I've been considering this for some time and have finally decided to take the plunge. I'm gonna make a midieval style crossbow, kinda like this one

I don't want to spring the bucks for a steel prod just now, so I'll make a wood one. Haven't decided yet whether I'll back it with rawhide or just wimp out and fiberglass it. Probably hold the draw weight to around 100 pounds. I figure I can make the whole thing for $30 or so.

Our club let the local kingdom of Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) have an archery tournament at our range a few years ago. A guy was there using one of these kind of crossbows and it was really neat watching him in action. That's what got me thinking about this project.

Hay AP, I have a old crossbow like that. It is not exactly midevel. Oak stock and a Tungstun limb. My uncle made it a long time ago, I guess it shot good when it was new, now it shoots for crap, but I still screw around with it now and then.

"Keeping theARCH in archrey", I like it, Ilike it alot.

Saw one at Twin Oaks, looked really primitive. The gal that made it used a leaf spring from a golf cart for the prod--forget what the pull was on it, but it was a LOT. Interesting, but I don't even have the time to tackle a self bow. Shot a couple of x-bows, fun for a half-dozen shots or so, then I got bored.

Chad

Know exactly what you mean, Chad. Nothing to it when you put the crosshairs on the target and pull the trigger with the new age synthetic crossbows. But those midieval design crossbows... I think they kinda got some style.

I'll have to figure out some way to put a safety on it so's I can use it for hunting. Crossbows are legal here in Texas 11 months of the year (our bow season is only a month long) but they have to have a safety device in order to be legal. Maybe I can drill a hole in the side and slide a pin in there to lock the tickler into the sear.