Good video, the only thing I would add is to make sure your arrows are at least 350 grains, otherwise you'll basically be 'dry-firing' the bow. Wood tends to be less weight than carbon or aluminum so the min length for a wood crossbow arrow, with a 100-125 grain point is around 20". You may not notice immediately, but after 20-30 arrows your accuracy will go down as the limbs start to split with the stress.

I grew up using that crossbow! I live in Ireland so i could only target shoot with it but i used to love it. It might not be a problem for an adult but i painted the mid point of the string so that i could get it centred when i pulled it back. I don't no if it really made a difference but it seemed to. Anyway, thank you for the video.

That is my old cross bow. I recognize the scratch on the top beside the sights. WOW! I can't believe this. My father bought that and gave it to me. I gave it to my nephew, Alan. He took it to Ohio a few years ago. He stoped using it, when he got a compound bow. I have a new fiberglass cross bow.

My dad's got that exact crossbow and has taken many a deer with it, lemme tell ya it's a simple crossbow that is quite reliable and durable, my dad still uses his to this day even though he also has a PSE compound crossbow as well. Excellent score for $25 bucks, take care of that bow and it'll take care of you for years to come🙂

I had an 80lb crossbow way back in the day. I spent hours shooting that crossbow. Thank you for the video. Now you've got me itching to buy one for my son and me.

Barnett Wildcat Crossbows did not come with a foot stirrup. The black buttons you refer to on each side of the crossbow were for attaching a cocking device (sometimes referred to as a goat's foot lever) which could be used to mechanically cock the crossbow. I own several wildcat crossbows. I use the cocking mechanism on several of them. It works as long as you don't have a scope on the crossbow, which blocks the cocking mechanism from drawing the string all the way to the crossbow lock.

For most a crossbow is idle, your correct refire is great, remaking your bolts is so easy. Miss you on TV brother, all the best for you.

Wow. Haven't seen one of those since I was loading a bolt in one and the safety let loose and took the tips of my fingers with it. That was 1990 I think. It kinda hurt. A lot.

I would love to go to a gun show and get these awesome deals on great gear! $25 for something that keep you and your family fed forever.

Great video Dave!! Loving all of the these common man weapon videos, right up my ally considering I'm not on the highest wage right now. Thank you and Happy New year :)

Nice catch on that x-bow, Dave. I love to see older things get a new life and find some good use in the hands of someone who will tend to it.

A well presented and thorough review. very much enjoyed your perspective..

Very good video, I found my Wildcat all magnesium crossbow at the local area flee market for a sweet 12.00 dollars in very good condition , I use the iron sites and a 4x32 scope with this crossbow, this crossbow is great for bow fishing and target shooting, I'm having a lot of fun with this well engineered crossbow, Thanks for the crossbow tips David and happy shooting.

What a great video and an amazing find for $25!!! have always loved the simplicity of recurve, and the beauty of wooden stocks! Renewed my desire to own a crossbow! lol

Thanks mate. Awesome tutorial for crossbow newbies. I get my license in a couple of weeks (yes, you need a license in Australia) and then once i get my crossbow this will be really useful.

great weapon and sustainability addition to a kit. i've never thinck about crossbow before the walking dead TV show. thanks for all the good work M. and happy new year 2013 to you and your loved ones.

dave, happy new year man. you are one of the greats.

Great series selection, Dave!

My dad had a Wildcat!!! I remember going out with him in the snow to shoot it too. More OOMPH than most rifles and yet we can still buy there here (in the UK) with virtually no restrictions.

I love it! Here in my state it was recently made legal for anyone to use a crossbow for hunting. Used to be handicap only. Picked myself up a brand new 150lb recurve crossbow with a scope, extra string and a dozen bolts for $90. Practicing with it to improve my aim.

Awsome . I love it. I'm a self bow guy myself but ... its definatly practical. Nice job Dave.

Cool and nice bow!

So thankful for your videos and your insight Dave!

Hey Dave great alternative in a common man hunting tool. I have one 150lbs crossbow and three 80 lbs hand crossbow and one 50 lbs and boy I get penetration at 15 yards with the pistol crossbow and with the 150 lbs I'm real good at 30 yards it take practice for good accuracy.

Nice video. Just finished watching your Dual Survival series. Great work

Hi Dave, ive seen the bows on those delaminate after prolonged use in the past.

You forgot to mention to keep your fingers below the string line, if you don't, you're in for a surprise.

Thanks Dave. I am in Canada where firearms ownership is not as easy. Combined with my current situation it is easier to own a crossbow than a rifle. And I liked your breakdown on qualifying it (FARMD). I look forward to more of your videos, and miss seeing you on DS. I am a subscriber and fan here in the North.

thats an interesting point dave.. the capability to bring down something as big as a deer while still being lighter than a .22

I just wanted to say your channel is an amazing wealth of information and your web site and canteenshop are the best places to get impossible to find items. I hope its not a sore subject but you were missed on the new DS.

Thanks for what you do...god bless you and family...any plans on classes in Louisiana ..missed the one in north Louisiana

that crossbow was made at barnett crossbows wolverhampton england in 1973. i know cos i went to their workshop and bought one in 73.

Dave, please give us another review on this. The concept is great. If this doesn't get er done than what other brand could we use. Great vid.

Nice vid,Are you going to have a vid on making a string for your crossbow?

I have my brother's bow exactly like this one, except the fiberglass did splinter on both sides of the mount... still need to replace it tho. I remember when he bought it back in the mid to late seventies. He also had the "Imp", the pistol type, but they banned it cuz dummies were shooting deer with them! Brings back memories for sure...

@coopinaz They are shorter, and the fletching is set up to rest on the crossbow. Dave mentions the nock feather.

Great video, thank you.

A cocking mechanism of some sort will also help with accuracy. It will make sure the bolt is in the same position on the string and the string is in the same spot on the hook.

I injured my hand this small game season with a knife and couldn't draw back my compound. But I had a cheap 175lb draw recurve crossbow as a backup. Killed my first buck ever with it at 15 yards. Perfect double lung and down in 70 yards. Great tools.

Glad you made this vid, im planning on ordering the barnett panzer v next pay check

Great item to add to a long term kit.

Good find! Thank you for sharing.

@wildernessoutfitters Hi Dave If you get a cocking string from wally world it will help out a lot with the acuracy they can also be made pretty easy. It compensates for uneven draw by hand and draws the string back evenly for both sides. just adding a piece of pvc threaded on to the 550 string for you to step on will make it easier and quicker to get your foott in cause it will act as a spreader. cross bows tend to shoot pretty flat so once you get it set it should be dead on.

my bolts only have 2 fletchings, and the goats foot is built in to mine. but I like the price point on yours big time. need to find one thanks for the info.

Awesome new toy for $25! Have you ever reviewed the $15-$20 single handed mini cross bows? They are surprisingly powerful and very lightweight.

Wouldn't recommend old leaf springs because you never know what sort of invisible damage it has sustained over time -new spring steel much safer. If you make a steel prod, i'd suggest wrapping it in a good canvas or leather sleeve in case it snaps on you. Also, if you did your prod in 2 pieces (15"-16" or so) any decent metal smith should be able to anneal it for you for shaping it, then temper it back to spring steel when your done.

A great video Dave & taught me a lot, thanks. The backyardbowyer on youtube has a tutorial on how to make a x-bow with PVC pipe for very cheap. May not be deer hunting capable but would be a good intro for first timers.

a crossbow is on my wish list now!

I HAVE THIS VERY CROSSBOW DAVE THANKS FOR THE REVIEW.

Hey I have shot crossbows for a year now and if you don't pull back the string exactly evenly it will throw off your shot, to fix this I painted two dots on ether side of the string and it allows me to see if I pulled it back evenly or not.

There are some great crossbows availible on amazon. Crossbows are easy. Learning how to shoot my compound bow was difficult.

Hey Dave!! What do you think about Excalibur Crossbow as in there bullet proofness?

Your crossbow is at least 30 years old. My dad bought the same one around 82-83. It wasn't long after that Barnett made changes to the design. Cheers!

My Brother had one and the only problem he ran into was keeping the string center when cocking by hand, so he used a paint marker to mark both sides of the string so the repeat ability of the shot was spot on, they are fun to shoot thats for sure

Thankls again. As Im a old logbow shooter long before my first 1911. A Cross bow is always a good call. I have to watch again but I think it was farmd. and if I got that wrong. I will get it right the next time watching. ~M~

Nice video. Perhaps showing the firing mechanism, the safety and the bolt retaining system, I think it would have made a little more interesting. Does it require a licence? Certainly I am sold on its practicality and durability. And price.

dave great vid. i got a question for you bro and everyone in youtube land. i have 2 bear grizzly bows that have been past down to me over the years. 1 is showing signs of cracking vertical down the the limbs. they both shoot great but i was wondering is there any way to refinish or reglass my bow?i really want to keep shooting this bow and it would really piss me of if i broke my grandfather bow.

hey i don know if anyone noticed but it looks like the limb on it dosnt look centered that can throw off the bolt and it will make you loose accuracy look at it at 0:34

I have the same bow they are great.

man. i need to go to the gun shows youa re at! Love your vids! keep up the good work. If you decide you want to see the crossbow, let me know haha!

hey dave, the second shot u hit was diverted by a piece of foliage if u play from 8:10 at 8:12 u can see it snap the twig and divert to the left. hope this helps thought let u know :) keep up the good work

Great video Dave.Simple is the way to go,don't need wheels and pulleys to screw up.People are to into speed today and not function.Keep the videos coming.

please keep making video s I learn a lot thank you

ive been debating weather to get a crossbow or not and yeah im gana get one after watching this

since I do not qualify for a wheelchair parking tag for my automobile I am not allowed to use a cross bow for hunting in this state. I agree that it is a great option and I would love to use one for game but then the law would end up owning my crossbow and most of my other outdoor equipment too. can you change aim point L/R by not pulling the bowstring exactly straight?

Jeep Cherokees are the best suv. Due a review of them. When we got a freak snowstorm in CT two years ago on Halloween, mine save the day. Sober driving people to and from the party like my name was balto.

I have a crossbow much like that one, a bit newer but same design and poundage, I can shoot at 45 meters (furthest on range) and hit the target. Problem I have is some bolts actually go all the way into the target and I have to cut them out, the guys at the range do not like that.

You only got a dusting of snow so far huh Dave. We have over 3 feet already, and it is -14F here right now. I have that exact crossbow hanging on the wall, and it works fine out to about 30 yards for me.

is there a video on how to make a new bow string out of bank line

great Video- would love to see more self reliance crossbows, thanks

Since I cannot find a xbow that fits the bill, i'm thinking about building one :) I think it will tie in nicely with my new-found love for blacksmithing and I'm pretty sure I have all the stuff to do it; old leaf spring, old gun stock, bow string, and misc gun parts from my Mosin Nagant upgrades...:)

I like it! FARMD...easy to remember too.

Dear Dave, im a huge fan of your show, and i practice your teaching but i have a question about your doel rod arrow and bolts.i have a couple of bows including a compound bow that was made back in the 80's its the white tail 2 by Fread Bear bows.... my question is can i use a doew rod arrow on this type of bow?? i know you mention not to use a wood arrow on compound becouse of there high velocity, but the thing is that i think your meaning the new type of bows that hoot up to 400fps, i sht 180

hellofva find! I have been looking for one of those for years!

I've been thinking of getting a cheap slingshot from DealExtreme, I know they're rip-offs which is bad but they're so cheap and have copies of some very expensive +$50 slingshots, all you have to do is buy a separate heavy duty band and you have a slingshot that you could use for hunting in a dire situation. For somebody with no hunting expensive I would consider a slingshot to be an excellent option since they're so lightweight and can use any ammo. What are you thoughts on slingshots Dave?

Dave, I own a 150lb crossbow similar to yours. For cocking purposes, buy (or better yet make) a rope cocker. A handle on each end of a rope, with two carabiners which you clip over the string. The rope goes from handle A, through a carabiner on one side, over the buttplate and through the carabiner on the other side, to the other handle. Length of the rope should leave the carabiners close to the stock, and the handles fairly close to the string. It cuts the pull down to 37.5 lbs per hand.

very nice video. you look like an expert in this field. i tried to use a car leaf spring to make a crossbow. unfortunately the leaf spring was too thick, i tried to cut it into a very thin bow so that i can cock it , but it bends a little bit after cocking it , is that fine ? i mean; will this make the crossbow loose it's power ?

Brother you ROCK!

damn i'd like to have one of those! unfortunately in my country this kind of weapon isn't easy to find, neither it's cheap in anyway...

F.A.R.M.D.= good lesson thanks Brother!

you should look at the cold steel trail hawk

What is the trigger pull like? You said you might have jerked the trigger. Is it heavy or have a bit of slop? Great vid. Thanks Dave.

I know you have been doing a ton of trapping videos this season, but are you planning on any hunting videos before the season is over? Love your channel brother!

Geoff Moore was here, I used to have a wildcat 3

good ,sound advice

I have an Excalibur equinox.I really enjoy shooting my crossbow but it is a little big to carry long term. Mine does not have "wheels" but is fairly large. Will wooden arrows survive 250 pound pull?

If shtf, can you imagine hundreds of thousands of inexperienced, trigger-happy preppers wandering the woods trying to get game?

I'm not sure, but that sounds like the price for brandnew ones. He did say his was probably around 20+ years old, so maybe check e-bay, pawnshops or gun shows if you want an older cheaper model.

can you show us how to a crossbow

Dang Dave! I wish I could find stuff as cheap as you do down here in NC! You've talked about several guns and bows you've picked up for under $100. Any gunshow I've ever been to down here I've never found anything cheaper than $250. Why is there such a difference in 600 - 700 miles?

Dave what's a good budget longbow that I can pick up?

I think I may get a crossbow. thanks for the video:)

Crossbows are a good choice, I have a Cold Steel cheap shot, it's 130 pounds with a self-spanning lever built-in.

the only time the bows break is if you dry fire them.but you can remake that if you try.

You sir, have a new subscriber.

Great video, the same crossbow as they used in the film the Wild Geese. The nice thing is here in England Crossbows unlike firearms have not been either banned or heavily restricted. Hunting with them is illegal but they're great for target shooting and marksmanship. I have two recurve crossbows, a 120lb crossbow and a 150lb, they're those cheap crossbows from Taiwan but they work pretty well, but if I ever saw one I'd love to buy a Wildcat.

I've got the Panzer V (same thing more or less) also the Ghost 350 which costs a hell of a lot more than 25 bucks but it's worth it

will the bolt fall out if you tilt it down or is there a mechanism holding it in?

I'm sure ebay sales are going to spike now, so be careful when purchasing some of these older crossbows like the wham-o powermaster. The CPSC recalled many of them (see release # 76-022). Supposedly the latch was not heat treated and the bow would fire prematurely. Not sure it effect the bow in the video, but I just wanted to make sure folks are aware.

I want one!