Continue reading »]]> SAS Tactical Survival Bow
by Survival Archery Systems 

In this review article I will be showing you an age old method for food procurement that is a reliable means to put food on your table in any disaster or survival situation.

As preppers we are all prepared with bugout bags and equipment that will make our lives easier should we feel the need to flee to a quieter area, away from potential dangers of a SHTF situation.

However, the space we have to carry our equipment is very limited - essentially just a rucksack with the most important survival kit.​

Which, in itself, asks the question: "what is the most important equipment to pack for survival ?"​

Short term bugout is relatively easy to pack for.

Dehydrated foods and a water filter will give you a months supplies with very little space taken up in your bugout bag along with you other survival gear.

But what happens if that bugout becomes prolonged,
going for on longer than you thought?

If this were the case, you need to ask yourself a question - What have you taken with you to ensure you can hunt for food and actually feed yourself and your family?

For small game like the rabbit, squirrel or pheasant, I would always have my air rifle with me - an air rifle is the ideal tool for this job.  Quiet, efficient and accurate enough to put food on the table each day.

Although an excellent hunting tool, there are, of course, a few drawbacks with the air rifle, in so much as mechanical failure is a potential risk factor to consider. ​

Noise levels can also be an issue in certain circumstances, as well as the fact that you have limited ammunition, and once its gone its gone.​

Other than that, I highly recommend the air rifle as a very good small game hunting tool.
I have quite a few air rifle articles here.

There is also the often overlooked and humble catapult.  A hunting tool that I highly recommend, and well worth keeping in your bugout bag.

It ticks all the survival boxes and there's an unlimited supply of ammo as well.​

Never underestimate this very good means of food procurement.  Here's a few article I have on catapults:

Silent Hunting With A Catapult

How To Shoot A Catapult Properly

Best Hunting Catapults For Survival​

Which brings me nicely onto the main point of this article:
What other hunting tools are available?

 But not only available, they need to be compact and light enough to fit in your bugout bag, yet man enough to do the job.​
They need to have very few moving parts that would cause failure AND be powerful enough to procure larger game if required.

This 'other' tool is the Survival Bow.  Used for centuries, it has proved its worth, but now, for a bow to reach the heights of ​a true hunting and survival bow it must meet with the 8 critical characteristics of design:

These 8 essential design elements are what makes a true survival bow.  When you achieve this, you have a  preppers dream that ticks every box for a survival tool that will ensure long life, and a means to procure food in a SHTF situation.

I have been very fortunate to get my hands on ​one such hunting tool that efficiently covers all the points above:
The SAS Tactical Survival Bow, with SAS standing for 'Survival Archery Systems' 
Designed in South Africa, manufactured in the USA , and sold worldwide, this compact bow offers us preppers a very good solution to bugout food procurement.

As you can see here in the photo, the SAS bow is 'super compact', and will fold down to just 21"..!

It is also capable of holding upto 5 take-down arrows within the body​, and it all fits into a custom made carry case that will fit inside your rucksack.

The carry case itself also double up as an arrow quiver if you want.​

And weight? Well I'm very impressed with this bow as it comes in at a mere 1kg (2.2lb) - that's some impressive statistics eh..!

I though at first that the effort made to get that 1kg weight and under 21" would mean a compromise in other areas. ​Strength being my main concern.  Shedding weight and making something smaller than usual normally means giving up something along the way.
And that something is usually strength and performance.

But again, looking closely at the SAS Tactical Bow it would appear I have been proved wrong.

Not for the first time I know!

But have a look at the photo, and in particular the limbs and riser detail.

They have impressive manufacture details that, to be honest, I'd like to see on some other bows..!

Essentially the SAS Tactical Bow has only 6 moving part:

It also comes with 1x 'Bear' arrow rest and 2x nylon retaining pin screws, but the bow is safe to use without the pins if necessary - but I would always lock them in place just for peace of mind.

As for the actual carry case, is very well made and stitched, and works well as a storage and carry pouch for the bow as well as an arrow quiver case.​

Moving on:  This bow also comes with three, two part 31" aluminium takedown arrows.

** Eastern Gamegetter XX75 aluminum arrow made from 7075-T9 alloy, with 4" vanes.

Which make use of a specially designed marine grade 316 stainless steel insert to allow quick and easy assembly.

It is easily possible to put the 3x take-down arrows into the hollow riser body for storage when carrying the bow in it's case.

This in itself makes the bow such a compact unit, and will protect your arrows when in transit.

You can fit 5 arrows in, with a push.  There is a specific sequence to fit them in, but they do fit.​

Extra items I have added onto the SAS Bow since the video....

Archery Bow String Silencer

Archery Finger Saver Guard

Steve Hart UK Prepper

Well, there you have it folks, the SAS Tactical Bow System.  I think you'll agree with me, this one good bit of preppers kit.

In fact, I would say that if its on your preppers list, then go out and get yourself one.

As I showed on the video, I only needed to make very minor adjustments to suit my needs and archery style.
String silences, finger cushions and a comfy grip are nothing I consider major​, and certainly didn't defer from the fact that this is a quality product, well suited to all prepping and survival needs.

I will be going 'full on camo' with a new paint job soon​.  So I'm hoping to add that to the review as well as some time.

In the meantime, Happy Prepping Folks.​

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Continue reading »]]>

Compound vs Recurve Bow,
Which One is Best for Survival?

If you’re in a survival situation, or planning to live off the grid,
you are probably interested in weapons.

Specifically, what weapon should you take with you.
Guns are a logical choice, but here in the UK they are not readily at hand for the average prepper.
They’re hard to maintain over long periods of time because they require ammunition. Once you run out of ammo, the gun will be useless.
A better choice for survivalists is the bow. But, there’s choices there as well.
Here, we will compare a compound vs. recurve bow, but which one is best for survival?

What’s the Difference between a Compound or Recurve Bow?

Many people have an opinion about which is better, but don’t have any evidence to back it up.

To help you make the best choice for you, we’ll go over the differences between a compound and recurve bow.

Bows have some similarities.

Both a recurve and a compound bow use leverage as a mechanical advantage.

Also, these weapons depend on stored energy to cast an arrow fast and far.

In both situations, the arrow will travel
much further than a person could throw it.

As preppers, we like to know stuff.... We all know knowledge is king, and especially survival and prepping knowledge. 

So knowing exactly 'how' a bow works is essential to understanding the 'whys' and 'hows' of a bow for survival and SHTF purposes.

Using a bow for hunting and survival is an age old skill, and going right back to basics it is really quite easy to make your own perfectly good, functioning bow.
But the modern bow can be a bit more complicated.

Recurve bows store energy as it is drawn.

As more energy stores, it gets harder to pull the string.
Compound bows are different because they use their mechanical advantage through cables and cams.

Cables and cams let off some of the weight used to draw the string back. A compound bow will send an arrow farther than a traditional bow.

The differences between compound bows and traditional models like a recurve have several other differences including price, accuracy, weight, power, and speed.

Price Differences Between Recurve and Compound Bows

Just looking at a recurve and compound bow, you can tell there is a price difference.

A top of the line recurve bow can cost as much as £1500. However, most traditional archers can get a great model for around £150 - £200.

Any archer interested in a compound bow should expect to pay around £150 for an entry level model. But, most higher end compound bows fall in the £500 to £1000 range after they are all set-up.
If you are trying to decide what type of bow would be ideal for a survival situation, the prices for each model are similar.

Which is more Accurate Compound or Recurve?

When set up right a compound bow is extremely accurate.

Using a peep, release, and other shooting accessories help make an average archer a great shooter.

Without the help of cams and other mechanisms, a recurve bow is harder to draw and increases the possibility of the shooter shaking or quivering.

The movements can make shooting less accurate because of poor alignment.

 If you take an average shooter and give them both choices, they will likely be much more accurate with a compound bow.

Since accuracy can be the difference between eating or starving in a survival situation, a compound bow makes a better choice.

Recurve Bows are Much Lighter than Compound Models

Another consideration to make for a survivalist is whether weight makes a difference.

If you are going to carry your bow with you always, it might.  A compound bow can be heavy.  In comparison, a recurve bow is extremely light.
In fact, a recurve bow could weigh just a fraction of a compound bow.  Even compound bows made of super light material weigh more than a rifle, which still makes it pretty heavy.  If you have a ton of ground to cover, will be climbing, or running, a recurve bow is a better choice because it won’t slow you down.
Not convinced?
Think about this as well.  A bow isn't the only thing you'll be hauling on a daily or regular basis.  Likely, you'll also have a cook kit and canteen, hunting light, knives, and much more.
With so much to carry, it doesn't make sense to weight yourself down with a heavy hunting tool too.

A Compound Bow has More Speed and Power than a Recurve Bow

We talked about it earlier, but it’s worth going over again.

Not only is a compound bow more accurate than a recurve, but it also tosses arrows faster and further. Compound bows can do this because of their mechanical advantage.
For even better results, archers can use a heavy arrow, which will go far fast and penetrate deep.

Does Shoot Ability Matter?

Now, it’s time to talk about shoot ability.

It’s a controversial topic and those that favour either the traditional or compound bow may never agree completely.  However, there are still a few topics to highlight for consideration.

When shooters aim, and fire a recurve bow there it’s silky smooth.  There’s no jerks or unexpected hand movements.  For this reason, recurves are often considered more shooter friendly.  

But, it’s important to consider whether losing some accuracy is better than a smooth shot.  Other factors to consider include noise.

Compound bows are noisier than a traditional bow.

Some older bow models make sounds like rifles being shot when the string is released.
There’s also a ton more hand vibrations when shooting, which makes it difficult to repeat repeatedly.

The Perfect Bow for Survivalists and Preppers

When it comes to survival situations, the best bow choice may be one that is made of raw materials.

Arrows and fletchings can be made with natural materials.

Broad heads can also be made or be made of stone.  If you have a traditional compound bow and run out of arrows, it’s not easy to make arrows for this type of bow.

A wooden arrow in a compound bow could cause the arrow to explode and become dangerous.

With all things considered, a traditional bow is a better choice for survival situations because the resources used to create are readily available in nature.

In conclusion, the best choice for survival situations are whatever you feel most comfortable using.

If you are comfortable shooting a compound bow before you found yourself in a survival situation, you’ll still be most comfortable with that choice afterwards.  The same goes for a traditional recurve bow.

Both weapons have relatively the same costs associated with them.  As far as accuracy goes, the best compound bow has some advantages.
But, in terms of weight and the ability to move while carrying the weapon, a traditional bow has the compound bow beat.

What this means is that it’s really a personal choice as to what type of weapon you want to use in a survival situation.
But, because of sustainability and the ability to reproduce arrows and even the entire bow if possible, we recommend relying on a recurve bow first with compound bows as a close second.

Steve Hart UK Prepper

A big thank you to  Brandon Cox who took the time to send this great article over to me.

Brandon is the founder of the American website blog: StayHunting, and is passionate about all things of hunting and fitness.
Through his hunting website, he would like to share tips & tricks, finest tech that will excite all of the intricacies of hunting whether you be an amateur or a professional 

I hope this article has helped you, and given you more of an idea about choosing a suitable bow.

As we all know Bow Hunting in the UK is completely illegal ​and should not be practised anywhere in the UK.




There are severe fines imposed on anyone seen or caught or attempting to carry out bow hunting for real.

However, please take a look at my article on Bow Hunting For Food and Survival, where I cover the whole topic and how you can practice for SHTF without any legal problems.​

RECURVE BOW

click here to see a full selection
of bows and accessories here

COMPOUND BOW

click here to see a full selection
of bows and accessories here

Continue reading »]]> Best Air Rifle Scope For UK Preppers

Best Air Rifle Scope Review

Admittedly, it's been awhile since the air rifle has been viewed as a state of the art military weapon, firearm, or even handy for big game hunting.

But it's still a reliable piece for purposes such as competitive target shooting, pest control, recreational "plinkng", and even bagging small game.

In the UK where owning a firearm is difficult due to strict gun laws, an air rifle is a good alternative.

Remember, if your in doubt, just ask a good air gun specialist - I use The AirGun Centre shown here :

The Top Rated Air Rifles

An air rifle is made even more useful with the right accessories.

Whether it is target shooting or zeroing in on varmints, there's no question that an air rifle scope can be very helpful in terms of target magnification and increasing accuracy.

As a result, there a number of models on the market, with differences ranging in everything from price to meeting the specific needs of the shooter.

This is the AirArms Galahad fitted with a
HawkeOptics Sidewinder and Huggetti silencer.
supplied by: AirGun Center.

So What's The Best Air Rifle Scope For You?

Accessories include a gun-stock cover, lens cleaning cloths, and a tactical rail for attaching one's own accessories such as a flashlight. The scope also includes an integrated mount for attaching 20mm rails. Batteries for both the scope and reflex sight are included.

And Our Best Air Rifle Scope Winner Is......

As always when conducting firearm accessory reviews, we look at four things-quality/reliability, features, accessories, and price.
With the products here, all deliver good quality for their respective prices. So the question becomes:
How much experience do you have with scopes, and how much work do you want to put into one?

If you are a "grab and go" user, then UMsky's scope is for you. It is the priciest of our contenders, but on the other hand it does everything but focus and fire for you. A good scope for novices or those who aren't enamoured with the miniscule of scope use.

For more experienced users and those who enjoy both scope maintenance and a personally customized scope, BSA's scope provides a good combination of both. Remember that all scopes work best when practiced with before any practical use.
Look at it this way - you've just been given a legitimate excuse to go out and play with your air rifle's new toy.

Steve Hart UK Prepper

I hope this article has been of interest to you and explains some of the intricacies of rifle scopes - It wasn't written by myself, but I have added this as a guest article, from Joe at Smoking BarrelUSA.com.
Joe is a gun enthusiast that started his blog, not only to learn more himself, but also to share what he has learned with others in the prepping and survival community.

Thank for sending over the article Joe, much appreciated.​

What Do You Think?

What do you think is the best air rifle scope?
Have you used any of the scopes we discussed above?
What did you think about it?

If you have some thoughts that you would like to share with the rest of us, please leave a comment for us in the comments section below.

We would love to hear from you!

Happy Prepping Folks, Steve​

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Continue reading »]]> All Preppers Need To Know 
Best Knots For Survival Fishing

Procuring your food by fishing is the most straightforward, easiest and least time consuming method of obtaining food in a survival situation.
Everything about fishing can be simplified and made a very straightforward process.

However, one of the most annoying parts of successfully catching fish is when one slips of your hook due to your fault - and by 'your fault', I mean, it gets away due to your poor actions of tying a simple knot..!  

If your fishing using a rod and line, then the only real technical part you need to do is tie the line onto the hook - without a good solid knot, a fish will find a way to wriggle it loose and escape, and bye bye dinner.

Firstly let me say there are dozens of knots that can be deployed to tie your hook on the line. But essentially, in a survival situation, you only need know a few, and know them well enough to ensure they work every time.

If you find some 'fishing expert' says you must do it this way, but find you simply can't, then don't. Find out what knots work best for you, and knots you can tie with ease.
Don't make life difficult trying some super complicated knot that is just a pain to tie.

Here are my favorite TWO knots that I use all the time, and, for me, these are the best knots for survival fishing. I find these the easiest ones to tie. 

TRILENE KNOT

Uses:
This is the Trilene Knot, and is a strong and reliable knot you can use to join monofilament line to your fishing hook.

Works very well with swivels and lures, and will resist slippage and line failure very well.

* leave 3mm of line at the tag end 
* moisten line before pulling tight*

PALOMAR KNOT

Uses:
This is the Palomar Knot, another strong and reliable knot, more suited to braided lines.

* leave 3mm of line at the tag end 
* moisten line before pulling tight*

Other Uses:

The Palomar knot is also a useful one to remember as you can utilize it for larger rope or paracord tasks.
When you need a static join through any object with a hole in it, this will do the trick.

Tying off a paracord lanyard to your knife for example: gives a very straightforward, effect knot - not as fancy as a standard diamond lanyard knot, but very practical.

The more fancy 'diamond' lanyard knot.

Don't Waste Survival Time;

The YoYo Reel is effective and will catch you a fish about 75% of the time, but by setting a few you are pretty much guaranteed to have something for dinner.!

Steve Hart UK Prepper

Prepping is such a vast and interesting subject, and trying to learn everything is impossible to do - that's why I try to pick out good, solid skills that work all the time.

These two fishing knots do exactly that, and in my opinion are the best knots for survival fishing and well worth learning.

Happy Prepping Folks,
Steve

Continue reading »]]> Could This Be The 
Best Torch
For Camping & Survival

A lot of people view a torch as just something to have handy in one of your kitchen drawers, in case you need it...

Of course, being a prepper, I completely disagree.!

A good torch is an absolute necessity and something we all should have.

In the world of torches there are literally thousands to choose from - most of them rubbish and not worth wasting money on.

But, some torches offer excellent features for Self Defence and signalling in compact powerful units.

But in this article I am looking at a mid/large sized LED torch that could well be crowned The Best Torch For Camping and Survival.!

The Convoy L6 - 3500 Lumens of light

Why Is A Torch So Important to Preppers?

Being aware of your surroundings and knowing whats going on in the distance are essential for survival. 

Article: Binoculars For Hunting & Survival:

During the daylight hours this is not so much of a problem, and seeing people or object at a distance is straightforward with the help of a good pair of binoculars and the normal daytime light.

The problem comes at night-time, and seeing a possible danger at night is impossible with just the naked eye.

A good high powered torch now becomes a very essential tool to have at hand.

Testing the L6

This is the torch I use: The Convoy L6 - it's a solid, well made bit of equipment with simple control functions.

But, the main reasons behind this particular torch is the fact that I think this is the brightest torch I have ever owned.

It's a monster, and powerful enough to light up an entire street - in the woods, when you turn it on, it's like daytime has suddenly appeared.

The power source for the Convoy L6 comes from the larger 26650 rechargeable batteries - shown here - and is packed in my Bug Out Bag along with my XTAR VC2 battery charger unit and my solar charger. 

This combination of gear cover all my battery needs as the XTAR will also charge the ???? batteries for my smaller torches.

Why do I think this is the Best Torch For Camping And Survival?

Lets take a look at the LED that produces the light - the CREE XHP70 N4 LED is a top notch LED with a maximum output of 4500Lm.

Quite simply, that's a massive amount of light and it throws it out some 100 metres with ease on the 'turbo' setting.
Other settings include - candlelight, low, medium & strobe function.

Convoy L6 Specifications:

Front switch changes modes.

Tail switch operates the main on/off control

Current price: £42  
for the latest prices & Availability:
Check Price Here

A good torch like this one is essential to your kit.
This one offers a lot for the money and was by far the brightest torch I have every tested out.

Overall, something to consider adding to your bug out bag

Happy Prepping Folks.

Steve

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

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Continue reading »]]> Survival Fishing Kit For UK Preppers

When you consider that the UK is an island surrounded by water with many inland rivers and ponds, it makes sense to carry a survival fishing kit as you’ll never be too far away from some water and therefore some fish.

In a survival situation or if you decide to bug out, even for a short while, its possible to find a source of good food from many rivers.

Of all the various ways to procure food in a survival situation, I think fishing is without doubt the very best method. 
You can always find a pond or lake or a coastline not too far away, and be pretty much guaranteed there will be fish in it.

The main problem is catching the fish in the first place – This is where a good quality survival fishing kit is required by all UK Preppers – A fishing kit that will stand up to the job but also be suitably compact and light enough to have in your bug out bag.

Remember, your not out on a jolly, to catch a nice fishy or two then throw them back…. Your fishing kit is an essential part of your survival gear but without all the normal clobber you would expect from a fishing trip.

Essentially you can do one of a few things – Spear Them, Hook Them or Net Them

To catch a fish by the spearing methods does require some practice as well as a clear-ish pond or river to actually see the fish in the first place.

It is highly unlikely you will have brought a fishing spear with you so you will need to make one – time consuming and requires some skills to perfect.

Catching fish by the spearing method can also be very time consuming. As a general rule spear fishing is not really recommended as the most productive method for most preppers in a survival situation.

Net Fishing.

 Net and Hook fishing can be much more productive methods –

But a net in itself can be a bulky piece of survival fishing kit and in a bug out bag, would may well take up more space than you wish to give up.!

So the net option is generally not considered unless your home is near a river or your planned bug out has room for one. 

However, if this is an option, a Gill Net is one of the better choices – this is a very lightweight length of  ‘Fishing Fish Trap Mono filament Gill Net’ – that is stretched out across a river and forms a barrier for the fish to swim into.

Once set up across a river it can be left to do its own work enabling you to get on with other things. The net itself can be rolled up quite small and is very light but the net length needs to be reasonable (20mtrs plus) to be effective and this means more bulk.

A good piece of survival fishing kit if you have access to a river where you can get to both sides for setting up and room in your bug out bag.

 – Full list of Gill Nets and more details and prices here

Hook Fishing

When it comes to survival fishing, most people think of the good old hook and line type. This is certainly one of the mainstays of survival fishing, and you can get quite good telescopic fishing rods with lightweight reels and compact systems that work quite well.

But the main idea of a survival fishing kit is something that’s light, compact and requires little time to setup and even less to manage.

If you have to spend hours sitting along the river bank watching and waiting for a fish, then that’s definitely not practical in a survival situation and just a waste of your valuable survival time and effort..!

For that reason alone I do not recommend your normal rod and line approach.

Instead I go for the automatic fishing reel approach.
This method gives you an excellent bit of survival kit to add to your bug out bag – in fact I have three automatic fishing reels in my bug out bag –

 The best and without a doubt, the ‘daddy’ of all auto fishing reels is the YO-YO Automatic Mechanical Fishing Reel.
Once set you just leave it to go to work and catch you fish..! For next to no effort.

A cracking bit of survival fishing kit and a ‘must have’ in you bug out bag and any emergency survival kit.

The best bit is the price – at under £10 complete – I have had success every time I have set my yo-yo reels and they have never let me down.

click here for some more details and prices on the yo-yo reel

I have also added a video showing ‘how to’ with the yo-yo but it just so simple – take a look.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1FrAc8fgWU

What next/ –  Preparing your fish to eat

Whatever method of fishing you decide to use in order to catch your fish and ultimately, be able to eat for your ‘dinner’. It is essential you know how to prepare and cook the fish correctly.

Badly prepared and cooked fish will definitely make you ill and create more problems for you in a survival situation. We have several ‘Survival Skills‘ articles covering all aspects of wilderness survival and situations.

We also have a dedicated article on ‘How to butcher and prepare wild food‘  –

Continue reading »]]> Categories:

The Importance Of Binoculars For Hunting And Survival

Hunting and survival has been a traditional, natural activity that dates back at least 1500-2000 years in the United Kingdom and most parts of the world. It is an important part of who we are as human beings.

The use of binoculars appeared as early as the 1870s in a design by Achille Victor Emile Daubresse that could help reduce light transmission by about 10% to 15%.

However, the use of high quality binoculars by professional hunters for hunting and surviving has become popular in the 21st century.

If you are still deciding whether or not you should get yourself a pair of binoculars for an upcoming hunting journey, give this article a read.

Almost all professional hunters will tell you that, you need a decent pair of binoculars for hunting and surviving as well.

Importance Of Hunting And Survival

Hunting and survival celebrates the idea that there are still wild and dangerous places on our planet where a person can learn the skills our ancestors used to pursue wild game to survive.

Hunting wild animals in wild areas allow people to truly feel involved with the cycles and rhythms of the land and environment.

This two teaches the reality of death and the importance of having life.

Many people have spent hours into the night and going back the next morning to pick up the trail for a animal they may be stalking for food.

Reasons For Using Binoculars For Hunting And Survival

Help Identify Prey Easily

The most important reason of all is that binoculars help you identify your prey easily.
This is very true for beginners who do not have much experience.
When you are looking from a far distance, it’s hard to identify a prey.
And the sad part will be that, by the time you move closer to them, they would have ran for their lives and you are left with nothing.
However, I will suggest you use binoculars of high quality whenever possible so that you can properly view them even if you are hundreds of meters away.

Moreover, binoculars will do a good job in identifying any tracks or trails which opens up a wider range of hunting opportunities. When you follow these trails, you will not find it difficult locating your prey.

The one area where you need to be particular with the importance of binoculars in hunting and survival is the actual binoculars themselves.
They range from very cheap, to a somehow ridiculous cost that is hard to justify! In fact you could pay in excess of £3000 - obviously you are getting all singing, all dancing gear, but for hunting and stalking prey anything up to the mid level binoculars will be fine.

Low End binoculars

8 x 21 Folding Binoculars
under £10

Starter Level Binoculars

Compact HD 10×26
under £40

Mid Level Binoculars

Carson 10×50 Binoculars
under £225

High End Binoculars

Nikon MONARCH 5 20×56
under £600

You can, of course choose from a huge range of quality hunting binoculars that will perform well and help you track down your prey. 
Obviously with something like Binoculars, quality will be compromised if you go too cheap, but from as little as £45 you can get some pretty impressive kit that will easily be up to the job of helping you get your dinner.

Typical good quality hunting binoculars:

Below are the Olympus 8 x 40 DPSI Binocular and these offer you a host of feature that are exactly what we are looking for in hunting binoculars.
With a wide angle field of view for tracking fast moving subjects you can keep your prey in sight at all times.

When you buy something like these Olympus 8 x 40 DPSI Binocular you know they must be good as the manufacturer offers a 25 year guarantee!

The 8x40 refers to two different features of the viewfinder.
The magnification ( the object will appear 8 times closer to you ) while the 40 refers to the lens diameter - 40mm is good, in fact anything between 35 - 50mm will give additional light making the image much brighter and clearer. 
Especially in a low light ( dawn or dusk ) situation.

And if your wondering… these DPSI Binocular are currently only £45, an absolute bargain if you ask me. 

---

Choosing high end binoculars:

If your like me and want to go that one step further, there's plenty of good 'higher'end' Binos' to choose from.
Now remember we are talking hunting and tracking as well as for survival and prepping, so you are going to want to see things a fair distance away, and clearly in order to make a decision whether its friend, foe or food.
That's why choosing a more top end binocular may well be the way to go if you have the spare cash.

These Carson 10×50 3D Series ED Glass Binoculars, below, are pretty dam good offering a range from 8×32 right up to the 10×50 at £225

• ED Glass with BAK-4 prisms for sharper and brighter images
• Lens diameter is 42mm and has a magnification power of 10x
• Fully multi coated lenses that allow the binoculars to be completely water and fog proof
• Field of view: 314 feet at 1,000 yards and eye relief: 16mm
• Included accessories: BinoArmor deluxe carry case, neck strap, shoulder harness, and lens cloth

Carson 10×50 3D Series ED Glass Binoculars

Helps To Look At Wildlife From A Distance

The importance of using binoculars for hunting and survival means you can now scout for your prey from a distance that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do it with bare eyes.

Considering the fact that most of these animals are pretty hard to spot anyway.

Binoculars are the perfect tool for hunting, as you are not going to be scaring your prey by approaching closer.

For example, animals can sense your existence from a good distance away from them and even more if your upwind from them.

Unless you are an experienced hunter, you might miss out on a ton of hunting opportunities without a having a good pair of binoculars with you.

Wouldn't Harm The Wrong Prey

One thing to consider is the fact that you may not be the only one in the hunting zone.

Sometimes, it is somewhat dangerous because hunters might accidentally hunt down other hunters!

There will be times when you are so confused because you can’t hunt down anything and you will be so eager to take a shot when you notice any movements in the bush.

Due to the fact that the targeted animal may be at a quite a distance, you might shoot a human being instead.

Rare and unlikely but still a possibility.

Therefore, before you take any shot, I suggest you make sure that it’s really the prey you were after.
And by having binoculars will help you do exactly that.
Learn more about Best Air Rifle For Hunting And Survival for making a better shot.

Buy You Extra Time For Strategic Planning

One of the major reasons why most hunting attempts do not succeed is due to the fact that, there isn’t any proper strategy in place.

It is like shooting a shotgun, either you miss or hit.

While planning can’t guarantee you that you will be able to hunt down something for your dinner every time, it is really going to increase your chances of success.

So you might be thinking, how can binoculars help your plan?

The answer is really simple. Binoculars will help you know where your preys are by scouting.

The animals wouldn’t probably sense your existence because you are pretty far away. This means that there will be no need for you to rush since they aren’t being spooked or running away yet.

You can then use your binoculars to scout around, analysing terrains and routes to determine the movements of your preys as you approach closer.

Conclussion

Hunting, survival or prepping, there is definitely a use for owning a pair of binoculars and they come into their own for each different skill.

In a Bug Out situation they are a must, allowing you to observe and not be observed yourself.

For full covert Bug Out you also have a choice of some good night vision binoculars, making long distance observation at night, a very feasible option.

When you use night vision in your hunting for food, this method can give you a good insight into an animals feeding habits and routes through woodland.
What animals choose what tracks and how far that particular animal roams.
With this additional information you gain an extra advantage to your stalking, and essentially will help put food on the table in a survival situation.

The night vision option is surprisingly cheap considering what you are getting.
These Solomark, below, come in at just over the £100 mark and are top quality for that price.

Solomark Night Vision Monocular, Blue-infrared Illuminator Allows Viewing in the Dark-records Images and Video

See all night vision binoculars here

As yet I haven't invested in a pair of night vision binoculars, but I will. They are on my kit list as an essential, as soon as I actually have some spare cash!

If you haven’t really tried using binoculars before, I highly recommend that you give them a try.
You will really be surprised how beneficial it will be by incorporating it in your hunting trips and surviving as well.

Happy Prepping Folks.

Steve

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

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Continue reading »]]> Do Preppers Need To Learn BowHunting For Food and Survival

Without a doubt, owning a decent bow and being proficient enough to hit your given target successfully, is a very necessary skill, and something to add to your skillset as a prepper.

Being proficient enough to hunt for your food with a bow will give you a massive advantage over others should you ever need it.

Now before anyone jumps down my throat and says: "But it's illegal to hunt with a bow", let me just say, I know that..!
More precisely, it's illegal to hunt with a bow in the UK, and has been since the mid 60s.

The reason; to stop people causing unnecessary harm to an animal, from anyone just going around shooting for "fun".!
Although I'd like to add that fox hunting is actually on the illegal list, but still goes on, and foxes are still ripped to pieces by the hounds - but hey, this is the UK and it's one rule for some and another for the rest of us.

It's NOT ILLEGAL to use a bow for hunting in just about every other country in the world....!  

France, for example, legalised bowhunting for all game animals as recently as 1995, also allowing foreign bowhunters to purchase a 10 day bowhunting license if required.

All countries have slightly different regulations with respect to what and how you can hunt for game, but all allow bowhunting of some sorts for population control right through to food procurement.

America has a large bow hunting fraternity, with rules and regulations as to what, where and when you can hunt with a bow. Including rules like: draw weight, type of arrow and shooting distance. 

Surviving is all about thinking on your feet and adapting to the situation. Prepping is all about being ready for that situation before it happens.
Don't get caught out - get prepared first.

Happy Prepping Folks.

Steve

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

So, current rules and regulations apart, I still think it is a very good skill to learn, and while it is on the illegal things to do list, we must all act responsibly and NOT go out trying to bag a rabbit with our bow.

The whole skill is based around being able to hit a target, spot on, every time and mastering that skill take a fair bit of practice. 

As with any form of hunting, there are many facets you need to bear in mind before even attempting to shoot your bow.
Given the fact that the actual shooting part itself is the easiest bit to master - in fact just about anyone can pick up a bow and aim reasonably accurately, and with a little bit of practice, become quite proficient at hitting their chosen target at 15 - 25mtrs.
The skill comes when you expected to do it every time and at a greater distance.
Target archery is a quite different level of ability to 'instinctive' bow hunting for food and survival.

So How Do You Become Proficient at BowHunting When It's Illegal?

As with any form of hunting, there are many facets you need to bear in mind before even attempting to shoot your bow.

Given the fact that the actual shooting part itself is the easiest bit to master - in fact just about anyone can pick up a bow and aim reasonably accurately, and with a little bit of practice, become quite proficient at hitting their chosen target at 15 - 25mtrs.

The skill comes when you expected to do it every time and at a greater distance.
Target archery is a quite different level of ability to 'instinctive' bow hunting for food and survival.

The deer in this picture is not real..!

In fact it's what's called a 3d target: made specially for bow hunting.
There are various animals made from a very dense foam and sprayed or painted to look very life like.

There are companies that make these various animal targets and they are perfect for practicing the art of bowhunting within the law.

You cannot just wander onto someone's land, setup a 3D and shoot your bow though. This is a complete no no..!

I would recommend sniffing out your local bowhunting club, there are loads about and a very friendly bunch they are as well.
Alternatively, check out the British Bowhunters Association here.

From a truly prepping point of view, going to a club and practicing this skill it almost the same as the real thing.
You can develop you stalking movements, stances, distance perception and aim. In safety, alongside other bowhunters who can help guide you on techniques.

There are targets as small as a squirrel, right up to full sized bears to practice your aim. But, as with any shooting sport, you will need equipment.

There are always those that take their sport seriously, and why not? But for us preppers, it's a practice using a different hunting tool should the SHTF ever happen.

As I mentioned earlier, the actual shooting part is a small section of the hunting. You have to learn how to find your potential dinner in the first place.

Tracking and stalking are another whole new area of food procurement, thats why the bowhunting clubs are so good - they at least give you an insite to most of procedure,  and you're able to test your aim as well.

A standard bow will be plenty enough to take down most small game at 15 - 25 mtrs. 

Types Of Bow For Hunting

However, there are two types of bow you can choose: Recurve or Compound.

The main difference between the two is the complexity of design and moving parts.
A recurve bow is a very simple design that we normally associate with a bow and arrow.
The compound bow is somewhat more complicated in both design and function.
Here's an example of both types:

Compound Bow

Recurve Bow

There is also a bow known as a longbow, but, as the name implies, it can be quite a lengthy, these can be some six foot long and not really suitable for stalking through the undergrowth.

They are, however, extremely powerful, with a 80 lbs+ draw weight as common, mainly due to the size of the bow limbs being able to exert more force through to the arrow.

These 'traditional' bows would still work in a hunting situation and were used way before the compound bow was ever thought of!

The amount of force you need to pull the string back is called the draw weight and, for most adults, anything upwards of 30lb draw weight on a recurve bow is required for good performance.

You can get a good idea of draw weight by taking a measurement from finger tips and dividing by 2.5. This gives an average draw weight in pounds.

The chart below gives additional information to help you select you best draw weight.

When it comes to Bowhunting For Food And survival I wouldn't use anything less than a 40lb draw weight.
The chart may show that you size and bodyweight cannot handle 40lbs, but choose a lower draw weight until your used to it and have built up your draw strength and muscle memory before moving up.

If you cannot draw 40lbs minimum without loosing accuracy and if it is hard and tends to create shake when trying to aim, then you are someone who definitely need to consider a compound bow.

Draw Weight Capabilities

What can you do with 25 - 30lb bow?

A recurve bow having a draw weight of 30 or even lower at 25 is still a hunting tool in the right hands.
However, with that low draw weight it is ideal for targets and recreational use, but again, in the right hands is capable of hitting a target, pretty accurately at 50 metres every time, although power [kinetic energy] through the arrow is much lower at this poundage.

35 to 40+ draw weight bows.

With this increased draw weight you will be hitting targets up to 75 metres, especially if you have a good eye for it.

But remember, we are talking hunting for food and survival here. Where every shot counts. So you'll not be looking at distances anywhere near 75 metres. More like 25 metres maximum, but closer if possible.

I would always go with a 40lbs bow as well.
Using 40lbs at 25 metres will deliver maximum kinetic energy for a clean kill, and being well within a comfortable kill zone the shot will be accurate.

A Quick Mention About The Tradiitional Longbow

Hungarian style Handmade Longbow Flagella Recurve Horsebow
available 20 – 110 lbs


current price: £110 inc VAT & del. 

110+ Lbs. Bows?

I am not aware of any standard recurve bow that has anywhere need this kind of draw weight, but it is worth giving the Traditional Longbow a mention again.

Historically, the Longbow had this kind of draw weight as standard. 
Even more so in the English Longbow which was a formidable hunting and fighting weapon and very popular during the middle ages.

An English Longbow archer would arm himself with a 110lb Longbow and it was deemed to be very suitable for combat.

Some of the very strongest archers would even carry a 130+lb Longbow into battle - almost unthinkable nowadays!

This amount of power would of been devastating, with the history book mentioning these archers being able to accurately shoot over 200 mtres and still pierce human flesh

In a SHTF situation we like to keep things simple, and by far the recurve is going to your mainstay bow of choice. Purely for its simplicity of design and amount of moving parts.
The least amount the better.

But with a compound bow you are offered more scope to hunt: i.e., you can be considerably more accurate over considerably longer distances.

In conclusion, it is generally considered that a decent 40+lbs recurve bow is going to be the preppers choice for hunting.
It's silent, accurate and reliable, with very few moving parts to go wrong.

So long as you practice your aim you will have success every time.
This is a definite prepping tool to add to your arsenal, especially for food procurement. 

Happy Prepping Folks.

Steve

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

Continue reading »]]> You can't go far wrong when using an
 Air Rifle For SHTF and Hunting For Food

As preppers we all know the importance of food procurement. 
Your stored food supplies will not last for ever, and considering there's not too many people who have huge food stashes, you definitely need to consider other ways of getting food in your belly.

Hunting small game for you food supply is relatively easy and a reliable method when you use an air rifle.

As well as that, in a SHTF situation, an air rifle will be an effective means of self defence and suitable in many scenarios.

The UK public do not have the amount of 'real' firearms compared to American preppers. Although you still have a perfectly legal right to own a firearm, in the UK, there are relatively few compared to the population.

Using an air rifle in a SHTF situation will, of course, give you the upper hand and could be enough to deter a possible looter from targeting your home and thus avoiding your home and going for more easier pickings elsewhere.

On of the big advantages of this type of defence is that fact that you can put distance between yourself and an attacker/looter. Stopping them way before they get near you or your home.

SHTF:
Typical hunting with an air rifle for small game
would more commonly include animals such as:

However, from a survival and prepping viewpoint, egg laying birds may well be worth keeping, literally for their eggs, if you can catch them and keep them.

In theory, any small game can be food, including rats.

But consider what the animal eats and access the possible dangers attached to that animal first.

By far the easiest small game to hunt with your air rifle is the rabbit.

After all, they breed just like rabbits..! So there's hundreds of them hopping about all over the hedgerows and fields. They are super easy to stalk, they sit nice and still for you to get a good aim and have a decent amount of meat on them for a nice nutritious meal.

Hunting rabbits with an air rifle is the best choice of weapon, and to achieve a clean kill, a head shot is your best target zone to aim for. This will give an instant kill.

You want the rabbit sitting up nice and contented and perfectly calm when you make you shot, and definitely not running scared around the field.

If a rabbit is in 'panic mode', then leave it alone - the rabbits body will be releasing adrenalin direct into its muscles for a flight or flight reaction.
These chemicals are unwanted and will taint the meat when you eat it. (this applies to most foods you hunt).

What type of air rifle is best suited for hunting?

As we stand today, there's no disaster on our doorstep, no doomsday scenario and no SHTF. 
This makes the choice of air rifles quite vast. If you check out a previous article: Best Air Rifle For Hunting you can see the reasons for choosing one rifle over another in a SHTF situation.

But in "peace time", there are many rifles that will more than adequately cope with small game hunting. A simple trip to your local air gun supplier will be the best way to approach this - just explain what you want to do and they will help you with your rifle choice.

There are many Air Gun Suppliers in the UK who are more than willing to help you out, and I personally recommend my own air gun specialist, The AirGun Centre based in Essex.
They have a excellent on-line shop and I have found them to be second to none with their expert help.

Your biggest challenge is to find some land where you can shoot.
Rabbits are often thought of as vermin, especially on farmland where they can destroy crops, and as such a farmer will welcome shooters to help control these 'pests'.

If you haven't practised and you cannot hit the target, spot on, every time at 30 yards. Then don't go out. Simple as that.

Be responsible about your air rifle hunting right from the start. Practice now, because, when needed, your Air Rifle For SHTF And Hunting For Food will be your very best friend.

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Continue reading »]]>

Best Air Rifle For Hunting And Survival In The UK

There are many different air powered rifles available in the UK.
However, there are two distinct differences to consider when choosing the best air rifle.

The two distinct differences are a matter of the law. To own a air rifle that is more powerful than 12 ft lb you must have a FAC - Fire Arms Certificate.

However, anyone over 18 can purchase and own an air rifle below 12 ft lb rating.

Unless you are a competition shooter and take the sport very seriously, I would not even consider going to the trouble of trying to get yourself a FAC especially as many of the Non FAC rifles are more than capable of doing the job very nicely.

Having said that, you have a perfect right, by law, to own many different firearms in the UK – in fact, the different types of legal firearm would probably surprise you!

If you are of good standing and can prove so, you simply have to pass the required police checks and your ok to purchase and use a firearm

see my FireArms guide here:

Considerations For Choosing The Best Air Rifle For Hunting And Survival In The UK

Always remember - 

TYpes Of Air Rifle

There are 2 main types of air gun – spring or gas ram and PCP [ Pre Charged Pneumatic]:

• Spring - Piston
  The cocking action puts tension on a spring which becomes the main mechanism to propel the pellet.
• Gas Ram
  Essentially the same, except the tension is used to pressurize a gas ram and not a spring.
• Pneumatic
  A cylinder mounted within the rifle body is pre-charged with air, with a small amount of pressure  reducing each time your fire.

Spring Piston or Gas Ram
fixed barrel - underarm cocking - these type of
air rifle as known as 'springer rifles'.

Spring Piston or Gas Ram
again, a springer rifle, but with the barrel
being used to compress the mainspring.

Spring or Gas Ram Rifle:

This shows the loading point of a .22 or .177 pellet.

One shot at a time - unlike a PCP rifle which can have a multi shot magazine. 

A PCP rifle with multi shot magazine like this BSA Ultra is leaps ahead of the old springers.
The cylinder is below the fixed barrel  and once fully charged will give 70 - 100 shots before needing to be refilled.

Pre-Charged Pneumatic [PCP]

The extremely good BSA Scorpion - an excellent 'value for money' rifle and certainly one of the top contenders for Best Air Rifle For Hunting
70-100 shots on one charge / gas cylinder is charged up to 200 - 232 bar.

There's two methods available to charge the gas cylinder on a PCP:

Most rifles are available in different livery as well - this PCP rifle offers a solid wallet body, for the traditional look. A  black Polyester Resin Stock for a tactical look, and a Full Camo Print design for the hunter.

Springer or PCP? Both are capable rifles to use for hunting small game and survival.
I personally have two springers and a PCP, and by far prefer my PCP over the other two.
The performance, for me, is much better. 
But.... the PCP has far more working parts that could fail in a SHTF situation.
So the answer, as always, is to try and cover all the options.

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

With a PCP rifle like this BSA R10 [shown here in camo livery], you're looking at 70+ shots before a recharge, a 10 shot magazine, it's very quiet, virtually no recoil and deadly accurate.

Weighs just over 7lbs and you can get it on a choice of .22 or .177

What more can I say...! A beast of a rifle for silent, deadly hunting of small game..

Of course there's always a downside to most things.

The main one here is that a PCP rifle should really be serviced regularly and, ideally from the gun shop where you bought it.

Most good gun shops will offer this service, with some it's free if you buy certain rifles from them.

I use a BSA Scorpion T10 and here's an example of the main parts that make up the rifle >

Ask Your
Gunsmith...

---

Any gunsmith will give you advice about all aspects of buying and using an air rifle - don't be intimidated by going into a gun shop purely by your lack of knowledge.

They are a very friendly bunch, and always very knowledgeable and eager to help with advice. Remember, airguns are their passion too and they are more than capable of giving you expert advice - far more than I could ever give here.

I highly recommend a trip to your local gun shop before making an decisions on what is the right rifle for your own needs.

I am very fortunate to have one of the very best air rifle suppliers in the country at under 10 miles away from me, The AirGun Centre, based in Rayleigh, Essex, (they also have a superb on-line shop as well).The AirGun Centre, who are based in Rayleigh, Essex. (they do have a very good on-line shop as well) a

Of course the next step, once you have got your new rifle is to go out and practice.

I would highly recommend finding a local air gun shooting range to get to know your new rifle – there are lots of them about and there’s bound to be one fairly close to you.

The advantages of the range are it's far more 'real' than your back garden and there are some fantastic range setups around the UK.

Make sure you are within the UK laws

An air rifle is considered an offensive weapon in the eyes of the law and exactly where you are allowed to carry it and use it needs to be strictly observed.

Do not, under any circumstances, have an air rifle or air pistol in a public place and certainly do not have it out of its case and on full view.

Unlike our American friends, who have completely different gun laws to us here in the UK, and are allowed to freely carry a rifle for hunting or even a pistol as concealed carry.

In the UK – just don’t even think about risking it.

Final Thoughts

As preppers and especially as we are talking a SHTF situation, one of the main concerns is going to be reliability of your rifle.

That being said, there really is only one type of rifle that you should consider as the Best Air Rifle For Hunting And Survival:
and that is a bog standard Spring Piston air rifle.

The two main reasons are simple:
1/ fewer parts to go wrong.
2/ doesn't need to be charged up

With so few moving parts the spring piston has to be top of the list. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my PCP, but think purely doomsday survival, food procurement and reliability and the Spinger is your best choice.
Not only for the reason above, but for example:
A brand spanking new Weinrauch HK is going to set you back less than £400.

the ultra reliable AND very accurate HW80 from the German manufacturers Weihrauch

If you prefer to by British, then BSA is a good choice of established quality brands - the BSA Lightening is a well loved hunting rifle and you can get a brand new one for £350, so great value for money.

The simplicity of the spring piston rifle has a lot more to offer when faced with SHTF - as you can see in this exploded view, the minimum of moving parts to go wrong.
You will still achieve a pellet velocity of over 550 feet per second with a legal 12ft/lb rifle using a .22 pellet, and even more with a .177.
This is ample to give a kill shot for most small game at anything up to 50 yards.

Hopefully this article has helped you out a bit. It's a big subject and quite a specialist one when you really get into it.

My definite advice, before buying, is to visit your local gun shop.
You will get great help from knowledgeable people.

Happy Prepping Folks.

Steve

ps: If I have missed anything or there's gaping errors in anything written above, then please feel free to leave your help and comment below. Thanks.

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

Continue reading »]]>

Silent Hunting With A Catapult

Firstly - Catapults And The Law

---

A catapult is not an offensive weapon.

A catapult has no legal limit to the power it can produce as well as taking pretty much any design and form.

However, they can only be bought from a store or on-line retailer by persons over the age of 18.

There are no UK laws that prevent you from carrying a catapult on your person, whether in the middle of a town centre, in your car  or out in the woods.

You would only be committing an offensive if your intent was to actually use the catapult as an offensive weapon.

Now, this slight dent in the offensive weapons law does not give you free reign to go around carrying your catapult hanging out of your jacket for all to see.

If you were to behave in such a manner in the middle of a shopping centre or any public place, regardless of your good intentions, and regardless of the fact that the law says you can, you would stand a very good chance of having the catapult confiscated.

It would be then treated very much like an offensive weapon under the Prevention Of Crime Act 1953 . and even more if you are actually seen using it in public.

Transporting it from one place to another is, however, acceptable if it carried sensibly, out of sight, and even more so if the power bands are separated form the body - in effect you are showing common sense, due diligence and have a good reason to be doing so. 

In a nutshell - Use Your Common Sense..!!

Now we have the law sorted, the main question is, are catapults any good for hunting?

And the answer is, a resounding yes. Most definitely....

Even the most basic hand built catapult will give you the ability to hunt for your food, and on a SHTF situation the humble catapult will also double as a very effective self defence weapon.

Most basic, off the shelf, catapults will send an 8mm steel ball bearing towards a target at over 200 feet per second.

If you start to do some customising by adding heavier duty bands or doubling up with the bands it is possible to achieve nearer 300 feet per second. 

It goes without saying that you must achieve a high level of consistent accuracy before trying it for 'real'. This is not difficult, in fact, I think the catapult is one of the easiest hunting tools to master and has a lot of advantages over conventional hunting weapons.

What makes the catapult such a good choice for hunting.

If you consider the fact that a catapult can fire anything from a pea to a stone to a steel ball bearing, and all of them accurately, you have yourself a formidable hunting tool.

The Catapult - Silent, accurate and deadly - what more could you want.!

A good basic catapult for most people is the The Black Widow Hunting Catapult 

– it’s an excellent, value for money catapult, with several good features to help you get consistent accuracy each shot.

It has a  solid frame and the power bands are easy to replace – no fiddling about, which is exactly what you want in the middle of the woods.

The wrist support is great and definitely helps to achieve more consistent accuracy.

* Firing the Black Widow Hunting Catapult

For under £15, the Black Widow Catapult is great value and is very easy to use with the wrist support that helps you keep everything steady.

Catapults are so basic that you really can't go wrong - this one has a  basic steel frame and plastic grip and with a little practice you soon get your eye in and the whole thing becomes quite fun.

The loading, the aiming and even the firing are all simple and quiet operations that are easy to master.
If you can combine good stalking skills as well, then you will be assured of getting something for tea, again, making this an acceptable weapon for hunting.

The catapults overall range and power are the only things that limit them over the conventional air rifle that I would use for hunting rabbit.

I do own a gas fired rifle with suppressor which is reasonably quite and certainly gives a longer distance and more power, but it can be cumbersome sometimes and from a prepping point of view, what happens when it breaks or the gas runs out or the pellets dry up..?

My trusty crossbow would be my next 'go to' hunting weapon, but again, it has temperamental moving parts that can break and the smaller bolts I fire get easily lost and would eventually run out.

Therefore, knowing that you have the backup of a good catapult makes so much prepper logic.!

Hunting Europe's Biggest Pest

Procuring food and SHTF go hand in hand.
So does hunting rabbit, which are now Europe's biggest unculled pest for landowner and farmers.

Landowners are always looking for skilled fields men to help eradicate these pesky destroyers.

So being able to actually go out and practice your skills should be an easy task for most preppers.
But learn about your prey first. Times of day that are best to hunt them. Do a bit of recon and try to find their warrens and food runs.
All this makes for successful hunting.

Your next move is learning how to 'field dress' the rabbit, skin and butcher, and prepare for cooking over an open fire.

Basic bushcraft and prepping skills that must be learned and practised.

If you intend to hunt using a catapult, then make use of this new bushcraft skill you have.!

Once you've bagged a few rabbits and got them to the table, you will soon realise how tasty a real fresh rabbit actually is.

Not only that, it will save you money to spend on other prepping equipment and supplies.

How to prepare and butcher Fish and Game here

Moving on to something a little bit more serious in the catapult world.

The Judge G3 Spring Assisted Catapult

This is the Judge G3 Spring Assisted Catapult

Manufactured in China and shipped direct to the UK.

Overall, this is one mean bit of kit, obviously in a different league to your basic catapult and designed for greater accuracy and performance, with the addition of the spring assist your looking at speeds of nearly 300 feet per second. .

This G3 catapult brings silent hunting with a catapult into a different realm entirely, the body has been designed with an arrow rest support that comes with the catapult therefore allowing you to also fire conventional arrows.

The Judge G3 Spring Assisted Catapult

The lower handle has a 20mm rail that will accept a red dot or torch as well – a very nice touch for a catapult.

Best place to get this is on Ebay:

Red Dot Laser Sight Scope

If you have a good catapult set-up that gives you higher speeds, it will also mean you can be that bit further away from your prey, you can still be accurate and have a powerful kill shot. 
If you find a good place to lay up and wait, with a more powerful catapult, you have extra flexibility to go for near or further prey as well.

A nice feature for hunting at dusk is a laser red dot sight - the G3's rail is perfect for this (shown above) 

Choice Of Ammo

Of all the things that make silent hunting with a catapult a favourable weapon to use, is the fact that you can never really run out of ammunition. 
Ball bearings are you first choice, but what happens if they get used up? At least your not in the same predicament as you would be if you were using a rifle or bow.
Just about any smallish sized object can be used - stones being the most obvious, but what about marbles or metal nuts... You now have lots of backup ammo choices. 

In fact, the only real moving part on a catapult is the rubber band tubing.

The power bands on your catapult will need to be 'eased in' before you go stretching them to full power. This will mean taking a dozen or so half shots then move up to full stretch.  
This will definitely help with the life of the bands, however, expect them to snap at some point. It's inevitable.

The good thing about this is, they are easily replaced and very cheap to buy.

Most catapult use the hollow rubber tubing for the power bands, and these will come in 5,6,7,9,or 11mm diameter and is set by the type of catapult you have.

But its not compulsory to use the hollow bands. You can get flat bands and solid square bands as well if you want to experiment.

The best way to ensure you always have enough spare power band is to buy in lengths and cut to suit you catapult and arm lengths.

If you don't want to be bothered with cutting and binding your own bands there's always the choice of buying ready made power bands with the pouch fitted.

These bands will come in different strength levels and will fit a range of catapults - the Pack Of 3 Pre-Made will fit the Black Widow, Barnett Strike Nine, Cobra, Diablo, Pro Diablo and probably a few more as well. 

6 x 9mm Natural Latex Rubber Band 10M Length

Trumark Slingshot Heavy Duty Power Bands

Pack of 3 Pre-Made Catapult Bands

If you want to do the whole lot yourself, then changing a band is very easy, the only hard part is adding the pouch.

Sometimes the band can just be weaved through the pouch and other times you will need to bind the end.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by using a strand from some 550 paracord or a small cable tie.

Don't Forget Your Own Safety.

Considering we are supposed to be silently hunting for our tea, with the object being to cleanly kill a rabbit, or other food source. The last thing we want is to injure ourself..!

I hate to go all Health & Safety on you but, I highly advise wearing protective eye wear at the very least.
Some people will also wear a glove on the hand holding the catapult.

When a power band snaps it will always spring back towards your face, guaranteed. It can even whip the ammo back and shoot that in your face. You will not be ready for it and your eyes will be open.

Get all the basics in place and your half way there to being a good catapult hunter.
Practice and then practice again to really feel confident before going for the real thing.
And please wear eye protection..!!!!

Happy Prepping Folks.

Steve

Steve Hart UK Preppers Guide

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Catapult Hunting and How to Shoot a Catapult 

For some people, hunting with a catapult has been a lifelong process. But for quite a few people, actually knowing how to accurately shoot a catapult is not quite as easy as it seems.!

If you own several different catapults, you will, no doubt, find yourself making little changes in order to suit your personal firing needs – these are small refinements and changes needed to compensate for your personal style of hunting, your physical strengths and tweaking the catapult for your own ways of shooting your catapult.

You will, most definitely, find yourself experimenting with different types of ammo sizes and even shapes – as well as changing the power band strength to see what really works best for you.

Anyone who is serious about catapult hunting finds that’s the only and best way to get the most consistent and accurate catapult for their needs.

You must experiment if you want to progress and get more accurate and proficient at catapult hunting.

Therefore, this short article is aimed more specifically at the beginner and intermediate catapult user, rather than the experienced hunter.

Basics First:

All catapult hunting has to be divided into the two main groups –

• PRACTICE – this is generally referred to as “Plinking”
• HUNTING – the practice of actually stalking down and killing game.

Practice, Practice, Practice..

To really improve in your catapult accuracy you must practice, and there are quite a few target aids available to help you gain more accuracy.

This can be as simple and easy as a few cans in the back yard, with stones as ammo.

 Or you can invest in something like this Pigeon Knockdown Target for under £20 – these are quite good as they reset themselves after each hit.

There are various types of these target including Rabbit knockdown Target or multi plinking targets – all designed to help with your target accuracy and well worth investing in.

If you use ball bearings for ammo, then I would suggest investing in a different style of target – one that collects the ball bearing at the back in a tray.

This will save you money in the long run, as well as being more convenient for collecting your ammo up.

This type of target is a bit more expensive at around £30 inc VAT and delivery, but well worth it.

But before you do anything:

SAFETY FIRST – 

It is very important to think of a catapult just like any other weapon – any catapult will very easily injure, maim and even kill a human – they are most definitely not toys – especially when you consider that they are specifically designed to hurl a projectile at some very impressive speed with an inertia that will do some serious damage.

You really do not want to find yourself on the receiving end of a steel ball bearing travelling a hundreds of feet per second.!

Always apply the same sensible rules to your catapult as you do with any weapon:

• Never use a catapult against another person, in the United Kingdom, it will be regarded as an offensive weapon and the law will treat it as such.
• Never point a loaded catapult at anyone
• Do not let anyone use your catapult unsupervised – especially children.
• Wear safety glasses.. a power band can snap and recoil – it will take your eye out.
• Wear a glove and if possible wrist protection against ‘band slap’ – this will start to hurt after a while..!

What are the advantages of using a catapult when hunting.

Your catapult will offer you a very low cost, low tech alternative way to go out into the woods and be able to learn how to stalk your prey, without carrying around a load of cumbersome equipment, weapons and ammo – essentially it is an extremely lightweight, compact, very easy to use, hunting tool.

Add to that, a catapult can be very accurate and and great fun to use.

But please – always remember to be ethical about your hunting practices.

All hunters want a clean, fast kill – that’s why it is so necessary to actually practice and get yourself proficient with your weapon well before you actually go out into the wild looking for game to hunt.

An average quality hunting catapult will very easily take down many of the smaller animals like rabbits, pigeons, squirrels, pheasants – AT CLOSE RANGE.

I think, essentially, that is where the actual skill comes in, you really do need to learn how to silently stalk your prey and then ensure you can get nice and close to make a clean shot.  

Fortunately for us, you will find that some animals and birds, especially rabbits and pheasants will tend to hold still long enough for you to take a good aim and some will even allow a second shot if needed..

But again, I cannot underestimate the need and importance of practice.

It is essential you are more than able to reproduce the firing action and technique you use when plinking at a target – regular practice will ensure you build up ‘muscle memory’ and use exactly the same action when your heart’s pumping and you’re all crouched up on the ground trying to aim at your prey for real.

Technique:

Whether your left or right handed, makes no difference when it comes to how to shoot and fire a hunting catapult properly – what does make a difference is finding a firing position, stance and technique that suits you personally.

As a general rule 90% of catapult hunters will pull the pouch straight back to around the chin area, below the ‘aiming’ eye, with a straight arm holding the catapult body.

Remember the bit about ‘tweaking’ your catapult to suit you – well, the power bands need to be adjusted to give you just the right amount of ‘stretch’ to ensure you are not struggling to pull back, especially over the last few inches.

You must be able to comfortably pull back to achieve maximum power without having to struggle – if you find you cannot hold the pouch ‘fully cocked’ without wobbling then you must extend the band length to suit you body size, strength and style.

It is far better to give away a bit of power than constantly struggle with the band force and subsequently miss your target.

As you get more confident and muscle memory kicks in, you will find it becomes easier to maintain a constant aim with less effort.

Ammunition:

This is an area where some people prefer to use large ammo and others smaller – there’s no definitive answer to ammo size or type.

As Preppers, it makes sense to practice with all types and sizes, but especially with FREE AMMO.. the type you find on the ground, namely stones.

For consistent results, you will need consistent ammo, and that normally means steel ball bearings.

Fortunately, steel ball bearing are relatively cheap to buy and always consistent in their size and weight.

Which makes them also consistent in their flight path, speed and trajectory.

Best value for money ball bearing ammo – 6mm carbon steel

Lead free and environmentally friendly legal ammo

1000 x 6MM CARBON STEEL BALL BEARINGS

List Price: £8.29

Price: £8.29

Price Disclaimer

Be consistent:

Try to use the same power bands whenever possible, and, of course, always carry a spare set – again, a cheap item to buy, light weight to carry around and compact – so no reason to scrimp on extra bands.

They will snap, I can guarantee that, and there’s nothing worse then having a good catapult, ammo and a target sitting right in front of you, only to have a band snap and no replacement.

This is a typical quality hunting catapult – with a spare set of power bands the whole set-up costs around £20, so not an expensive item considering the usefulness to us preppers.

VERY100 Spinner Steinschleuder Sportschleuder Sling Shot Catapult Revolution Tangle Free Caty Selection with 2 rubber strip

Price Disclaimer

For some more information, see:  best Hunting Catapult for Survival

Have fun:

My final words are, go out and have fun – knowing how to shoot and fire a hunting catapult properly takes a bit of time, so go out and enjoy yourself.

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Air Rifle & Air Gun Law in the UK

What you can, and cannot do with an air rifle are very strictly laid down in the UK law. In 2011 the UK Laws on airguns were amended and are the current standard to work from.

As with most firearms the duty of care is very much on the gun owner and no one else.

If it’s your weapon then you need to make sure it safe, secure and unlikely to get into the hands of children as well as transporting it lawfully and using it safely.

Who can buy an air rifle.?

To purchase an air rifle or pistol you must be over 18 years of age and show a photo identity as proof of this.

You will also require two methods of identity from your authorised suppliers, including proof of address as well – you cannot buy on-line.

However, you can only freely buy an air rifle that has a muzzle energy of below 12 ft lbs or a pistol below 6 ft lbs – anything with a higher velocity than this will require a FAC ( Fire Arms Certificate ) – Air pistols that produce more than 6ft.lb are prohibited.

The FAC is not necessarily difficult to obtain but you will need to fulfill a very strict set of criteria and be inspected by your local police as to why you actually need a more high powered rifle in order to be granted permission to have one.

This process applies to all high velocity rifles in the UK including semi automatics and gauges up to .50 cal.

*this does not include Northern Ireland..

Your duty of care..

As the gun owner, you, and only you, are responsible for that weapon – and you must behave in the appropriate way and take all the necessary precautions to ensure you act in a common sense way that will not cause injury to anyone, including yourself…

Special attention should be given to storing your rifle or air pistol in a manner where it cannot be removed from its ‘safe store’. – this now means, you must keep any rifles or pistols in a sensible place – for example, a sensible place would NOT  be in a garage or outbuilding.

Under the amended laws of February 2011, the Crime and Security Act 2010 now makes it an offence for a person in possession of an air gun (the gun owner) to fail to take “reasonable precautions” to prevent someone under the age of 18 from gaining unauthorised access to it.

*the obvious thing to do here is store your gun in a cabinet under lock and key – that way you are completely covered and within the law – however, for a sub 12 ft lb air rifle you do not necessarily need to do this – just reasonable precautions. This can mean out of sight and high up away from prying eyes and stored separately from any pellets.

Of course, if you own several air rifles I would very much suggest a gun cabinet at best or a securely locked cupboard.

I will also add that sensible precautions means that the rifle is NOT loaded with a pellet or cocked ready to be fired – in the case of a PCP rifle I would also suggest it has no charge in the air cylinder.

You are simply taking all the precautions available to you to ensure it cannot be accidentally picked up and fired.

As a final step, I would also keep the pellets and guns separate from each other – preferably in a different room.

Using an airgun

It is legal for any person over the age of 14 to shoot an airgun, unsupervised and on private land

Full permission to shoot has to be been given by the landowner.

Anyone under the age of 14 may also shoot an airgun but only if closely supervised by someone over 21 years of age. The supervising adult is legally responsible for the actions of the junior shooter.

You must have the full permission to shoot on any land – this includes your garden or on private land, or land that is owned or leased by any club or an individual owner.

*All pellets must remain within the boundaries of that land.

It is illegal to fire an airgun on the following land:

• common land
• recreational land
• playing fields
• land that is covered by water e.g. ponds, lakes, canals and rivers *where you do not have the owner’s permission

It is also illegal to fire an air rifle:

• closer than 50 ft [15mtrs] of the centre of a highway, if by doing so you cause any member of the public, using that right of way, to be injured, interrupted or endangered.

  *This offence could be committed, for example, by someone on private property close to a road who uses an air rifle in a way which endangers people on the road.

• closer than 50 ft [15mtrs] from the centre of any bridal path or footpath

Transporting airguns

Anyone over 18 years of age can transport their air rifle or pistol, however, all airguns should be transported in a securely fastened case – this case must prevent the air gun from being freely picked up and fired.

The gun cannot be cocked and ready to fire.

The gun cannot be loaded with a pellet (whether cocked or not)

Anyone between 14 and 18 years of age cannot transport an airgun – they must be accompanied and supervised by someone over 21.

*it is illegal to have an airgun, loaded or not, and whether in a secure case or not, in any public place without lawful authority to do so, or reasonable excuse.

**REMEMBER THIS:  it is illegal to have an air gun in a public place – so, if you have an air gun in the boot of your car, even if travelling to/from a shooting range, you cannot stop and get it out for any reason. I, personally, would not get my rifle out of its case even if asked by a police officer..!!

If you keep to these basic rules you’ll be safe and within the law. But remember, the onus is very firmly on you, the gun owner.

Failing to comply with any of the above laws you risk potential penalties, which are extremely severe.

Please make it your priority to learn and understand these UK airgun laws as they apply to you and your shooting.

.

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Best Value For Money Hunting Crossbow UK

This is the Virginia 150lb Hunting Crossbow and is fully suitable for hunting large and small game and represents one of the best value for money hunting crossbows in the UK today.

It has all the feature you want and certainly packs a punch.

The 150lb draw weight is a comfortable amount for most people and the rope clicks nicely into the trigger mechanism which is a good idea as it is then very safe when loading a bolt.

Once the bolt is in place it’s simply a matter of releasing the safety with your thumb and you’re good to go.

The Virginia Hunting Crossbow features 150Lbs draw weight which means your arrows can travel up to 210 FPS – making this crossbow more than capable of taking down big game. 

Specifications::

• Stock is a real wooden short stock
• Powerful 150Lbs draw weight
• Bolts will travel up to 210 FPS
• Limb made from high tec fibreglass
• Barrel Constructed of aluminium
• Full auto safety cocking mechanism.

Another couple of plus points that puts this firmly into the best value for money crossbow in the UK is the build quality – using high tec materials and then adding a touch of traditional wood make this crossbow just look the part..!

It’s light, at only 2.5kg and quite compact [34″ x 26″] and takes standard 16″ bolts – these will give an accuracy range of about 100mtrs.

All in all, a great, high quality entry level crossbow that’s affordable and designed to look good and last.

Highly Recommended…

You are going to be paying in the region of £150 for this type of crossbow

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also see: Crossbow Laws Uk

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Best Hunting Catapults For Survival 

One of the oldest weapons used for hunting has got to be the catapult and a very good bit of survival kit to have in your bug out bag. But what are the best hunting catapults for survival that you, as a  prepper, should consider buying.?

Hunting Catapults can be made from very basic materials and with practice can be very effective – Todays Hunting Catapults are considered a much more lethal and accurate weapon than ever before. Made from high tec materials and design giving you a serious weapon.

Firstly, let’s look at the pros and cons of adding a hunting catapult to your survival kit – Along with your survival knife and a multi tool knife, a hunting catapult is quite low tec in it’s principle design and operation, relying more on your own skill than the actual catapult itself.

These are the essentials to consider when choosing the best hunting catapult for survival –

Pros of Hunting Catapults: 

• Accurate and deadly
• Very quiet operation
• Easy to load and reload
• Fast reload [with practice]
• Simple operation
• Compact
• Light weight
• Main working parts are easily changes or repaired
• Low initial cost
• Unlimited supply of ammunition if needed  [ eg – stones]

Cons of a Hunting Catapults:

• Practice required to build up accuracy
• Ammunition can be bulky and weighty [ 200x 8mm ball bearings would weigh about 1.5lb ]
• A supply of replacement catapult bands is required

Overall the pros far outweighs the cons making Hunting Catapults a very good survival weapon for preppers.

As with all things prepping, and especially hunting catapults  – NEVER BUY CHEAP WEAPONS –

Remember you will also need a good supply of ammo [ball bearings seam to work best] and also some replacement bands – [the elastic rubber with replacement pouch.]

That said, there are some excellent hunting catapults around today that work really well and all hover around the same price bracket of between £25 – £100 – Replacement bands will cost anything upto £5 to renew and ball bearing ammo [8mm] is around £5 for 200.

Below is our unique comparison guide –

the guide will help you choose the best type based on your own personal preferences –

Use the up/down arrows to select the best combination of your requirements.

Table 1 is available from Ebay – Choose from:

• Description
• Photo
• Wrist support
• Main Body Material
• Handle grip
• Price
• Overall ‘value for money’ rating 

Catapult Description	Photo	Wrist support	Body Material	Handle Grip	Price £
Barnett Cobra Slingshot Front stabiliser give this catapult increased accuracy through the aiming sight system. Nice soft grip similar to holding a pistol grip. click here to view more information on Ebay		Full wrist support	Steel tube	Moulded plastic with contoured soft grip	20
Theraband Hammer sprave gamekeeper Traditional style forked catapult - chunky design for extra grip. Features 'fork horns' for exact thumb and finger alignment when gripping the handle Camo print to the handle makes this a good quality mid range hunting catapult click here to view more information on Ebay		No wrist support	Aluminium	Aluminium	35
Pro Mg-Ai alloy hunting catapult Comes complete with arrow rest, cowhide cover and mag torch grip. This is a serious bit of kit. for more information on the Pro Mg-Al click here		Full wrist support	Magnesium Aluminium alloy	Stainless steel & Plated Metal & Top Cowhide	65
Barnett DIABLO Power Slingshot Catapult Detachable wrist support makes for easy storage. Magnum Power Bands as standard Barnett DIABLO Power Slingshot Catapult		Full wrist support	Moulded plastic with stainless steel tube	contoured soft touch grip	18
BARNETT BLACK WIDOW SLINGSHOT/CATAPULT Excellent value for money catapult Fold away wrist support and molded grip BARNETT BLACK WIDOW SLINGSHOT/CATAPULT		Full wrist support	Moulded plastic with stainless steel tube	contoured soft touch grip	15
Barnett Pro Diablo Catapult / Slingshot The 3 piece stabiliser and adjustable sight gives this pro model an added level of accuracy. ANother very good value for money catapult Barnett Pro Diablo Catapult / Slingshot		Full wrist support	Moulded plastic with stainless steel tube	contoured soft touch grip	25

Table 2 is traditional styled catapults from Amazon – choose from:

• Description
• Photo
• Price
• Main body material
• Buy now from Amazon

Description	Photo	Price £	main body material		Add to cart
Dankung Cougar Powerful Stainless Steel Catapult Slingshot. TheraBand Gold Bands		41	Stainless steel
Dankung Panther Powerful Stainless Steel Catapult Slingshot. TheraBand Gold Bands		41	Stainless steel
Dankung Toucan Powerful Stainless Steel Catapult Slingshot. TheraBand Gold Bands		41	Stainless steel
Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Slingshot Sling Shot Catapult + FREE Testing Ammo		10	Stainless steel
New Stainless Steel Slingshot with Wooden Handle Outdoor Hunting Sling Shot(1pcs)		12	Wood
Slingshot		21	Plastic
Robust Polymer Catapult "Over The Top" Gold TheraBand Bands		27	Polymar
Brand New Snake Shapped Real Stainless Steel Slingshot Outdoor Hunting Sling Shot(1pcs)		17	Steel

 We hope our Best Hunting Catapult for Survival reviews have helped you to choose something suitable for your requirements – happy prepping….

 For more information, see:  How to Shoot & fire a Hunting Catapult 

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Survival Axe reviews and Comparison Guide

Although a Survival Axe makes a good alternative weapon in the UK, it’s primary use is in a preppers survival kit and Bug Out Bag. The survival axe is high up on a UK preppers list and must be taken seriously as an essential bit of survival kit.

Considering the type of work that is expected from a survival axe, it is definitely necessary to buy quality and avoid the cheaper products out there at the moment.

This is my ”QUICK REVIEW” of one of what I consider to be one of the best survival axes available today –

The Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe – { the bigger brother of the Gransfors Wildlife Hatchet, on the list below }

Main features of the Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe – 

• Will fit into a survival rucksack
• Includes a leather safety carry hood
• 19″ Hickory wood handle – I found this a perfect size
• Good size chopping head – 3 1/4″
• The edge holds its sharpness 
• Will cut through a 6″ diameter timber with ease
• Easy to handle and precise when preparing kindling wood
• Extremely comfortable handle

It was very difficult to find fault with this axe and maybe being picky I would say that for the bigger jobs a larger axe would be more suitable – maybe if you had to do a lot of log splitting – but generally this is a 5 star Forest Axe. The weight may be an issue to some (just under 1 Kg) if you like to travel real light… But I haven’t found this to be a problem at all and the pluses far outweigh that one point. In fact I found that little bit extra weight gives more momentum for the bigger chopping and log splitting jobs.

The one thing that made me think twice about purchasing was the slightly higher price over a Gerber or the Husqvarna Hatchet, but I have seen reviews where they have been slagged off for poor quality and finish.

The very last thing I want in any survival situation is have inferior tools, especially something as important as a survival axe, which can be a life saver – however, to prove the quality Gransfors put their money where their mouth is by ensuring each and every one of their axe heads is individually forged and stamped by the smithy who made it AND offer you a 20 year guarantee against any defective workmanship – now how good is that….

So, all in all,  this a nice bit of survival kit that is well worth getting 

• Unfortunately, this axe out of stock now – however, click here for a direct link to all the current Gransfor axe range.
  

There are, of course, a few other survival axes that are worth considering so I put together the chart below to give some comparisons between the features –

I hope this helps your choice.

• Use the up/down comparison arrows to help your choice.

Description	Photo	Price £££	Weight Kg	Handle Length mm	Blade Sheath
LONG HANDLED SPLITTING AXE's
Long handle splitting axe from Gansfos Buks - with leather axe head sheath - hand forged - 20 year guarrentee for more information, reviews & prices, click here		90	1.8	670	yes
Husqvarna Splitting Axe - hand forged - straight hickory handle for more information, reviews & prices, click here		70	1.5	762	No
Fiskars X27 super splitting axe - hardened forged steel blade - shock absorbing FiberComp handle for more information, reviews & prices, click here		75	2.8	914	No
S.A.Wetterling 32K large splitting axe - American hickory handle - Swedish hand forged for more information, reviews & prices, click here		70	1.5	812	No
Hultafors Agdor large feling axe - Swedish hand forged steel - Swedish hickory handle for more information, reviews & prices, click here		55	1.5	810	No
Roughneck splitting maul axe - fibreglass handle - drop forged steel for more information, reviews & prices, click here		35	3.5		No
Hilka Long Handled Axe - fibre glass shaft - soft grip handle grip - forged steel head for more information, reviews & prices, click here		25	1.8	900	No

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