective anyway at range, as the length of the bolts tend to loose stability over distance with such a large foam head on them.
The danger problem for LRP with crossbows is that, unlike bows, one cannot half draw them at close range and reduce the force of the bolts' impact, hence the necessity to keep the draw weight low.
Think about what you are doing! How LRP has managed to avoid a fatal accident is beyond me, based on what certain people in the hobby believe to be "safe" weapons and circumstances.
To test an LRP arrow or indeed a cross bow bolt to determine if it is safe to shoot in LRP combat, proceed as follows:-
a) Check that the arrow head is approximately 50mm in diameter, and feel firmly with your fingers and/or thumb for any defects in the construction of the head (hard protrusions such as the arrow shaft working its way through the foam, or sharp or hard debris embedded in the head) and ensure that there is sufficient padding foam on the end.
b) Check that the head is not loose on the end of the arrow shaft, and that
it can NOT be pulled off....
DO NOT, HOWEVER, TRY AND RIP THE ARROW HEAD TO
BITS! USE YOUR COMMON SENSE AND SENSITIVITY.
Removable points save money
but may cost lives! Think about it...
c) Ensure that there is a good strong barrier (thick car tyre inner tube rubber or a 2p piece) built into the head to prevent the arrow shaft working its way through the foam padding! Also check that some idiot hasn't left a metal point on the arrow that the head is built around! If you can't tell, ask whoever made it. If they're stupid enough to do it, they're stupid enough to tell you!
d) Check that the nock on the arrow shaft is not broken or loose somehow (which could cause a misfire).
e) Check that the fletchings are all firmly attached, and that they do not have any sharp leading edges.
f) Flex the arrow shaft a little to check that it is not cracked, split or broken. -
If you are ever asked to check arrows at an event:
Do not let your ego fly away with you, you're there to do a responsible job, not play god!
It may be prudent to ask the maker of any arrows you are testing, to show you a cross section of the sort of heads they are supplying (have supplied); not a specially made cross section of course, but a standard arrow head as supplied on their normal LRP arrows, which has been cut down the centre to reveal its construction. If a cross section is not available, I would advise that you discourage the sale of the arrows until one is, and/or you are totally certain of their construction. You could ask the purchaser of the arrows to allow you to cut one of theirs open, but it would be preferable to ask the SUPPLIER, remember, you could be saving someone's life! If they don't agree, or do not have any stock available, cut one of the purchaser's arrows open, and ensure that the supplier or manufacturer recompenses the purchaser directly.
It should not be the purchaser who must prove the safety of what he or she has bought....although he/she should be aware of what constitutes a viable and safe arrow or crossbow bolt, and should always be prepared to fully co-operate with any investigations which could save lives!
The responsibility is first and foremost with the maker of LRP arrows to prove his/her commitment to safety within the live role playing hobby.
If you've made a set of arrows, always ensure that you can supply a cross section yourself! Remember the old "do unto others maxim"-
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