Crossbow

Questions about Victorian gun and ammunition laws. Victorian Firearms Act 1996.

Crossbow

Post by Conallin24 » 04 Jun 2017, 9:42 pm

Hi guys, I live in Victoria and I would like to get a crossbow. I checked Game management Victoria and they had a list of things you needed to be a member to to qualify. Turns out field and game which I am a active participant in is accepted. now for a few questions, where do I go to apply for the license? They say "Crossbows can only be used to hunt deer. They cannot be used to hunt game birds." I want to hunt rabbits and foxes as well as deer. Do you think they would allow that? And finally can I store a crossbow with Cat A/B firearms or even more daring question can I store it not in a safe? They say it has to be fitted with a trigger lock and cable lock on the string but no safe. Thanks, Campbell.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Mr.Seacucumber » 06 Jun 2017, 11:10 pm

You need to be a paying member of one of the approved organisations for 6 months, after that you email LRD requesting permission to purchase a crossbow with a copy of your membership and they will email you back saying yep go for it.

You then print off that email and take it with you when you go to purchase your crossbow, which will probably be at ozhuntingandbows in Melbourne.

You can hunt on crown land with the bow as well as compete in any comp that may occur.

The crossbow Must be stored in a way that a non-authorised person can not "use" it. It doesn't have to be stored in a safe but it does need to have a trigger lock fitted. You can also put a cable through it but the act says "or" so you need one or the other, personally trigger lock is easier.
Last edited by Mr.Seacucumber on 25 Jun 2017, 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Conallin24 » 07 Jun 2017, 11:24 am

I have only been a member of field and game for 3/4 months but that gives me time to save for one.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Mr.Seacucumber » 09 Jun 2017, 8:03 am

Yep that's the way to go, get a Excalibur I IMHO they are awesome.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Jandamurra » 18 Jun 2017, 1:19 pm

.Things are the way they are and not the way we want them to be, and Conallin24 has every right to ask for up to date advice, and Mr. Seacucumber is to be commended for providing it.
It sounds like the laws in Vic are relatively reasonable but up until 1/7/2012, I believe, you could simply buy a crossbow no questions asked, in Vic, NSW. Qld and SA at least-don't know about elsewhere.
What the hell am I doing here? Just reminding anyone who reads this thread that things were much better with crossbows until quite recently, and we need to always be suspicious of the government.
Some countries require a license for any sort of bow and arrow. Is that the next thing? They got away with increasing requirements and in NSW banning crossbows altogether, why not other bows?
A little bit of sanity might be beginning to come back in, eg NSW not immediately confiscating the guns of a LAFO who's made a minor mistake with some meaningless storage requirement, but we need to stay alert.
Just because archery has become popular doesn't mean it's popular enough to withstand moves to hyperlegislate it. NSW Green MP David Shoebridge called for compound bows to be banned in 2014. I've wondered if they could justify that be saying that they're too similar to crossbows because you can hold them for a minute or two before firing. A user of a compound bow has that sort of control and I actually wonder if most of the advantages of a crossbow, practically speaking, are retained in a compound bow. That's the sort of argument that might be used to ban or register compound bows, and when they've done that, they'll move on to recurves.
That's how their devious little minds work. Never trust them.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by bladeracer » 18 Jun 2017, 1:32 pm

Jandamurra wrote:I've wondered if they could justify that be saying that they're too similar to crossbows because you can hold them for a minute or two before firing. A user of a compound bow has that sort of control and I actually wonder if most of the advantages of a crossbow, practically speaking, are retained in a compound bow.


Hmmmm...doesn't sound right to me. There's hardly any muscle strength required to draw even a fairly powerful crossbow (I have used a couple, many years ago, as well as pistol crossbows) but my 60lb compound I have zero chance of drawing it with my messed up shoulders at anywhere near full power. I'd have to check what it's set to currently to keep it comfortable. Not bottomed out but probably under 40lb.

I vaguely recall a crossbow "incident" in Oz some years ago?
And I know that Kuklinski claimed to have murdered a passerby with a crossbow in the US just to see if it was a viable weapon.

But I really doubt even a single life is likely to have been saved by restricting crossbows.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by gazza » 18 Jun 2017, 6:37 pm

We'll need a hunting permit for a speargun next. :crazy:
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Re: Crossbow

Post by bladeracer » 18 Jun 2017, 7:13 pm

gazza wrote:We'll need a hunting permit for a speargun next. :crazy:


Don't you already need a permit to take fish?
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Archie » 18 Jun 2017, 8:36 pm

bladeracer wrote:
gazza wrote:We'll need a hunting permit for a speargun next. :crazy:


Don't you already need a permit to take fish?


In NSW at least you do, although spear fishing is covered by the same recreational licence as everything else. And you can't use scuba gear, snorkels are it. As per the usual rule of thumb in Australia, if it's not compulsory it's illegal.

There was definitely a case a while back here of someone going to jail for building crossbows and selling them to someone who turned out to be undercover police. From memory he was more of a hobbyist tinkerer than a proper criminal but result is the same.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by gazza » 18 Jun 2017, 9:19 pm

Not in SA.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Jandamurra » 24 Jun 2017, 12:34 pm

bladeracer wrote:
Jandamurra wrote:I've wondered if they could justify that be saying that they're too similar to crossbows because you can hold them for a minute or two before firing. A user of a compound bow has that sort of control and I actually wonder if most of the advantages of a crossbow, practically speaking, are retained in a compound bow.


Hmmmm...doesn't sound right to me. There's hardly any muscle strength required to draw even a fairly powerful crossbow (I have used a couple, many years ago, as well as pistol crossbows) but my 60lb compound I have zero chance of drawing it with my messed up shoulders at anywhere near full power. I'd have to check what it's set to currently to keep it comfortable. Not bottomed out but probably under 40lb.

I vaguely recall a crossbow "incident" in Oz some years ago?
And I know that Kuklinski claimed to have murdered a passerby with a crossbow in the US just to see if it was a viable weapon.

But I really doubt even a single life is likely to have been saved by restricting crossbows.



Oh I don't know. Not a lot of muscle strength is needed to draw a 60lb compound bow if you use a bow release.
Whatever is there, they'll use. At the moment they might not be interested in emphasising the similarities between a compound bow, but who knows in the future? I recently viewed a review of a compound bow in which the narrator described the draw-back as "crossbow-like". TYou see the basic logic if what I'm saying, don't you? The "valley" beyond which it is easy to hold the bow, gives it something of what a crossbow can provide and means you don't strain yourself nearly as much holing a compound bow as a recurve.
Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I don't know where you live but in their infinite wisdom, they might allow you to use a crossbow if you ask nicely.
A little thought experiment might be in order. Let's say crossbows in Australia were a very. very recent thing-only last year, say. In that case, given what weapons laws are like these days, the Victorian approach would seem sort of reasonable. But they're not that recent, and until only five years ago you could walk in and buy one no questions asked-no permission or 9-month membership of some organisation required. Big difference.
Some countries require a licence for any bow and arrow. Don't forget that.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Bent Arrow » 24 Jun 2017, 1:13 pm

You guys are hilarious. In the context of functional use, cross bows and compounds are nothing alike. Cross bows need to be very high poundage to deliver as much energy as a far lower poundage compound bow as cross bows are far less efficient.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by bladeracer » 24 Jun 2017, 1:24 pm

Jandamurra wrote:Oh I don't know. Not a lot of muscle strength is needed to draw a 60lb compound bow if you use a bow release.
Whatever is there, they'll use. At the moment they might not be interested in emphasising the similarities between a compound bow, but who knows in the future? I recently viewed a review of a compound bow in which the narrator described the draw-back as "crossbow-like". TYou see the basic logic if what I'm saying, don't you? The "valley" beyond which it is easy to hold the bow, gives it something of what a crossbow can provide and means you don't strain yourself nearly as much holing a compound bow as a recurve.
Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I don't know where you live but in their infinite wisdom, they might allow you to use a crossbow if you ask nicely.
A little thought experiment might be in order. Let's say crossbows in Australia were a very. very recent thing-only last year, say. In that case, given what weapons laws are like these days, the Victorian approach would seem sort of reasonable. But they're not that recent, and until only five years ago you could walk in and buy one no questions asked-no permission or 9-month membership of some organisation required. Big difference.
Some countries require a licence for any bow and arrow. Don't forget that.



I understand what you're saying, not a lot of strength is needed to hold the compound bow - after it's been drawn. But that doesn't allow you to move around very much, or put it down, or hold or operate anything else. A crossbow can be carried cocked and even fired one-handed. I really can't see much similarity between the two from the perspective of using them.

I don't see any value in licencing any bows, or even slingshots.
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Re: Crossbow

Post by bigpete » 24 Jun 2017, 3:54 pm

Bent Arrow wrote:You guys are hilarious. In the context of functional use, cross bows and compounds are nothing alike. Cross bows need to be very high poundage to deliver as much energy as a far lower poundage compound bow as cross bows are far less efficient.

Yeah I'm reading plenty of bulls**t so far
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Bent Arrow » 24 Jun 2017, 4:53 pm

bigpete wrote:
Bent Arrow wrote:You guys are hilarious. In the context of functional use, cross bows and compounds are nothing alike. Cross bows need to be very high poundage to deliver as much energy as a far lower poundage compound bow as cross bows are far less efficient.

Yeah I'm reading plenty of bulls**t so far


It's a bit like standing in a cow paddock
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Re: Crossbow

Post by bigpete » 24 Jun 2017, 5:33 pm

During silage season
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Re: Crossbow

Post by bladeracer » 24 Jun 2017, 5:44 pm

bigpete wrote:Yeah I'm reading plenty of bulls**t so far



That's all you have to offer the discussion?
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Re: Crossbow

Post by Bent Arrow » 24 Jun 2017, 10:35 pm

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Re: Crossbow

Post by Jandamurra » 04 Jul 2017, 3:11 pm

Bent Arrow wrote:http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-23/chinas-toothpick-crossbow-nightmare/8647770?pfmredir=sm&sf91697600=1&smid=Page:%20ABC%20News-Facebook_Organic&WT.tsrc=Facebook&WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic


Amazing. We're actually less free than Mainland China when it comes to crossbows.
One needs to look at what's happened already in order to understand what could happen in the future if we are not alert.
It's not hard-at least, I wouldn't have thought so.
The recipe goes:
Guns are dangerous. Ban many types and introduce severe regulations including universal registration for the remaining legal types.
After a number of years, rinse and repeat with crossbows-too similar to guns, you see.
But wait, there's still heaps of cattle (us) with unregulated bows and arrows.
Rinse and repeat again, this time being sure to say it will only be some bows and arrows-say, long bows and compound bows. Only some until you're ready for the rest.
It's not #$@&^ rocket science. You'd have to be actually trying not to understand, I reckon.
The same with what I was saying about the similarity of compound bows with crossbows. I never said they were exactly the same. They are somewhat similar in that both allow the archer to hold the drawn bow longer than a recurve allows. Both types allow a user to draw a bow he or she would not otherwise be able to draw. They are also easier to be accurate with than recurves. I expressed a personal opinion that perhaps for those reasons, a compound bow is practically as good as a crossbow.
I am certain they are just waiting for the day to use these sorts of arguments. Rinse and repeat, divide and rule.
Now they've got us used to the idea of crossbows being a big no-no, they can move on to the next thing.
The thought of a government move onto bows and arrows is scary but burying one's head in the sand and refusing to see a clear pattern isn't going to improve our chances of preventing it.
\Finally, it's worth noting in passing that the self-loading crossbow invented by Joerg Sprave would have been regarded as nothing but a toy until various parts of Australia passed their Dangerous Weapons Acts in 1998.
Now you can go to prison for possessing a slingshot.
And I'm supposed to be a paranoid weirdo for wondering if they're going to go after normal bows and arrows next!
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